So apparently I made a ghetto jig to do these and I’ll be damned if I can find it. Perhaps it’s time to clean up the shop.
So in Amtrak fashion I cut off the lower skirting (for utilitarian access) this is how the car sits with lower skirting cut and at factory height (which I may have to raise up) and not lower in order to mate with my scratchbuilt and LGB stuff.
Note the inward end of the bogies reside inline with the inside edge of the baggage doors. This is no good!
I measured and shifted, drilled/tapped the bogies outward 1" (towards the ends of the car).
Note the bogie on the right shifted outward now aligning it with the center of the door opening. The bogie on the left is still factory.
Both trucks shifted outward. Still not feeling it and might just go to Ro trucks but undecided.
Great to see you back in the saddle! Looking good so far.
Well, I cleaned up a bit and still couldn’t find it so I spent an hour with some scraps and made a “new and improved” ghetto jig. This one does 4 matched rails per side so 8 total at a time with moveable hold downs and ends.
Yes a few hole are not O/C however they are taped together as a matched set and I can assure you that 90% of the Amtrak baggage cars steps are not O/C either.
Could have made these with styrene a lot quicker (drilling wise) but the first rock they hit they are gone. Learned that a long time ago with the superliners and the $10 of brass is worth the extra effort.
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Still making junk outta junk and working with the Aristo stuff just adding to it and making adjustments.
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Still playing around and figuring things out as I go so I thought I would work on something easy. Have not really had much time to tinker lately.
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Hmmmm…I will show this to Kid-zilla on the morrow!
Eric,
I made sure the boy had pretty much all of the “base” materials he needed for Am Critter. Remember structure/basics first and detail parts later. UNLESS it is easier to add the detail parts to the structural part before final assembly if that makes sense.
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Just thinking out loud.
Honestly, this is the first Aristo “Streamliner” I have seriously molested ( I know that sounds filthy). I played with them a bit back in the day but they didn’t suit my liking’s.
However after playing with this car in depth I personally think Lewis did a fantastic job with these cars. Yes, they are toyish I suppose in a sense but they are solid, somewhat basic and designed to run on a 5’ DIAMETER not radii. The man built a small empire with Lionel thinking and sold product.
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I came across my 3 car set of SP cars at a swap meet, went home and told the wife about a ( her words “people train” ) and she insisted I go back any buy them. While they don’t look as good as USA proper sized cars , they fit my small layout and I have enjoyed the things I have done to them , now to did at least a coach or 2 and hopefully a baggage car some day, at least one that doesn’t cost an arm, leg and a a few other parts!
Calling it done on the ends. Thought about modeling a bit more detail and correct pilot however everything else is outta wack. Besides if I was gonna do that I should have just scratched it up to begin with. Gotta keep in mind this is a kitbash not a scratchbuild but so far it’s coming along nicely.
@ Eric,
Note it’s basically simple materials that probably 90% you have on hand.
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One of the biggest issues I have seen with the Aristo Streamliners is they sit too high hence why folks lower them about 1/4". I have lowered them but it creates other issues with car mating. With this kit bash I want to keep the height of the car as it’s perfect for my needs.
So I’m gonna create the illusion that the car is lower by adding 3/8" to the base. I also wanted to be able to pull/slide the middle out so instead of gluing and screwing I opted for pinning and the pins only go into the aluminum about 3/32".
Before and After
I decided to tackle the underside basics. NOTE that I am reusing everything that was on the car from the factory. Just adding to it a bit with a little detail. When I paint I like to paint heavy and thick as it adds to the ambiance and 10’ rule.
I have learned over the years that inside pics do AMTRAK no justice and cannot wait for outside pics of a 10’ rule 1100/1200 series baggage car in the fleet.
It’s been awesome to finally get a little tinker time in the past couple weekends.
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That is really cool. Might have to copy that when and if I find a decent priced baggage car !
Kid-zilla and I are watching and learning!
Eric
You have just under 3hrs
So I removed the original slide in panels I made for general mock up. I made new press in modules to lock in place of the factory door openings. Again, this is a kitbash and you have to work with what you have unlike a scratchbuit.
Trying to keep details to a minimum and going with the 10’ rule and focusing on shadows, light and how they human eye sees it while running round and round and round. I have said it before and I will say it again “scale and gauge” really don’t matter to me anyway and perhaps this is why G (garden) scale is so diverse.
So far I can pop off, press out or unscrew all my additions then put it back to how it was minus the paint and badging. However I did cut off ( remove ) the bottom fluting in typical Amtrak fashion so that CANNOT be reversed.
Eric and Kidzilla ,
All basic PVC, Styrene and brass modeling materials with no fancy tools.
That’s all I got other than my boy texting me if I wanted breakfast thinking he was gonna make it? Nope, 20 minutes later he comes into my train shed with Mc Donalds. I guess it’s better than the quicke mart?
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What? Your hands were not on fire from holding a box? [Gasp]