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]
Sausage, egg and cheese McMuffin. Best thing McDonald’s sells! My opinion.
Thanks. I am encouraging him to use some of these techniques to make a diaphragm for the after door on AM-critter. It’s on the agenda for next week.
Eric
