Large Scale Central

Building Coach 64

Modeling
#1

Now that I have met my news years resolution to make at least 6 new figures, I thought I would start on the second part of my New Years Resolution and start building coach 64. The best place to start this journal, I figured is from the begining and the begin always starts with a good plan, as seen above. I took this drawing and enlarged it to 1:20.32 scale and marked it up a little in process. Coach 64 was built in the OR&L shops by OR&Ls master coach builder John A. Hughs. Much of the construction is similar to the Carter Coaches which OR&L bought to make up there passenger line. I decided to start from the bottom up so to speak, and do the trucks first. I will include some photos of my progress, but since I am planing on casting the side frames in white metal or resin to save time, I will skip the mold making and casting process’s and just show construction.

#2

That should be a neat project. I’m interested in how you make those trucks.

#3

I did much the same thing…I cast the pedestals and springs…and used brass strip to bolt it all together!

#4

Thats a cool little coach, and I can see the same construction style in several other passenger cars. This could be a neat thread.

#5

I had a chance to walk aboard that coach while my son was stationed in Oahu. Jeff Livingston gave me the VIP tour of the railroad. It is really quite elegant in a tropical way. Its on that list of projects to do. That list does not get shorter. Look forward to this thread.

#6

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What the drawings don’t show the image above does.

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Last night I completed 1 side frame and 1 journal cover. The side frame is made of 1/4" ply cut on a scroll saw by cementing a copy of the full scale drawings on to a piece of ply and cutting out accordingly.
I had to drill the insides first to get the blade through, so since I had it up on the press, I made the holes for that would hold the wheel bushings at the same time.
Since this is just a prototype to cast in either resin or white metal, I will only have to make 1 complete side frame.

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The load springs are another story.
I haven’t decided yet if I want to cast them with the side frames or to just add them individually after the casting is finished. The are easy enough to make.
I use 18 guage aluminum wire wrapped around 1/16 " brass rod. I will only need 16 for each car, but I’ve decided to build 6 copies of 64 all at the same time because, its just as easy to cut 6 as it is to
cut 1.
Now I need to but some more detail on the journal c shapped thingy (whats it called) which, as you can see by the real trucks, has a bead all the way around.
Then I will make the actual star designed cover (probably out of the great plumbers epoxy I just got at ace hardware).
Then I will put all the nuts bolts and fasteners where they belong.
By that time I should be able to make up my mind about the springs.
One thing for sure is that the leaf springs are going to need to be a separate casting.

#7

YEah brother!!! I cast that whole section…Springs and all as one piece though…looking snazzy…

#8

That looks a lot like Aristo’s Sierra truck:

(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/sierratruck.jpg)

Hmm. Maybe the sierra truck is heavier.

#9

Tom, look closer. Here are the differences. The Aristo has a curved top beam and 16 rivet in center filed The Aristo has 1 load spring on each side of the leaf springs The Aristo journal plates have some sort of w shape at the top The aristo journal boxes are shaped differently The Aristo has a rod wraped around the bottom part and if my eyes are calibrated right the wheels look to be centered about 2.5 inches apart

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/rkapuaala/sideframe2.jpg)

This is where I am now. I have the side frames primed, need to do a little clean up, then I will build the first mold. From the first mold, I will make 4 copies. Each of the copies will have the details refined, so that you can see the torsion rods coming through the nuts on the journal plates and on the top beam. I will also do a better job defining the nut details, so that they are squarer. The detailing around the journal plate needs to be cleaned up on the copies as well and I think the rivets are a little too big. I had to do somethings to this piece that I wasn’t real happy with because I am casting them: That top beam is about 2 scale inches longer on both sides so that the cross member could clear the flanges. I also made the notches on it a little deeper than the prototype for the same reason. The wheels I have are about 1/16" wider in diameter than the prototypes wheels. The journal plate is a solid piece front to back. I would have had to cast it separately to if I had done otherwise. I’m not so sure that rod at the bottom is going to come out of the mold alright. Where it crosses over that bottom beam it should be okay , but where it crosses from the journal plate ear tips to the bottom cross beam it is probably not going to come out, at which point I will be faced with removing it from the 4 copies and resign myself to adding that piece during assembly.

#10

You should offer up the sideframe castings. They’re nifty!

#11

Bob, I might offer them on a limited bases, but they would be unassembled without the wheels.

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/rkapuaala/sideframe3.jpg)

After seeing all the examples of trucks by other manufactures, I realized I can cast half the leave springs with the side frames and the other half separately. I will add them later during assembly.

#12

Very nice. What’s will you be using to cast these?

Now if we can get Bob to cast some hopper trucks…

#13

Bachmann already does, lets browbeat them!

I’m in for a pair of truck pieces/parts if you cast them

#14

I am using circle kay 1000 RTV and vagabondcorp model cast polyurethane resin 36-xxx.

#15

Uh huh. Does it come with white walls? :slight_smile:

Man, now I better go out and see what you’re talking about!

#16

Bruce,
Go to http://www.vagabondcorp.com and follow the instructions there.

#17
Richard Kapuaala said:
Bruce, Go to http://www.vagabondcorp.com and follow the instructions there.
Richard, the site's description of the resin as two-part reminds me of something I used to make duck decoys in the 70s. It was diabolical to work with; the ratios of the two parts needed to be precise.

How easy is Vagabond’s stuff to work with?

#18

There are tolerances. You can be about 1% off without any issues.

#19

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/rkapuaala/sideframe4.jpg)

Finished the first part of the mold today and setting up the second part. Its seen in the background waiting for the 3rd coat of mold release to dry. I cast the piece in the foreground so I could have a piece to experiment with while the second half of the mold sets up.

#20

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/rkapuaala/truckstest2.jpg)

Completed the brake beam last night and tested it out on the trucks. I painted everything gray so I would have a better idea how well the 0-90 bolts would look. They seem passable to me. I had to paint the wooden parts anyway in preparation for the mold. Unless wood is painted or sealed some how The RTV will penetrate every pore and this results in a very hair looking mold. You probably don’t have to worry about this effect if you don’t use a vacuum to make your mold. I decided that I will cast the brake hanger beam and the brake beam shoes etc… together to save on assembly time.

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/rkapuaala/brakebeamcloseup.jpg)

I am not sure how this will turn out when casted because of the brake hangers that are made of brass wire. As you can see from the closeup, they are pretty thin. At the very least, they are going to need some serious cleanup, but compared to fabricating all those hangers from wire, thats a fair trade off.