Interesting!
BTW, Spools are what thread come on, Those are cable reels, and the wood covering the reels are called lags…
Strand reels, pipe reels, cable reels, just a heads up.
I suppose different parts of the country would use different terminology. I just can’t imagine any self-respecting lineman referring to one of those as a spool…
We always referred to them by their number designation, a 420 reel (about 6’ dia.) being the biggest size the reel carrier could handle on the back of the truck, 416 a bit smaller, down to a 414. Just my experience talking here.
But, continue, I’ll shut up now…back to the build thread…
Very interesting stuff. I’ve been thinking about building some for my railroad “one of these days”, and it’s nice to have the research already done for me. 
Nice work! I’m looking forward to seeing the rest!
Ozark sell miniature chain binders, if your looking for a way to fasten the chain down.
http://www.ozarkminiatures.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=606
Boomer K. said:
Chain seems to be the most common way of securing freight on my railroad so I bought a spool of black nickel oval loop jewelry chain from Hobby Lobby. normally $10 for 6 yards I got it 40% off on sale.
I first coated the chain in a rusty color called vomit brown and then washed it with chestnut brown. Once dry I rolled it back up on the spool dry brushing it with dull silver as I went.
Next I glued the drums into the rack on the flatcar with E3K on their bottoms and then added some TB3 to the sides. Sinking it in with a wet brush to keep it from forming a visible glob above the joint.
Once it dries I can add the chains and be done.
How do you plan to tension the tie down chains?
If I may be so bold as to suggest a method that I have used successfully for tie down chains on a flat car with 2 cars as loads.
I measured the chain length then cut it into 2 pieces I then fixed one end of each half into position on their respective tie down points on the flat car.
I then joined the 2 pieces of chain with thin hat elastic hidden out of sight inside the load.
This keeps the chains taut.
The chains do not carry any of the weight, the cars are secured by a bolt and nut, they are purely detail.
If you have another method I would be interested to hear about it, as I to like flat cars with loads, they give a chance to do so much more detailing that a plain old box car, bit like a mini mobile diorama.
I have a few short 2 axle English/Australian flat cars that I have some plans to add loads to in the pipeline (ie in my over active imagination).
VERY nice Boomer!
Sweet!
Neet Car. If the “New Mexico Northern” would have been built, you could of run that load right from Cibola in to Farmington where the oil field could really have used that wire rope.
You know Boomer, maybe this summer we might have to have a few interchange cars on each others RR. NMN Down South to Cibola.
Looks good!
Real nice work, Boomer…
Nice!
I like the forethought given on the viability of the product for your line.
For all that you must be retired.
…winking…
The rules, for truck drivers, is that you use one chain for each 10,000 pounds of load. When I was hauling 27,000 pound coils of steel, they had to have 3 chains minimum, to be legal. On the 47,000 pound coils, 5 chains were needed to be legal. I always used more chains then the minimum. I am not sure if the same rules apply to the railroads or not.
Boomer…keep these builds coming. I now have, yet another, project on the build list. I almost drove out of my way just to get that chain from Hobby Lobby. I didn’t because I have three projects that in the works, along with the '15 build challenge a few days away. You caveman hands sure do a great job. I like your style :-).
Mattman
Wow, Boomer, that turned out great.
-Kevin.
Beautiful!
Got a good laugh out of your method of creating tension in the chain.
Outstanding, Boomer! You did some great research, strived for authenticity, and passed all that information on to the rest of us. Thanks.
Ray Dunakin said:
Very interesting stuff. I’ve been thinking about building some for my railroad “one of these days”, and it’s nice to have the research already done for me.
What Ray said, and very nice work, too, Boomer!