Kevin,
Your website is a constant inspiration for me to try things. Thank you for the comments. The box cars and reefers have been the ones I’ve felt I might just give in on and purchase or build the bigger equipment. Bruce Chandler and Bob McCown keep shaming me in to constantly trying stuff. I’ve got more work to do than I can get done in the rest of this life time. Life is good!
And Ric inspires me! Ric, you need to shop over here: http://www.lifeisgood.com/ My daughter got this shirt for me:
(http://www.lifeisgood.com/images/fall08/skus/Mens/l/00011LNGJCML_l.gif)
Bruce,
You don’t pay enough attention to stuff other than trains. My casual cap says “Life is Good” on the outside and “do what you like, like what you do”, on the inside. It was given to me by the staff at the Tourism Bureau because they say I always say that.
Actually what I normally say, and I think Ken can back this up, is -
“Woke up this morning, got breakfast, nobody’s shooting at me, if I don’t have to reload before lunch - Life is Good.”
Thanks for the site. I see a new cap to order.
Ric, you have found me out. Of course every time I see you there ARE trains and beer around…
Yea, Ric, I think I’ve heard you said that one or two times…
Ric Golding said:If you have a roof over your head, and your belly is full, life IS good. If more people understood this concept we would need fewer Doctors and pharmaceuticals. Every day I wake up is a good day. Ralph
"Woke up this morning, got breakfast, nobody's shooting at me, if I don't have to reload before lunch - Life is Good."
Amen Ralph. During conversation with my 91 year old Father-in-law last evening, he was lamenting as to how he wakes up wondering why he is still alive and why he was born in this wonderful Country. Served in both WWII and Korea, but never left Missouri for either War. Puts in 8 miles a day on a stationary bicycle and starts each morning with a shot of Brandy.
I guess we have successfully got this “off subject”. I’ll go take some pictures of the 1:20.3 tank car and get it back on track.
1:20.3 car on left, 1:22.5(?) car on right.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/090101%20045.jpg)
Side view of 1:20.3 car with coupler pockets and steps from Ozark Minatures
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/090101%20046.jpg)
End comparison shot with handrails, air brake hose and decking
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/090101%20048.jpg)
Overhead shot showing width difference
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/090101%20050.jpg)
3/4 shot - 1:20.3 car closest
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/090101%20051.jpg)
May do a little more graphics, but basically done.
Hi Rick,
Nice work on your tanker. Is it just the way its sitting on your layout or is it a little higher than the utlx behind it?? Do you plan on doing any of the boxcars??
Chuck
Third or fourth time looking at these and just noticed the stake pockets on the sides. Nice touch…
Chuck Cole said:
Hi Rick, Nice work on your tanker. Is it just the way its sitting on your layout or is it a little higher than the utlx behind it?? Do you plan on doing any of the boxcars??Chuck
Most of the height difference is in the picture and the fact the 1:20.3 is closer to the lens. However, the deck of 3904 is a stir stick higher. Since the yokes that hold the tanks are both mounted to the plastic deck, they should be the same height, they aren’t. I don’t have an answer for this, but I have never measured the Bachmann tank cars to see if they are held that close to tolerance. Nothing I did should impact the height. I guess I’ll now be paying closer attention to this. Just Great! Another major crisis to worry about. Thanks a lot, Chuck.
Just outta curiosity…what are the dimensions of a Bachmann tank? (Devious ideas abound)…
I think the tank car is in it’s own dimension…
What I came up with and not to the nats hair
3.5 inches diameter
1:22.5 = 6.5 ft.
1:20.3 = 6 ft
13.75 inches
1:22.5 = 25.75 ft
1:20.3 = 23.5 ft
HMMMMMMMM definately got possibilities… Diameter is about right…I need to get one of these to see what I can do about adding some length…
Why would you want it longer? Remember, in my case, the focus was to convert what I have. If I wanted to make it longer, I’d just start with something else or build from scratch.
If you can get it cheap enough (which shouldn’t be too hard), you get the tank and trucks (with metal wheels). Besides, finding PVC pipe the right diameter, with ends and a dome to boot, is a bit problematic. To lengthen the car, I’d cut the tank between the dome and the ends, somewhere in the middle of the tank barrel, and then get some .010" styrene sheet to form a new barrel to the correct length. You can add more scale rivet detail in the process, too.
Later,
K
“Cheap enough” changes after you are retired.
Still, this is a great conversion. I shall have to poke around and see what I can find.
Methinks Master Bart will be attempting this soon. I am sending him two for bash fodder in return for him returning a lengthened tank and some bolster castings for a frameless car to me. Reminds me I got to get moving on getting them packed up.
Using Ric’s dimensions gives the following capacities for the tank:
@1:22.5 scale: 6392 gallons
@1:20.3 scale: 4970 gallons
Both within reason very much within reason. The nearly 5000 gallon capacity of the 1:20 conversion matches the capacity of many narrow gauge tank cars, from logging to mainline operations.
Great conversion! I’ve got a couple I hope to do sometime this spring.
Happy RRing,
Jerry
