Large Scale Central

Lazy man's boxcar bash

Modeling
#1

I was looking at some old photos of standard gauge rolling stock in the 40s and noticing how varied it was. I did some research, and found out there were USRA double sheated boxcars, USRA single sheathed car, and, as in this picture, converted reefers. But I don’t have the skills of Bruce, or Bart, or Ray, or a whole bunch of people. I wanted to make use of what I already had and get some of that same look. So I decided to see if I could approximate some of it, and set out of make a Double Sheathed wood side, steel end boxcar out of an old Aristo 40 foot steel boxcar Scraped the detail off the sides:

Bought some micromark scribed siding, 1/16th thick. Turned out to be too deep

So I planed it down using a nifty tool, the Wagner “safe-T-Planer,” which chucks in a drill press.

OK! I cut the panels to fit the sides, and thought about using the Aristo Youngstown door. Sometimes the double-sheathed boxcars had steel doors

But more often they had wood. So I fabricated a couple doors out of the siding, and used parts from the ice hatch on a reefer to simulate door hardware. And added coffee stirrers on the roofwalk, and threw a hasty coat of primer on it.

I’ll probably badge it for Lehigh Valley. It ought to have a brake wheel above the roof line, probably, and I’ll streak the roof gray, I think.

#2

Well Mike,

your modeling skills look fine to me. A very sharp boxcar indeed. I don’t recall seeing a ready made car like this but bear in mind I am on the eastern side of the water.

#3

That looks very nice Mike. Don’t sell yourself short on skills. Not at all.

Tell me about the Planar!

#4

The Wagner Safe-T-Planer. It runs about 50 bucks, It’s basically a disk that has three cutters on it.

(http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/ProductReviews/Tools/SafeTPlaner/SafeTPlanerViews/safetplaner05.jpg)

Here’s a great account of it by a luthier, which is how I heard about it. http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/ProductReviews/Tools/SafeTPlaner/safetplaner.html They have them at Woodcraft, or they did, before I bought the last one. But it turns out I have two of them. Years ago I misplaced one, and it turned up–you guessed it–right after I bought the new one. Anyway, as long as your drill press table is level, it works quite well

#5

mike omalley said:
The Wagner Safe-T-Planer. It runs about 50 bucks, It’s basically a disk that has three cutters on it.

(http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/ProductReviews/Tools/SafeTPlaner/SafeTPlanerViews/safetplaner05.jpg)

Here’s a great account of it by a luthier, which is how I heard about it. http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/ProductReviews/Tools/SafeTPlaner/safetplaner.html They have them at Woodcraft, or they did, before I bought the last one. But it turns out I have two of them. Years ago I misplaced one, and it turned up–you guessed it–right after I bought the new one. Anyway, as long as your drill press table is level, it works quite well

I’ve found, over the years, that the best way to find a missing tool is to buy a replacement. :stuck_out_tongue: You has me sympathies!

#6

Mike,

That’s a first rate job. No doubt about that. It definitely looks better than the original car too.

#7

Nice improvement.

#8

Great idea Mike. Especially the Lehigh Valley badges. :wink:

#9

Neat build Mike!

#10

That looks great Mike! Good work!

#11

Very nice, Mike.
I like it.
Ralph

#12

Wow Mike! You have really given me some ideas.

#13

cool i like that

#14

Nice boxcar, and a nifty little tool. I may have to grab one of those.

#15

Thank you all! It was fun project

The Safe-T-Planer’s a good tool for projects like this, especially with softer woods. For hardwoods, figured hardwoods especially, you’d want a drill press capable of high speed and with plenty of horsepower. If your drill press table is level, and you don’t try to take too much in one pass, it’s great. It comes with a rig to sharpen the cutters