I want to add to my small fleet of modern TTX flatcars and decided to build a TTPX bulkhead flat car. I chose to do this car cuz its unique and I like the wooden and steel bulkhead ends . The method of building is pretty much the same as the centerbeam car I did last year . By the way that car is still sitting waiting to get the decals on it and when I do finally finish it I will add pictures to that build post . I start with a piece of .080 thick styene cut to the length and width of the car. In this build the car will be 68 feet long and 10 feet wide. I go to Loews and get a piece of aluminum 2" wide and 1/8" thick . This is the piece that the trucks and couplers are mounted to. It runs under the car the entire length. Ok so here’s the car I want to build.
So heres the first steps on this car . Here’s a picture of the .080 plastic that is the floor of the flatcar . Two 1/4 inch holes are drilled in it at the location of the truck mounting screws . They are oversize so the 4-40 screw head will sit in this hole and be flush with the deck. The other picture shows the aluminum strip . I notch out the metal so the wheels will swing free and also allows me to lower the car to the correct height. I’m building this car as the others I’ve done using only photos so there will be a little freelancing in some areas. That’s part of the fun ! The trucks on this car are from USA , stolen off a 50’ Santa Fe boxcar . (http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0741.JPG). (http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0742.JPG)
Slow down Mike you are making the rest of us look lazy!
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Dave its far from done . Sometimes like i’m building in mud.
Heres’s the aluminum strip that has been drilled and tapped for a 4-40 screw at the bolster location and then rough sanded and cleaned with alcohol. After quickly applying 2 part epoxy I set it on the plastic and added some weights till it cures. That’s all for today . (http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0743.JPG)
Wow you really are scratch building. When I built 2 for my RR I cheated and started with a pair of Aristo modern flat cars.
It looks like you have a tight spot for your trucks. Do you have wide radius curves so they won’t rub and if they do are you battery powered so you won’t short out?
I like your subject, bulk head cars are an interesting addition to any train. Keep us posted on your progress.
Hi Todd , yeah i’m starting from nothing on this build again. I have bashed a couple of Aristo Evans boxcars in the past . That was faster than starting from scratch for sure. I do run on 20’ dia curves and this car will have no problems. The centerbeam car I did is longer that this one will be and it has been coupled to shorter cars (all body mounted Kadee couplers) and ran great . The metal wheels wont touch the aluminum strip once the bolsters are in place , which brings me to the next installment of my build. The first picture is the parts needed to build the truck bolster. I laminated 2 pieces of .080 plastic and a 1/8" thick piece of aluminum after I drilled a 1/4" hole in the center of them . The hole if for a plastic tube that will center the truck. After I screw in a 2" long 4-40 screw into the aluminum frame I attach the bolster to the frame with JB Weld and also filling the void between the plastic tube and screw. Here’s a few more shots of my progress , hope you like them.(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0744.JPG)(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0746.JPG)(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0750.JPG)
Great start, Mike. I have enjoyed watching your other builds and will keep my eye on this one. Thanks for sharing.
After the bolsters cured overnite it was time to mount the couplers . I use Kadee’s on all my stuff. After drilling and tapping the holes for the couplers I temporarily mounted them and checked them against my Kadee guage and found them to be to low . It was then I realized I used wheel sets with smaller diameter wheels. To bring the coupler up to the correct height I could use the larger wheels but I would have to remove the bolster and build a new one . I instead mounted the coupler to the aluminum strip eliminating the plastic top cover that comes with the Kadee’s . That raised the coupler to the correct height , problem solved . I mounted the box with 3 screws and a dab of blue locktite . I finished off the top of the coupler box that sticks out from the car by cutting the Kadee top to length and gluing it on . Now that the couplers are on it is time to move on to the sides. I cut 2 pieces of .080 plastic the length of the car a scale 18" wide and glued them on with some MEK. Here are a couple more photos …(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0753.JPG).(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0754.JPG)
I built the bottom beam that runs the length of the car between the wheels. I did some measuring and then cut the sides of it with .080 plastic and separated them with a couple of Evergreen #258 rectangular strips . I enclosed the bottom of it with some .015 sheet cut slightly oversize and glued it on. Then I took some old wheel weights and cleaned them up on my wire wheel and epoxied them inside the beam for some extra low weight. When the epoxy cured I again rough sanded the aluminum , cleaned with alcohol and epoxied it to the center of the car. Here are a few more shots of the progress I’ve made on this car.(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0756.JPG).(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0758.JPG)(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0759.JPG).(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0760.JPG)
Coming along nicely Mike. Some fleets are hard to get without a bit of work and those weights should help keep this car on the rails.(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Thanks Dave
Mike, it is a nice build… Have been watching, just not commenting… Am very interested in how it goes, and the final outcome… Keep posting…
Amazing work Mike!!
Thanks Andy and Matt , I will keep posting as I go . You know its cool with this method of building it goes rather fast and I can build a lot of different types of cars . Hey Andy , can I come down to your operating session ? I would love to see your railroad empire.
Ok , the next thing I did was cut and install these “I” beams (Evergreen # 278) down the length of the car. I’ll add some triangular braces to these tonite and then get started on the ends. Heres a picture.(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0762.JPG)
mike dorsch said:
Thanks Andy and Matt , I will keep posting as I go . You know its cool with this method of building it goes rather fast and I can build a lot of different types of cars . Hey Andy , can I come down to your operating session ? I would love to see your railroad empire.
EDIT: Mike following and have followed all your build threads! I also wanted to say be wary of dad, very wary !
mike dorsch said:
Hey Andy , can I come down to your operating session ? I would love to see your railroad empire.
Mike, welcome anytime… Ops schedule is under events…
Thanks Andy , talking it over with the “C” in CJM . I’m gonna convert one of my loco’s to rc / battery sometimes this year and will bring it. I’ve been working on this car and installed the triangular braces on the bottom. The are made from .030 plastic. Then it was onto the ends. I went by the pictures as best I can and this is the result. I used .080 plastic on the ends . Had to fit the end around the coupler box and then fill any gaps with Squadron Green body putty. I’ll be tweaking it some more for a final finish. Thanks for watching ! Here are a few more pictures.(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0763.JPG)(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0766.JPG)(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todus2/gondola%20load/IMGA0767.JPG)
Matt Russell said:
Amazing work Mike!!
Agreed. Going off the photos might have a go myself at one of those