Very nice. I’m going to use your cut-lever design on the flat I built a few years ago as that is one detail I never got to.
Dave, do you have a fixture you bend the cut levers with? If so a pic would be much appreciated.
Bob C.
Very nice work!
No Jig, The copper wire is very easy to bend, and if you make a mistake, it unbends well and you just re-bend. If you would like to see my steps to bending, I’ll put together a “How To”, thats shows each step and how I do them. Thou now you have me thinking about a Jig… hummmmmm…
Thanks for the reply. Don’t necessarily NEED a how to, but if you had a fixture a pic would have been nice. Anything there is a high probability of repetative manufacture, I prefer to spend the effort to make a fixture. That way I can make them in front of the TV with the SWMBO and have greatly reduced chances of errors.
Bob C.
Not so much how many as the consistancy of the ones I make. Also, looking at yours, I am thinking I may solder the extension to the lift pin on the coupler. Soldering them will add strength to that portion and resist bending better. Got too many irons in the fire right now, but I will be looking to generate a fixture to make them.
Bob C.
Third option for the “Shorty Gon” build. The basic Flat Car chassis makes for a great starting point for other versions of rolling stock. The third version that I made is a MOW work caboose. Adding a simple “Hut” to one end and using the other for storage. The Flat could just as easy be converted to a “Tie” Car, or a “Wheel Car”, or a “Crane service car”, a “Pipe Idler”, with very little add on pieces.
(http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff403/dave2-8-0/photo-74.jpg)
(http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff403/dave2-8-0/photo-77.jpg)
(http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff403/dave2-8-0/photo-78.jpg)
(http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff403/dave2-8-0/photo-75.jpg)
(http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff403/dave2-8-0/photo-79.jpg)
Stay Tuned for whats Next
Dave;
You do such nice work, but it is a crime that you don't put that one finishing touch on it, with a Kadee body mount coupler.......
Those B’man couplers hanging there so low, look like…well…sorry…I don’t mean to be cruel, but they just don’t give that look of a great model…sorry…I’ll even donate the couplers…!!
I’m only trying to be constructive…send me your address, and the number of pairs you need…within reason !!
Fr.Fred
I run the telgo couplers to better deal with some tight corners, with out them about half of my pike would be off limits. It’s also why I make my own shortys to run. My entire intercity lot is only 50 ft wide, Total. I have “encroached” into the city right of way for a few more hard won feet to run on, in fact most of what I’m building as my mountain division is technically on “City Land” that I had to jump thru hoops (permits, varencances, and etc.) to use. So to maximize the trackage, I compromised on tight trackage, and forced me to run telgos. It’s not what I would like, but what I have to live with.
Now onto those droopy couplers… weelll that set of trucks in the photos would never make it around anybody’s pike, even with 30’ R corners. That is one BAD set of homemade trucks. Sometime the learning monster is pertly harsh. Those are maybe the 2nd set that I ever made, and boy did I get it wrong, And got really frustrated it them I tossed them in the Parts box… from 5 ft away… Not one of my stiller moments in life ( Forgive me Fr. Fred, for I have sinned over a pair of trucks). About 9 mounts latter I stumbled on them again, and the way they had been setting in the box with stuff on them had bent the h##l out of them. They now are used only for “construction” trucks. It’s why I hadn’t chained up the cut rods to the couplers…
Fr. Fred, if you would please pray for the city powers to be, (Planning and zoning) , to give allowance for more encroachment on the city right of way, I’ll rebuild BIG and buy you some couplers, and some spirits to wash them down with. I’m fighting to even now put a fence up on the street side of the pike…
…You are forgiven, my son…!!
very interesting cars on a very interesting layout.
do you have more pics?
Fred Mills said:
Dave;You do such nice work, but it is a crime that you don't put that one finishing touch on it, with a Kadee body mount coupler.......Those B’man couplers hanging there so low, look like…well…sorry…I don’t mean to be cruel, but they just don’t give that look of a great model…sorry…I’ll even donate the couplers…!!
I’m only trying to be constructive…send me your address, and the number of pairs you need…within reason !!
Fr.Fred
Hey Fred… I need ten (10) #830’s and 3 #787’s. Is that within reason?
Pretty snazzy for a RIITTG car.
Dave Taylor said:Dave, you need to move out to where your buddy runs his live steam Shay, lots of room out there, closer to that big water tank you built! :D
...My entire intercity lot is only 50 ft wide, Total. I have "encroached" into the city right of way for a few more hard won feet to run on, in fact most of what I'm building as my mountain division is technically on "City Land" that I had to jump thru hoops (permits, varencances, and etc.) to use. So to maximize the trackage, I compromised on tight trackage, and forced me to run telgos. It's not what I would like, but what I have to live with. ... I'm fighting to even now put a fence up on the street side of the pike...
BTW, my city lot is only 50 feet wide too, :o so I know what you’re talking about, but I manage to use regular cars. I use hook and loop couplers myself, and I love them. That’s another point in their favour: they certainly don’t sag the way B’mann Talgo-mounted knuckles do.
Cheers!
2013 Build challenge Update. With this Gon as the base unit i’ve had a couple of requests for the detail parts that I used…
All of the detail parts are from Ozark Miniatures. Here is a list of the parts and their Numbers.
12" Step strap #1004
Turnbuckle #1005
Queens Post #1006
6" Truss rod bolt #1014
18" Grab Irons #1015
16" Brake Wheel w/pawl #1019
http://www.ozarkminiatures.com
Looking forward to what you can come up with…
Dave
We’re the San Juan Large Scalers out of Durango Co. This year for Christmas we were with the D&SNG Polar Express shop in the Durango Mall. We have been setting them up at the LaPlata County Fair in Durango in years Past.
Bump to keep the Gondola instructions on the first page.