Sinsley's 2025 MIK. Everett & Sons circus car

Devon_Sinsley · January 4, 2025, 2:48am

I won an LGB Steinz loco at the clubs Christmas party. The perfect loco for my 3 year old grandsons first train. After asking on here about kid friendly RC controllers, I have landed on G Scale Graphics controller with sound.

The Steinz isn’t a big loco. But it’s rugged and durable without a lot of fiddley detail parts to break off. But it doesn’t have much room for the RC controller, battery, and sound card. So this project is tailer made for a trailing electronics car.

The MIK happens to fitnthe bill. I won’t be able to put the electronics in it for the challenge, but I can build the car to hold them.

A shorty external frame box car as the first piece of the Everett & Son’s Circus train.

Devon_Sinsley · January 4, 2025, 2:53am

Wood sided car with steel framing. Using kid friendly LGB hook and loop couplers. External framed. I’m thinking 40 Scale feet in 1:29. I’m kinda leaning toward a steel wagon top roof.

Should have everything i need on hand for the build.

Devon_Sinsley · January 8, 2025, 8:41pm

Change of plans already. This will not be an external frame box car, instead it will be a more traditional internal framed car. For two reasons. One I want to save the external frame car for a stock car for the exotic animals and I want to do some circus themed artwork to it.

WaverlySouthern · January 8, 2025, 11:15pm

Devon, I love the idea of building something for the grandson. Get 'em hooked early. The circus theme should be a big hit. Now you will be on the hook to build the rest of the circus train BEFORE he outgrows the circus

Devon_Sinsley · January 9, 2025, 1:00am

He loves “papa trains” layout and hobby room. This summer the wife gave him a stock car i don’t care anything about and he spent hours on multiple days just pushing it around the track. His mom tells me he loves getting stuck at RR crossings. So apparently it’s genetic and just skips a generation.

At any rate when I won the Steinz at the club Christmas party the concept was born. Just wont be able to Devon this one.

Devon_Sinsley · January 9, 2025, 2:44pm

So more thought on this. I had originally planned for standard gauge 1:29/1:32 for his circus train. But then it dawned on me that LGB is 1:22.5. So I’m thinking I need to be more narrow gauge minded. Since this is not a prototype model of any sort and can really be anything I decide it to be I think I will build it at 1:24 because I just like the math of 1:24.

Swiped this drawing from the web and will basically build this car in 1:24

Void most of the delicate detail parts as he is 3 years old so It needs to be durable. Quite awhile ago now I 3D printed some arch bar trucks that have truck mounted couplers. I designed them to fit Kadee knuckle couplers but made my own link and pin coupler to fit in the box. So this will be link and pin design. I am thinking that with Papa’s help the train can be put on the track and he should be able to run it without any uncoupling issues. will see if that is a folly in my thinking.

Devon_Sinsley · January 11, 2025, 2:42pm

So it’s official, I heard the gun. So far this is what I am starting with

And plenty of wood and sheet styrene. I did end up spending about 8 dollars for some styrene strip material and superglue. Both of which I thought I had on hand.

Devon_Sinsley · January 11, 2025, 8:12pm

The basic box is made.

Devon_Sinsley · January 11, 2025, 11:03pm

So started on the siding. Cut strips from a larger board. Built a little jig to then “rip” them to width. And then covered the ends so far.

Hines · January 11, 2025, 11:30pm

Devon goes missing for months, months I say! Just long enough for a sound alike hacker to hack the thread or for celebrity rehab to complete.

I don’t know what question to ask:

Who the Heck are You and What Did You do with our Devon?
-or-
How long has the Betty Ford been treating the devoning condition?

Whoever you are, or what ever medication is interfering with proper devoning of this project, it’s looking great! Your inner Vic is showing.

Devon_Sinsley · January 12, 2025, 12:27am

Don’t worry bill plenty of time to waste to make this come down to the wire.

WaverlySouthern · January 12, 2025, 2:29am

I like the rough cut lumber look, Devon. Looking forward to seeing Grandson’s circus car come alive.

Korm · January 12, 2025, 5:17am

wow!
that looks like the best invention since the coffee-stirrer!

Devon_Sinsley · January 12, 2025, 6:20am

Coffee stirrer sticks would have been very nice to have had on hand.

Devon_Sinsley · January 12, 2025, 4:28pm

My printed trucks are a fail. To brittle and i broke one trying to put the wheel sets in. But it wouldn’t have mattered anyway as the wheel flanges hit the bolster. The couplers are to small also. The whole entire truck should be like 10% larger.

Anyway that isn’t the end of the world. I have plenty of trucks and wheels. I have decided since the link & pin didn’t work out as I wanted that I might just stick with the lgb loop couplers as those would be easy for him and I won’t have to modify the loco.

I might even have a couple trucks with couplers.

Devon_Sinsley · January 12, 2025, 7:04pm

Had a couple trucks with loop couplers so that problem is solved. One side has the siding on and is drying. I don’t plan to have a lot of detail parts. Just enough to not look completely bare. So making some very basic wire grab irons that I’ll drill holes for and super glue in place.