As I said I have been busy with the home improvement projects. The biggest being the wall shelf system for my wife. Below are pictures of what I started with and where I’m at.
Since the last photo was taken I have also added a set of drawers across the front for silverware and serving pieces. All that’s left is to add the doors. And enough with the home improvement update, not why you’re here. (Although maybe it is.)
What I have been able to do is get a bunch of new/old cars onto the layout.
First…
I finished the lone Gunderson well car that was lost than found.
Second…
I also finished up the set of Thrall well cars. The set is now all decaled.
The last photo shows the end unit with the generator and fuel tank mounted on it. I used a little creative license on it. The “DO NOT HUMP’ and the info decal should have been on the end sill. However it is covered by the walkway on the end, so I moved the decals up onto the base of the generator.
For some reason this set has been a PITA as everything has been a struggle, right up to and including getting them on the rails. Having painted and then finally getting them decaled, I went to place them on the tracks. However I experienced a fit issue on the shared trucks. Though I didn’t have a problem with the first set I finished, this sets female pieces had to be filed down to fit on the truck screw that holds them in place.
Of course then they had to be touched up before service. But they are now done.
And then…
I completed three TOFC flat cars from Front Range Products. These are also from the “inherited fleet”. The cars themselves are pretty basic and go together rather well. The problem is their weight. The cars themselves are very light. With adding the metal wheel sets I got their weight up to 1.2 oz. The weight needed to come from the trailer that rides on them. I added 1 oz. to each trailer, with them riding high I was reluctant to add more. This brought the flat car/trailer weight to 3.5oz. It’s a little light for a car this length but I’ll run them at the end and they should be fine. The problem is, that by adding weight up high I had to replace the push pin style truck mounting with a screw. Actually would have done it anyways, but oh so important on this setup.
And lastly…
Also part of the “inherited fleet” were a couple of Front Range Products Front Runner cars. Again, fun and interesting cars, but not without their problems. Mainly the close clearance in the truck mounting. The single axle truck mounts into a “cutout” in the floor of the car. They are also a push pin mount (obviously Front Ranges go to), but the location of the pins was nothing but a blob on the sprue.
My solution was to drill and tap the center sill for a 2-56 screw. Nothing unusual there. But I had to modify the bogie as well. The bogie is a two piece assembly. With the two pieces stacking at the mounting location. I drilled the top piece so the it would clear the screw body, it’s pivot location. The lower piece was drilled out so that the screw head would sit down in it. This was necessary as the axle is right there also and would have rubbed on the screw head if not recessed.
Though these cars did have weight to add to the center sills, still came out the same as the TOFC cars. Again, added the weight to the trailers to bring them close to weight. Ended up around 3.5 oz.
But they’re pretty cool when done and are fun to have as they are different than what you usually see.
One other thing, on the car in the back I had to make a new diagonal strut as the kit one was missing. The original was square. I had no square tubing, so the replacement is several round tubing pieces that telescope. The ends are .080 x.100 cut to size and filed to shape.
Next up…
My goal is to return to the layout and start adding more scenery. Moving south from Addison towards Jackson. This means the Drive In theater is next. I have picked an animated sign from Miller Engineering for it. And that’s my next work bench project.
Till next time, stay safe and Happy Modeling…