Post by benmaxwell on Aug 1, 2009 22:16:39 GMT -5
I work in a steel mill and we have lots of gondolas running around hauling scrap for the furnace and in general service. Most of these are ex Conrail cars made up of component roads, PRR, NYC, RDG, LV, and EL.
One day I took a good look at an ex PRR G36 and realized that due to it's welded construction I could probably build it from styrene. I took some measurements and drew up a sketch of the dimensions.
I took Evergreen styrene, both sheet and shapes, and proceeded to build an acceptable first model. The ends came from Tichy, along with the ladders, and grabs. The underframe was made from an extended Athearn 50' box car frame.
Over the next year I refined my techniques and built other cars that we had running around the plant.
At our melt shop 65' gondolas are used as spacer cars between the remote drones and the scrap cars. This prevents the scrap bay operators from tearing up the drones.
I built this car from dimensions obtained from one of the spacer cars. It was built with Evergreen styrene sheet and shapes. Ends are from Detail Associates cut and spliced to make 5 ribs. Ladders, grabs, and steps are Tichy. Underframe is a stretched Athearn 50' box car underframe. Decals are from Microscale. Trucks from Atlas
Within the last year a large group of ex NYC lot 120,and 130 cars have arrived in the mill. Some were previously used in hot slab service and had the vertical end ribs and the lettering below the car side. I got dimensions and started building.
This car was built again with Evergreen sheet and shapes, Tichy detail parts, Athearn underframe, Modelers Choice decals, and Atlas trucks.
Every day NS delivers to and picks up cars from the mill and frequently they are ex Conrail cars. One day I noticed a ex Reading car on the outbound track. Dimensions were obtained and I started building. Evergreen sides and shapes, Detail Associates ends, Tichy detail parts, Decals from the Reading Historical Society, and Atlas trucks.
More to follow
Will Jamison
One day I took a good look at an ex PRR G36 and realized that due to it's welded construction I could probably build it from styrene. I took some measurements and drew up a sketch of the dimensions.
I took Evergreen styrene, both sheet and shapes, and proceeded to build an acceptable first model. The ends came from Tichy, along with the ladders, and grabs. The underframe was made from an extended Athearn 50' box car frame.
Over the next year I refined my techniques and built other cars that we had running around the plant.
At our melt shop 65' gondolas are used as spacer cars between the remote drones and the scrap cars. This prevents the scrap bay operators from tearing up the drones.
I built this car from dimensions obtained from one of the spacer cars. It was built with Evergreen styrene sheet and shapes. Ends are from Detail Associates cut and spliced to make 5 ribs. Ladders, grabs, and steps are Tichy. Underframe is a stretched Athearn 50' box car underframe. Decals are from Microscale. Trucks from Atlas
Within the last year a large group of ex NYC lot 120,and 130 cars have arrived in the mill. Some were previously used in hot slab service and had the vertical end ribs and the lettering below the car side. I got dimensions and started building.
This car was built again with Evergreen sheet and shapes, Tichy detail parts, Athearn underframe, Modelers Choice decals, and Atlas trucks.
Every day NS delivers to and picks up cars from the mill and frequently they are ex Conrail cars. One day I noticed a ex Reading car on the outbound track. Dimensions were obtained and I started building. Evergreen sides and shapes, Detail Associates ends, Tichy detail parts, Decals from the Reading Historical Society, and Atlas trucks.
More to follow
Will Jamison