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Post by nsc409w on Sept 1, 2011 10:43:52 GMT -5
I enjoy steel loads in gondolas and on flat cars. Here is my most recently completed load on a New York Albany & Susquehanna flat car. Loads are scratchbuilt from Evergreen styrene and midwest products Balsa. Enjoy.
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Post by nsc409w on Sept 1, 2011 10:46:05 GMT -5
This is another load on a TTX flat using same materials as previously explained.
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Post by nsc409w on Sept 1, 2011 10:48:24 GMT -5
This is the first gondola load I have completed, and I need to do at least one more so both of my Exactrail TTX gondolas have steel loads.
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Post by wpdivwldr on Sept 1, 2011 11:04:53 GMT -5
Great job on the loads , banding is really nice, how did you replicaite them? Some of these would look good on the layout, beats empties .
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Post by nsc409w on Sept 1, 2011 11:28:26 GMT -5
Hi John, the load straps are .040" x .010" Evergreen Styrene strips painted black then measured by eye to fit the load. The banding has glue then added on the center portion of the strip and then centered on the top of the beams you want banded. Then at every fold of the strap when in contact with the beam it is glued, keep working your way to the bottom of the band of beams you are working and then fold the excess strap underneath the banded beams and glue to secure. Add a short strip of red paint to simulate the red ratchet strap handles.
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Post by nsc409w on Sept 1, 2011 13:49:24 GMT -5
This is my fourth steel load and this is a plate steel load. Evergreen plastic sheet and balsa scale 2 x 4's comprise this load. All loads are removable except for the TTX bulkhead flat to both ease transport and to allow for loaded cars to be brought to an industry and empties to be brought out or vise versa.
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Post by nsc409w on Sept 3, 2011 12:52:53 GMT -5
Hi folks, Adding on to the load straps, the rest of the loads are simple just time consuming. Using Evergreen I beams or H columns cut them to the length you desire. Then line them up in the paint booth and hold them down with masking tape otherwise the spray will knock them over. I use Testors gray primer because it is easily found at stores such as Michaels (I live in the far northeast corner of NY and have no hobby shops within 100 miles) and there is no clean up. Spray them and wait for them to thoroughly dry and then flip them over to get in all the crevices of the beams evenly. Then line the beams side by side until you have enough to make how wide you want the load and then measure with a scale ruler the width of the beams side by side. Once that is done take that measurement and add a scale 1.5 feet to that measurement. Once you have combined those measurements cut lengths of scale 4" x 4" cribbing to that length. The cribbing should stick out on either side of your load .75 feet. Band each bundle of beams with straps ( prototype photos are best as all loads and their cribbing and restraint arrangements vary. Using appropriate cribbing and straps you can easily make any load you desire. Just keep several things in mind, steel I beam loads are not strapped to the car but rather held in place by their weight and 36" sections of 4" x 4" in the car's stake pockets. Any questions just ask, and i will add some additional pictures with the loads off their cars and to clarify some of the details and how the parts are attached.
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