Eventually I moved up to large scale and sold the cars to a friend, but I promised myself someday to build them again-in 1:20 scale. Last summer, I armed myself with two pairs of Bachmann trucks, 8 pairs of Dean Lowe metal wheels, my Evergreen styrene collection, a few pieces of wood, some K&S brass stock, and began construction.

LET'S BEGIN

I had soldered up the original On3 trucks from brass and used stripwood for the center sills and log bunks. This time around, however, I decided to experiment a bit and used styrene to build as much of the models as possible. I used my Unimat lathe to mill away the top strap on all truck sideframes. I wanted the frames to be as durable as possible and planned to use one long styrene top strap rather than add small extensions to the ends of the sideframe.

I used CA (superglue) to attach the top strap to the sideframe at the top of both journals and to the spring cluster box. I used customized spring clothespins as clamps. When the glue on the sideframes had completely set, I added the angled bottom straps to the top strap extensions using CA at the bottom and MEK (methyl-ethyl-ketone) at the top. I used ¾-inch escutcheon pins to represent the bolts holding together the sideframes, top-to-bottom. I filed their tops square and, using a small Dremel tool, carefully drilled six holes right down through the original cast bolt bodies. It is easier to do than it sounds; in forty eight passes I only "broke out" of two bolt bodies. I cemented the escutcheon pins into the vertical holes with CA and, when the glue set, trimmed off their bottoms. That procedure resulted in a very strong sideframe that would not come apart under hard use.

After inserting Dean Lowe LGB size wheelsets into the sideframes, I held the two sides together with the original unmodified bolster.

Next I planned to add the center sills but found I had too little wood in stock to build all eight sills and four log bunks. Enough wood was available for the bunks and two side sills, so I used .100-inch thick styrene for the remaining six center sills. For each sill, I glued up a long hollow box, plugged the ends and, when dry, deeply scored all surfaces with a razor saw. I also used the razor saw technique on the two wooden sills and, when I had painted all the sills, I had to look very closely (and tap a little) to tell the styrene from the wood.

After I notched and glued the center sills to the bolsters, I added styrene top and bottom end straps, gluing them to the sideframe ends and the sills. The end plates were next, and instead of styrene I used brass for strength. Each end plate assembly supports a coupler, and I bent one per car into a U-shape to hold the brake staff as well.

The bunk bearing plates are next. They allow the bunk to swivel and have angle brackets on each side to limit any overswing. Each sideframe needs a bolster bunk support at its top center, a simple box having a center brace to support the outboard ends of the log bunks.

Brake beams and shoes are important details to add to a disconnect, for such a model really looks bare without them. I made my shoes from the rim of an empty roll of Scotch tape and added styrene support blocks. Then I cemented the completed shoe assembly to a styrene brake beam. You may hang the beam from the car body using two escutcheon pins but, if you prefer, it would be a great place for working brakes. While the pins were out, I filed a square top onto dozens of them and glued them into pre-drilled holes in the straps and swivel plates. I used Ozark Miniatures link-and-pin couplers but knuckle or loop couplers would also work. Add a Little Railways brakewheel and ratchet/pawl assembly to the "B" end of each disconnect.

FINISHING UP

The wooden log bunks are the final assembly. I added a top strap, end stops, and loops to attach the log chains, bearing plates to the bunk bottoms for the bolster bunk supports, and squared off another bunch of escutcheon pins for bolt details.

I used a ¼-inch diameter styrene tube as a pivot for the bunk. I glued the rod into the bunk and it pivots through a hole I drilled into the bearing plate. I screwed a large styrene washer onto the bottom of the rod to keep the bunks on the cars.

Loggers chained most loaded disconnects near the log ends. By using that method, the logs themselves would form the "body" of the car. When disconnects were empty, the loggers coupled them to one another in long strings. But sometimes, if they were carrying a light load or if there were any concern about the logs sliding off the bunks, the crews would connect either a chain or a "rooster" under the log load. In a way, a rooster is really a very long coupler and attaches into or onto the inboard coupler of each pair of disconnects. I happen to like the appearance of disconnects running with roosters, either loaded or empty, so I made a couple from stripwood and added styrene coupling loops.

The disconnects and roosters were now ready for painting. I chose a light color because it shows off detail and I can weather it easily.

These little cars are a great project if you have neither the time nor desire to build a full-size car. Because they are unusual and have lots of detail, they have great visual impact, with or without a log load.

I enjoy my 1:20 scale disconnects as much as I did the ones I built in On3 but my wife may have a different opinion. When I needed log loads, I cut up some of her tomato poles by mistake. She doesn't know that yet, but she reads all my articles. Timberrrrrr...!