Hello,
I have just joined the forum. Fantastic work is displayed here, I've learned a lot from the sidelines.
I thought I would introduce myself with a shot of an almost completed 1:20.3 project. EBT steel flat # 108. This is a typical example of the 22 steel flats built in the EBT shops. Plans were drawn by J.T. Derr and are available through The Friends of the EBT.
If I get the photo uploading to work I'll add to the post. Geoff
Great looking flat, and nice trucks! Hope to see more.
Welcome Geoff
A great start. Hope to see more from you.
Jerry
I really like that car.
John
Thanks guys.
The trucks are nice ... they are from Rich Yoder Models, the same ones used on his beautiful brass hoppers. Couplers are the new Accucraft #1 scale working couplers (which are perfect in 1:20 for the 3/4 size EBT couplers). Frames are a combo of brass, styrene... basswood for the decks. Cut levers, stirrups, grab irons and plumbing are fabricated in brass. Poling pockets are cast from a brass master and stake pockets are brass stampings. Glad hands are from Trackside Details. Rivets are individually placed.
I am still researching the steel strips that ran the length of the deck on each side (to hold down the deck boards). I am not sure of the bolt pattern. After those are fabricated I'll finish the weathering.
master for pole pocket
die for stake pockets
The cut levers work
Howdy Geoff! Great looking flat!
Very nice flatcar. I tried to build an HO version a few years back but gave up, it was just too small to get the detail I wanted. I spent days on trying to make those stake pockets, I really like your die! Did you have to trim it after stamping it?
Paul
Paul,
I did not have to trim the stampings top & bottom, but did trim the sides. That was easier than calculating the material stretch through the bends. I then used a small template to drill the holes.
Geoff
Welcome to the forum Geoff... nicely done flat. Looking forward to seeing more.
Paul
Since I had stake pockets & poling pockets in production I decided to build "the fishbelly flat". EBT #73 is the one and only example of a fishbelly design and was the first steel car on the EBT. Built in 1902, it predated the first steel hoppers by 11 years or so. 73 survived into the 50's, but its final disposition is unknown. More information and plans by Lee Rainey are in the Winter 1989 FEBT Timber Transfer. At 33'-7" number 73 is one foot shorter than 108.
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lscdata.com%2Fusers%2Fold_iron%2FDSC_00130002.JPG&hash=1abe935efeb333765d642a81fde3ca2d191639ae)
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lscdata.com%2Fusers%2Fold_iron%2FDSC_00120001.JPG&hash=212b23e49405b2eca9d2473cfc80fa8d9f10a239)
Beautiful construction.
I especially like the tools you showed.
Thanks for sharing and joining!
-Marty
Real craftsmanship .... as there are a few how did you do the rivets , are they individual or stamped in ?
Gordon
Quote from: gfadvance on January 27, 2010, 08:56:43 AM
.... as there are a few how did you do the rivets , are they individual or stamped in ?
Gordon
Individual rivets. I've made a variety of templates and use a hand held miniature variable speed drill.
Geoff
Where did you get the rivets?
Thanks,
Paul
In general, the EBT used rather large rivets. For the flats, most of the rivets are brass escushion pins with a .065 D head & .035 D shank. Sorry, I can't find the supplier that I used.
For "real" miniature rivets with a more spherical head... here is one source that I have used... very nice and a lot of sizes: http://scalehardware.com
Geoff
I particularly like that die you made for the stakes. You even put the dimples in them. That is one of those little things that sets a model apart.
Is that little drill the one Micro Mark advertises? How do you like it? I made a battery operated pin vise, but it just lacks the power to do the job.
John
Yes, the drill was from Micro-mark, but I believe that it has been discontinued... too bad, as it one of my favorite tools for model making. Small & maneuverable, it takes the place of a pin vice in most situations... the chuck holds bits down to .020 D or so. The speed control is on the transformer, so the trigger is simply on/off.
Geoff
I finally got around to finishing off the EBT flats by adding the steel strips that hold down the deck boards. Tedious work, here is #73... Geoff
Tedious work, but the results sure look good!
Beautiful work Geoff...
Paul
You have been a very busy lad. -- Russ
Wow. Beautiful work and finish.
Marc
Very nice riveting. Your tooling skills are well developed; simple but effective. It would be nice to see more of your tooling ideas.
Overall, you have made the basic flat car a beautiful and elegant model.