freelanced tank car kitbash

[Bill Gill]

I pointed out the short tank bands in the primer photos above. Here's why they were so short. I wanted to try to model what seemed the more common connection strap end, a rod welded to the end of the strap with a turnbuckle to adjust the tension. Most of the prototype photos showed rods welded to the outside faces of the straps. I also wanted to attach the rods to the inside of the straps to help reinforce and support the fragile 0.05 inch thick styrene band. I managed to crack two of them while building the car.

Luckily I found one prototype photo where the rod was between the strap and tank and that happened to match my freelanced "prototype" exactly My fittings are Tichy turnbuckles on monofilament line. The clear monofilament gives the center of the turnbuckle an open appearance.

I drilled a hole through the slot on the outside of the tank saddles and straight down through the bottom of the truck bolster under it. The line was first aligned and glued to the inside of the strap. Then I gently added slight tension to the other end of the line and glued and then clipped it flush with the bolster. The line does really help support the styrene band ends where they separate from the tank.

[finescalerr]

That must have been a nightmare to fabricate and install. You are building up minuscule detail in a small scale and doing it cleanly.

Don't grunge up the car too much. Maybe a few carefully placed light touches of pastel powder or a very subtle wash here or there. Less is more.

Russ

[TRAINS1941]

Bill very nice.

Jerry

[Ray Dunakin]

Great detail for such a small scale!

[Bill Gill]

Thanks, Jerry and Ray.