Ale-8-One Reefer

[Frederic Testard]

This is another beautiful build, Eric. Even in their state of simple parts, these metal pieces look wonderful.

[pwranta193]

I'm still getting over that the roof work, and the fact that you painted over those side boards.  I never would have guessed that you would be able to exploit the difference from the irregular stained background in the finished results.  That final coat came out "just right"...

Paul

[EZnKY]

Thanks to both of you.

Paul- your drill press is a great piece of work.  I've watched your progress over on the MIG forums.

[Ray Dunakin]

The brake beams look great!

[pwranta193]

Thanks, Eric - high praise indeed, since I've been wanting to move into your caboose, in spite of what appears to be a lack of shower (that wash basin and tank is the biz) .

As I'm not sure how long everyone has been at this - how many cars do you have on your, er, string (lacking the correct rail terminology)?  Do you have a master plan, or are you adding cars as the whim takes you?

Paul

[EZnKY]

Thanks for the kind words Paul.
I average a car every two years.  Some are completely scratch built like the caboose, others start as kits like the reefer.  I really only have time to work on this stuff in the winter, so my production months are December through March. 

Right now I have everything displayed on shelves, but I've started working on linear dioramas to display the cars.  Scenery is a whole new ball game, but like everything else, I'm slowly learning. 

I tend to work on whatever seems interesting, but I have a very specific framework to work within.  I'm modeling a very short narrow gauge line in eastern Kentucky roughly between 1905 and 1909.  Small geared and rod locomotives, small rolling stock bought mostly second hand by the railroad, which allows me to model stuff as far back as 1880 or so.  This time period was before air brakes and other safety appliances were mandated, which keeps things simple.  I've taken some minor liberties with the history, but this is supposed to fun after all. 

I don't have any sort of layout or track.  Maybe someday, but no plans for the immediate future.  I'm more of a railroad modeler than a model railroader, if that makes sense. 

My goal for each project is to learn some new modeling skills and to learn as much as I can about a specific aspect of history.  Could be refrigerator cars, or how logs were brought to sawmills, etc.  This past year has been about weathering.  My models are way too "neat" and I'm having a hard time achieving the weathered finish I'm after.  Which is what makes these forums great.  Incredibly talented people willing to share their input.  And with an entertaining level of irreverence. 

I've been doing this since 1994.  (Since I graduated from architecture school.)  I think in general I'm a very slow modeler. And probably a slow learner too.

[finescalerr]

A layout is for people who want to "operate" trains. A diorama, even a switching diorama, is a typical modelers' "layout". -- Russ

[marc_reusser]

Really clean and sharp build, and beautiful brass work.

Marc

[TRAINS1941]

Wow that is really nice.  Just started to read the whole thread.

Jerry

[EZnKY]

Last night I was able to get one of the trucks mostly assembled.  There's still some work to do with filling sinks and mold lines in the original castings.  I'm also sure I'll find some more issues once everything is primed.  I've made some compromises to keep the trucks operational under the reefer.  I also decided there was no point in taking the brake gear farther than the quality of the AMS trucks.  (Maybe someday I'll start with some Hartford trucks or scratchbuild my own.)  I attached the entire brake assembly to the bolster so it moves as a unit with the bolster.  The brass pieces are all soldered for strength - everything else is glued.  There's enough triangulation in the assembly to make it fairly strong.  (I only broke it twice...)

I'm not crazy about the safety straps around the brake beams.  I found lots of truck drawings that included these, and I added them for strength, but I'm just not crazy about how they look.

My biggest regret is the live rod - which should be connected to the rest of the brake gear under the car - but is very unprototypically connected to the top of the bolster.  It looks goofy because I made all of the levers the same length, which made it hard to get the live rod above the bolster.  On the other truck I'm going to handle this differently.

Overall though it looks believably complicated between the wheels, which was my original goal.  I also learned I know next to nothing about configuring brakes under a freight car.  I think the geometry of the levers is all wrong, but I'm not sure and I couldn't find clear images or drawings to help me out.  Anyone out there that can help?  I could get it right on the second truck...

[Malachi Constant]

Glad I didn't have to put those things together! 

But you did a nice job of it ... still lurking and enjoying the progress.

Cheers,
Dallas

[EZnKY]

I don't believe that for a moment Dallas!
I've watched you do much more difficult things than anything I've ever attempted. 
Like tiny little planes.

[EZnKY]

It's been a busy couple of weeks, so there hasn't been much progress on the reefer.  (The economy is starting to show signs of life again, so I have been marketing my butt off to find work for our architects.)

I have gotten the base coats on the trucks; engine black, followed by some reefer gray on the upper surfaces to simulate light.  Next steps will be some sponge painting, chipping and pigments, etc.
I've also painted the wheels sets with a base coat of roof brown, with a bit of rail brown here and there for variety.

[Frederic Testard]

I had missed your truck assembly, Eric, and can tell you it's a joy to discover it, and see it painted too.
Now, I'm impatiently waiting to see it weathered...

[finescalerr]

Why waste time with work when you are producing fine art? -- Russ