Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
I've found this with freight cars trucks.
P48 for Cotton Belt: Roster addition SW1200
- Thread starter Yorkshire Dave
- Start date
I've found this with freight cars trucks.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Been messing about with a pair of freight car trucks today using Jim Lincoln P48 conversion bolsters - this time for a Weaver boxcar as it has different mountings.
The new Atlas mounting is on the left and the Weaver truck mounting on the right (the older Roco/Atlas is similar to the Weaver car).
Jim Lincoln 3D printed bolster used for the Weaver car and Atlas truck sideframes. This is actually for a 100T roller bearing truck but Jim does not produce a replacement bolster for the narrower scale Atlas 70T Barber Bettendorf truck.
Original Atlas roller bearing truck (left) and drop in P48 replacement bolster with Atlas sideframes (right). This shows the new Atlas truck and difference compared with the truck bolster in the next photograph.
Original Weaver truck (left) and P48 replacement bolster with Atlas 70T Barber Bettendorf sideframes (right). The Atlas sideframes have the mounting projection removed in order to use this bolster whereas they remain when using the drop in replacement bolster above. I also inserted a piece of brass tube to fit around the Weaver mounting pin and the Atlas bearing cups were drilled through to accommodate the P48 wheelset.
A check (right) to see if the ride height looks correct. Alles gut
.
The new Atlas mounting is on the left and the Weaver truck mounting on the right (the older Roco/Atlas is similar to the Weaver car).
Jim Lincoln 3D printed bolster used for the Weaver car and Atlas truck sideframes. This is actually for a 100T roller bearing truck but Jim does not produce a replacement bolster for the narrower scale Atlas 70T Barber Bettendorf truck.
Original Atlas roller bearing truck (left) and drop in P48 replacement bolster with Atlas sideframes (right). This shows the new Atlas truck and difference compared with the truck bolster in the next photograph.
Original Weaver truck (left) and P48 replacement bolster with Atlas 70T Barber Bettendorf sideframes (right). The Atlas sideframes have the mounting projection removed in order to use this bolster whereas they remain when using the drop in replacement bolster above. I also inserted a piece of brass tube to fit around the Weaver mounting pin and the Atlas bearing cups were drilled through to accommodate the P48 wheelset.
A check (right) to see if the ride height looks correct. Alles gut
.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
After a sojourn into the 1:43rd world it's now back to 1:48th..... I've been messing about with the caboose trucks 
.
This shows the caboose trucks... in order of size!
Left: P48 using a modified Jim Lincoln bolster and the newer Atlas side frame, centre: the newer Atlas truck and finally, right: the original Atlas truck.
And a side/top view of the same. The wheels are all the same diameter, honestly.
I've been messing about with the caboose trucks .This shows the caboose trucks... in order of size!
Left: P48 using a modified Jim Lincoln bolster and the newer Atlas side frame, centre: the newer Atlas truck and finally, right: the original Atlas truck.
And a side/top view of the same. The wheels are all the same diameter, honestly.
Big Train James
Western Thunderer
Well, sure, at the treads. At the flange, not so much.
Big Train James
Western Thunderer
I've been meaning to mention the frame and drive replacement from Finescale360.com that you may be able to adapt to this build while opening the cab for detailing. There is a direct replacement for the Red Caboose gp9, but also a single tower replacement for Weaver that I presume uses a shaft below the frame to power the second truck.
Perhaps you could adapt all or part of either kit for your needs?
Perhaps you could adapt all or part of either kit for your needs?
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
More caboose trucks.
These are the Jim Lincoln parts of which the bolster has been modified at the right hand end.
Close up of the bolster.
The Atlas truck sideframes were also modified to fit the Jim Lincoln parts. Original on the left.
These shows the original overscale width Atlas truck on the left and the P48 truck on the right. The bearing caps do rotate on the latter.
Caboose with the P48 trucks. The cupola has been raised to the height it will end up at after I have converted this to a Cotton Belt caboose.
These are the Jim Lincoln parts of which the bolster has been modified at the right hand end.
Close up of the bolster.
The Atlas truck sideframes were also modified to fit the Jim Lincoln parts. Original on the left.
These shows the original overscale width Atlas truck on the left and the P48 truck on the right. The bearing caps do rotate on the latter.
Caboose with the P48 trucks. The cupola has been raised to the height it will end up at after I have converted this to a Cotton Belt caboose.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
In order to try and correct this I made eight of these pesky brake rigging blighters as seen at the bottom of the picture. Only having access to a kitchen table they are not perfect - especially the brake adjustment slot
. This slot should be longer but I had to compromise in order to retain some integrity.
I made up an initial pair from 0.4mm brass bar and only drilled the eight holes in each one. This pair formed the templates. These were then soldered to the brass bar the original pair were cut from and the holes re-drilled/drilled. This was repeated three times until I had two sets of four. Each set was placed in a vice and the brake adjuster slots cut with a piercing saw. I tried to clean then up the best I could but they are rather delicate. Once installed it will call for some judicious weathering.
The two pictures show the final result and a comparison with the original truck sideframe. More work is still required to make the truck end bolsters.
Big Train James
Western Thunderer
I love that we just can't help ourselves sometimes. I'm glad you changed your mind on this part. The improvement is almost incalculable. I'm still interested in doing these as an etch. Do you think .010" nickel silver would be sturdy enough if the openings were etched as opposed to the stress of cutting them out? I am thinking that my sw1500 grill work will end up on a .010" sheet, to which I could add miscellaneous parts like these.
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
James, Dave,
Stainless steel, phosphor-bronze or beryllium copper would be more resilient. Stainless steel in particular can be etched to very fine tolerances in thicknesses down to 0.003".
Admittedly that's an awful lot of those slack adjusters on even a small sheet.
Steph
Stainless steel, phosphor-bronze or beryllium copper would be more resilient. Stainless steel in particular can be etched to very fine tolerances in thicknesses down to 0.003".
Admittedly that's an awful lot of those slack adjusters on even a small sheet.
Steph
mickoo
Western Thunderer
James, 0.010" nickel silver will be fine if full thickness, my whole GP38 cab was made from 0.010" and is plenty strong enough but when I get to the next version I may upgrade the thickness a bit.
If half etched it may be a bit fragile, you could even go to 0.015" as these pull rods are quite meaty affairs.
Dave I have a 0.018" test etch in brass that must go off tonight, if you give me the dimensions I can add them into one corner for you, if I half etch them they'll come out at 0.09" and you wont have to worry about cleaning the cusp off the slots or holes in the middle. It could easily also go in nickel silver, the price difference these days is marginal.
MD
If half etched it may be a bit fragile, you could even go to 0.015" as these pull rods are quite meaty affairs.
Dave I have a 0.018" test etch in brass that must go off tonight, if you give me the dimensions I can add them into one corner for you, if I half etch them they'll come out at 0.09" and you wont have to worry about cleaning the cusp off the slots or holes in the middle. It could easily also go in nickel silver, the price difference these days is marginal.
MD
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Thanks Mickoo - PM sent with dimensions.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Two and a half hours at the workbench and all I ended up doing was bending up some brass wire to represent the air lines to the brake cylinders and make up the bars to finish the swing bolster hangers for the trucks.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Tinkered with the trucks by making up four frame stretchers from styrene. The Atlas/Roco mounts were cut off the truck and the new stretchers are currently held in with pins. On final assembly these will be glued in as they support the outer brake hangers.
Work was also carried out on the chassis....
Namely some of the pipework around the air tanks. These were fabricated from brass wire, tube and an elbow joint I had in the spares box.
Next will be the fuel inlet, return and breather pipes and the emergency fuel cut off switch at the other end of the fuel tank....
Work was also carried out on the chassis....
Namely some of the pipework around the air tanks. These were fabricated from brass wire, tube and an elbow joint I had in the spares box.
Next will be the fuel inlet, return and breather pipes and the emergency fuel cut off switch at the other end of the fuel tank....
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Another couple of hours later and a start has been made on the fuel lines and the emergency fuel cut off valve and reset rod. The green putty and liquid lead fills the hollows in the base of the fuel tank.
The underside upside down....
And the underside correct way up....
I've tested this with the trucks and their movement is not impeded.
The underside upside down....
And the underside correct way up....
I've tested this with the trucks and their movement is not impeded.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
A few dollars hours more......
The final pieces of the emergency fuel cut off switch. These were made up from copper square tube, copper tube, brass tube and wire.
The chassis is now ready for a coat of primer to reveal all the flaws............followed by SP lark grey .
The final pieces of the emergency fuel cut off switch. These were made up from copper square tube, copper tube, brass tube and wire.
The chassis is now ready for a coat of primer to reveal all the flaws
............followed by SP lark grey .
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Today, oi'm gonna be a handrail maker....
Well, I was until the work was interrupted after discovering a pinhole leak caused by erosion in the mains water feed to a header tank. Oh 
as it meant ripping out five 3 1/2'' x 12'' wooden ceiling panels in the kitchen. A repair was effected by cutting in a new section of copper pipe.
After effecting the repairs above I set to work making the GP9 handrails from 0.5 mm brass wire for use with the P&D Hobbies cast brass EMD handrail stanchions.
The original delrin handrails in the kit formed the bending patterns and the stanchions were bored to take 0.5 mm wire. The stanchions were threaded onto the wire before the final bends were made.
The handrail with it's dangling stanchions was offered up to the sill. After lining up the stanchions and being happy with the ensemble they were then soldered to the wire.
As yet the handrails have not been fitted permanently.
Well, I was until the work was interrupted after discovering a pinhole leak caused by erosion in the mains water feed to a header tank
. Oh as it meant ripping out five 3 1/2'' x 12'' wooden ceiling panels in the kitchen. A repair was effected by cutting in a new section of copper pipe.After effecting the repairs above I set to work making the GP9 handrails from 0.5 mm brass wire for use with the P&D Hobbies cast brass EMD handrail stanchions.
The original delrin handrails in the kit formed the bending patterns and the stanchions were bored to take 0.5 mm wire. The stanchions were threaded onto the wire before the final bends were made.
The handrail with it's dangling stanchions was offered up to the sill. After lining up the stanchions and being happy with the ensemble they were then soldered to the wire.
As yet the handrails have not been fitted permanently.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
I've felt at times taking a hammer to a model in this fashion when construction isn't going as planned .
.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Not much happening really apart from putting on the first layers of weathering.......
