2020 Construction Blog

July - More cars

A few years ago, ran across someone who had built a covered hopper based on the movie Soylent Green. Also saw a photo of an Linde box car that had been wrecked. The photo showed the tank on the insides of the car. Updated mine with a piece of PVC pipe, caboose ladder, and a decal that represent a meter.

Soylent Corp covered hopper

Detailed Linde box car

Have a six axle depressed flat car from Shapewaye. There was no end decks included, so end decks were made with decals.

Depressed flat painted

paper end decks

Another car completed

Have been waiting for a supplier to deliver an announced DODX 6 axle flat car. Found one on Shapeways. The car comes as two pieces, the frame is seperated, a brass bar is added for strength and weights. Got it built and decaled. Now, I just need to make the Trident missle carriers.

From Shapeways

Brass and weights in place

First one painted

Buckeye trucks ready for paint

Almost ready for decals

Close up of the buckeye trucks

Ready for trident load

June - Catching up on decaling loads

Decals for multiple loads require an assembly line method.

Adding decals to load mount circles

Applying load mounts

Previouly made generators now are complete with decals. The decals include manufacturing and destination labels, lifting lugs and do not hump signs. The heat recovery steam generator loads also got manufacturing labels.

First two of this batch

First two of this batch

Heat recovery steam generators finally finished

Loads for the PRR Queen Mary depressed flat and well car are now complete..

Almost done

Almost done

April - Pile Driver flat car & KWUX caboose

Found a pile driver on Shapeways that will look great on a Southern MOW flatcar connected to the Walthers American crane.

Pile driver assembled

Painted and ready for the flat

Allis Chalmers never had a caboose, but I want one to go with the KWUX 10 16 axle depressed flatcar. Forgot to get all of the custom decals on the first run, waiting on the second round to complete the caboose.

Almost done

March - More loads, cars and a slug

Before working on more loads, did a deep Covid19 cleaning of the work bench. Also made a jig to hold a bunch of caboose hand rails for painting.

An almost clean workbench

Caboose handrail painting jig

Completed two Department of Defense flat car loads. The first is a Mk 26 guided missle launcher. The load is 3D printed from Shapeways. There are small FMC decals on the launcher shipping platform. The second load is of a Mk 42, 5 inch gun turret. The idea for this car and load came from an article by Mont Switzer in the October 2018 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman titled "U. S. Navy Gun Deck Car". Custom decals complete bot the flatcar and turret load.

MK 26 missle launcher load

MK 42 turret load

Continue to work of completing more cabooses, got AC units on two Kasgro and a Combustion Engineering cab. Started working on a RP-E4D EMD slug with the body by Pacifc Northeset Resins. The body slips on a Proto 2000 GP 9 chassis. Pulled the gears, and three of the four were bad, and all were replaced. Assembled a Pickens Roundhouse boxcar.

Trio of cabs

Completed CEBX 801

Starting the slug

February - Completing wind turbine loads

Completed two of the three heavy duty flat cars with wind turbine loads. Custom decals were printed by Bill at Precision Design. The loads were decals before being put on the flatcars, and did not line up as expected. These loads will become turbines waiting on the dock to be loaded for export. I will apply decals to the next set after the turbines are mounted on the flatcars.

Decaling a turbine

Decals not lined up

Two of three cars done

End of the turbines