Multi-layering brass car sides

[OldEastRR]

This idea started with a friend who wanted me to recess the baggage doors for the brass car sides to mount on a ConCor body. That wasn't too hard, just chop/cut out the brass door, then remove enough plastic car side to make a recess, and glue door and sides in place. That worked out pretty good so next project I cut out a diner's doors and soldered two-piece (dutch door) doors to the back of the brass side for a slightly recessed door.
That led to this project, a GN Big Dome conversion of the Bachmann car.
There are three layers of brass sheets on a side, matching the arrangement of the prototype.
You need two sets of the sides, one as the base and the other, cut up into segments, as the separate layered pieces.
Soldering wasn't that hard to do, I did have to cut out centers in the base plate to get the solder in behind the overlay plates.

Once this car is assembled and painted (Big Sky Blue) the sides should really look good. Unfortunately they will be riding underneath that big toy-like Bachmann dome so that will diminish the impact.
This car would look awesome in the Empire Builder paint, and I'll probably make up that version next since this wasn't a very hard project, just time consuming.
Most brass sides are OK as is, but modifying the ones with different layers certainly makes those cars look better.

[bbussey]

Yes, that is true.

[sirenwerks]

Neat idea.  Did you consider off-setting the end door too?  Yea, the long face of the dome's not all that bad but the rake of the ends is just not quite enough and those end windows look like something off of a VW split-window.

Maybe after you paint it Walthers will release its EB set in N!

[skytop35]

Make a rubber mold and do castings !

[OldEastRR]

Neat idea.  Did you consider off-setting the end door too?  Yea, the long face of the dome's not all that bad but the rake of the ends is just not quite enough and those end windows look like something off of a VW split-window.

Not sure what you mean about off-setting the end door...

The part about a KATO EB probably is likely, because I also did a bunch of brass-side conversions of ConCOr cars so my friend has a completely prototypical (17 car) BSB Empire Builder. And since CC put the RR logos on the wrong end of a lot of the correctly-made cars , I had to fix that too.
He also wants me now to do the same but with EB colors. THEN Kato will bring out its version....

[jmlaboda]

This is not a new idea as there have been others who have thought about doing this and it really could be an advantage for a lot of different passenger cars if it were done this way.

I often think about how brass heavyweight sides might be improved since there are layers that should be represented, but are not often done.  The belt rail and splice plates on the letterboard and lower portions of a side could be done in thinner brass so as to be overlays that would look right instead of having to use just an outline of these parts, which really does not make the model look better.  Even in HO this is not done but it should be if a company is really serious about putting out a quality product and it has been proven that folks will pay more if something of value can be obtained.

Heavyweights for the most part are several layers of metal (except they are Harriman cars, which did not have as thick of sides as other cars... click here to see what I mean about a Harriman car) and not just one solid piece and it is a natural for something like the layers of TrainCat's caboose models method.  The interior car window frames could be done on one part of the side, folded and attached to the outer side.  Add too it thin letterboards, belt rails and splice plates and it would take the quality of such a model to a considerably higher level.  (Note: the business car linked to above is not a "true" Harriman as it has a fishbelly underframe which is not what "true" Harriman car has underneath but the sides do show what Harriman side are like.)

If you want to made that model better M&R Models have etchings for doing the dome part of one of these cars.  Way better detail overall than what the Bachmann model has...



He may be willing to sell the dome pieces separate from the rest of the dome car set.  To learn more visit the M&R Models page @ the N-scale Varnish website...

http://passcarphotos.info/Varnish/M&R_Models.htm

[Iain]

I've been kicking around doing this for NS wood passenger cars, especially considering that my 3D print attempt was somewhat disappointing. 

[sirenwerks]

If you want to made that model better M&R Models have etchings for doing the dome part of one of these cars.  Way better detail overall than what the Bachmann model has...



He may be willing to sell the dome pieces separate from the rest of the dome car set.  To learn more visit the M&R Models page @ the N-scale Varnish website...

http://passcarphotos.info/Varnish/M&R_Models.htm

The side pains definitiely look better than the stock Bachmann car. Now if you could thin out the end-of-the-dome casting somehow...

[SandyEggoJake]

This is not a new idea as there have been others who have thought about doing this ...

Still, it is appreciated.  I've been pondering how to PE at wood boxcar door, specifically what otherwise would be score lines on an inset panel in a frame with rivets and hinge detail, etc.  Was wondering about the failure rates and other technical and cost issues for 4 levels of photo resist and 4 dips.  Now I can plan for a standard 2 resist & 2 dips!  Thx for the unintentional help!