Carbody Removal - Red Caboose Centerbeam Flat

[JSL]

Our Red Caboose laison, now that is funny as he is one of the saleman at Intermountain.

[wcfn100]

You may want to contact Bill to see if he has any spare under frames that you could cut off the bolsters.  Even though Red Caboose is no longer in business, there is still a container full of (some) parts somewhere in Colorado.


Jason

[GaryHinshaw]

Bryan B, I had thought about that, but another complication is the the re-located gusset sits right where one of the tie-down ratchets is.  On the prototype, the ratchet is welded right over the gusset (see, e.g., the proto link above).   When I saw that I decided it was more work than I was willing to do, especially given the other inaccuracies with the model.  If someone is interested in making one though, I would gladly support the effort. 

Good idea Jason, I have had good experience dealing with Bill in the past.  But the OP's original problem of removing the existing under-frame remains....

-gfh

[wcfn100]

But the OP's original problem of removing the existing under-frame remains....

Right, but knowing that I could new bolster, I might attack the problem differently.

It looks like you may be able to just add the new bolster to the end of the old one (with some trimming) and grind down the raised portion of the old bolster to get it out of the way.


Jason

[GaryHinshaw]

Brilliant!  I'll take some measurements when I get a chance.

[wcfn100]

Gary -
Isn't the bolster supposed to line up with the heavy gusseting between the 2nd and 3rd winches on the car side in your shot? 
I guess that would be the trade-off visually, correct truck spacing or trucks that line-up with cast detail.

I wanted to point out that the bolster doesn't always line up if the tie down is in that same location.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=415026

Not saying that makes it correct, just that there are exceptions.

Jason

[BCR751]

Interesting obsevation.  Yesterday, I went through all of my Red Caboose centerbeam flats and tried to remove the underframes.  None of them would come apart with one exception, the cars that have the two solid panels on either end and the four diagonal cross-braces in the middle of the centerbeam.  These popped right out.  All of these cars were purchased at the same time back in the summer of 2011 and included all three body styles, opera window, all cross braced, and the two solid panels on each end.  Interesting.

Doug

[GaryHinshaw]

Ugh.  Now that I can see the picture Jason posted, I see that not even all opera window flats have the short wheelbase of the Red Caboose model.   

Doug, what are you trying to do with your flats?

[Robbman]

I wanted to point out that the bolster doesn't always line up if the tie down is in that same location.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=415026

Not saying that makes it correct, just that there are exceptions.

Jason

The gusset on the side is the jacking pad... they don't always have to line up with the bolster, just depends on builder, car type, etc.  Trinity's have a tie down on the gusseting, so it has nothing to do with the tie down tself.

[wcfn100]

Trinity's have a tie down on the gusseting, so it has nothing to do with the tie down tself.

Yeah, I didn't say that right.  I thought I saw some where the tie down also had the jacking pad basically integrated together and was going to mention that on Gary's model he might just be able remove the pad and not have to really worry about adding back.

Thanks for the clarification/confirmation.

Jason

[Robbman]

Word.  Gary e-mail me, I haven't been able to reduce and convert the GAs I have... be easier to just send them to you.