Project to do while drinking a beer or two .

[wcfn100]

Hey, easy on the new pics, mine's done (at least as done as it's going to get). 


Jason

[Chris333]

I'm still searching for N scale tucks with removable bolsters...

[DKS]

I'm still searching for N scale tucks with removable bolsters...

Good luck. Z is going to be even worse. And bonding to delrin will be a real treat.

[up1950s]

I think I will just clip out the bolster then use those micro sized router bits that Micro-Mark sells as drills to get it mostly cleared out , then file the rest . I have yet to do anything yet . It looks as if there is a piece of channel steel on the lower edge where the spring basket would be . A lower spreader of sorts . Looks like they used that same sized channel stock for everything except the deck itself .

[Philip H]

Following the Joe Fugate Exhortation to "put down the computer and build something," I began to assemble materials



Note the REQUIRED beverage in the background.  Since it tunrs out I have ABSOLUTELY no strip or channel or I beam styrene at the moment, I started by cutting some out of the 0.020 inch stock seen here



Then it was off to work.  I built the deck and bar  pieces from the afore mentioned sheet, making sure to get 5 stringers under the deck as on the prototype.  The pieces on the truck are also from the same strip stock.



I made my initial hinge out of steel wire and GRandt Line HO eyebolt castings.  Looks good, but a bit delicate.



Still to do - The other platform, its hinge, andthe top rails.  I also have some brass mesh to bond down on the top to simulate the tred plate.  Then off to paint and weathering . . .

[up1950s]

Anybody have a source to better ribbed back wheels other the the pizza cutters that MTL used on some of the cars before 1987 ish ? I read that the MTL mold broke in 1987 ish and was never replaced . Ideally I would rather use a better low pro metal wheel with ribs than take those OEM's from a MTL car , but I will if thats the only option . 

[DKS]

Anybody have a source to better ribbed back wheels other the the pizza cutters that MTL used on some of the cars before 1987 ish ? I read that the MTL mold broke in 1987 ish and was never replaced . Ideally I would rather use a better low pro metal wheel with ribs than take those OEM's from a MTL car , but I will if thats the only option . 

I turned a set of M-T ribbed wheels down once. It wasn't hard to do. I didn't use a lathe; I just chucked them in a drill and ran a file against the flange until it was the right size and shape. Came out pretty good, as I recall, but that was a long time ago on a layout far, far away...

At least you've got them to use in N; no such option in Z.

[DKS]

Richie, any chance of a higher-angle shot? So we can see if that's diamond plate or just plain steel? Thanks in advance.

[up1950s]

Richie, any chance of a higher-angle shot? So we can see if that's diamond plate or just plain steel? Thanks in advance.

Nah ,  at least not that I can find on the web . I put in an hour or more searching too . I think Lee has the right idea about it being diamond tread , and it's not like a RR shop would have to special order it , it would be on hand at all times . Could you imagine a fork lift on wet steal spinning it's tires . I am trying to do some sort of a tread when I get to it .

I started turning the wheel flanges , going along ok , thanks David .

They may have towed this to the spots needed with a 75 foot rope attached to a fork lift to reduce the angle of the rope .

[DKS]

Richie, any chance of a higher-angle shot? So we can see if that's diamond plate or just plain steel? Thanks in advance.

Nah ,  at least not that I can find on the web . I put in an hour or more searching too . I think Lee has the right idea about it being diamond tread , and it's not like a RR shop would have to special order it , it would be on hand at all times . Could you imagine a fork lift on wet steal spinning it's tires . I am trying to do some sort of a tread when I get to it .

I started turning the wheel flanges , going along ok , thanks David .

They may have towed this to the spots needed with a 75 foot rope attached to a fork lift to reduce the angle of the rope .

Thanks for the effort to search for an image--I didn't know you'd been grabbing them from the Internet. I agree it's probably diamond plate; I was actually hoping to see what the weathering and wear marks looked like; oh well, have to rely on the imagination. Thanks again.

[wm3798]

Having driven a fork lift or two in my time, I can confidently say that there would be little if any paint on the tread plate surface.  If it's heavily used, it would maintain a pretty good shine, especially in the tire gauge.  There would probably be some yellow paint along the outer edge of the bridge plate, and some rust.  Probably a lot of scrapes running perpendicular to the track.  There probably wouldn't be paint between the tires, since fork lifts come in a variety of sizes, and get around with all kinds of turning radii.
I'll qualify that by saying that the only bridge plates I worked with were simple dock to boxcar/truck affairs, usually about 6' square, so you didn't really have a "through" route as you might have on Richie's example.

One thing's for sure, and it's evident in the picture, dirt and grime will settle on every surface...except the travel portion of the bridge plate.  Loading docks are typically pretty filthy places!

Lee

[DKS]

Well, OK, so yesterday on the drive home from work I decided I could take an evening off from getting ready for the open house, and knock together an entry for the challenge. I finished it late last night, and this evening took some quick photos. It's a bit more beat up than the prototype, but that tends to happen with my models.
 

 

[DKS]

I should have written the guy who took the original photo sooner--he just sent me this:



Oh, well, better late than never. Should help out anyone who hasn't finished yet.

[central.vermont]

Yeah, you forgot the cardboard!! ;D ;D

Looks great though.
I did a search on the Bing maps and think I located the area it should
be but didn't see it in the Birds Eye view any where.

Jon

[wm3798]

Hot damn, and look at that "3" on the deck...  Hmmm.  I've just been sitting here working out a decal for the tread plate... it's not too late!

Lee