The "Big One" -- an O scale Cylindrical Hopper in Proto:48

[ednadolski]

Here's something that I've had in the works for a while, but it's taken me longer to actually get around to photographing and posting it.

This is an Atlas O scale cylindrical hopper, detailed and weathered and converted to Proto:48 specs.   The detailing includes replacing the oversized plastic grabirons with handmade wire parts (the original plastic ones were quite beefy, over 0.040"!), plus some other upgrades like the brake platform, chain, and valve.  I would have liked to replace the brake wheel but couldn't find a modern enough one in O scale. Similarly there are no etched roof walks available, so best I could do was paint/weather this one to try to make it look better.

For the P:48 conversion, I used NWSL wheels and also narrowed the trucks by replacing the stock bolster with a scratchbuilt one.  No one makes roller bearing trucks in P:48, which is a difficulty for modern-era modelers. I've heard that Protocraft.com has something in the works, but this has been going around for years and I don't have any info on the current status.

The couplers are the operating San Juan coupler, which includes a working lift pin and knuckle.  I tried to make the cut lever so that it actually operates the pin, but that didn't come out too well.  I may try to refine it in the future.   The coupler box is scratchbuilt from styrene, and the coupler itself is held in with a slotted key that is more prototypical than the usual pivoting screw, and it also allows the coupler to move in and out during operation. The air hose is a brass part; some guys make these with flexible hosed that connect magnetically, which I think would be cool to try on a future model.

The weathering is a combination of artists paints, mainly acrylics, gouache, and water-mix oils, applies in layers and sealed with Dullcote.   I couldn't find a specific prototype to model, so this is inspired by a variety of proto pics.  If you haven't already noticed, the reporting marks are a fiction as well  .

Thanks for looking, all comments & feedback are greatly appreciated!   

Ed

[John]

Wow .. great work

[central.vermont]

Great proto photo's Ed. So where's the model shots?  ;D

Jon

[SkipGear]

After the first few photo's I thought you were showing us the prototype that you used to copy. Then I saw the overhead shot and realized that was the model, not the proto photo's.

WOW!!

[tom mann]

Wow! That looks nice!

[davefoxx]

Ed,

Well played, sir.  That covered hopper looks fantastic!  Love the reporting marks. 

DFF

[3DTrains]

Gee, I wish I had the space for Proto:48. That car looks terrific!

Cheers!
Marc

[wazzou]

Are those your own reporting marks Ed?

[GaryHinshaw]

That's hot!  I'd love to see this on your proto-48 turnout.  Do the wheels make real flange squeal in proto-48?   

-gfh

P.S. What's the significance of 5861? A birth year or two?

[nscalemike]

That is very nice work there, and I agree at first I thought I was looking at your prototype shot!  I looked over the first couple photos several times for something that showed it's a model and didn't find anything!  Absolutely amazing work!

Mike

[Bendtracker1]

Wow!
I love the partially rusted walkways and how the original logo is bleeding through.
Was it a Great Northern before you started?
Very nice.

Allen...

[Hyperion]

I don't mean to nitpick, the work is eons beyond anything I could ever hope to do and is an amazing car, but I must say that something caught my eye immediately that just stuck out as instantly being a model -- and that is the trucks.  The wheels behind them look great (which may contribute to the 'problem' actually by bringing attention down there), but the trucks themselves seem to be too uniform in color and very flat in texture.  Maybe something as little as some chalk for tonal and texture variation would do it.  And this isn't really fixable, but it's just not the greatest truck model in the world anyway and missing a fair bit of detail and casting marks.  But maybe it's just because I see hundreds of trucks a day that these things are more noticeable to me.

[ednadolski]

Thanks to everyone for your responses. I'm glad you've enjoyed the model, and I appreciate all the feedback.   Addressing some of the questions:

 - The reporting marks are just a fiction (well, ok, more like a conceit, to be fully honest).  As for the road number, it's one of those things I am not at liberty to discuss  ;D

 - Gary, the P:48 turnout is, shall we say, "in progress" at this point.   I don't have an ETA to give, but stay tuned.... 

 - Allen, you're absolutely right, this started as a GN.   I wet-sanded the original lettering partly thru with some 1000 grit sandpaper, then masked off the areas and sprayed them over with a light coat of gray from the rattle can, trying not to get it too opaque.

 - Mark, excellent points about the trucks.  I've been thinking of them as a 'placeholder' while waiting for the Protocraft RB trucks to become available.  Sometimes P:48 can take a lot of patience, but if Norm does as good a job in O scale as ExactRail did in HO, then I'm sure the results will be worth the wait.   I've got a few other WIPs that are awaiting trucks, but I've put them on hold since the conversions do take a bit more time & effort than I want to invest in something that I will upgrade/replace later anyways.   BTW, yes, those bearing caps do rotate -- it's a very neat effect!   

Thanks again!

Ed

[John]

  As for the road number, it's one of those things I am not at liberty to discuss  ;D

 

Birthday or age

[pnolan48]

Ed,

I kept looking for the model--very fine work, indeed.

I did wonder about the size and distribution of the gray ballast. Realize I'm am not a student of the prototype, so I can't judge ballast size. It just looks to me to be too little ballast, too neatly laid, for that size rock. And there was something that looked at first glance like a grasshopper in the brown foreground ballast.

Um, this is nitpicking in the extreme. What a wonderful car!