NP Radial Roof Boxcar Build (was request for ideas)

[loyalton]

The Tichy end is 9' wide BTW.

The thought came to use the Tichy repair car side for end blanks, but the widest piece you can get without a window frame and window is 8', and you'd gain the problem of having to splice at the top of the end. *sigh*

[mmagliaro]

*sigh*  indeed.   It seems that still, the best option is the MT double-sheated boxcar with the fishbelly bottom,
with grafted-in  MT reefer ends.

Well, that's okay.   You all have really helped me explore all the possibilities and for that, I am really grateful,
not to mention the nice prototype photos and drawings I have gotten as well.
That's why I opened this thread.  I wanted to make sure I didn't miss any possible available products or
smarter approaches before I started cutting and splicing.

It also called to my attention that the GHQ model-that-never-was isn't really the wood-ended car I wanted anyway.
And you guys know how I am.  I'd be happier making my own anyway.   

[nkalanaga]

Why not try scratchbuilding the body on a MT underframe?  Wood cars aren't hard to do, MT may sell their doors as repair parts, and the iron work can be made from smooth paper or 0.005 styrene with bolt heads embossed with a pin.  If you plan a lot of them, use paper, draw a master (pencil or computer) and make copies.  I've done Nn3 cars that way, and the techniques are no different than modeling in the larger scales.   Just use thinner materials and make smaller parts.

If it doesn't work out, the plastic and paper are cheap, so you haven't lost much.

[mmagliaro]

nkalanga:
I have been considering the possibility of making the whole thing from scratch, and yes, MTL does sell their
wood sheather doors as a separate part.

But before I go to that extreme:

Anyone have the Intermountain wood reefer?   I am back to considering that it may be easiest after all
to just use that with an MTL wood sheathed door placed onto it.  The ladders come off the sides so they can be
replaced with grabs.  And I would use the MTL wood sheathed fishbelly underframe in it.   

Questions:
1. If you have this car, can you tell if the roof is a separate part that is glued in?  I bet it is, and that would be nice
if I could manage to get it off the car so I can replace it with a proper roof instead of trying to sheet over it and
make the edges match.

2. It looks like the car ends also have removable ladders.  Is that right?   That's the thing that got me
switching gears here.  Even the MTL reefer has molded-on ladders on the ends and those would have to come off.

[Missaberoad]

Yes on all accounts.
The IMRC reefer has a separate roof and separate ladders all around, stripping it down to a "hull" would be an easy prospect... Even the glue lets go easily...

[mmagliaro]

Yes on all accounts.
The IMRC reefer has a separate roof and separate ladders all around, stripping it down to a "hull" would be an easy prospect... Even the glue lets go easily...

Hooray!   Good answer.
I did see that IM is doing an undec kit form of their wood reefer.  It isn't out yet, but the photos of the gray body
shell show that it has no roof, and I assume the ready-made cars are simply put together from these same parts.

Yeah, I'm liking this idea.  No end splicing and no roofline to battle with when I make the curved roof.

[nkalanaga]

That would be easier than scratchbuilding, and if the parts are available, would probably be my choice as well.

[mmagliaro]

Continuing on.  My IM wood reefer arrived today.  Not only do the roof and ladders easily pop off, the car ENDS
come off.  The whole thing is built like a passenger car core kit, where you have a smooth inner box with the wood-board
ends glued on as panels on the outside.   But I will not be removing the ends.  I'm still going with fitting it to an MTL
fishbelly bottom and adding MT doors.   Photos when I have some of it together.

[SandyEggoJake]

I'll be interested to learn if that IM body is a close fit for that MLT Fishbelly underframe (which AYK one can get from them direct - if you say please - for ~$2 w/o needing to scrap a RTR).

BTW, if looking for PE for the truss rods and queen post, Fine-N Scale sells such (FNR-2014 40' TRUSS-ROD CHASSIS FOR MICRO-TRAINS ICE REEFER)  and with your use of just 2 rods per car, not the usual 4 rods, this $7 kit would give you enough truss'n to make four cars. 

[mmagliaro]

Thanks SandyEggoJake:
Yes, I had noticed that Fine N Scale truss rod kit and I was thinking the same way.

As it turns out, in order to fit the MT floor up into the IM body required some work.  The IM underside is
cast as one piece with the body.  It's doesn't come out, and it has ribs and cross members all cast on it.

Basically, the whole underside has to be smoothed off.   I did it by flipping the IM body over and running it back and
forth under my milling machine.  That allowed me to machine off the entire underside nice and smooth, and then
the MTL floor went right up in there just fine.  The lengths match up very closely.
You could do it with a big flat file and a lot of patience, but it would take a while.  The mill made short work of it,
and guaranteed that I got the whole underside of the IM car flat and level so there isn't any weirdness with car
not sitting level on the MT frame.

Pics are coming of all this.  Maybe tonight.

[mmagliaro]

So now it's time to try building the car.

Here is the first set of build steps.

[Missaberoad]

Looking good... The attention to detail is second to none!

Nice to see freight cars get some love. 

[mmagliaro]

Here's a progress report on the NP radial roof car.
I did have to end up making new car end panels after all.  There was just no way to get the IM ends
to mate up with the new curved roof.  I had hoped that the amount of curvature would be slight enough
that any gap could be covered by the trim strip under the roof edge, but it was not to be.

This project has ended up taking a lot of trial and error just to figure out how to make it, not to mention
a lot of time cutting and fitting parts and details.  I am not sure I'll want to make a group of these by the time
this is done, but I am happy with how the car is turning out so far.

[Chris333]

Are you certain there is not a boiler inside?

Could you cast it in resin when done?

[Cajonpassfan]

Could you cast it in resin when done?

Max, you really should you know... or have it cast, if that's not your cup of tea....
This is coming out great, and a joy to follow.
Otto K.