The Vegetation Control Train Thread

[fcnrwy23]

The Vegetation Control Train Thread
"Weed Sprayer"

This project is a simple one, since the prototype uses some basic elements. 

The consist
Consists of...
(1) "Spacer" car, a flatcar that has been trimmed of all unnecessary bulk and weight
(1) "Sprayer/Control Car", a modified boxcar with opening cut-in its body.
(1) Parts Car.  I have decided to leave this car out, since on newer versions of this train, it has been omitted for the consist.
and "Storage Cars", (4-7) General Service tankcars, that contain the DDT or whatever is being used to kill any "flora" that tries, to establish itself near the roadbed.
It appears that when this train operates, the "host" railroad supplies the power and a rear car, usually a boxcar, as "rear protection".


The Model



For the present, I plan on running a Four (4) car train.   I can always add more tankcars...

Control Car
For the Control Car, I am using (What else?) a Roundhouse HiCube boxcar.  I had to chopped out a section, for the working rear platform.  The side railing are standard styrene stock pieces.  While, the Door and Window openings are, .010 thick styrene sheet stock.  The "Drip rails" are .015 styrene stock, glued just over the top edge of the windows. By doing this, I give them the "slanted" appearance.  The rear ladders are the original "molded-on" ladders. The upper extensions, were cut from a 2nd boxcar and "graphed-on". The Main sprayer assembly is made from Styrene Rod stock.  And finally, the side grillework, is leftover parts from Intermountain SD 40-2T kits.

Spacer Car
This is a Atlas, 50 foot flatcar.  Which, I trimmed down to the bare centerbeam frame.  Because of this, I had to find a way to add weight, otherwise the car would be too unstable.  The solution was to cut a 1/4 oz  weight in half, and then attached these, over the end frames of the car.  The prototype has this area, "Built-up".  So, I plan on going back and adding some styrene stock to "square-up" the sides.

Supply Tankcars
Again, I am using (going thru the last of my Roundhouse stuff) Roundhouse, 50 foot General Purpose tankcars.
All the piping, is styrene "Rod" stock with some .020 brass rod used to simulate, the "handrails" at each end of the cars.

Since the prototype is NOT Railroad-owned.  This train will not be painted, GGX Orange and not lettered for the GGX.
I have already started on some "third-party" decals for this project.


Jerry G.
 

[fcnrwy23]

September 02, 2017

As I mentioned previously, the Vegetation Control train would be a very easy build..

.
The "Sprayer Car" before priming and painting.

In keeping close to the prototype, I chose to paint the train in a light gray color.  "SP Lettering" was the color used, this allow me to continue using, Black as the color for my custom decals.  Additional decals came from Microscale sets, that included:  Safety strips, Industrial Safety and Warning signs, 50 foot Tank car and General Electric locomotives sets.
      A fictitious name was chosen for the operating company. "Trackside Vegetation Control, LLC" (TVCX).  Something that was simple and to the point. 
Micro-train #1035 trucks and couplers(for the Idler and Tank Cars, #1037 for the Sprayer Car), with FVM 33" metal wheel sets, finished-out the models.


The Sprayer and Idler Cars.


And the DDT tank cars.

And with that, another completed train is added to my MoW collection...

Jerry G.

[ljudice]

Very cool!

[u18b]

Chessie System Fan and I chased on of these trains in Baton Rouge around 12 years ago.
Pulled by a CN SD40-2.

The tank cars looked old- similar to the old Rivarossi tankers in N.


But as for coolness.......
One day I plan to build the weed train run by Railmax.

An 18 wheeler cab pulling 4 rail converted trailers.

So you would have to power a cab (another critter project!)
and then get 4 Deluxe Innovations trailers.

I imagine this would be a hit at a train show.
To see this coming down the tracks.

[Ike the BN Freak]

But as for coolness.......
One day I plan to build the weed train run by Railmax.

An 18 wheeler cab pulling 4 rail converted trailers.

So you would have to power a cab (another critter project!)
and then get 4 Deluxe Innovations trailers.

These look to be around 45ft trailers. About 15 years ago, I started working on some Mark 3 and 4 roadrailers, which these look to be.  The deluxe ones use separate trucks, while these have the rail wheels attached to the trailer.

[fcnrwy23]

[quote author=u18b link=topic=42626.ms
 
But as for coolness.......
One day I plan to build the weed train run by Railmax.

An 18 wheeler cab pulling 4 rail converted trailers.
So you would have to power a cab (another critter project!)
and then get 4 Deluxe Innovations trailers.

I imagine this would be a hit at a train show.
To see this coming down the tracks.




[/quote]

Being a "Ford Guy"  I have seen the RailMax before.  It was a minor footnote in Ford's L-9000 series trucks.  The tractor in the photos has the hood that is not the standard L-9000 but is from the LTS model.
The Atlas LNT-9000 is a great starting point.  The motor could be concealed in the cab and sleeper bodywork. 


Jerry G.

[Missaberoad]

Very nicely done...

made me think of this...

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/627451/

[peteski]

Being a "Ford Guy"  I have seen the RailMax before.  It was a minor footnote in Ford's L-9000 series trucks.  The tractor in the photos has the hood that is not the standard L-9000 but is from the LTS model.
The Atlas LNT-9000 is a great starting point.  The motor could be concealed in the cab and sleeper bodywork. 


Jerry G.

Or maybe for even more room (for a motor and decoder) in a permanently-coupled trailer, with the tractor being a dummy. Permanently coupling the entire consist would also result in very reliable power pickup.

[fcnrwy23]

Or maybe for even more room (for a motor and decoder) in a permanently-coupled trailer, with the tractor being a dummy. Permanently coupling the entire consist would also result in very reliable power pickup.

That might result in one weird looking boogie. 

Jerry G.

[peteski]

That might result in one weird looking boogie. 

Jerry G.

The driven bogie could be the dual axle of the tractor (but instead of trying to shoehorn the motor in the tractor, house  it in the first trailer which sits right over the dual axle).  I have a feeling that a Con-Cor Galloping Goose mechanism might be a good fit here. Just remove the GG's powered-truck's sideframes and glue on dummy wheel faces onto the metal wheels.

Sorry that we got off-topic on you here.

[fcnrwy23]

The driven bogie could be the dual axle of the tractor (but instead of trying to shoehorn the motor in the tractor, house  it in the first trailer which sits right over the dual axle).  I have a feeling that a Con-Cor Galloping Goose mechanism might be a good fit here. Just remove the GG's powered-truck's sideframes and glue on dummy wheel faces onto the metal wheels.

Sorry that we got off-topic on you here.

The Goose mech is a great start!

On getting off-topic, No Problem!! 
It was a trip down memory lane for me! 
The Ford "L"s have been gone for a long time.. 

Where do you think... "Ford" in Ford City Northern, comes from!! 

Jerry G.