100 ton flats

[samusi01]

Evening -

I have just made available, for those who have access to a reasonably large 3d printer and don't mind some work, a series of flatcar sets over at cults3d: https://cults3d.com/en/users/samusi01/3d-models

There are a number of modeler supplied parts needed - 1015 couplers, MTL 1139 trucks, 2-56 x 1/8" screws, optional ESM 36" wheelsets, laser or waterjet cut weights (template files included), and for the wind turbine tower load optional 4mm x 1mm and 6mm x 2mm magnets.
 
There are five sets, grouped by car purpose. First set is for those wishing to model general service flats such as TTX's XTTX flats. There is also, for lack of anywhere better to place it, a model of one of the idler cars in dedicated Boeing service.

TrinityRail XTTX RSH90


National Steel XTTX NSH90B


TrinityRail XTTX RSH90 in dedicated Boeing service with brush guard


Flats included in this set are NSC (three versions, including one of the early JTTX flats with nailable deck), TrinityRail (one car), JAC (three versions, including one early with nailable deck), and Greenbrier (one car).

Next set is pipe carrying cars, such as TTX's PTTX reporting mark.

RSH90, PTTX with bunks:


Cars included in the PTTX set are NSC (three versions), JAC (three versions), and TrinityRail (one version).

Next set is pole cars, with bunks:

National Steel NSH90A, wide spaced bunks:


another NSH90A, but with narrow spaced bunks:


AOKX (Greenbrier leasing car) with bunks:


The pole car set includes JAC (seven versions), NSC (four versions) and Greenbrier (one version). The latter is not presently used by TTX.

Next set is military cars. TPDX, for the post 2019 modeler, and all by Greenbrier / Gunderson, the version as seen below and some variants with basic pedestals for JTC 20' containers or the ISO based containers I shared last year at Thingiverse:

GSH90, TPDX


Last set is dedicated to wind turbine loads. I posted some images of the blade set last year, and there's been no significant changes on those. Also, I'm too lazy to generate a render. Here's an image of an RSH90 with cradles and a 30m tower section:


This set includes hub and tip cars for the blades and a car for towers.

[James Costello]

Oh my Sam - this is an incredible body of work!

Makes me wish I had a printer, but I hope to take advantage of this one day. Thank you!

[bbussey]

Nice!

[daniel_leavitt2000]

We NEED more printable projects like this. Having a file ready to go is what will get me into 3d printing.

[John]

Sam -- when you get a chance can you post a pix of a printed sample?  Looks like a great project

[JoeD]

I'll give it a go.   been wanting this type of flat for a long time.    Downloaded it and looks good so far.  I'll post some picks when the first print is finished.     Anycubic M5  .020 mm   
Gozer.

[John]

I'll give it a go.   been wanting this type of flat for a long time.    Downloaded it and looks good so far.  I'll post some picks when the first print is finished.     Anycubic M5  .020 mm   
Gozer.

Thanks .. If I can get one to print, I will probably try to have it electro-plated at my son's company to see what kind of detail that process can retain while adding strength..

[samusi01]

@John

Images for you... apologies for the delay. These are actually the only three of the third gen flats I've bothered to print.

From left to right, a GSH90 that can be either a TPDX or XTTX flat, a Greenbrier 100 ton with AOKX style bunks, and an XTTX RSH90 with fuselage brush guard.



Sitting on MTL's 100 ton trucks and Bryan's 36" wheelsets.



There are a fair number of other images floating around here on TRW:

Bottom image only, the upper two are HSH89: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=57628.msg793823#msg793823

Second gen cars: experimenting with MTL's true scale couplers, blade cars, and on the third image you can see an embarrassing scrum of under work flats: thirteen, I think, of varying types. In the foreground of the first image is one of the very early flats with nailable deck, in this case equipped with TTX style bunks. https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=57501.msg792103#msg792103

More second gen cars, in this case during draining: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=57211.msg791318#msg791318

SendCutSend weights: second gen cars shown, there is no difference for the weights and underframe details between second and third gen cars: only difference is the end sill and third gen cars use 1015's in lieu of the original 2004. https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=57386.msg790354#msg790354

I think this is actually a third gen car - I don't recall at all. Note that @vermonter_railfan has used the frame pilot marks to drill and add wire grabs. https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=57805.msg796039#msg796039

@Gozer the Gozerian Any feedback you might have will be happily received and may even be acted on... depends on how much work would need to be done. Candidly, this is my first car design, and I'd like to put it behind me and focus on other projects.

[samusi01]

Thanks .. If I can get one to print, I will probably try to have it electro-plated at my son's company to see what kind of detail that process can retain while adding strength..

Be interesting to find out how this goes. How thick is the plating? I'd recommend doing it to the car after installation of everything save couplers, and it may foul up the coupler box area and truck post threads.

[John]

The plating is 1mm if I recall.   That can be adjusted though to more depending on the application. 

[samusi01]

That’s going to be a challenge. For scale, the bunk uprights on the Greenbrier AOKX flat above are 1.27mm and the brush guard has features that are 0.3mm thick. 1mm may be a bridge too far.

[John]

That’s going to be a challenge. For scale, the bunk uprights on the Greenbrier AOKX flat above are 1.27mm and the brush guard has features that are 0.3mm thick. 1mm may be a bridge too far.

Probably ... I'll still give it a try to see how it works out ..

[delamaize]

Would it be possible to print the log bunks as separate parts?
I have an idea on how to make some log cars.
NP and GN both used old box car, and flat cars to make log cars, I'd like to make myself a string of them, and these log bunks would make life a lot easier.
the prototype is similar to the log cars that walthers and Atlas put out a few years ago. See Image:

[samusi01]

@delamaize

Just spent a few minutes tearing through the NPRHA's 2020 Vista Dome Project files (did you grab that when it was offered?). Based on what I am seeing in there, I'd say that a bespoke option would be far superior - the drawings the NP produced show bunk heights of (round numbers here) 4.5 feet and 7 feet. This is compared to the TTX bunk height of 10' 10" and the Greenbrier bunks are the same height or slightly taller. Further, the images I am seeing - a smaller one of which may be found here - show substantial differences between the modern bunks and the NP's bunks. The NP ones are closest to a reversed Greenbrier bunk, using TTX style components, and shrunk vertically.

If you have any 3d design experience, it should be a straightforward project. My queue of NP projects is centered around central Washington specific cars (beets!) and languishing behind this modern stuff.

Sam

[Wutter]

@John

Images for you... apologies for the delay. These are actually the only three of the third gen flats I've bothered to print.

From left to right, a GSH90 that can be either a TPDX or XTTX flat, a Greenbrier 100 ton with AOKX style bunks, and an XTTX RSH90 with fuselage brush guard.



Sitting on MTL's 100 ton trucks and Bryan's 36" wheelsets.

What printer did you print these on? And any tips in terms of resin settings you used and the orientation on the printer of how you supported your builds?