Scratch Built Rolling Stock

[John]

So, not to hijack the other thread ..

Several years ago .. around 2005 .. I started to build various pieces of rolling stock out of styrene ..  here are some of them ..they are pretty rough, but I enjoyed hacking away .. most are based on RMC mag plans ..

This first one, I based on a real car I spotted at Horseshoe Curve ..






I also did these two flats out of styrene .. they are too light, and parts have broken off while they rattled around in my junk box .. but I think I will put DODX decals on them and glue some of the 1/144 tanks on them ..










I built this out of one of the con-cor SP caboose models .. filled some windows, redid the end





Next up, a BCOL bulkhead flat .. RMC article again



If I were to do it over, I would use BLMA or other commercial grabs ..






Ok .. now that I have showed my disasters .. lets see yours

[bbussey]

Whitehead & Kales tri-level auto rack.  Roof, ladders, brake ratchet, brake hardware, couplers and trucks are commercial, everything else scratchbuilt.  Ends, stirrups and sides are etched brass; flatcar is milled brass; decks are styrene; decals were printed on an Alps on Micro-Mark decal paper.

[John]

Wow .. just wow

[bbussey]

BAR 6-4-6, South Twin Lake.  An experiment in rapid prototype passenger car sides that didn't prove feasible.  Decided etchings and plastic injection molded were better even for short runs, but this is the one car I built from the resin sides.  Resin castings of Perfactory RP sides created from a SolidWorks file.  American Limited core kit, Micro-Scale decals.

[Zox]

Well, it doesn't follow any prototype that I know of, but my camera car's a scratchbuilt job. I still need to do some cosmetic work on it, especially on the camera "sled" which I rebuilt for the new camera. That part's still raw styrene at this point:



Here it is on John's layout, to give you an idea of how it looks "in scale":

[absnut]

Nice work above!  I like to see what others scratch-build or bash.  I'm sure I've posted a few of these in the past and experience has told me there were things I coulda/shouda done differently but, generally I'm pleased with the results, mainly because they're not available commercially. ;D

Scratch-built B&M 4-door wood milk car.  Detail is a little too heavy.  Would use thinner styrene next time.  All styrene construction with MDC reefer frame.



Bangor and Aroostook dynamometer car.  Styrene construction.



Freelanced heavy duty flat based on PRR's "Queen Mary".  All strene with Bachmann 4-axle tender trucks.



Old time heavy duty flat with load.  Idea from a Kalmbach book on scratch-building cars in HO.  All styrene.



Old time pickle car from same Kalmbach book.



Schnabel built with styrene from plans found on the net.  I built two center sections:  one to show the car without load, one to represent a load.  "Empty" it will circumnavigate my layout nicely.  "Loaded".... forget it!  Of course, within months of my building this, one became available, in brass no less.  This one was much cheaper!





This is actually one of my bashes.  An MT troop sleeper converted to a B&A buggy.



ZOX... I love that camera car!

[wm3798]

My one and only.  Actually, the ends and floor are from a Model Power boxcar, otherwise, all fabricated from Evergreen stock.  It's a WM icicle breaker.

Lee

[tom mann]

Whitehead & Kales tri-level auto rack.  Roof, ladders, brake ratchet, brake hardware, couplers and trucks are commercial, everything else scratchbuilt.  Ends, stirrups and sides are etched brass; flatcar is milled brass; decks are styrene; decals were printed on an Alps on Micro-Mark decal paper.

WOW, JUST WOW!!!

[wazzou]

Not completely built from scratch but I thought if I made just one, it would soon be announced, 3 years later...
Heavily modified and cut up Red Caboose 4740, to make 4427.  New ribs, and Hopper discharge bays, modified steps and frame bracing


Scratchbuilt NP 1944 War Emergency 40' XM #28537, I built 8 of these using sides I cast in resin from my master.

Scratchbuilt GN Rebuilt 40' XM #4227

Scratchbuilt GN 50' XM #37469.
This was before I was able to make cars with overhanging roof eaves thanks to Athearn

Scratchbuilt NP 50' XM #2672 prior to paint and custom made decals

Scratchbuilt NP 50' XML #5440 also prior to paint and different custom made decals


I've got several dozen more in various stages of completeness.

[John]

The roof's and underframe are from donor cars?

[up1950s]

Nothing totally scratched by me , just bashed with some scratchin' added .

[sirenwerks]

Bryan, superb freaking box cars! When's the article come out? Why don't we have a box car/reefer core, for etched brass sides? Just like the passenger car concept? But with swappable ends, roofs, etc.?

[wazzou]

The roof's and underframe are from donor cars?

John...I apologize if you aren't asking me but if you are, yes the roofs and ends are Intermountain on the first two boxcars, Micro-trains on the third and Athearn roofs on the two unpainted ones with castings of ends modified from an Atlas ACF boxcar.  The doors are commercial for the sliding ones.  Underframes are scratchbuilt with bolsters and detailing generally from Intermountain.

[wazzou]

Bryan, superb freaking box cars! When's the article come out? Why don't we have a box car/reefer core, for etched brass sides? Just like the passenger car concept? But with swappable ends, roofs, etc.?

GN #37469, Jan/Feb 2001 N Scale Magazine

[Ian MacMillan]

I built this POS...