FVM Sooline boxcars

[Missaberoad]

Ok, now... when were these schemes good for?

I really like the white with black lettering and red door. Am I good in 85?

All three Soo schemes are good for 85, the one you mention was the most common aswell... ...but its another paper box

[Ed Kapuscinski]

All three Soo schemes are good for 85, the one you mention was the most common aswell... ...but its another paper box

Lol, I'm starting to think that paper was the only thing ever carried in boxcars... But good. What about the oxide car? I like those too.

[unittrain]

I think the brown soo line scheme is late 60s the colormark black ends is early 70s and the red letter is 79 if I remember right I think I checked the Soo line historical society.

[wcfn100]

I think the brown soo line scheme is late 60s the colormark black ends is early 70s and the red letter is 79 if I remember right I think I checked the Soo line historical society.

The dashed sill on the brown car puts it at 1973.  The red lettered cars are 1977.  The Colormark cars from 1972.


Jason.

[Missaberoad]

The Colormark cars from 1972.
Jason.

That specific series yes, but that scheme was first used on 7 post boxcars in 1969 on 17850-17898 (even numbers) for those willing to renumber or ignore the road numbers 

[jagged ben]

http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/the-best-coupler-box-is-here.89213/

Daaaaang...Trainboard putting TRW to shame!        I guess I should go visit there again every once in a while.  Thanks for posting. 

[Missaberoad]

Daaaaang...Trainboard putting TRW to shame!   

TRW and @ednadolski mic drop 

Seems to me this thread is overdue for an update.   Here are some IM Trinity 5161 hoppers that I have finished converting. For these, I drilled & tapped for a 00-90 screw through the flat/simulated coupler pocket.   This part of the model is very thin, so you have to use a light touch, and be careful not to overtighten the screw as it is easy to strip the thread.  The other thing I did was to file the styrene rod flush with the top surface of the brass pocket, otherwise the slight bump can cause the coupler to tip downwards and hang too low.  So there is nothing right now (except friction) to prevent the pocket from pivoting on the mounting screw, but I will fix that with a couple of dabs of epoxy.   You can also see in some cases that I did not trim the mounting screw.  I'll take care of that later (probably when I get these to the detailing/weathering stage) altho even as they currently are I don't find the long screws to be too obtrusive, at least not while running in a train.

I'm finding it handy to assemble these in batches.  Here are my key steps:

a. Cut the covers & bodies from the frets with an X-acto blade.  Be sure to remove all the tags.
b. Drill out the cover holes with a #59 (0.041") bit.  Drill from the inside surface, to avoid creating a burr that can interfere with the coupler.
c. Form the bodies and the tab on the back end of the cover.  (I don't form the air hose or cut lever hook at this point.)
d. Mount the cover on top of the body.   To do this, I have a small strip of wood with a thin groove cut into it.  I lay the pocket body flat and top-down on the wood, with the strike plate in the groove.  This holds the body in place while I put on the cover (and in the next step when I solder it).
e. Once I have enough pockets assembled (typically 8-16), I solder the covers to the bodies.  I use the Supersafe green gel flux and as little solder a possible. I only solder where the tabs come thru the slots in the cover.  All parts are then cleaned with alcohol.
f. Paint the parts with a light gray primer from a rattle can.  To hold the parts for painting, I take a piece of corrugated cardboard and punch some slots with the tip of a screwdriver.  I then place each pocket into a slot, end first so that the coupler end is sticking up.
g. After the paint dries, I install a coupler in each pocket.   Place a coupler in the pocket and line up the shank hole with the holes in the pocket.  Insert a piece of 0.040" diameter styrene rod from the bottom side of the pocket and out thru the top hole.  It takes a few twists on the rod to 'screw' the rod thru the upper hole in the coupler body, since this hole is slightly smaller than the bottom hole.   Once the rod is in place, trim it off on the bottom side with a flush cut pliers.  I also cut the trip pin off the coupler at this point.
h. Install on a car as needed.  Form the air hose and cut lever hook, and then paint/weather as desired.


Ed

[nkalanaga]

CJM413:  That's how I did my first run cars as well.  Worked very nicely.

I don't think it will work on these.  Instead of lowering the car for the new body-mount couplers, FVM added a mounting pad.  So, besides filing the bolsters, one would also have to remove that pad, not easy to do neatly by hand.

It looks like the two easiest ways to lower these cars would be:

To file the bolsters, cut the ends off the floor, and build new coupler platforms, OR
To modify the stops on the inside of the body so the frame sits higher, which could be tricky, if one measures it.

My idea for the second would be to use a chisel blade, cut the stops at the "weight ledge", then add a styrene strip along each side to bring the floor to the right height.  That would require a new weight, probably a stick-on lead weight, but I have plenty of those.  If the existing couplers fit ones needs, that would probably be the easiest way.

Filing the bolsters and replacing the floor ends would probably be easier if one wants extended draft gear, as the new mounting area could be designed specifically for whatever draft gear is used.

In either case, it LOOKS, although I haven't measured it, like the end of the car was extended to reach the top of the new coupler.  If so, it would also have to be filed to clear the lowered floor/coupler, any way one lowers it.

All in all, FVM seems to have managed to make a good product. with one easily fixed problem, much harder to fix!

[cjm413]

CJM413:  That's how I did my first run cars as well.  Worked very nicely.

I don't think it will work on these.  Instead of lowering the car for the new body-mount couplers, FVM added a mounting pad.  So, besides filing the bolsters, one would also have to remove that pad, not easy to do neatly by hand.

It looks like the two easiest ways to lower these cars would be:

To file the bolsters, cut the ends off the floor, and build new coupler platforms, OR
To modify the stops on the inside of the body so the frame sits higher, which could be tricky, if one measures it.

My idea for the second would be to use a chisel blade, cut the stops at the "weight ledge", then add a styrene strip along each side to bring the floor to the right height.  That would require a new weight, probably a stick-on lead weight, but I have plenty of those.  If the existing couplers fit ones needs, that would probably be the easiest way.

Filing the bolsters and replacing the floor ends would probably be easier if one wants extended draft gear, as the new mounting area could be designed specifically for whatever draft gear is used.

In either case, it LOOKS, although I haven't measured it, like the end of the car was extended to reach the top of the new coupler.  If so, it would also have to be filed to clear the lowered floor/coupler, any way one lowers it.

All in all, FVM seems to have managed to make a good product. with one easily fixed problem, much harder to fix!

Given the sheer number of 50' cars that I have that still need to be lowered and/or converted to frame-mounted couplers, I've considered the possibility of mass producing my own resin underframes with bolsters that would accept both a pair of coupler boxes and a MTL subframe:

https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=104_122&product_id=534

[Mark5]

Given the sheer number of 50' cars that I have that still need to be lowered and/or converted to frame-mounted couplers, I've considered the possibility of mass producing my own resin underframes with bolsters that would accept both a pair of coupler boxes and a MTL subframe:

I would be part of a market for these. Once upon a time underframes were available from Kadee Micro-Trains:

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

I have a friend that was experimenting with casting pewter underframes.

Mark

[cjm413]

I would be part of a market for these. Once upon a time underframes were available from Kadee Micro-Trains:

(Attachment Link)

I have a friend that was experimenting with casting pewter underframes.

Mark

Even if those old MTL underframes were still available (strike 1), they meet my definition of the proverbial SYL underframe I'm looking to replace.

Additionally, those old MTL underframes were designed for trucks with offset kingpins, and as far as I know, there aren't any trucks with both low bolster arms and offset kingpins that could be used to lower them (strike 2)

The need to file down a metal bolster to reuse an existing truck with an offset kingpin is enough of a PITA to get me to Strike 3.

[Mark5]

Even if MTL still sold those underframes, I'd pass on them based on the amount of additional time and effort needed to lower them to the correct height.

Agreed, just a once upon a time comment. 

I'm not even sure if a one size fits all approach will work with all the different 50 footers that are out there now.

For now, my focus will be on using the existing underframe with some of those extended draft gear options mentioned above.

Mark

[Peter Amling]

I would also be interested in something like that, as I would like to upgrade some old roundhouse boxcars as well that have a solid metal underframe with a plastic underframe and weight (like most modern products).

[cjm413]

Agreed, just a once upon a time comment. 

I'm not even sure if a one size fits all approach will work with all the different 50 footers that are out there now.

For now, my focus will be on using the existing underframe with some of those extended draft gear options mentioned above.

Mark

Given the 50' cars I had in mind already have "generic" underframes that ride too high and/or need frame mounted couplers, the objective would be to make a cast resin underframe that would readily accept coupler boxes and the MTL subframe as a direct replacement.

[milw156]

One easy upgrade on any factory-painted GN/BN/etc stand-ins is to replace the stock FVM underframe with a ESM underframe.  GN had both PCF-built cars that would use the Hydra-Cushion underframe and Berwick-built cars that would use the Keystone underframe.

My GN car got an ESM Keystone underframe cuz that's all I had left and Sir Bryan is out of the Hydro-cushions. Hoping more of the Hydro's will be on the way soon, hint, hint, wink, wink
Rick