First batch of Intermountain 3281 Covered Hoppers are on the water

[mu26aeh]

@GaryHinshaw thanks for making the stirrup file available.  Also, thanks for pointing the messed up ones out because I never really took notice to them.  Now they stick out like a sore thumb.  So I deleted the coupler pocket and have a plate of the stirrups getting ready to print now.

[GaryHinshaw]

Great.  I need to print out a bunch more myself for a big batch of 3281s and 5161s.   Post some photos when you get a chance. 

[ridinshotgun]

Man Gary you weren’t kidding those washers are horrible. I pulled both wheel sets off just one of the cars I got and the washer hoe isn’t even centered and the punch left burrs on both sides.

Can you tell us where you got the shim washers you used?  I can’t find anything with that thickness and hole size in my internet sleuthing.

[mu26aeh]

I printed off 3 plates worth of stirrups, knowing I'm going to break some.  I imagine most of my first batch will be junk because I printed them with the stirrups facing the build plate, so the supports are attached to the stirrups.  Very fragile and most will probably not survive.  So I rotated everything so that the supports are on the base of the stirrup.  Now to go thru and see how many I can salvage.

[GaryHinshaw]

I printed mine at 45 degrees off vertical with two supports on the snap-off tab and one on the extension post as shown:



I glue them to the bottom of the frame with PVC cement which dries flexible but still strong.  I have yet to have one break off, but they're easy to replace if I do.

For the replacement washer, I have been using some metal ones that came on a run of 5161 hoppers (front-right in the pic above).  Once those run out, I will print ones as needed (one of my favourite uses for my printer).  You could likely source similar washers from a place like Ali Baba.  The form factor is the same as an MTL washer (~2.6 mm ID, 4.5 mm OD, but 0.25 mm thickness instead of MTL's ~0.45 mm).  Hope this helps.

[vermonter_railfan]

So the second run of these apparently has released...

[mu26aeh]

Yep, got my notice from Hogtrainz over the weekend, 6 RGCX hoppers on the way to build my Maryland Midland interchange fleet heading back and forth to Lehigh Cement in Union Bridge

[basementcalling]

HawgTrainz is almost completely sold out of every roadname. The first run vanished into thin air very quickly, and it appears this run will similarly be put into operational service just as fast.

[GaryHinshaw]

^Midwest still has plenty in stock.  Alas I went to order some and the shipping to Canada was $56 USD plus possible tariffs, so I canceled the order.  I have plenty of these cars from the first run though - which was only released a few months ago - so I think I'lll be fine.