Weekend Update 11/4/18

[thomasjmdavis]

Cut up three Fox Valley Models Milw Rd 50 ft Rib Sides to make my own "kit" for one of their Box Merchandise cars 50475-50499. There were 25 of these cars and basically were 2 feet shorter than a standard rib side car and used in passenger service surviving into the 1960's.

Very nice work, Bill.  Does this mean that my FVM rib side express boxcar (No. 312) is a foob? Or did they have several "classes" of express boxcars?

[bbussey]

Mark, did you consider magnets for the roof attachment?  I have been considering attachment techniques, and am thinking that mechanical snaps might corrode over time enough to substantially increase the force needed for removal.  Magnets would tend to keep the same force.

Now there's a good idea!  If the snaps don't work I will try those as that should work for sure.  Thanks! 

I do like the planar alignment the cylindrical tube should give when engaged in the channel but it does require adequate force.  The magnets would be a bunch friendlier alignment wise and not require adequate "hoop strength" in the assembled walls.  We shall see soon I hope. I will let the forum know how it works out.

A caution about magnets.  If you use them, keep a small gap between, 1/16-1/8", the magnet and the ferrous attractant you use. This will provide an effortless removal. Otherwise if you let them touch, you will find the roof twisting with each release, and if you don't remove the roof in one fell swoop, some could become reattached as you work your way along the roof.

Yes I have been working with them a lot lately on some other new projects.

Agreed. I used them on the Cedar Street overpass over the mainline tracks so that it could be removed easily for access to the tracks, and I have an .015” spacer between the magnets in the overpass and the magnets in the abutments. Works great.

[BCR751]

Of the few ideas I came up with the one I am running with is to use copper tubing glued parallel to the roof edges which "snap" into brass channels glued to the inside top edges of the long walls forming a series of 20 latches. 

Mark,

If you're inclined to go with the tube and snap arrangement, may I suggest using fuse holders for the 'receiver'.  I'm talking about the type that has the two clips on each end that take the fuse.  These come in various sizes so you should be able to obtain some tubing that would provide a snug fit and hold the roof sections down.  I believe you could get them from RP Electronics in Vancouver.  I believe this arrangement would be more reliable and easier to install than what you're looking at doing now.  Just a thought.

Doug

[mark dance]

Mark,

If you're inclined to go with the tube and snap arrangement, may I suggest using fuse holders for the 'receiver'.  I'm talking about the type that has the two clips on each end that take the fuse.  These come in various sizes so you should be able to obtain some tubing that would provide a snug fit and hold the roof sections down.  I believe you could get them from RP Electronics in Vancouver.  I believe this arrangement would be more reliable and easier to install than what you're looking at doing now.  Just a thought.

Doug

another good idea (as a back up...the channels are installed now).  Thank you Doug!

md

[jereising]

My new scene is looking good.  Still have a ways to go, but getting photogenic, methinks.  Here's what you've been seeing previously:



And now the rest of the story, an overall view:


And a closer shot of that crossing:



There are still things to do with the scene, many more details and lighting, but now if I have to break for CHRISTmas decorating I can do so with a clear conscience

[peteski]

A caution about magnets.  If you use them, keep a small gap between, 1/16-1/8", the magnet and the ferrous attractant you use. This will provide an effortless removal. Otherwise if you let them touch, you will find the roof twisting with each release, and if you don't remove the roof in one fell swoop, some could become reattached as you work your way along the roof.

Yes I have been working with them a lot lately on some other new projects.

The thickness of the gap depends on the size (and strength)  of the magnets. I have used sheet styrene glued to the magnet for the separator.  Something between 0.010" and 0.040" (depending on the magnets) worked for me.

[Loren Perry]

Not a valid vimeo URL
"Out of the blue of the Western sky..."

Shameless name dropping here - as a Navy recruiter working in Jacksonville, Florida back in the late 1970's and early 1980's, I got to actually know Kirby Grant who played Sky King on TV. I met him while working on a recruiting publicity project in Orlando at a tourist attraction called Florida Festival where he served as a publicity ambassador. Later, I arranged for him to be the guest of honor at a Navy-sponsored model-building contest called The Navy Jax Scale Model Contest that was intended to generate interest in Navy careers among young people. He appeared in full Sky King regalia (white western-style suit and a white cowboy hat) and brought some videos of the show to introduce his character to the younger modelers at the show. Mr. Grant was a true gentleman through and through. He told me he eventually sold the Songbird (his Cessna 310 that appeared in the show) to a fellow rancher for the princely sum of one dollar.

The Navy Jax contest was eventually transferred from the Navy to the Jacksonville International Plastic Modelers Society (IPMS) sponsorship.

[nkalanaga]

Mark;  If you decide to change to magnets, you might consider "key stock" glued to the roof.  Small sizes should be available at good hardware stores.  It's nothing but square steel bar stock, and glued to the underside of the roof, would keep the roof straight as well as giving the magnets something to pull on. Cut it to fit between the roof trusses, just inside the brass at the top of the walls, and glue small magnets to the existing brass.  Painted to match, the magnets should blend in with the other upper wall details.

[wcfn100]

My newest project: Baldwin DS-4-4-1000. She will be SP Tiger stripe (I have yet to decide on her road number -- 1393 - 1402)

How hard would it be to add the front cab windows?  Could a new front wall be etched and soldered in?

Jason

[Maletrain]

A caution about magnets.  If you use them, keep a small gap between, 1/16-1/8", the magnet and the ferrous attractant you use. This will provide an effortless removal. Otherwise if you let them touch, you will find the roof twisting with each release, and if you don't remove the roof in one fell swoop, some could become reattached as you work your way along the roof.

Yes I have been working with them a lot lately on some other new projects.

Some sort of buffer between the magnetic attachments is a good idea for limiting the force of the attachment.  But, remember that magnets are dipoles (always a north and a south with a little separation), so the magnetic field does not obey a simple inverse square law.  The force due to a magnet's pole changes approximately as the inverse cube of the distance away from the center of the magnet (between the two poles). So, a little increase in spacer thickness can have a pretty big effect. And that is actually pretty convenient when trying to adjust force on a small scale model.

[SP-Wolf]

How hard would it be to add the front cab windows?  Could a new front wall be etched and soldered in?

Jason

Interesting - I don't think it would be to difficult - if one chose to cut them in. The hood does come off - so access is really good.

Wolf

[wcfn100]

Interesting - I don't think it would be to difficult - if one chose to cut them in. The hood does come off - so access is really good.

Wolf

Thx,  I have two of these in MILW paint that I may someday repaint to CGW but would want to add the windows.

Jason

[Bill H]

My new scene is looking good...

Jim:
Looking good indeed!

Kind regards,
Bill

[Santa Fe Guy]

Neat work as usual this weekend.
Rod.

[Dave V]