# A great birthday present....



## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

We spent the weekend down in Vancouver and my son gave me the birthday gift he'd been working on for three months. 

I took this picture of the custom painted cylindrical hopper as we attended a Riders game back in 1990. The people at PTEX were repainting about 400 cars and they did this one on their own initiative and set it out in front of the stadium. 

These cars were produced in N scale and HO based on my photos but of course nothing in 1/29th scale. 










The frame is an LGB covered hopper but the 'cylinder' is made of styrene. The decals are computer generated. 










I installed sprung trucks, steel wheels and Kadee 930's along with a very little weathering. 

Let's see, one every birthday for the next ten years.... 

Dave


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By dawinter on 06/02/2008 9:32 PM

We spent the weekend down in Vancouver and my son gave me the birthday gift he'd been working on for three months. I took this picture of the custom painted cylindrical hopper as we attended a Riders game back in 1990. The people at PTEX were repainting about 400 cars and they did this one on their own initiative and set it out in front of the stadium. These cars were produced in N scale and HO based on my photos but of course nothing in 1/29th scale. The frame is an LGB covered hopper but the 'cylinder' is made of styrene. The decals are computer generated. 























I installed sprung trucks, steel wheels and Kadee 930's along with a very little weathering. Let's see, one every birthday for the next ten years.... Dave


I'll bet_ that _was _some_ happy birthday. Quite a piece of work! Can't hardly tell the model from the original. My compliments to the model-builder !


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave Jr. did a nice job. 

It's already in service. Perhaps a little on the light side because the hobby grade styrene is much lighter than the plastic in the USAT or LGB product. It's a easy fix though. 

Dave


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## afinegan (Jan 2, 2008)

I finished a small elevated track at my 7.5 gauge track on my birthday lol (it is at the 3 foot kid head mark, while they wait for the 7.5 gauge ride on trains, they watch my layout), I invited my friends out for a party and had them help me finish it  Ill posts pics later in the week. 

My birthday is May 31st


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## NFLDRailway (Apr 10, 2008)

I've been wanting to make a clyndrical hopper ever since I got into G Scale . As great deal of the prototypes I want to model are of that type. Current version's on the market are not correctly modeled, they happen to be 4 Bay Centre Flow.ie: Canada WheatBoard, Alberta Wheat,Sask Wheat, & CN-Rail Enviro Marketing cars. USA and LGB have produced 3/4 Bay CentreFlow versions, nearly all of the pictures I've seen of the real/proto cars are clyrndrical . I've been gathering drawings, pics and other research info in my process to produce a model, as Aristocrafts plans to producre the clyndrical, are currently on hold. I did find mention of Grant Minor building a few, including finding pictures of them(Scoular, Canada & Alberta versions). I want to make a Sask Riders Clyndrical hopper the prototypical Canada , Alberta, Sask and Enviro versions. The Sask Riders and a Sask Minerals 2/4 Bay Centre Flow Hopper will be for my best friend, who happens to be born in Sask and happens to model HO. 
I did notice that the picture includes 4 outlets and your version has 3. Not that it matters, It's a great model, in my point of view. 

Sean Lewis 
NFLD Railway 
Ottawa, ON 
Canada


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

I did notice that the picture includes 4 outlets and your version has 3. Not that it matters, It's a great model, in my point of view. 


Right. 

My son took the photo I had (The Roughrider car) and spent some time hanging around the CN yards in Vancouver. He took photos of the CN-Rail Enviro Marketing cars and they had four small hatches. The LGB car had three so that's what stayed. He's not a model railroader anyway so everything was based on limited research. Still good anyway and visitors down here won't even notice. 

I'm thinking of doing two now myself using the same proven technique. I have, amongst other things, the *Feb 1994 Model Railroader* story and I've blown up the 1/64 scale drawings to 1/29. That's a big help. As a mid 70's modeller I'll do the Saskatchewan Grain Car Corporation car (CKNX625078) and the Government of Canada aluminum car (CNWX 108030) Once again, the hoppers won't be right but....


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## lathroum (Jan 2, 2008)

nice car... where is the Baltimore CFL Stallions/Colts/CFLers car to go with it??? 

Went to a few games before we got the Ravens and the team moved back north... 


Philip


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## Dougald (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave 

A very nice modeling effort. The current centre flow cars from USAT and Ariosto just do not capture the feel of the cylindrical hoppers especially the "Trudeau" Canadian Wheat Board hoppers made by Marine Industries. This car fills a gap in your roster and also carries that famous paint scheme - it will catch the eye of visitors. 

Regards ... Doug


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## Ted_Roy (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave, 

Beautiful car. Great adaption of an available production car into a custom one. 

Ted.


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks all. I'll pass on your nice comments. 

As I was saying, I've seen it done now and I'm willing to give it a try myself. Having just looked over both USAT and LGB cars in my small 'fleet' I can see that I'd much rather start with the USAT car (four hoppers, better detail and correct length) but the LGB car sides and top come off without cutting. Hmmmmm. 

Decisions, decisions. 

Dave 

Oh! Don't get me started on football, CFL, No Fun League or Rugby. This will get off topic real fast. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif


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## NFLDRailway (Apr 10, 2008)

I have been planning on scratchbuilding or kitbashing my own clyndrical hoppers. I was wondering If you have any further detail on how you(or your son) made the clyndrical body. I believe a few others have scratch built clyndrical hoppers including Grant minor , allthough I have yet to get any further detail on how they made their clyndrical Hoppers. 
Any info would be apreciated.


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

NFLD 


Iâ€™m well into cutting up a nice new car. See photo.... 










The LGB car was an easy start. The sides and top came off as separate parts and so a â€˜cylindricalâ€™ container could be set right on the frame. Trouble was that the car is only 40 feet long and if your going to do this it should be 59 feet coupler to coupler. The USA Trains car is almost exactly correct. With the proper four hoppers. The USAT car does NOT come apart easily. 

My decision was to remove the beautiful roof walks, hatches, air system etc and cut the existing tank off the frame. What a job that is turning out to be. Upper parts of the hoppers rise above the frame and are molded into the tank so if I want to maintain the frame (and bolsters etc â€" which I do) I have to cut up around where they join the sides. Course I have to remove all the existing tank ends as well so I can fit in the new ones I made following the scale plans. Still a lot of work to do. 

The 1/29th scale plans seen in the photo are scaled up from plans in Feb 94 MR. 

Funny story! I looked through a lot of hobby shops for sheet 030 or 020 styrene in sheets that would form the tank - using one piece. Evergreen had some large sheets for $10.00 a package but they were still too small. I finally came across a â€œPaint and Plasticâ€� sign painting shop in town that sold me a large, heavy enough piece of the same stuff for $15.00. Large enough? Itâ€™s 4 feet by 8 feet so I have it rolled up in the garage and it will last me a lifetime of projects. 

Anyway, still a lot of work to do. 

Dave


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Dave, 

Nice work on the hopper, please pass on Congratulations to your son on his work - it certainly looks good. You say the styrene sheet will be kept rolled up; if left like that it will assume that shape which may not be what you want. 

Could I suggest that you cut it in two: to say 2 sheets 4 x 4 or 2 sheets which is a bit more unweildy, and see if you can store it flat or stood on its edge, there is a slight concern with thin (.02 especially) sheet as it is somewhat floppy in large size sheets of that thin measurement. 

I store mine that way and they then stay flat. Its is much cheaper by the large sheet isn't it!


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

A very good point. I thought it would just spring back into shape. Guess I have some cutting up to do this evening. 

Thanks for the help.  

Dave


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## NFLDRailway (Apr 10, 2008)

Thanks for the input. I'm nowhere near ready to start my build. I am gathering as much info as I can. I got a hold of the Sept 97 Mainline Modseler -- Hawker Sidley 4550 Cubic Foot Hopper, and I also have several drawings from the CPSIG including an article on the Alberta Grain Cars. 
I look forward to see your finished product. I believe you also have done a GP38W(Canadian Comfort Cab) I would love to get your input there as well


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

I hope there was something there to help you get started. 

The GP38 looks ok.... 










....but it only passes a quick inspection. Seen here BC (Before couplers) nearing the station at Winter Valley. 

I had some goals that I found held me back quite a bit and the most serious ones were my wish to have the cab easily attached/removed from the long hood (So I could build it as a stand alone item) and have the cab roof 'pop' off to gain access to lights in the ceiling and nose. I wouldn't do that again. 

Once again I used 1/29th scale plans enlarged from HO drawings. 

If you do a quick look around on line I'm sure you'll see that someone (I forget who for the moment) did a much finer job than I did. A real fine piece of workmanship that got me started. 

Dave


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## Paul Norton (Jan 8, 2008)

It has been a while since my last virtual visit to the Winter Valley Regional Railway. As usual there was a lot to admire and the rail fan trip to Pearson was great. 

A fine railway with excellent motive power, rolling stock, structures, scenery and a good tale of a days work to entertain. Well worth the visit! 

Thanks Dave!


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Beautiful, Dave. Just outstanding...........


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## dana (Jan 7, 2008)

a shot taken 12 yeas ago might be some help 












may be this car has been trans formed into a suv or two by now /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Good effort mate, it turned out well in the end. Cheers Scott


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## Mike O (Jan 2, 2008)

That is very nicely done. 

Mike


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks all. 

Great shot of the 'side dump' hopper. Who'd a thought ;-) 

Now that projects 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are behind me I expect to get back to building the correct length cylindrical hopper. Want to be done before Christmas. 

Pictures will follow as work progresses. 

Dave


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## NFLDRailway (Apr 10, 2008)

With your pics andinput along with pictures from Lee's Trains 1 8th scale site, I think I know how I'll make my own clyndrical hopper. I'll update as I get the process started. 
Sean 
NFLD Railway 
G Scale Edition


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By NFLDRailway on 09/03/2008 7:34 PM
With your pics andinput along with pictures from Lee's Trains 1 8th scale site, I think I know how I'll make my own clyndrical hopper. I'll update as I get the process started. 
Sean 
NFLD Railway 
G Scale Edition




Yes. Please keep us up to date on this. It's not a real easy project and ideas have to come from everyone. 

Dave


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