# CPR 53 Foot Depressed Centre Flat



## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Back in February I purchased another set of Buckeye trucks from Alan at Gal Line ([email protected]) The first set I used under the Well Hole car and this set for a Canadian Pacific 53 foot depressed centre car. The actual car I used as a template still exists at the Canadian Railway Museum in Delson, Quebec.
Here I have a few photographs of the completed car and these are followed by a couple I took during the build. This car will now join the line up for a custom built load. 
Note to Dave: the tree is NOT the load!!





























It looks as though the last user left a couple of nice new shackles on the deck tie downs.










After the main deck was completed I covered it with a sheet of 0.015 styrene. After the clamps were removed I didn't like the end result so I made a test piece to see what it would look like after painting. Then I liked the result. The top decking looks as though its been in service for quite some time.










I ran into a problem with the truck clearances on the step irons and decided to move them out. Low and behold I've since found photographs of the same changes. Obviously this was a problem on the prototypes as well.










Same truck detail as the Well Hole car.











These are the side and inner frame plates.









The first 0.030" layer of the top deck is glued in place to be followed by another 0.030" layer. 




























With the first top layer in place I drilled several holes though to provide gluing access for the second layer. Most of this upper laminate is removed later as seen below.










Gluing the second top layer in place.



















In these two photographs you can see where large sections are removed, this continued right across the deck.I painted the inner framing as much as I could before closing in the boxes with the two bottom laminates. 




















As can be seen I started filling in some of the pushed in areas with Bondo, but gave up after I did the paint test.

The credits for this build are much the same as the Well Hole car;
Trucks by Gal Line - [email protected]
Wheels by Sierra Valley.
Couplers by Kadee (#906 modified)
Decals by CedarLeaf Custom Railroad Decals.
Brake stands by Ozark Miniatures.
Paint by PolyScale paints.Train Line valves by USA Trains.


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## todd55whit (Jan 2, 2008)

Might fine looking car! Nice job.


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

Great job! I also had a styrene wrapper sink into holes I use for putting solvent into. Mine were bad enough to start over because bogging and rubbing back was taking an eternity. 

Well done, love the buckeye trucks!
Alan


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Here we have an update on the 53 foot depressed centre flat, it now has something to do.
Another pair of bridge sections, slightly longer than those on the 36 foot flat.
















































Many thanks to everyone who helped on this project.
Cheers.


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow. Unreal, or should I say very real. Curiously how tight a radius can something like that negotiate?


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Hello Robert,Good question on radius capabilities. I have a section of 7'6" radius track in my workshop and everything I build has to be able to negotiate that. This is the minimum radius of the track that I have outside. I use Kadee 906 couplers, but I think there are others you can obtain which will give a little more wheel clearance. When you get to build these cars and even those with the regular two axle trucks, it becomes very apparent how the narrower back to back dimension of 1.575" restricts the truck rotation. Just something we have to work around I guess. 
One bonus with the Buckeye trucks is that the centre axle floats and has springs over the axle stubs which fit into the bearings. I should also note that the truck frames flex about a pivot point at the side of the centre axle so any minor discrepancy in the track is compensated for. Up here in Alberta we of course don't have any minor discrepancies in the track, they are all major!! 
Cheers.


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

What a fantastic looking set of cars and loads! Great job Harvey! I really like the way the deck surface turned out...it looks very realistic. 

Keith


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## daveyb (Feb 28, 2009)

very very jealous!!!!!


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## apo234 (Aug 14, 2013)

That is just some awesome model work!


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Harvey. It was the centre axle that had me wondering. Amazing work.


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