# My Customized Combine



## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

It’s been a while since I posted a project here so it’s time I started again. My posting this project on MLS is partially in answer to those who think modeling is taking a back seat to all the other stuff.

A year or two back I purchased a 1:20 plastic coach from Accucraft. I thought it was quite exceptional and a much easier and cheaper way to go than buying and building a Hartford kit. However, at that time, Accucraft offered no combine. I really wanted a combine, but the only way to get one at the time was to purchase a combine kit (RGS Combine 259) from Rio Grande Models UK and use it to modify an Accucraft coach. So, that’s exactly what I did and, of course, I had to buy an Accucraft coach to tear apart. As it turned out, the laser cut parts from RGMUK were a perfect fit for the coach. I was in luck. I’m not going to go into the details of how the RGMUK parts replace the original Accucraft pieces. That has been done before and the manufacturer provides excellent plans on how to accomplish this.

After receiving the kit, I noticed that several other MLS members had done the same thing and their work turned out some pretty great looking combines. I wanted to do something different, of course, so I thought it over and decided to make the combine into a support car for my Private Car. In my mind I pictured the president/owner of the railroad wanting to have companions join him on his adventures, especially his hunting trips. His private car only had sleeping arrangements for himself and his cook/man. So he decided to purchase a combine from the D&RGW and have it modified to accommodate his guests. The D&RGW gladly sold him the car since it was originally bought from the RGS and they never did like the thing. The owner selected this version of a combine because it had a larger baggage compartment that would provide additional sleeping accommodations and storage for the necessary stock of items needed for extended trips.

Thus begins the story of the creation of my combine support car.

The Construction Begins:[/b]

Basically, the project will involve taking this,











and converting it to a version of this.










I began this project by completely disassembling the Accucraft coach down to its frame as per instructions developed by Roger and Kevin Strong. After removing the roof, sides, and ends, I removed the plastic floor to which the interior details are affixed and the metal floor. This was done because I wanted to install my own wooden floor. The RGMUK laser cut sides had grooves along the bottoms, similar to the Accucraft sides, to allow them to slide over the flooring to increase the rigidity of the car bottom. The metal plate plus my wooden flooring would have been too thick to fit the grove in the side. I threw away the metal plate. 

There were some issues with the earlier versions of the Accucraft coach especially the fact that they sat a little too high. I followed the directions of my friend Roger Cutter and lowered the car. This mostly involved modifying the trucks and outriggers.

The wooden flooring I chose was a prefab piece made up of individual pieces of basswood glued together. I cut the piece to size, stained it and then sealed it with a clear coat. Before I attached the new floor, I installed new brass fixtures between the frame members to serve as truck mounts. This was necessary because the original mounts came up through the frame and would not have allowed the new floor to be attached to the plastic frame. This is a photo from above prior to installing the floor.










Here’s a photo of the truck mount from below.










Below is a photo of the newly installed wood floor.










The next thing I tackled was the car ends. I first removed the doors. I then filed/cut off all the mounting tabs and other protrusions from the inside of the doors, leaving the exterior alone, and sanded the whole thing smooth. 












I then sheathed the sides with 1/16” basswood.










I did the same thing to the doors. The outside of the doors were left alone but, for the insides, I removed the plastic windows and then carefully cut off the molded-in window frame.











I next sheathed the inside of the doors with 1/64 plywood. Notice that I left a gap at the top of the window. Finally I added 1/32 basswood molding to the plywood layer.










Now you can see the reason for the gap. This will allow me to slide in a thin plastic window after all the staining and painting was completed.












Below is a photo of the completed car ends with doors. All that remains to be done is to hinge the doors.










After assembling the laser cut replacement sides as per instructions, I proceeded to panel the interior of the coach portion of the combine. I followed the design principles I used in my Private Car project although not so elaborate. The shot below shows an interior view of the original RGMUK siding and paneled and stained modification. 










Both passenger portions of the side panels are shown here.










In the baggage compartment area I decided to panel the interior walls with horizontal, scribed basswood. Instead of staining I painted it. Another detail to the baggage compartment was adding some moldings to the insides of the sliding baggage doors. This gave them a more finished look. This was the original size of the doors but later I decided to narrow them so they would be centered when closed. This was all the result of adding exterior handles.










I did not want to glue the doors in permanently so I glued pieces of brass channel to the walls at the correct height to provide a track for the doors to slide in. In the picture below, you can see the space I left at the top of each door when I applied the molding. It so happens that the thickness of the doors provided in the RGMUK kit were a perfect thickness for the brass track.










The next thing I added was a custom made partition. It started with a 1/16” basswood sheet and then laminated 1/32” basswood strips for the molding detail. Here’s a photo of both sides of the completed partition. Hinges remain to be added to the door. 










Here’s a photo taken during the early part of construction.











The coach windows were the last part of the car sides’ portion of the construction. I built the windows using a technique I’ve used before. To start, I cut thin clear styrene glazing to fit into each of the frames. Since the kit’s side panels already provided outside frames to hold the glazing in place, I only had to provide material for the inside frames for the window. To make the frames I took 1/32” basswood strips, stained them and then sprayed on a gloss clear coat. This was done before cutting each frame piece to size and gluing them to the styrene glazing.










In the next installment I’ll cover the modifications to the roof section. 

Doc


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi 

Nice work Doc, it is coming along well,you have been reading 'Mansions on Rails' again I see, there are some cars just like that.


You have made another post for me to copy and digest its good ideas; I am sure that some will be carried over to a AMS combine I have hiding from me in its box.


Yours Peter.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Doc, Beautiful work as usual! I like the way you did the end walls, similar to what I did, but I think they came out better than mine. Looking forward to further posts.


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## chuckger (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Doc, 

Nice work on the combine. The interior looks super, please keep posting your progress. 

Chuck


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Sweet! That is gonna be a beautifull combine!


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks everyone. It's great to get compliments from great modelers.

Doc


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Great work! Looks fantastic. You set the bar high


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## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Doc -

Apropos to nothing in particular, here's how I did my RGMUK combine. 









As you can see, I lowered the truck bolsters also and modified the windows to match my other coaches. Of course, the interior is nowhere near as finished or detailed as yours will be.

Good luck with your project. Can't wait to see it.


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Jack. I've seen your combine and admired your interpretation and, of course, your fantastic weathering. I'm incorporating some of your ideas into my version. I hope to bring it to York and look forward to seeing you there.

Doc


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## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

Doc-

It is a real pleasure to see your combine shaping up. Wonderfull skilled modeling. And very timely for me as I am in the middle of detailing and bashing an old Bachmann tool car by adding a wood interior and lots of details and some weathering. This is not even close to your level of work, but seeing your wood applications in the different areas of your car has helped me as I stumble through the process of modifying my tool car. So thanks for the post and I am heading to my shop to play with making some windows similiar to yours for the car, next to figure out how to make a door and put it into the end of the car...

Regards

Jerry
Annapols MD


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

Really nice. You have some great modeling skills.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Some very, very fine modelling, Doc... It's a real pleasure to see these great models..





































Jack... Ditto for your stuff as well..


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks again all.

The Roof:[/b]

Before I complete the interior details and paint the exterior, I moved to the roof. There were several tedious steps to this job. First was removing the existing lighting and then cutting off and filing down of all the mounting tabs, lighting fixture mounts, and chimney stack details. The next image illustrates the results. The work in this step can be applied to almost any project involving the modification of an Accucraft coach or combine if you would like a removable roof. You may note that the only tabs remaining are those used to align the sides of the car. I also had to notch the raised rib portion of the ceiling to accommodate the partition and new bathroom. 









In the picture below, I have begun to add styrene V-grooved sheets to the roof to simulate planked ceilings. These were glued to the roof using Welder.











In the close up below, you can see where I left a narrow gap between the styrene sheets down the center. This will allow me to run my wiring for the lighting fixtures. You can also see the gap for the partition.










Here’s the finished ceiling. All the styrene pieces have been installed and painted. The lighting fixtures are the same as those used in my Private Car. Styrene channel strips have been installed to cover the gaps down the center. The light fixture wires were fed through the channel and the lamps were glued to the roof.










Here is a close up of a lamp showing the brass eyelets which serve as the vents and the channel that contains the wiring.










The clerestory modifications were the most tedious. The RGMUK kit comes with beautifully cut clerestory window strips that fit perfectly into the window space of the Accucraft car. However, they are quite different than the ones on the car roof. I believe that most modelers that have done this conversion have simply glued the RGMUK strips over the existing clerestory windows without any modifications to them. I, however, being the detailing person that I am, proceeded to cut out the plastic to produce openings that matched the spacing on the replacement strips. This is a close up of my efforts.











What a job, but I think it was worth it. Below is a composite shot of all three stages of the modifications. The bottom one shows the final result.











Of course, the kit also comes with strips for the interior of the clerestory.

For the glazing of the clerestory windows, I cut strips of 0.020” clear styrene and glued them to the clerestory posts.










After that, I glued the new laser-cut clerestory strips to the clear styrene.


After finishing the interior and adding the new clerestory strips, I tackled the top of the roof. The first thing I did was to remove the plastic smoke stacks since I was going to replace them with Hartford metal stacks.

On my Private Car I covered the roof with aluminum tape to give it a metal-like finish with overlapping seams. I had to do it that way because the roof was made up of several pieces of plywood. That process produced great results but it was difficult to keep the thin foil from kinking and marking.

After seeing a car roof done by Peter Bunce, I decided to do it his way. This process involves gluing thin strips of styrene directly onto the roof. Since the Accucraft roof is plastic and very smooth I felt this would provide results very much like the aluminum tape version. The photo below shows the results.










Bottom line is this technique produces very excellent results but it’s still time consuming. The next picture shows the roof after several coats of Krylon semi-flat black spray paint. The roof on the left is the new one with the strips and the one on the right is the roof from my Private car. The only thing left to be done on the roof is the installation of the stove vents.










The painting of the model exterior has now been completed. The color chosen was Princess Mineral Brown. There was no real reason for the color choice, it was just something different and I happened to like it. The color was achieved by mixing Floquil colors in a ratio of 2 parts Boxcar Red to 1 part Roof Brown. Here is a photo of the car so far. The only thing left on the exterior is the mount the trucks and apply decals. 












In the next phase I'll describe the interior detailing.

Doc


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## bruja (Jan 7, 2008)

Hi Doc, I have admired your work and used the aluminum tape technique on my Hartford combine model with success. I modified the kit to replicate Uintah combine #25, one change being the clerestory windows. In studying plans, I was puzzled by the two clerestory strips, with glass on the inside but no covering on outside strip except for several screens. That leaves an opening between external strip and inside strip allowing rain, dust, debris, etc. to enter. Other car plans i looked at had only one strip. Do you know how prototypes handled that gap of probably 6 inches? Or am I missing something. The model is finished but curiosity remains. Thanks for any comments.


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

bruja,

Although I love to build models I am, by no means, a prototype expert. There are many of those around here like Kevin Strong, Peter Bunce and Peter Thorton. If they're looking at this post they might want to chime in. I've often wondered about the same thing but tend to simplify things in order to keep me from taking any longer to build a model than I actually do.

During my research. I came across this drawing from an issue of NG&SLG. It shows some of the detail you are talking about. Notice that there is quite a bit of overhang.










The only thing I can figure is that if rain di blow in, would have to exit either by weep holes or the seam along the bottom of the exterior strip. 

I hope this is of some help.

Doc


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Doc et al,

Maybe you'll find this of interest.









Delaware Public Archives - Jackson & Sharp Collection - Search Value Railroad[/b]


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Posted By docwatsonva on 11 Feb 2013 06:18 AM 
bruja,

Although I love to build models I am, by no means, a prototype expert. There are many of those around here like Kevin Strong, Peter Bunce and Peter Thorton. If they're looking at this post they might want to chime in. I've often wondered about the same thing but tend to simplify things in order to keep me from taking any longer to build a model than I actually do.

During my research. I came across this drawing from an issue of NG&SLG. It shows some of the detail you are talking about. Notice that there is quite a bit of overhang.










The only thing I can figure is that if rain did blow in, would have to exit either by weep holes or the seam along the bottom of the exterior strip. 

I hope this is of some help.

Doc

Hi Doc, 

Interesting point! Looking through 'White' part 1 on coaches on pages 91 & 96 there are a drawing and a photo of a couple of coaches; the photo first shows a series of domed heads along the lower edge of the clerestory outer sheet, they are not all the same some have one other have two per screened opening over the clerestory lights. The drawing (not of the same coach) shows these to be connected to a tapered shape with the inner edge being wider: these could be bolts, or a mini pipe to route out any water that had made its way to the void between screen and glass.

I do not know - I am merely reading the plan and photo, and give the above as a suggestion.

Your latest addition to your building log is very good Don,are you going to add some venetian blinds inside the windows - using Evergreen sheet and styrene strips?

Incidentally the roof design that I have used is the style of the D&RGRR coaches and is I think copper sheets, soldered together capped with the strips and then painted, later having the addition of a plentiful layer of (possibly Crested Butte) coal dust.

Yours Peter.


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Posted By SteveC on 15 Feb 2013 12:10 AM 
Doc et al,

Maybe you'll find this of interest.









Delaware Public Archives - Jackson & Sharp Collection - Search Value Railroad[/b]


Steve - that mass (135 pages, each with 20 photos per page) of photos is superb - I think they have been adding to it - I did look earlier and am sure that there were not that many pages! Thanks for the reminder about it.

Yours Peter


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow Steve, that's a wealth of information that anyone building a custom coach will find valuable. Thanks.

Peter, Thanks for adding a little more information to the drainage mystery. Also thanks for reminding me of the shutter option. Can you provide me with the reference to what you did to simulate them. I vaguely remember your project but can't pin it down. I'm still not sure what window treatment I'll be using.

Doc


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Don



*Making internal window shutters for wooden coaches*


A seemingly innocuous query, but it didn't half get my brain dredging through its memory banks! 




Still; that’s all to the good, as I will wan the info in due course, and I have done it once and that is a very good aid to sorting things out: so thanks for the query.





Using the width of the window cut a piece of .020 styrene to that width, and the length you want – add them together so you can make a number at different heights. Find the center and mark out on both sides a 2mm wide strip, if you are having full length shutters do the same for a pair of horizontal lines as well. Intermediate shutters may not have the horizontal strip as its hidden by the (supposedly) raised blind. Gently score each side so you can paint the strips mahogany color on one side – this is the inside. The rectangles that are still unpainted are painted a cream color to represent the inside of the blinds and have pencil lines 2mm apart to indicate the slats – they are inside so it will be difficult to see them when done. Varnish the inside so it is fixed, and for protection.





Now for the outside – you should have the center vertical & horizontally (if required) lines indicating the rectangles are for the blinds – from the Evergreen sheet cut to fit ;them, and make sure the unit fits in close against the window still. Into the 2mm wide marking that have been left add a strip of .020 styrene, so the gap between the Evergreen clapboard sheet is reduced to half. It can now be painted as the inside and let dry; to indicate the slope of the closed blind slats in the deeper part of the clapboard add a thin, and non-regular line of approximately half the width of the clapboards slope of thin warm brown to make a shadow thus showing the slope of the slats. Let it dry again, and varnish for protection, and cut them into the sizes you want, and paint the lower edge mahogany color so it matches the framework.





That’s it! Fit them into the inside of your coach windows with clear glue which should be on the inside of the window frame and that is also the width of the shutter frame, and be sure you have them the right way!


Here are a couple of photos taken in poor light (it was late in the afternoon) but I have fiddled with the light to increase it, they show what is wanted. The part facing outwards is Evergreen clapboard siding either ref 4081 – 6” deep or 14081 which is 12” deep – it has .080 or 2mm spacings for the clapboards – that us the shutter. 












The outside - note the thin brown paint for the shadow - I am not certain but these may not have the .020 strip between the clapboard pieces - it will look better with one added. Hindsight at work again!















The inside with much less detail.


Yours Peter.












Hi Don,

You didn’t half ge


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Peter. That's exactly what I was looking for. I'll give it a try when I get to that part.

Doc


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## bruja (Jan 7, 2008)

Doc, Thanks. That is exactly what I was looking for.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Y'know, it's funny, but I remember thinking to myself as I gazed upon my RGMUK #259 combine, "I wonder what Doc could do with one of these kits?" I made mine to match as closely as possible the AMS coaches and it came out just as I wanted it but I had seen your build thread for your private car and I wondered what this RGMUK kit could _really_ be built up to in the hands of a master! Well, I'm now getting the chance to see!









As you can see, I went with the Pullman Green. The interior is typical AMS. Mine looks like a regular OTB while yours are museum pieces!


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Steve,

Thank you very much. It was actually your's, Wynn's, and Peter T's projects that stimulated my interest in doing one of these cars. I learned a lot from all of you and, in the long run, all of your ideas made my initial work on this car so much easier. I didn't have to reinvent the wheel.

Bruja, I'm glad to help. That's what forums like this one are for, in my opinion.

Doc


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry I misspelled your name Winn.

Doc


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Interior Details:[/b]

Now that most of the exterior is completed it’s time to move inside. To start, I gutted the entire interior to create an empty pallet. Here are a few of my initial decisions:

1. Eliminate the bathroom in the baggage section to make room for new fixtures like an ice box;

2. Throw away the existing bathroom in the passenger side and scratch build a new one;

3. Modify the stove in the passenger section to improve its looks;

4. Build an entirely new stove for the baggage section to allow for a hot plate;

5. Minimize the number of passenger seats, spread them out, cover and paint them, and add tables;

6. Add 4 berths to accommodate guests; and

7. Detail the interiors of the baggage doors.

Bathroom:

My first interior project was to scratch build a new bathroom. It was constructed with a base of 1/16” basswood laminated with 1/32” basswood molding. The background was stained oak and the molding red oak. The water tanks were made from small basswood blocks with fabricated brass spigots. The photo below shows the exterior of the new bathroom with the original (ugly) one on the right.










Here is a picture of the interior, less toilet, with copper sink, brass tubing drain and supports, water tank and lamp.










Stoves:

Next, I wanted to enhance one of the stoves that come with the coach. I looked around and found some photos of stoves used during this era and combined some of the ideas since none of the photos were that clear. Below is a picture of the original (on the right) and the modified one. To achieve the effect I wanted, I sanded the original, heavily, to remove the casting seams, added a basswood disc to the bottom, then wrapped it with thin styrene strips to mimic banding and added various pieces thin styrene to create a door and an ash cleanout. Lastly, I added some brass handles.











This picture shows the completed stove. I first sprayed with semi-gloss black and highlighted with pewter Rub & Buff. This stove is intended for the passenger section. 









As I mentioned earlier, I wanted a different style of stove for the baggage section. This stove had to have a top surface large enough to allow pots or pans to be placed on it. The diameter of the existing stove was too small for this so the only solution was to build one from scratch. I started with a piece of plastic tubing and added some styrene discs to the top and bottom. I then fabricated, out of styrene, a top door, an intermediate vent, and a bottom ash cleanout door. The stack is brass tubing. The handles were made from pins with rounded heads.










This is the completed stove. It was first painted with semi-gloss black and then highlighted with a very light coating of pewter Rub & Buff.










That’s it for now. I be back soon with more interior details. 

Doc


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Y'know, it's funny, but I remember thinking to myself as I gazed upon my RGMUK #259 combine, "I wonder what Doc could do with one of these kits?" I made mine to match as closely as possible the AMS coaches and it came out just as I wanted it but I had seen your build thread for your private car and I wondered what this RGMUK kit could really be built up to 
I just wanted to remind you guys that a lot of my projects were "kits" that Alan at G.A.L. cut for me. We developed the drawings of the side of the AMS J&S coach, so he knows exactly how big to make the side to fit the coach. He has also done several ends for these coaches with larger windows. He is currently running complete body kits for the ET&WNC coaches for our pal Bruce. (Thread over on LSC.) He has developed some very nice seats for them. Here's one that he did for another client: 












In other words, if there's a special coach you want, he can probably help make it. 

_P.S. Thanks for the nice words Doc, but I get my coaches made. Your level of detail leaves me in awe._


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

3. Modify the stove in the passenger section to improve its looks; 
4. Build an entirely new stove for the baggage section to allow for a hot plate 
I should remind you that the E.B.T. managed to have one stove built in to the wall between the two compartments. Narrow gauge lines couldn't afford two!


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

But Pete, remember that this car is owned by the president/owner of the line and he had it modified at great expense to help make his guests comfortable on hunting trips and excursions.

Doc


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By docwatsonva on 19 Feb 2013 02:08 PM 
But Pete, remember that this car is owned by the president/owner of the line and he had it modified at great expense to help make his guests comfortable on hunting trips and excursions.

Doc


Ah yes - I was thinking it was a mere RGS Combine. Nice job, as usual, on the interior.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Doc, that is an awsome job on the stoves. Wish I had thought of that.


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

I absolutely love the stoves. What's the trick to cutting small pieces of styrene like what you made the hinges from. Is it just a case of a nice sharp hobby knife? 

Robert


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Pete and Winn.

Winn, When I recently looked back at your president's car build I realized that I actually adopted a number of your tips on the preparation of the plastic sides, roof, and ends. How bout that.

Robert,

I'm sorry to say my little styrene bits and pieces are just the result of a steady hand and sharp scalpels. To make the long tapered hinges I first cut the pieces to length and then cut diagonal tapers on each side of the pieces. I used a pointed scribe to create the indents that represent the screw holes.

I believe that is essential to have a really good supply of styrene strips and sheets to be able to create this little stuff. I probably have 30 bags of strips that I've collected over the years.

Doc


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

To make the long tapered hinges I first cut the pieces to length and then cut diagonal tapers on each side of the pieces. 
Wish my hand was as steady as that. 

I found that my Epson ink-jet printer, with a straight-through paper path, will print on styrene. It rubs off, but I can draw a complicated part (like a tapered hinge with bolt holes) and print it to guide my knife.


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Now for a little more interior detail.

The Bunks:

For my private car I made one overhead bunk that was installed in the kitchen area to accommodate the cook. I decided that, if the owner was to bring along guests for extended trips of several days, the least he could do was provide comfortable sleeping accommodations for his guests.

My private car bunk was quite elaborately paneled and stained. For this car I figured they didn’t have to be so fancy. However, since the passenger section of the combine was already paneled I had to do a little paneling so they would fit in with the decor. Below, is a photo of a finished bunk for the passenger section. I made 2 of them. They were built using basswood sheet and strip materials and stained with oak and red oak stains. The pull-down handles were made up of pieces of styrene that represent the plates and brass wires for the handles.











For the baggage section, I decided to make them a little plainer and finish them with the same planking and coloring as the walls of the baggage compartment. I made 2 of these also. I guess the guests will have to toss a coin to see who gets the better accommodations.











Here’s a picture of all 4 overhead bunks. 












I guess that's it for now. My next installment will describe how I modified the chairs and added some tables to the coach section.

Doc


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Don 

Exemplary work... as usual. I hope you bring it along to the ECLSTS in York PA next month. I can provide a "drool shield" if you need it. 

You are modeling... I spent yesterday with a tree cutting gang taking down dead trees behind my out buildings and trimming limbs around the layout. I think you are having more fun.


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Doc. I was "afraid" that was the answer. You're doing some fantastic work. Thanks for taking the time to post the images. There are an inspiration.


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Robert,

Thanks and if you have any more questions, ask away. Always glad to help.

Jim,

Thank you too. I will be bringing it to the ECLSTS. I don't envy your yard work but, in a few weeks, I guess I'll be out there too.

Doc


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## SRW (Jan 13, 2010)

I have visited my neighbor 'Doc' Watson's home several times this year and reviewed his progress on the aforementioned combine car he has been working on for many months. I wish other large scale modelers could see his efforts to date, first hand, as I have. This current model rivals his previous efforts and then some. Congratulations, Doc. I think this may be your best model to date. I can't wait to see what you will come up with next year. 

Scott


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

Thanks for posting. You do some fantasic modeling work!


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Scott.

It's good to have a fellow largescaler nearby to talk trains with and kick ideas around. I'm not sure I'll be doing another car for a while. I've got some buildings that need to be built.

Also a thank you to Bob. Compliments and interest are always much appreciated.

Doc


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

The Passenger Chairs:

The following is a short description of how I modified my chairs for the project. I’ll begin with a very short tutorial on how you can customize AMS coach chairs. Excuse the number of pictures but there might be a few modelers that have never done this before and may want to do something similar someday.

To begin, what I have done only applies to AMS 1:20.3 plastic passenger cars with the removable plastic seats that are molded to the floor. However the technique could be applied to other similar coaches. It is also important to note that the individual seats must be cut from the floor. This process would almost be impossible to do if the seats were left attached to the floor. I cut each seat from the floor using a razor saw with fine teeth.

After removal I taped the seat and seat back portions and sprayed the arms with Krylon semi-gloss black. For the fabric I used a light weight faux suede cloth. I used a sharp/new razor knife to cut the material to minimize fraying. I decided to use three pieces to cover the chair; 2 - 5/8x3/8” pieces to cover the edges of the seatback; and 1 – 1 15/32” x 3 ½” piece to cover the rest of the seat. These dimensions are for these particular seats. The large piece was made long enough to wrap the entire seat and back. Here’s a photo of the chair and material.










Now I will describe how I “upholstered” the chair. (If this part bores you, skip to the bottom.) I think the most difficult part of this job was finding the best glue. The glue had to be capable of holding the fabric to the chair without the use of clamps. After numerous failures, I came up with one of my old favorites, Welder[/b]. I have come to use Welder extensively in my projects.

The picture below shows the glue applied to the back of the chair and what you can’t see is that it has also been applied to the front side. The secret I learned was that Welder is a type of contact cement and therefore, if you let it to set up for about 5 minutes, it becomes tacky enough to hold the fabric in place without clamping.











The next picture shows both small end pieces attached to the seat back.










Ok, now it gets real boring. It turns out that if you want a neat end-product, you have to attach the large piece of material a section at a time. I started by gluing one end the underside lip of the seat.










I next applied glue to the seat bottom and then folded over the fabric to the inside corner of the seat.










I then applied glue to the seat back and pressed on the fabric to the top.











This is what it looked like so far from the back. In the next-to-the-last step I applied glue to the back and, after the short 5 min. drying period, folded over the fabric a pressed it to the back.











The final step was to apply glue to the underside and fold over the last, small section.










Here’s a shot of a completed chair next to an original one. 









I hope this was worth the effort. I’ve seen several versions of chair upholstering but I hope this offers a clear explanation of how it can be done with a minimum of effort. Luckily I only had to do six for this car.

Until next time,

Doc


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## chuckger (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Doc, 

Thanks for posting, neat way of doing the seats. Are you bringing the car to the ECLSTS?


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks, those chairs can been do many ways this is just one of the possibilities. 

Yes, I will be bringing the car to the ECLSTS.

Doc


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

It's a real pleasure watching the progress on the car, Doc.... Wonderful job....


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## bille1906 (May 2, 2009)

Beautiful work 
Thanks for sharing


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## SRW (Jan 13, 2010)

Doc, 
I've got a chair in the living room that I'm thinking of reupholstering. If you got some free time... 

I'll spring for the beer and materials. 

s


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Stan and Bill.

Scott,

My wife and I have done some real upholstering in the past. She's the expert, I'm just the heavy lifter and staple gun loader. I'm not necessarily volunteering but I'm tied up until after the ECLSTS for obvious reasons. Two things we did learn were to take pictures (maybe even videos) during the removal of old coverings and keep the original pieces to use as patterns.

Doc


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

This next post is a short one describing the detailing of the inside of the baggage doors.

Baggage Doors:

In a photo of a previous post, I described how the baggage doors where installed. Something changed since then. When I added handles to the exterior of the doors I found that I couldn’t open the doors all the way. Also, when open, I felt the doors had too much sticking out; i.e. the doors were too wide all of a sudden. So I trimmed both sides by about ¼”. This meant I had to add new molding to the ends. Here’s the modified, narrower door with new moldings.










Since I try to add as much realism as possible, I didn’t like the idea of just adding plastic glazing the door windows so, I cut pieces of 0.015” styrene to simulate a frame and mullions on the inside. The clear styrene was also 0.015” thick. The sum of the two pretty much equaled the depth of the window inset.










After looking at many archived photos of the interiors of combines, I decided to add door knobs with locks and handles. The locks were made from styrene bits with brass dollhouse knobs. They were painted with Floquil graphite and antiqued with Floquil brass paint.










Here is a picture of a temporarily installed completed door. Later I’ll explain the wooden boards on the left. 











Until next installment, enjoy.

Doc


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

More Interior Details:

A few more items for the interior detailing have been completed but first a little background. As was mentioned before, this combine was customized by the owner to attach to his private car for the purpose of accommodating guests on trips, mostly hunting trips. Therefore, the car had to be outfitted with all the necessary equipment to make it function for this purpose. Of course, every hunting trip needs guns. The owner has graciously provided the best weapons available for hunting deer, antelope, or buffalo. Below is a photo of the gun rack that holds 2 rifles and 2 shotguns. The rack was made from basswood, stained and clear coated. The guns are metal and were found in the dollhouse section of a local craft store. They were originally scaled to 1” to the foot but, with a little cutting here and there, I think I got them down to about the right scale.










If the group got lucky and managed to bag an animal or two, there would be a need to have an ice box handy to store the meat once butchered. The next picture shows the ice box. It was also made from basswood and stained oak like most of the other fixtures. A box was built first then the doors were made separately and then glued to the carcass. Most of the hardware was fabricated from styrene. The only metal parts were the handles, they were brass.











All hardware was first painted with Floquil graphite and then Floquil brass was lightly dry-brushed over the hardware to give it an antiqued look. Here is a close up of the hardware.











There are 2 other fixtures just completed. The first is a water tank with spigot for the baggage compartment. The tank was made out of a piece of 1” dowel. The spigot was fabricated from a couple of pipe fittings from Trackside Details. The other new fixture is a sink cabinet with a copper bowl. Here they are shown in a mockup prior to installation. 











I decided to add couple of tables to the passenger compartment. Obviously there had to be a place for passengers to eat or drink, mostly drink. I wanted the tables removable so I could add figures. The first thing I did was to make small channels and mount them to the wall below the window.












I glued a small strip to the back end of each table to lock into the channel. The tables were also made from basswood, stained and clear coated.











Here’s a photo of one of the tables installed.











While I’m at it, here’s a picture of the mostly completed passenger section. The seats and tables have been installed. About the only things left to install are the window shades and overhead beds. 











That’s all for now folks.

Doc


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Absolutely superb attention to detail, a great thread to follow and I'm looking forward to seeing more.
I hope the cowboys dusted off their pants before sitting in those new chairs.
Wonderful modelling achievement.
Thanks for posting.
Cheers.


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Harvey, I guess I need to inform the guests of the need to "brush off". I might even have to add mats at the entrances.

While I'm at it, here's the latest little project - a butcher block table for the cook to dress out the kill.











Doc


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## SRW (Jan 13, 2010)

Hey Doc, 

Thanks for having me over Monday for a visit. The engineer figure I got from you fits great in my little 8 ton Climax model i'm finishing up. With subtle changes he looks like he was designed to sit in my loco. I appreciate the coupler advice on my Big John customizing too. It was a good visit to your shop on a rainy day. Looking forward to better spring weather when we can run some trains around your backyard and sip a malt beverage. 

As to your Combine car all I can say is....WOW!! I saw it about a month ago and it's like night and day. You've obviously been on a mission working on it. Did I say WOW yet? I think folks will be impressed with your efforts this weekend at ECLSTS. 

Have a safe trip. 

S


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks again Scott. Always glad to help where I can on other people's projects. I'm also waiting for Spring to finally break so we can run trains again.

Had fun at ECLSTS and met up with many of my train buddies. The Brag & Drag hosted by the LSC guys was a particular high point of the trip. Many fine models were displayed and even won at the contest. I think they appreciated the work I did on my combine kitbash.

Doc


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Well fellow modelers my custom combine is finished. I may add some decals later when I decide what to put on my car.

Here are a few pictures that show the finished project, enjoy. 

















































































































Thank you for your interest. Now it’s on to other projects.

Doc


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Doc. 

Beautiful. and very good - I love the Elk head(?) by the combine door.

Are you putting any decals on the letterboard?

Yours Peter.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Doc, 
Another masterpiece! Maybe next the Boss needs a special 'covered wagon' to carry his customized Model A Ford and his wooden speedboat?


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks guys.

Peter B., I have a set of D&RGW decals that I'm thinking of putting on the letterboards.

Pete T., That's a great idea. I've been wondering if there needs to be another car for this consist. Maybe a flat car with a tarp-covered vehicle for roaming the plains in search of big game. Any ideas?

Doc


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Or possibly a custom cattle car to carry the Boss's prized pack horses. Or a dorm car to house the "help"


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Absolutely FABULOUS Doc!!!


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Dwight 

Hard to believe that this car did not even place [AT ALL] in the model contest at ECLSTS. Guess they figured out it wasn't 1:29 scale!


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks a lot Dwight and Jake.

Jim, I have a theory about that. You know me, I'm not one to bitch and moan but it is my honest opinion that the entry numbers were placed next to the wrong models. Doesn't it seem to be too much of a coincidence that the winning model was right in front of mine. The judging was based on the entry numbers so the judges were not paying attention to the name or type of the model just its number. I even had one judge tell me that he gave me a 10+++. I don't know how many judges there were, probably only a few, but that vote alone should have given me at least a place in the rolling stock awards.

It's probably all my fault anyway, I was so upset I just turned in my entry receipt and packed up. If my mind was in a better state I probably would have checked the numbers next to the models against the number on my receipt. That could have proven the point.

Personal Opinion: I could have slapped togrther the model that won Best of Show in my sleep.

Needless to say, that was my last contest entry at the ECLSTS.

Doc


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

I've been wondering if there needs to be another car for this consist. Maybe a flat car with a tarp-covered vehicle for roaming the plains in search of big game. Any ideas? 
Doc, 
I got the idea from visiting the Ford & Edison Winter Estates, here in SW Florida. No trains, but they did a lot of touring and had some custom Model A trucks (more like RV or station wagons) with them. (Guess where they got them.) 
Here's some stuff http://www.dnr.state.md.us/feature_...sPart1.asp [ www dot dnr.state.md.us/feature_stories/FamousTravelersPart1.asp ]









*Early RV*


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## tmejia (Jan 2, 2008)

Doc,
I been following this build from the beginning and believe you me, I'm still in awe at the level of detail, creativity and skill that went into your combine.
I stare at your pictures and look at them again and again. I'm just blown away.
Thanks to your comments, pictures and shingles







my Ice House came out better than I ever expected.
I look forward to your next project.

Tommy








Rio Gracie


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## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By docwatsonva on 26 Mar 2013 04:06 PM 
Thanks a lot Dwight and Jake.

Jim, I have a theory about that. You know me, I'm not one to bitch and moan but it is my honest opinion that the entry numbers were placed next to the wrong models. Doesn't it seem to be too much of a coincidence that the winning model was right in front of mine. The judging was based on the entry numbers so the judges were not paying attention to the name or type of the model just its number. I even had one judge tell me that he gave me a 10+++. I don't know how many judges there were, probably only a few, but that vote alone should have given me at least a place in the rolling stock awards.

It's probably all my fault anyway, I was so upset I just turned in my entry receipt and packed up. If my mind was in a better state I probably would have checked the numbers next to the models against the number on my receipt. That could have proven the point.

Personal Opinion: I could have slapped togrther the model that won Best of Show in my sleep.

Needless to say, that was my last contest entry at the ECLSTS.

Doc
To me, this is a real travesty.

This is my picture of the "Best of Show" award winner:









Compare it to the above pictures of the combine. The entry number for this says "Work Caboose" - Doc's entry says "Combine". If you can't tell the difference you really shouldn't be a judge. And Doc's entry wasn't good enough to even get to 3rd place?

Seriously? EVERY model entered was MUCH better than this so-called "Best of Show" winner.

And the VERY strange thing is the exact same thing happened with his previous entry - not even a third place. Yet, later it won Best of Show at the NATIONAL Narrow Gauge Convention and ended up as a feature story in the Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette.

I'm with you Doc. No more contest entries at ECLSTS for me.

BTW, that is one heck of a model. The amazing thing is that it looks even better in person.


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## SRW (Jan 13, 2010)

Are you sh-ttin' me Bruce? That's a photo of the best in show winner? For real? 'Travesty' is the word that comes to mind. 

Doc, seriously, we talked of this last week. You knew what you were getting into before you went. Sadly, if this photo is accurate then there's really no point in any serious modeler wasting their efforts and time on transporting models to ECLSTS in the future. 

Scott


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## Old Iron (Jan 2, 2008)

Doc, 
Don’t feel bad, model contests are always BS and never without controversy. I doubt that you could have purchased anything useful to you with the prize/credit certificate. Geoff


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the info Pete. I'll be looking into it. I'm a little more enthusiastic.


Thanks Tommy. I was glad to be of some help on your ice house project.



Bruce and Scott, Thanks for the moral support. You win some and lose some and lose some more. 



Goeff, You're right about the $ prize but it's the recognition we all seek.


Doc


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Doc, Your detail work simply blows me away!!! If you didn't tell that it is a model it could pass for the 1/1 car. Too bad about the contest. Weird stuff happens at some of the shows. In Denver the GRR convention before the last (10 years ago?) my funky little Ruby-converted-to Forney won first place over Hottman's gorgeous 3 truck Shay!! I thought that was pretty stupid. I think a lot of time the judges don't know what they are looking at. Anyway, your car gets Best of Show in all the contests I have seen!!


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## chuckger (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Doc, 

I agree with the last seven posters. Your car should have won best of show but crap happens. I hope some of the judges or the people who ran the contest read this thread and maybe comment on it 

Chuck


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Bummer about the contest, but such is the nature of popular vote. I entered one (with my scratchbuilt EBT combine) where I found out later from comments that people thought it so well done that they figured it had to be a commercial kit (or worse--just a repainted Bachmann combine), so voted for the "obviously scratchbuilt" painted plastic car next to it instead. 

Yeah, the recognition in contests is nice, but frankly, the recognition from fellow modelers in forums like this and in person at club meets/shows always strikes me as more genuine--maybe because it's interactive and we can follow along as the creative process evolves. It's one thing to look at a finished model and say "oh, that's cool. I wonder how long it took..." It's another to _know_ because we've been following along, learning the techniques in the process. 

Now, who's the poor lackey who gets the job of making sure the floor in that baggage section stays as shiny as it is? Love the car! 

Later, 

K


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Kevin 

This is NOT popular vote. JJ Productions has about a half dozen judges [including Stan Cedarleaf] do the judging for the Aristo sponsored contests. Clem O'Jevich and I judged the kitbash / scratchbuilt contest sponsored by GAL [Alan Friedland].


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## David Fletcher (Jan 2, 2008)

Doc I feel for you, and Ive very much enjoyed this thread of your extraordinary work. 
I dont do contests, period. Popular vote or expert vote makes no difference. They only judge and can judge on paint and finish, because they dont have a clue about the prototype research or the workings of the exacting details on the model, so inevitably a commerical shay with rust painted all over it and chains slung all around from a non-existant prototype will always win over a highly researched and accurate pre 1900 era model, including stuff people have never seen or knew before. Popular vote is worse. Forget it, its not about accuracy or modelling quality or extent of work, its just about appearance. 

This weekend is the narrow gauge convention here in Melbourne. First time ever I'm not going. They asked me to present and they asked me to display my models. I said no. The organisers have the right intentions, but the fact is the attendees dont care or want to see about research that might spoil their tinted view of the past. as for the modelling comp that no doubt is going on right now - the more run down and broken down, rusty worn out one can make a model, the better you'll win. I've seen loco cab interiors with so many valves and fittings it puts the space shuttle to shame - no idea what any of that **** does, but heck thats great modelling! 

Good onya Doc, keep up the great work mate, 
David.


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Winn and Chuck, I always look forward to feedback from you guys.

Kevin, The owner always has someone to do such tasks. I believe the cook has been assigned that task along with many others. The owner is a bit of a neat freak. He feels that his personal cars have to set the example for the rest.

Doc


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

David,

Thank you very much for your opinions and comments. I always get a little puffed up when you chime in. I've admired your work for many, many years. However, I do miss your postings because you alwasys had so much information and techniques to offer us. I will carry on and I hope you can find the time to treat us with more of your works of art.

Doc


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## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Dr Rivet on 28 Mar 2013 11:05 AM 
Kevin 

This is NOT popular vote. JJ Productions has about a half dozen judges [including Stan Cedarleaf] do the judging for the Aristo sponsored contests. Clem O'Jevich and I judged the kitbash / scratchbuilt contest sponsored by GAL [Alan Friedland]. 
And I don't think anyone could complain about the judging on that part of the contest. As an entrant, it seemed VERY fair to me. I just wish that the rest of the contest seemed fair.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Jim, thanks for clarifying. Was there any baseline criteria for the judging? (A la NMRA with their points system, etc.?) Or was it still pretty much gut feeling? 

Later, 

K


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## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

Kevin, 
There was some criteria... http://www.aristocraftforum.com/vbulletinforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8233&d=1362925298 
But, the winner seems to indicate that none of that was followed.


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## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

It's a VERY sad state of affairs when we acknowledge that the contests don't mean anything or they are always screwed up. Obviously they do mean a lot to those that enter them. 

I'm sure I'll be banned from the Aristo forum for daring to question their integrity: http://www.aristocraftforum.com/vbulletinforums/showthread.php?t=20274


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Don't worry about the contest Doc. While it's always nice to win such a thing, most of us don't build models for the purpose of winning contests anyway, but rather for the personal satisfaction we get from producing the model. Yours is a Masterpiece regardless of what some judges may think, judges who probably couldn't come close to building such a fine piece of work themselves. Far more important is the recognition you've received here, and I'm sure elsewhere, from some truly extraordinary modelers (David, Bruce, Pete, Kevin, and others) who actually know what it takes to come up with something like your Combine.

Ya did good!!!


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Doc;

Your model is a real gem, and I was as surprised as the other folks that it did not place for any award.

As some have commented, the idea of building something yourself seems to have become foreign to many contemporary folks who call themselves modelers.

I work occasionally at a local hobby shop. I am amazed that there is a demand for pre-assembled Plasticville buildings. Heck, when I was a kid and tripped while carrying an unbuilt Plasticville building, it would assemble itself on its way to the floor!

I think we now have a "microwave it" mentality for modeling, i.e. "If I can't have it ready within a few minutes, it's not worth the hassle."

Best wishes,
David Meashey


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## Alan in Adirondacks (Jan 2, 2008)

Doc, 

Fantastic model!!! I really enjoyed seeing it in person after following this thread. 

I have no idea how things went so awry in the contest. 

Best regards, 

Alan


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Doc you are number 1 in my book, I feel your pain. 

One Halloween I created the perfect costume. I lived in an Artsy Towne and created a living painting, frame and all. 
I entered a contest, everybody said I would win, even the Bar owner's friend who won the prize told me my costume was the best.... 

I never went back. Life goes on. 

John


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## SRW (Jan 13, 2010)

Ben Franklin offered his advice to a frustrated Thomas Jefferson regarding a certain document we all know that he refrained whenever possible from doing work that would be "...reviewed by a public body". I guess if they were model train guys Ben would've kept his stuff at home while Tom would've had the guts to drag them out to a train show. 

In hindsight I feel priviledged and inspired to have viewed Doc's model train projects and I bet many others are glad he took the effort to schlep his model out to be reviewed by the public body. These model train forums allow us to view many awesome models by talented craftsmen as do the model train shows. I hope everyone will continue to share their work, in spite of winning ribbons/prizes. it inspires us all to go that extra mile in our own modelling efforts.


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Dwight, Dave,Alan,,John, and Scott,

Thanks agian for your kind words and support. I think it's time for this whole thing to blow over. I'm sure nothing will change the results especially after seeing the responses Bruce has gotten so far on the Aristo forum. I'm just glad there are people like you guys on this forum and LSC who appreciate a labor of love. My wife certainly appreciates it. The fact that I have something to keep me busy rather than sitting around and doing nothing in retirement pleases her to no end. 

I already have a couple of new projects under way. What the **** else am I going to do, huh?

Doc


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

I consider the things I build my "art" - no different than any other. I get the same satisfaction from my modeling as a painter or a sculpter gets when producing a piece that closely matches their original vision. It starts out as a concept and an image in one's mind of "the perfect piece," and the closer the finished model comes to matching and actualizing that vision, the more satisfaction comes from it. It's hard to describe in words, but I'm sure everyone who models feels the same way. I don't get that same satisfaction from anything else. The only difference between us and the painter is that we work in 3D more like the sculpter.

So I'm sure it's more for you Doc than just filling retirement time, and I'm sure you were modeling long before you retired.







Something inside you drives you to create/build things, and you're exceptionally good at it!!!


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

Posted By Dave Meashey on 29 Mar 2013 07:19 AM 
As some have commented, the idea of building something yourself seems to have become foreign to many contemporary folks who call themselves modelers.

I work occasionally at a local hobby shop. I am amazed that there is a demand for pre-assembled Plasticville buildings. Heck, when I was a kid and tripped while carrying an unbuilt Plasticville building, it would assemble itself on its way to the floor!

I think we now have a "microwave it" mentality for modeling, i.e. "If I can't have it ready within a few minutes, it's not worth the hassle."

Best wishes,
David Meashey

I've felt this myself, having scratch-built radio control aircraft in my childhood. It is disappointing to see how much of that hobby is gone, or split into a tiny segment of high-end professional quality models and a mass market of pre-assembled toys. Now you can find a stack of toy R/C helicopters in the mall for the price I paid for a servo 25 years ago, but I'm not aware of a hobby shop selling wood aircraft kits anymore. The only train retailer I know of within 50 miles has one LGB boxcar, a few pieces of track (I bought the rest, which appeared to have sat for years), and a single G engine house kit that again has been there for years. He has a whole wall of Thomas toys, and a wall of preassembled buildings in O and HO. Insane, from a transportation efficiency perspective alone, to preassemble something which snaps together out of ten parts, but there it is.

I think a lot of factors have led to this, from a move toward cheap overseas labor and more computer-automated production, loss of mechanical aptitude unnecessary in modern life, more time consumed in work and education, changing social roles and how children are raised ...

I've been pouring over the 2-6-6-2 building thread with great interest, and leaning toward buying a Roundhouse Fowler kit as my first steam locomotive - but I have to admit, for $500 difference in price and needing to buy a paint sprayer and soldering torch, it will be like getting paid $0.50 / hour to build it rather than just buy the finished version.


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