# Back to modeling in 1/29



## DTI356 (Jan 3, 2008)

Hey guys,

I've been absent here since for the last 3 months I was building my 1/8 scale (7.5" ga.) caboose.

But now I'm back to modeling in the basement again.

My project at the moment is a Pullman Standard PS2CD 2 bay 2604 cu ft hopper car.

Actually there were quite a few of these built and some are still riding the rails today. This would be a good model for USA Trains to make, since so many roads had versions of these. See Athearns website for PS2 2600cuft hoppers for some of the other road names.
Mine of course will be painted for the DT&I.

I started cutting plastic for this project on December 28th and are very close to taking it to the paint shop. I didn't take any construction pictures (that I find really slows me down since I then sit around looking and playing with the pictures instead of working).

Anyway, here is a picture of it as of last night. That's an Athearn HO model sitting on top of it.


----------



## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Looks great so far! What did you use for the mazes/ walkway on top?


----------



## DTI356 (Jan 3, 2008)

Paulus, 

Thanks, 

The walkways are cut-up pieces from USA Trains. The red ones are from the extended vision caboose and the brown ones are from 50' boxcars. I called USA Trains direct and asked for seperate parts. I'd like them to offer thier parts seperately for on-line ordering but I'll take it if I have to make a phone call....at least they'll sell them seperately. 

Brian


----------



## Colin Stewart (Jan 28, 2008)

Looking good Brian, thanks for posting


----------



## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks great, Brian.... There is a bit of a problem seeing it because the 1/8 hopper is really an attention grabber. 

Do you run teh 7 1/2 inch stuff at Clear Lake????


----------



## DTI356 (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks guys, 

Stan, I only have the caboose that I built. Hopefully as time goes on we will acquire more stuff. 
We've been invited to play...err operate on a couple private tracks around the southern Michigan area. We haven't been to Clear lake.


----------



## rdamurphy (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice, very nice, I'm impressed! 

Robert


----------



## jgallaway81 (Jan 5, 2009)

Stan, that was my first thought as well.

However, if you look at the books in the background, the large metal-based hopper is the 1/29th scale model, and the on in the top is the HO scale hopper.
@import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Provide...ad.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


----------



## mrh044 (Oct 11, 2008)

That looks great!! Nice work.


----------



## DTI356 (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks again guys,

It's a sunny and balmy 3 degrees outside right now, so I went out to the garage to put a coat of primer on it (the beauty of the heated garage).

That went quite well. I'll give it several days to cure and then the paint will get applied...stay tuned.

Here's how it looks now. Some may note my wood/plastic handle fixture I made for this project that I'll use for other projects from now on. It helps for painting and will be nice when I put decals on the ends.


[url="


----------



## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

WOOW, I could never do that good of work.. 

Are you done YET?????


----------



## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

What's the part number for the walkway from USA Trains (phone number too?)? I need to order some for a snow dozer that I'm building and was wondering how to order 'scratchbuilding' parts from USA Trains. 
BTW your model looks great. 
Thanks in advance, 
Craig


----------



## DTI356 (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks guys, 

No Marty....not yet. Patience grasshopper.... 

Craig, No part number, just call and ask them for the parts you want. Have your credit card handy. USA Trains phone number: 781-322-6084 
I do wish they'de make the parts available for on-line ordering but I'm glad they at least allow you to buy some seperately. 

Brian


----------



## fsfazekas (Feb 19, 2008)

Brian, 

Another fabulous model. The only thing is that I wish you'd leave your photos up a bit longer as most (all?) of the railgon pics are gone and I can't seem to find that shorty hi-cube (appliance car) you cast. I'm one of those people that just scours 1st class areas for ideas. I'm going to try to convert some 40' Aristo kits to early/prototype appliance cars in the same way SP did...cut the roof off and raise it. Really nice job once again...maybe you should WORK for USA Trains?


----------



## DTI356 (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks Frank, 

From now on the pictures should remain much longer. The place I was posting my pictures would purge them after 1 year. I was bummed about that. So now I have a Photobucket acct. 

One thing I learned early on....pics on the web disappear....when you see something you like save it to your computer. I have a folder of Burl's stuff, Marty's stuff....etc. 

I could suggest plenty of projects to USA Trains.....that's for sure. 

Post pictures of your SP/SSW car conversion. It should be a neat project. 

Brian


----------



## s-4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Brian, 
Great job on the hopper! 

BTW, one of the MLS sponsors provides USAT parts for online ordering! (It's not the full stock, but it's a start!) 
http://www.reindeerpass.com/partsandaccessories.aspx


----------



## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

Brian,
Thanks for the number. Is there a difference between the 50' box car walkways and the covered hopper walkways? I guess I could compare with my rolling stock, but I thought I would ask.
Thanks again, I'll be giving USA trains some of my paycheck soon!
Did you scratch build the brake wheel housing, or is that Precision Scale piece?
Craig


----------



## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

That is one good looking covered hopper. Brian, I have wondered about trying to scratchbuild a Big John covered hopper since none are available on the market. How much of the hopper is scratchbuilt and how much is built from parts of and existing USA hopper on the market? 
Ron


----------



## DTI356 (Jan 3, 2008)

Craig, There's a huge difference between them. Do look at your rolling stock to see the difference. I scratchbuilt the brakewheel housing since the Precision scale one is a smallish 1/32 housing it didn't fit my space right. 

Ron, Thanks, it's all scratchbuilt. If you look at the first picture I posted you'll see white parts (styrene) and black parts (ABS). Only the parts with color are commercial parts (USA roofwalk- (although modified), and brakewheel). 
The Big John would be a big challenge since it's an open hopper. 

Brian


----------



## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

Brian,
Thanks for the info about the brake wheel housing. It saves me from ordering one, because I wasn't sure of the exact size as listed in the PS catolog (the one thing that bugs me about their catolog). I'll have to look and compare the walkways before I order. But I'm not to sure on exactly what to prototype used for walkways anyway because I can't find a over head shot of the snow dozer. I do know that GN built them in thier own shops so I'm thinking they would have used something similiar to a boxcar walkway. 
I wish more companies would produce some commerical parts of 1/29th so that it would be a little easier to build models that aren't commerically available, but atlas that's what makes the modeling fun!

Craig


----------



## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

The quality of your modeling skills impressive, let me know when you start working in 1:32 scale.


----------



## DTI356 (Jan 3, 2008)

Craig, 

Modeling IS fun.....It would be great to have more companies but I doubt the market for 1/29 scratchbuilding supplies would be a wise business investment since there's so few modelers out there. 

Brian


----------



## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Brian 
I keep telling you, after market parts. 
I have cast a number of parts folks need that they were told they can't get . 
Is it done yet???


----------



## DTI356 (Jan 3, 2008)

Marty, 
No, it's not done yet.....in fact the weatherman has made me a bit cranky. Yesterday afternoon or today was the window I thought I'd get to paint it. But we've had humidity over 85 percent and the forecast is crappy thru the weekend so it's not going to happen any time soon unfortunately. I'm not going to rush it after I've put so much work into it. I want to avoid screwing it up now. 

Fortunately I'm working on my next project already so I'm not sulking while waiting....I'm cutting and gluing plastic...I think you'll like it when I reveal it. 

Brian


----------



## DTI356 (Jan 3, 2008)

Screw the weatherman! Let the paint fly!

I got home Friday afternoon and saw the humidy was down to 63 % (not that that's ideal but I know it's the best I'm going to see for some time) so I went out to the garage and cranked up the furnace (that helps dry out the air even more).

Here's what she looks like this morning. I'm real happy with the finish...nice and glossy...ready for decals in a day or 2 (always best to let the paint cure thouroughly before applying decals.

In the picture look in the background and you'll see a picture of the car I'm making this model of.


----------



## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Would U please show us how this holder mounts to the car during painting??? 
I like being able to see all around the car.


----------



## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

Brian, this is the kind of covered hopper I am talking about. 
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/pictures/30361/IC 57031.jpg 
Ron


----------



## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

Maybe this........... 
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1083951 
Ron


----------



## DTI356 (Jan 3, 2008)

Ron, 

You are right....my apologies, I don't know why I thought the Big Johns were open tops. 
Marty scratchbuilt a few of those hoppers like in the picture you attached a couple of years ago. he posted some pictures on here back then....check the archives to see his thread. 

Marty, 

Here's a picture of the underside. The handle/bracket has 2 feet that fit into the center sill and attach with a screw in each foot. 











I've standardized all my models with this center sill style so all projects can use this handle from now on. I'm really liking it for detailing the ends of the car, painting and for when I apply decals. Here's a couple pictures showing the clamp-on vise that makes the whole thing really portable/versitile.


----------



## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Great idea


----------



## DTI356 (Jan 3, 2008)

Woo-Hoo..... 

Finally got to the decals today 











Now, a couple questions: 

I'm using Aristocraft rollerbearing trucks, how do I remove the wheel sets? 

Also, I'm planning on replacing them with metal wheels but would like to get wheels much closer to protoypical. I'm changing over to code 215 rail and want realistic wheels....I'm figuring Gary Raymond or NWSL. Any opinions on which work and/or look better? I'm not running outside anymore so that isn't a consideration. Also, I'm not interested in getting ballbearing wheels. 

Thanks for any help, 
Brian


----------



## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

Brian, the project looks good finished. 
Ron


----------



## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

Brian, I hope you kept a diary on how you made different parts so when we email you, you can answer our questions. Lots of questions! 
ron


----------



## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Brain 
you can build a car like that and you need help changing wheels??? remove springs with flat screw driver. and pull caps off with pliers. 
great job.


----------



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Why not just buy the Aristo roller bearing trucks with the metal wheels. Direct replacement and it is about as cheap as buying the wheels sets. Later RJD


----------



## todd55whit (Jan 2, 2008)

Brian 
Beautiful model. Were the decals custom? If so by who?


----------



## DTI356 (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks Marty, I just didn't want to cannibalize the endcaps if there was an easy way to remove them. 

RJD, I want metal wheels with a more prototype profile. Wouldn't the Aristos still be the pizza cutter flanged wheels? 

Todd, Thanks, yes, they're custom.....by me. We have a laser jet printer at work that I used for all the black decals. The white is blank white decal sheet behind the consolidated stencil and ACI label and cut to shape for the compass points.


----------

