# Building a 1:8 scale narrow gauge flat car (Many Pics!)



## Eric M. (Jan 3, 2008)

A while back David Wegmuller, Henner Meinhold and myself acquired the original Bill Harris 1:8 scale model of the Mich Cal #2 Shay. It really is a gorgeous model with all sorts of true to life features including oil firing, duplex water pump with working fire hose, injector, etc. When we bought the locomotive it came with a few bonus goodies including a riding car, a signed copy of Bill Harris's book "Logging With Steam" and an original set of 1:8 scale 4 3/4" gauge riding car trucks also built by Bill Harris. 










Here is the locomotive on the day we brought it home. 



To properly honor such a beautiful piece of model engineering I knew I had to build a proper scale model flat car for the locomotive to pull. Henner happened to have a drawing of a Diamond and Caldor 24' flat car which was built by Carter Bros. and is preserved at Ardenwood Park in Fremont CA. The ubiquitous 24' Carter Bros Flat is a versatile platform which was used for logging and freight throughout California so it makes perfect car to model. As an example, the infamous West Side Lumber Co had several 24' flats that were converted into anything from tank cars to gons to cabooses. 










Casey the dog gives some scale perspective on the frame which is mocked up in my family room. The frame is almost exactly 36" long. 












The car is mocked up in my back yard on mini jack stands so I can contemplate how I am going to mount the trucks. 












I clamped up the frame using waterproof wood glue at all the joints. I used the edges of the table to square up the frame. I took a few diagonal measurements to insure it was square before tightening the clamps. 












Here you can see that all the wood parts were distressed and stained BEFORE assembly. 












After the frame was clamped up and drying I began prepping the metal parts. The brake wheel/staff assembly is made of a combination of cast brass, machined steel and forged aluminum parts. The stirrup steps are steel. All the metal parts were bead blasted to prep them for paint. 












The brake wheel is a large and beautiful brass casting. It is secured to the brake staff just like a real one. The wheel has a square hole in the center and the top of the staff is filed into a tapered square that is threaded at the end. the nut forces the wheel against the taper making a tight connection. 












After all the metal hardware was installed the car was given a fresh coat of paint-- oxide red-- although I left the bottom of the car in weathered wood and rusty hardware. Again Casey shows the size of the car. I have decided I like building BIG models. I estimate the cars weight to be almost 40 pounds. The tractor is also 1:8 scale. 

Thanks for looking-- there is much more to follow... 

Regards,


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## Gerd (Jan 7, 2008)

Dear Eric, 

I like your car a lot. I'm a big fan of the old WSLC and the car looks great. The trucks are big high, but it's okay. Behind your MichCal-#2, a string of disconnects would look very fine. I build 6 pairs for my own railroad. 



Building in large scale is a lot of fun. I spend most of my spare time working on my 1:6 (2" scale) logging railroad, 
Within the last 2 weeks, I worked on my cars to get them ready for the next operation days. 

This weekend, I'll go forward on my Shay project. You'll found a lot of pics on the following websites : 

The Bear Creek Lumber & Railroad : http://www.gerds-modellbahn.de/BCRR/index_e.htm 
The Shay project : http://www.gerds-modellbahn.de/shay/index_e.htm 

Bye, Gerd


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## Eric M. (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi Gerd, Thanks for the kind words. I have found your website in the past and really enjoyed looking at it. I really like how simple you make it look to build in 1:6 scale. 

As for the height of the trucks, I agree. The wheel diameter is actually a tad large-- probably more correct for a standard gauge car in 1:8 scale. When Mr. Harris built these trucks years ago he used the same castings that he used for the locomotive wheels. I mounted the trucks as low to the body as possible to try to compensate-- any lower and the nuts on the tops of the archbars would scrape against the body bolsters. It's one of those "good enough" moments. Nice thing about logging lines is they used whatever they could get their hands on to keep operating as well. Some of the pics in West Side Pictorial show some really strange looking truck & car combinations. One of their tank cars sat really high above its trucks for some reason-- perhaps they put spacers in the pivots to get closer to a matching coupler height-- I don't really know. I didn't really pay attention to coupler height, figuring I can always use a rooster pole, but ironically it matches the Shay perfectly. 


Oh-- and I have more pictures of the car with weathering and lettering started, plus lots more to cover on the metal hardware and underbelly details so stay tuned... 
 
Regards,


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Eric and Gerd, some fantastic work! I am in awe of what you have accomplished.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Very cool! I don't suppose Casey's tried to take it for a spin yet? (I'd pay money to see that...) 

Later, 

K


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## FH&PB (Jan 2, 2008)

Awesome work, Eric! You guys are having a lot of fun out there!


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I love it! Cool dog you got there too!


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## Eric M. (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks for the comments folks! The dog has not yet gone for a spin on the flat car. I am going to work on that though, he loves to do tricks, so a little training should do the job. 

Here are a few pics of the underbelly details: 










This is how I decided to mount the trucks. You can see the body bolster mounting plate with the countersunk allen screw in the corner. The plate is through-bolted to the body bolster with four of these 1/4 inch screws, nuts and washers. The truck pivots on a 1/4" shoulder screw. 












Here is a glimpse of some of the underbelly details. The truss rods and brake linkages are made from free machining steel rods which were later rusted.. The brake clevises are made from aluminum and the queen posts are brass castings. All the aluminum and brass details were bead blasted, primed and painted with Sophisticated Finishes Instant Iron and Instant Rust solution. 












I built these couplers up from brass stock. The shank is a 1/2" x 3/4" brass bar, the pocket is built up from some hefty brass channel and flat-bar, the face plate is made from flat-bar with the oval shaped hole milled in. The whole assembly was screwed together with brass screws and then hard silver soldered. I finished them up with files and sandpaper and then "rusted" them as I did with the other metal parts. They are about 6" long from shank to face and they weigh a couple pounds each. The truss rod washers are brass. You can tension the rods by tightening the nuts. 












The turnbuckles are brass and are threaded onto the truss rods. The stake pockets are repurposed parts from a slide bolt latch. 












The lettering is spray painted on. I hand cut the stencils from blue painters tape using and X-acto. 












End-grain and checking was simulated on some of the timbers. I brushed dilute flat black paint into some of these details to enhance the details. 












Overall shot. I did some rudimentary weathering of the car-- just a dusting of paint from some rattlecans that I warmed up in some warm water. There are still some details missing. I actually intend to add air brake detail to the car like West Side Lumber had on their cars. I am working on a Westinghouse brake cylinder for that. and the brake shoes are still missing from the trucks-- working on that too. 

This car also has a secret feature that I will discuss later. Thanks for checking in! 

Regards,


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Eric: Looks perfect all around. Looking forward to seeing everything on the rails.

You, Henner and David need to get busy. Casey looks like the only one doing any work.

If you get a chance, could you take a close up picture of the duplex pump. Harris' design is really cool. I want to try one some day.

Thanks, Bob


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## Eric M. (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks Bob, 

I will do that. That pump is an amazing little piece of engineering. It is so much fun to watch in action. Currently it is the most effective way to get water into the boiler too. The injector doesn't work so good (have to look at that) and the hand pump-- well... is a hand pump. 

Regards,


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Eric. Friends of mine running 7.5" gauge say injectors need cleaning from time to time. They are also water temperature sensitive. They need colder water. Even tho there are no moving parts they can wear out too. The high velocity water can wear away the cones inside. That takes a very long time to do, but can happen.

I am a big fan of Bill Harris and want to build that pump. 


The whole consist looks terrific.

Bob


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

Man what a sweet project. The detail is so Crisp in 1:8 scale. Wish I could afford to work in it


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