# 4 wheel flat car



## gscalenewbie (Aug 30, 2008)

Anyone either have or know where I can find drawings of a 4 wheel flat car? I would like to build one about 12 scale feet long and 6 to 7 scale feet wide.


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi, 

Do not know about a drawing but the Harland 'shorty 4 wheel flatcar' is a kit for then. 

The dimensions for the kit flatcar base are 140mm long, and 86mm wide. I cut them across the width and extend them, and you have all the bits provided including plastic wheels which are better exchanged for metal ones to add some weight low down to the vehicle. The kit(one of a series) also comes with 'Hook and Loop' couplers, and 4 'stakes' 


Here is the website 

http://www.h-l-w.com/Products/mini_series.html[/url}


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## Tom Bowdler (Jan 3, 2008)

Sidestreet Bannerworks sells the plans that appeared in the centerfold of Garden Railways magazine. Plan #34 "4-wheel flat car and high side gondola" from the August '98 issue looks like what you might want but it doesn't seem to be available. You might consider buying another of their flat car plans (the early ones were quite short) and change its size to what you desire. 
Have fun, 
Tom


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Ozark has some nice kits, I think they are the ones that Phil's Narrow Gauge was developing, he must have sold them to Ozark. Pretty neat. Jerry


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

I made some flats and gondolas from Garden Railways Plan #34. They turned out great. Plan #34 has both a Gauge 1 and Gauge 0 variant. I made mine an inch longer than the plan. I think they look better a bit longer. Mine have link and pin couplers too. The gondola sides are only half the height of the plan. Again, just like the looks. All the do-dad parts came from Ozark Miniatures. They were a fun project and look nice on the track. 

Send an email thru my profile and I will send you a copy of Plan #34, if you like. 

Time to get busy, Bob


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## GearDrivenSteam (Jul 3, 2008)

I have a set of eight of these from Accucraft my wife got me for Christmas last year. I'd think they'd be close. 
http://accucraft.com/index.php?show_aux_page=65


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## Guest (Sep 1, 2008)

Awh..shame on you Gear! You got plans and never shared with me!!!!! I love them!!!!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif 
Toad


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## Guest (Sep 1, 2008)

Posted By xo18thfa on 08/31/2008 10:14 PM
I made some flats and gondolas from Garden Railways Plan #34. They turned out great. Plan #34 has both a Gauge 1 and Gauge 0 variant. I made mine an inch longer than the plan. I think they look better a bit longer. Mine have link and pin couplers too. The gondola sides are only half the height of the plan. Again, just like the looks. All the do-dad parts came from Ozark Miniatures. They were a fun project and look nice on the track. 

Send an email thru my profile and I will send you a copy of Plan #34, if you like. 

Time to get busy, Bob



Bob, 
How did they come out 1" longer, any noticable differance? Not sure if I was here for that year on the road or off?! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/unsure.gif 
Toad


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## xo18thfa (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Toad: I don't have a shorter car to compare mine with, so it hard to say what adding an inch does. But I can say that my light weight, 4-wheel rigid wheel base cars are more prone to derailments. If you hit a bump at high enough speed, the leading wheels can raise off the track. I definitely need more weight. 

I think about 100 of these behind a slooooow moving Shay would be too cool. 

Take care, Bob


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

http://www.nemodel.com/shop/agora.cgi?cart_id=203422.18249*tL8wD6&next=32&product=nng 

For the kits used for the GR plansets, for plastic versions, HLW mini-cars are the most cost effective, Accucrafts are sure pretty but too pricey for me, and Ozarks are also nice if a little pricey.


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## Guest (Sep 1, 2008)

Posted By xo18thfa on 09/01/2008 11:23 AM
Hey Toad: I don't have a shorter car to compare mine with, so it hard to say what adding an inch does. But I can say that my light weight, 4-wheel rigid wheel base cars are more prone to derailments. If you hit a bump at high enough speed, the leading wheels can raise off the track. I definitely need more weight. 

I think about 100 of these behind a slooooow moving Shay would be too cool. 

Take care, Bob



Bob, 
Was thinking more in the lines of my mining ops. that are in the making. 
Toad


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## Guest (Sep 1, 2008)

Posted By vsmith on 09/01/2008 11:31 AM
http://www.nemodel.com/shop/agora.cgi?cart_id=203422.18249*tL8wD6&next=32&product=nng 

For the kits used for the GR plansets, for plastic versions, HLW mini-cars are the most cost effective, Accucrafts are sure pretty but too pricey for me, and Ozarks are also nice if a little pricey.




Vic, 
If these come with plans then you can use them over and over again. Thanks for heads up! 
Toad


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2008)

for use with R1 curves i found out by trial and error: 
four weeled with rigid axles the aixles should be not wider apart than 3" and a third. 
the cars being about 8" and a half long, or shorter. 
the empty cars weighting between 110 and 200 grams (a bit more than one fith of a pound to about two fifths of a pound) 
even with weels turned by the lokal smith from plastic or steel i got no derailments.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 09/01/2008 10:06 PM
for use with R1 curves i found out by trial and error: 
four weeled with rigid axles the aixles should be not wider apart than 3" and a third. 
the cars being about 8" and a half long, or shorter. 
the empty cars weighting between 110 and 200 grams (a bit more than one fith of a pound to about two fifths of a pound) 
even with weels turned by the lokal smith from plastic or steel i got no derailments. 












This is why Aristo's 20' cars work so terribly on R1 curves, rigid non-pivoting single axles on a long body lenth coupled with body mounted couplers is a recipe for disappointment. On the one Aristo 20' boxcar I bought I ended up retrucking it to make it work. I still have the body mounted couplers, link and pin, but was able to get a better range of movement with the trucks under it thru the R1 curves as the trucks are closer to the end frames.


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## GearDrivenSteam (Jul 3, 2008)

Posted By Ole Toad Frog on 09/01/2008 3:47 AM
Awh..shame on you Gear! You got plans and never shared with me!!!!! I love them!!!!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif" border=0> 
Toad




I don't have the plans. I have the cars themselves. I'm sure plans could be made...which was my point for posting in the first place.


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2008)

Posted By vsmith on 09/02/2008 9:20 AM
Posted By kormsen on 09/01/2008 10:06 PM 
for use with R1 curves i found out by trial and error: 
four weeled with rigid axles the aixles should be not wider apart than 3" and a third. 
the cars being about 8" and a half long, or shorter. 
the empty cars weighting between 110 and 200 grams (a bit more than one fith of a pound to about two fifths of a pound) 
even with weels turned by the lokal smith from plastic or steel i got no derailments. 












This is why Aristo's 20' cars work so terribly on R1 curves, rigid non-pivoting single axles on a long body lenth coupled with body mounted couplers is a recipe for disappointment. On the one Aristo 20' boxcar I bought I ended up retrucking it to make it work. I still have the body mounted couplers, link and pin, but was able to get a better range of movement with the trucks under it thru the R1 curves as the trucks are closer to the end frames.




Ok, show some photos cause Ole Toad is /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crazy.gif!!!!!


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2008)

Posted By GearDrivenSteam on 09/02/2008 1:44 PM
Posted By Ole Toad Frog on 09/01/2008 3:47 AM 
Awh..shame on you Gear! You got plans and never shared with me!!!!! I love them!!!!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif" border=0>" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif" border=0>" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif" border=0>" border=0> 
Toad




I don't have the plans. I have the cars themselves. I'm sure plans could be made...which was my point for posting in the first place. 




Ok, if I get the plans you want me to send them on to you?? Thing is you can make abunch of stuff out of them. 
Toad


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Ole Toad Frog on 09/02/2008 2:01 PM
Posted By vsmith on 09/02/2008 9:20 AM 
Posted By kormsen on 09/01/2008 10:06 PM 
for use with R1 curves i found out by trial and error: 
four weeled with rigid axles the aixles should be not wider apart than 3" and a third. 
the cars being about 8" and a half long, or shorter. 
the empty cars weighting between 110 and 200 grams (a bit more than one fith of a pound to about two fifths of a pound) 
even with weels turned by the lokal smith from plastic or steel i got no derailments. 









This is why Aristo's 20' cars work so terribly on R1 curves, rigid non-pivoting single axles on a long body lenth coupled with body mounted couplers is a recipe for disappointment. On the one Aristo 20' boxcar I bought I ended up retrucking it to make it work. I still have the body mounted couplers, link and pin, but was able to get a better range of movement with the trucks under it thru the R1 curves as the trucks are closer to the end frames.

Ok, show some photos cause Ole Toad is /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crazy.gif" border=0>!!!!!




Sheesh, I only keep pics for so long, gotta limited storage space ya'know. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/whistling.gif 

Ya shoulda asked 5 years ago when I first did the project /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif 

Oh OK I'll look thru my archives at home and see if I still have anything /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue2.gif


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2008)

Buy you a 500gb book. Has worked for me! You know you can make folders to with a name /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue2.gif 
Toadster


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Wha? you saying my computer is not "state of the art"?  
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/vsmith/old_computer.jpg


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## GearDrivenSteam (Jul 3, 2008)

Posted By Ole Toad Frog on 09/02/2008 2:03 PM
Posted By GearDrivenSteam on 09/02/2008 1:44 PM 
Posted By Ole Toad Frog on 09/01/2008 3:47 AM 
Awh..shame on you Gear! You got plans and never shared with me!!!!! I love them!!!!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif" border=0>" border=0>" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif" border=0>" border=0>" border=0>/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif" border=0>" border=0>" border=0> 
Toad

I don't have the plans. I have the cars themselves. I'm sure plans could be made...which was my point for posting in the first place. 

Ok, if I get the plans you want me to send them on to you?? Thing is you can make abunch of stuff out of them. 
Toad




I could make plans I guess......just measure a car and go from there. I wasn't aware plans were available for um.


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2008)

If it looks like that then, yeah it is not state of the art or even arts  
This is the one I got for 89.00 +/- http://cgi.ebay.com/Western-Digital...yZ158823QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem 
Don't know how to make these links clickable yet!!!! 
Toad


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