# Scratchbuilding in 1:24 circa 1987



## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Hello All; 






This car is not new, but I have never posted photos of it online before. I usually use my age or the month/year of completion in the car number. Since the car number is 41 and I have a December birthday, that means that I completed this car sometime in the spring of 1987. I recall that I was hoping to enter it in a model train contest that was near the end of March of that year, so I probably completed it in mid-March. The car won a blue ribbon in the March contest and two more blue ribbons in other contests before I "retired" it. Really, I think I was afraid to push my luck. Large scale was not really taken very seriously by modelers in other scales back then, and I think the car won more because it did not have that much competition in its class than due to my own skills. 






There were few detail parts back then, so improvisation was the "name of the game." As you will see in some of the photos, I got the tool bin somewhat crooked. My cover story was that the car was being reshopped, and just before it was finished, some dry rot was found in one corner of the bin. Rather than detain the car any longer, the shop crew simply removed the bad timber and adjusted the lid of the bin to suit. 






The hand derrick is made from the innards of the Walthers (formerly Train Miniature) 20 ton capacity crane car. I have found that the "guts" from an HO crane car are useful for hand derricks in large scale. Stirrups and grab irons were fabricated from copper bell wire or brass rod stock. The side ladders were made from brass strap with brass rod stock rungs soldered to them. The brake wheel was cut down from an LGB "high" gondola's extra parts set. The "fences" were fabricated from balsa wood, and the stake pockets were made from aluminum Crystal Lite tins. The large barrels are the lids from English Leather cologne bottles with model airplane plywood for the tops and drafting tape for the bands. The trucks are USA trains and the couplers are Delton Locomotive Works. The cut levers are brass rod stock.



















The spike keg is a casting done for the Delton pickup truck. Other tools are by Preiser, Delton, Wimmer, and Trackside Details. Most of the carbody is basswood or balsa. The truss rods are made from monofilament grass trimmer line. The turnbuckles and queenposts are made from 1/2 inch scale dollhouse banister posts. I think the airhoses, glad hands, and angle cocks were by Northwest Short Line.



















The brake rigging was fabricated from odds and ends: wire and rod stock for piping and rodding, mechanical pencil lead boxes for the air reservoir and brake cylinder, a casting sprue for the triple valve, and basswood for various levers.










Well, that's how it was done 24 years ago. We have a lot of better stuff to work with now.

Thanks for looking,
David Meashey


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## general1861 (Jan 22, 2010)

Dave you did an awesome job!..Travis


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## Ted Nordin (Feb 27, 2008)

That is terrific imagination and skill. I am inspired when I see scratchbuilds such as this, although far far better than any work I can do at this time. Thanks Ted in So AZ


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Very nice car Dave, certainly considering it's age (and it's in a good condition too!). 

Perhaps, it's like you said: we do have a lot of better stuff to work with now. But actually I respect this kind of inventive scratch building far more than the modern 'scratch building' were 'modelers' let machines laser cut model parts from a computerized drawing and apply 'ready to glue on' detail sets they bought by on or more of the numerous small series aftermarket/detail parts firms and call that a scratch build (personally I think that's more spending bucks on buying parts to make your own modelkit than that it's real scratch building were you must use some imagination and creativity in using materials...). True, I've seen some very beautiful and breathtaking models made from lasercutted CNC/CAD parts and all pre made detailsets, but for me that's not the same as a real scratchbuild. Your work on this car is the real thing for me! It deserved it's prices! 

Paul


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks to all for the kind remarks. It has stayed nice because it is a true shelf queen. I purchased a covered display stand for the car. You can see the base in the photos. The mirror-backed Plexiglass cover was removed for the photo session. 

Yours, 
David Meashey


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Good work mate, inspiring stuff!


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