# PS 50'6" boxcar with EOC device



## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

This will be the prototype for my next endeavor. Originally built as RBOX 14000-14999, when they went to their secondary owners the End-Of-Car (EOC) cushioning device was added. 



Here are my renderings so far:


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)




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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

Burl, it looks like you have another fine project getting started! 

For those of us stuck I the 1920's what is an EOC device?


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

End of car cushioning device. It gives the coupler yoke a foot or so of travel to absorb the shock from coupling. A real one uses a large shock absorber. I'll be mimicking it with a spring.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Those cars really behaved weird when they were stopped while going over the hump. No air was in the train brakes, only the independent brake on the hump locomotives was used. First the train would stretch out until all the slack was gone. The wheels would stop moving, but those carbodies would continue to move forward until the shock absorbers in the draft gear equalized. The sensation could almost make an observer queasy.

Best wishes for your project,
David Meashey


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## KCmike2013 (Jul 19, 2013)

Absolutely amazing! Is that Sketch up you are using? and how did you get all the dimensions for everything? I have been wanting to make stuff in 1:32 scale and print it for awhile now, but i don't even know where to begin as far as finding the dimensions for everything.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes, it is Sketchup. 

Since I model a shortline that interchanges with CSX, I can get some dimensions from http://shipcsx.com > Rail car specs. The Car Builder's Cyclopedias are also a good source for drawings (even though they sometimes don't include dimensions). If all else fails, there's always a tape measure.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Some of the WC cars got plug doors. So while I'm waiting on prints from Shapeways, I thought I'd draw up one. The yellow parts will be brass. The rest will be a resin casting. The rods will be 1/16" rod, added by the modeler.


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Burl. Once again you provide first class quality when it comes to your products. Sir, I take my hat off to you.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Some of my patterns came in today:


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

First casting mocked up. I haven't drilled & tapped the yolk yet because it will be a pattern for investment casting. So the rod isn't attached in the photo:


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## rdamurphy (Jan 3, 2008)

I'm impressed. Are they 1/29 or 1/32 scale?

Robert


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

1:29


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## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

*Bachmann locomotives*

I am considering to buy Bachmann locomotives in the future. It's not only because they have better price than LGB counterparts but it seems Bachmann locomotives have powerful motors. I saw those Bachmann locomotives in local botanical garden, they pull long cars behind. Any thought? please share your experience.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

A little progress on the pattern for the underframe. All the black parts I had laser cut by Alan Friedland.


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## KCmike2013 (Jul 19, 2013)

looking good! for the laser cutting did you just have the sketch up file sent and they use that for the process?


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I sent him a .dxf file that I generated from Sketchup.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

More patterns. This is the part of the center sill where the truck mounts (not sure what to call it). I tried initially casting it in a glove mold with no sprues, but the shape of the part did not lend well to resin flow from the top and the failure rate was high (hence, you can see where I filled in some of the bubbles with CA). I decided to make the production mold with a large fill sprue.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

After I looked at the underframe for a while, I just wasn't happy with the center sill. I had tried building it up out of styrene, but the profile just wasn't lining up with the printed part of the center sill. I kept trying to think of what I could use to build the correct profile, then the light bulb finally came on... I poured three more of the printed sill, glued them together, and filled in the channel with styrene. Here's the result:


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)




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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I poured the mold for the underframe a couple days ago:


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

The brass patterns for the plug door came in today. I cheated a little bit & put some of them together on a sprue. Shapeways discourages that, but it went through.


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## KCmike2013 (Jul 19, 2013)

Looking good! keep the progress pictures coming. i'll have to admit i check here often to see new updates haha


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Progressing well mate.


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

Are the sprues discourage simply due to cost and waste material, or are there manufacturing issue(s) as well? Your work looks fantastic, of course.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks guys.

I'm not sure why they don't want sprues. I don't have any first-hand experience with investment casting, so maybe it has something to do with that specific process. If they had made me break up that one into individual components, it would have cost more since there is a base fee for every part printed.


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Having done investment casting for small items recently. Putting small items onto a sprue makes sense. You just have to arrange them in a way so as to make effective use the casting process. 

I looked at several castings I purchased years ago when in HO scale, I also referenced model kits pics. After consulting the metallurgist, we came up with the best way for the investment. 

Having looked at the door locks - maybe a central support would work. When spin casting the support acts as a reservoir for the sprues while supporting the parts. Once removed from the support any leftover material can be reused for casting again.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

The remainder of the parts I had ordered came in a couple days ago. I wanted to get a coat of paint on them before I make molds so I could see if any sanding would be required. You'll have to look over the quality of the (iPhone) photos - there is a little bit of a fish-eye effect in them:


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## KCmike2013 (Jul 19, 2013)

Looks good. Did you get those 3d printed from shapeways?


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I built up an under frame tonight. Not sure why Photoshop wanted to change the resin to gray, but I was having a hard time getting the color balance right. Tan resin on a white background is hard to shoot sometimes.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I built up an under frame tonight. Not sure why Photoshop wanted to change the resin to gray, but I was having a hard time getting the color balance right. Tan resin on a white background is hard to shoot sometimes.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I had this idea to use an RC car shock to make the action on the cushioning device smoother. All the shocks I could find on-line (that had dimensions listed), were too big to fit in the center sill. So I figured I'd try experimenting with mounting the shock inside the car body... sounded like a good idea in my head, until the shocks I ordered came in. 










The springs are way to stiff for what I want, but I can take them off. The problem I don't know how to solve right now is that the shock wants to stick if it has set in the same position for a while. After it has been moved, it doesn't take near as much pressure to overcome the static friction on the shaft.

I'm not well versed in RC shocks. Does this behavior sound normal, or is it a consequence of buying cheap shocks?


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I am working on the patterns for the car sides now. This gives me the opportunity to try some sheet metal ideas I've been stewing on for a while. I want to simulate dented ribs on the car sides.

First, a casting made from a 3d printed pattern:









I mounted this to a flat piece of plastic, surrounded the edges with masking tape, and poured resin over it. Note: I sprayed on a thin coat of mold release before I poured the resin:










The result above got another coat of mold release, then I poured more resin on top to give me a positive copy:










With a positive and a negative resin copy, I sandwiched some .003" copper sheet between the pieces and pressed them together by tapping with a rubber mallet. I didn't do anything to account for the thickness of the copper sheet. With the resin stamps being less than 24 hours old, they were elastic enough they did not crack. (I don't know if this will hold true after more time passes). After I trimmed the metal pieces, I lightly distressed them by tapping with a small metal rod. These get mounted on a backer board, and another mold made. Note: I backfilled them with resin to make them easier to glue & handle after the distressing:










Here you can see the result in the new resin castings:


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

That's a great idea. Used and abused look before it's even assembled. Add some weathering for rust spots and streaks, that'll be one nice looking car


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

My brass parts came in today. I couldn't resist but to put some of them together.


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Very well engineered mate.


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## jokensa (Dec 4, 2014)

wow!


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

Wow!!! Looking great Burl. I love the detail.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

More work on the side patterns. I made the "oil canned" panels by pouring resin over polypropylene sheet, which was on top of a cardboard cutout about the size of side panel on the car. It took a little experimenting, but here is how it came out.

Before trimming:









After gluing in place, and trimming. The bottom sill was also added:









The gusset detail at the corner of the doors was built up with two layers of HVAC foil tape. Rivets are embossed in sheet styrene, then transplanted by slicing off with a flat-tipped X-acto blade:









The ribs get glued on next. Previously, my issue with this is that the wavy-ness in the panel allows a small gap under the rib in the low spots. This let RTV seep in, which had to be trimmed off later. This time, I tried filling in the small gaps with unsanded (shower tile) grout:









Here's a shot of the whole side. The plug door car has some modifications to some of the ribs (the bottom ends are crimped), so I will mold this and make two more masters out of it - hence, the missing ribs to the right of the door:









After priming:


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Half the roof pattern:


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Brilliant work mate.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Finished putting together the first batch of couplers this weekend. They still need springs to simulate the end-of-car cushioning device, as well as blackening, but I think I have most of the work behind me now.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Finally got back to pattern making last week. I accidentally made the 3d print of the ends too narrow. I guess I just wasn't seeing how it would go together in my head. The lack in width was the same dimension as the thickness of the car sides. It was no problem to chop up a couple castings and splice, but it took several days to do. I also had to do a little trimming on the pattern for the sides (slightly too long), but overall I'm pretty happy with the way the body is coming together:


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Ran out of sunlight before I was ready to take a picture:










I think I am going to redo the roof mold. I wasn't happy with the amount of work it took to get the ribs to line up, and I think I can do better.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Whether or not anyone else is interested in this, I don’t know... but I have finally solved something that has had me stumped for a while. My initial approach to making the roof was to cast it in two, long halves, and a mounting slug, as you can see from the pattern here:





















The idea was to make a slug for the roof with the correct angle for the peak, and the thinner (.040”) roof detail would get laminated to that. I thought, since I 3d printed the panels & ribs, that there would be sufficient precision to make them align. After assembling one, I realized this was not the case. Some of the ribs lined up, but the ones that didn’t had to be chiseled off and relocated. Because I made the pattern long-ways, if it was off a little, that error was doubled when the two halves were put together.

Further complicating the roof was the fact that it overhangs a on all four sides of the car. If there was no overhang, I would have been tempted to make this a uni-body car, and cast it in my rotational casting machine... but the overhang is too deep (and the roof itself too thin) to make an undercut of that depth in a uni-body mold.

Then it hit me, and I came up with this:













Now the ribs are sure to be aligned, and I lost the sharp angle that was on the end of the rib (from the previous approach) where air bubbles liked to stick during casting. This also uses less resin than my previous approach, so the car is less top-heavy.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Nothing wrong with a learned ..yet fresh approach to model problems Burl...we learn on every project we tackle..in gradual steps...that grow in complexity. And sometimes into new and better solutions....

Looking good...keep it going buddy!


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Mate, that is a great approach - making it like a shingle to add to the roof. Often we find other means of solving a problem. For each of our sub-assemblies we probably tried 3 different ways before settling on the best option.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I got stalled on this for a while, so I’m mostly posting get my self motivated on it again. Before I paused, I applied the base coat of paint (which was red), and put on the yellow decals. I went over it then with several thin layers of pink that I custom mixed until I was satisfied it matched my photos.

I had some time to work on it this morning, and I put on the couplers, trucks & rest of the underbody details, as well as the white decals (still drying in the photos). I will clear coat it tomorrow, or the next day, and begin weathering after that.


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Burl,
MAGNIFICENT!
Great detail and it looks real.
Regards,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## jokensa (Dec 4, 2014)

wow! 

it is good to have you back modeling and posting


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Good to see you back on here posting. I love the end result - it's a real corker mate. High standard and exceptional quality Burl.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Did some work on the roof today. This is the result of airbrushing thinned artist oils: raw sienna & burnt umber. Several thin layers, with some dabbed off with a cotton ball dampened with paint thinner. I find it helps to take pictures & consider them for a while to decide if I'm happy with the result or not.


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## chris lepore (Apr 12, 2008)

Great modeling, and that weathering job just fantastic. Burl, I wish you'd do a steam era boxcar kit. Maybe a PRR or SAL round roof car.


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## machiningfool (Nov 15, 2008)

Very nice and precise work Burl. I assume that you are doing your own castings, is that correct? If you are, may I ask, what material are you using? Can you tell me the name of it, where to get it, what is the pour time, (workable time)? Bob.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I use mostly Alumilite Regular resin and Smooth-on's MoldMax 30 RTV.


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## machiningfool (Nov 15, 2008)

Thank you very much Burl. I think that I will try the Alumilite Regular, looks like real good stuff. Bob.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I have experimented with other resins over the years, but I have always come back to Alumilite. I think you will like it too.


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## machiningfool (Nov 15, 2008)

Thank you Burl. I read the specs. on the Aluminite website and am a little worried about the working time, but I guess they have a longer time limit version. I am also going to experiment with the old method that I used, and that is with epoxy resin to see if that is more suitable with what I am doing and that is, large items, thanks again, Bob.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I finished weathering on this and took my "builder's photos" this afternoon:


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

All these years I figured that the G-scale manufacturers just made the coupler tangs too long and have been cutting them shorter to get the cars closer together.

Little did I know that they were actually including EOC devices right in the coupler mounts. They just omitted the detail work.


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## machiningfool (Nov 15, 2008)

Burl, the car looks great and the weathering is beautiful. How about giving us some procedures on how to weather like that. Bob.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob: Most of the weathering is done with acrylic craft paints. Two parts brown, mixed with one part black. You can airbrush it on, but I used a brush on this one. The trick is to let it start to set, then wipe most of it off with a rag dampened with Windex. Always finish with a downward stroke - this simulates rain run off, and grime buildup underneath details.

The rust streaks are artists oils: burnt umber (for old rust) and raw sienna (fresh rust)


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## machiningfool (Nov 15, 2008)

Thank you Burl. Your work is fantastic. Your directions are much valued and I will try that on my cars, thanks again. Bob.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob, in your case, since I know you probably have some extra castings laying around, I'd recommend practicing on some of those. With a little experience, weathering is easier than you might think. However, its also very easy to over-do. The old saying is: less is more.


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## machiningfool (Nov 15, 2008)

Thank you for the hint Burl, I will do that. Bob.


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

Spectacular model and well mastered technique Burl. A very impressive model of modern cars. The weathering is very succesfull and not overdone.


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## Mark L Horstead (Jan 2, 2008)

There are insufficient available superlatives for adequate comment.

The kit becomes available when?


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Hard to commit to a date right now. I'm making up parts as I have time, but life keeps interrupting.


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## Mark L Horstead (Jan 2, 2008)

I am in no rush whatsoever, Burl, as I am in the same state - and I've still yet to start your excellent centrebeam flat car. I just don't want to miss out on this one.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I made some progress on the plug door version:










I will build one of these, and write kit instructions as I go (for both cars).


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

ooooooohhhh she's a beautie Burl. Gonna look good when she's done mate.


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## rdamurphy (Jan 3, 2008)

Very nice Prototype pics! My compliments! When will we see some pics of your models?

Robert



Burl said:


> I finished weathering on this and took my "builder's photos" this afternoon:


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I am down to the home stretch on making up parts for these, when I ran into this problem:

I was planning on using Gary Raymond wheel sets. I had small stash I was using to build my own stuff with, but I don’t have enough to put with kits to sell. I have tried ordering more from him over the past two years, with no luck. He’s always “out of stock”, or tries to sell me something else I don’t want. So I decided to try the equivalent wheel diameter from The Train Department. 

They look fine from the side:










However, the tread is significantly wider, as you can see from the top:










So wide, in fact, they bind in my trucks. 

I prefer the look of Gary's wheels, but their availability leaves something to be desired. The Train Department wheels are readily available, but there's a trade-off with the look. So here are my options:
1) Try to get more from Gary Raymond (which may take a long time, or not happen at all),
2) Make my bolsters slightly wider & go with The Train Department wheels, or
3) Find someone with a stash of Gary Raymond's 136UL wheels they're willing to part with.

Input, anyone?


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking at alternatives, I examined Sierra Valley wheel sets last night. Or rather, re-examined. I had ordered some several months ago to evaluate. They measure 1.181", which makes them 34.25" in 1:29. I hadn't seriously considered them at the time because I needed 33" wheels. When I did my first mock-up of my underframe, I used 36" wheels (because thats what I had on hand), and the clearance wasn't there. So I knew I couldn't fudge it too much.

Gary Raymond was the only one I could find that listed a true 33" wheel set in 1:29, but after over a year of requesting them, they never became available. I thought I might use #1 scale 36" wheels, and just live with the difference - 32.625", which was pretty close. But now I don't seem to be able to get those either. 

Anyway, I put some Sierra Valley wheels in this morning & did a side-by-side comparison:



















Where Gary's wheels excel is the backs. Everything else I've looked at (except Kadee) has a flat back. But since this is a box car, much of that detail is hidden.










To my eyes, they look almost identical in dimension. My calipers only see about .010" difference.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

The KD's are nice.. Available as axle only sets.. Except for that oversized flange!

Our hobby..needs some new and fitting solutions in the future..

Keep trying Burl.. Thanks for your efforts and contributions here!

SD


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Mate, know the frustration of finding the correct sized wheel to fit your project - like looking for a needle in a haystack. Having had to compromise and use something a tad smaller on my project. 

Maybe you could reduce the the width of the tread on a lathe or a mill. The thinner tread would be closer to your needs.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I think I have finished the instructions: http://burlrice.com/_LS_PS5077/instructions.pdf



Gary Raymond came through for me & I have put in an order with him for more wheel sets. That should be the last thing I'm waiting on before I can release this kit.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

I wasn't expecting these for another week. I feel like Christmas came early:











This is the last thing that was holding me up on releasing kits. They will be available on my website in a few days. See: http://burlrice.com/_LS_PS5077/

There were a lot of brass castings in this, which makes it a little more expensive. Price will be $275 + shipping. BUT, that includes trucks & couplers.


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## Burl (Jan 2, 2008)

The first kit is going to it's new home today. So this is officially released.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Looks great Burl.. All your hard efforts in a box!

Thanks

SD


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