# 2011 Challenge - David Meashey



## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, I finally found all the stuff I need for the project. (My train/materials storage room is an EPA Superfund site!) Got the photo below. I don't have to buy anything, just need time to work on the blooming thing! Anyway, I will post the results whenever they are done - even if the deadline has passed. (I belong to the National Association for Procrastinators. Our national convention keeps getting postponed until "next year.")

The trucks may look a little odd. They are reinforced New Blight trucks with Gary Raymond Lionel wheels. I have decided not to repaint the PlayMobil cannon. This vehicle will need a splash of color on it Somewhere. It may as well be the gun.

Doubt that you will have to worry too much, Mik, but I will try to have something on track (literally) by the deadline.










Yours, David Meashey


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

now that looks interesting


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## jgallaway81 (Jan 5, 2009)

@import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Provide...ad.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css); Posted By Dave Meashey on 27 Jan 2011 06:48 PM 
...(My train/materials storage room is an EPA Superfund site!)...


I can't say my workshop is THAT bad, but at least with Superfund status you can get the Corps of Engineers to help you on on projects... I have to do all my OWN engineering & nviro. impact studies! 

Three more main purchases to get my shop the way I want it: two light fixtures and some reflective insulating blankets. (think of bubble wrap coated with that emergency reflective blanket stuff). Oh, and the right staples for my craftsman staple gun to put up the insulation.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

"but at least with Superfund status you can get the Corps of Engineers to help you on on projects" 

NAH! They also are members of the National Association for Procrastinators! But we can always hope. ;>) 

Have fun, 
David Meashey


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## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

You can't go wrong with cannons and dragons


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

BUMP!


I know I won't be available for the competition, but thought I should show where I am. Some photos may be a bit blurry, as I am having trouble with the
flash on my camera.


I finally got some work done on the car. The chassis and basic carbody are done. The model is based on a cannon car built for the US Military Railroads
during the Civil War, but as it would look if it were in Middle Earth. 


The Brandywine & Gondor Railroad does not have turntables for each branchline terminis. Running the locomotives backwards is not much of a
problem. Some of them run better backwards, but the "Balrog Catchers" are another problem. These cars are run in front of the locomotive as a means
of dealing with the little nasties that are still part of everyday life in Middle Earth.


So the cars are built to allow the chassis to also serve as a turntable. Two stout vertical rods lock the carbody to the chassis for normal movement. At the
end of any line that does not have a turntable, the vertical rods are pulled up and used as levers to turn the carbody over the chassis so it now faces the
opposite direction. Once the carbody is turned, the rods are re-inserted to lock the carbody in place.


The photos show the sequence. The front face of the car is framed, but not sheathed as yet. I still have to detail, stain, and letter it.















This shows the car as though it has arrived at the terminis. Note the vertical rods towards the coupler end of the car.












The rods are removed, and the car is being turned. Still have to finish the face of the car and add "armor plate."


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, for some reason I can't edit my own posts anymore. I tried three times only to have everything disappear once I hit Submit. Here is what should have come after the third photo: 

The rods are now locked back into the chassis, and the car is now ready for the return trip. 

Yours, 
David Meashey


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh boy! Feast or famine. Will one of the moderators please delete the extras. This must be the Walt Disney of systems, cause these forums are TOTALLY GOOFY!


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

P. S. Tried repeatedly to correct the typos and the bad formatting. For some reason I could not use the Edit function last night. I finally gave up and went to bed. Sorry for the mess. OBTW, I do know that it should be spelled "Civil War" and "Submit." Don't know how THOSE gremlins crept in (or maybe it was just the ghost of Gollum). 

Many thanks to whomever deleted the extra posts. Sometimes I think it is a shame that there is no way to make software feel pain. Maybe then it would learn not to pull stunts like I experienced last night. 

Have fun, 
David Meashey


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

If you use photobucket, like me, when u edit the post you have to re-enter the tag for the picture or it goes away for some reason.


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## Nutz-n-Bolts (Aug 12, 2010)

Nice work David, The built in "turn table" is an extra advantage for this car, since it can now fire in any direction. Look forward to seeing the finished pictures.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Had to make my first purchase for materials for this car. Ran out of basswood planking for the front shield of the car. Spent $1.04 at A. C. Moore. Not too bad. 

Yours, 
David Meashey


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

The system is acting up again. Please delete my extra posts. Thank you!


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

BUMP!

Just an update on this car. No photo needed as yet. The weather was finally warm enough yesterday to allow me to stain the car. (I don't have a basement, so I have to do the "aromatic" work outdoors on the carport.) I did not worry too much about making the stain an even tone. I just think varigated tone looks more realistic. The car is now ready to have the styrene "iron plate" armor added to its front. Once that is complete, I'll take another photo. Then I'll get the rest of the details on the car. 
Have fun,
David Meashey


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

BUMP!


Well the car is complete.  Now I have to modify the figures for the gun crew.  I had to create a combination stirrup/grab iron for this car.  Hinging the stirrup around the grab iron allows the stirrup to be folded out of the way when the carbody must be turned.  I'm still having trouble controlling the flash on my camera, so the road name got bled out in two of the photos.  Sorry about that.












This shows how the car looks during normal operation.  Note how the stirrups hang from the grab irons.












This shows the styrene "iron plate" armor on the front of the car, and the powder kegs and shot case.












This is how the car looks when it is being turned.  The stirrups ar folded onto the deck, and the retaining polls are now inserted into the turning sockets.


Well, that's it for now, but I do have a favor to ask.  I will be bringing the train with me to ECLSTS in a few week.  I will probably be there on Saturday.  I have lost my contacts who helped staff the Big Green layout, and I would like to ask whether sombody would allow me to display this train on a siding on one of the display layouts?  The train does not have to be run.  I think people would just enjoy looking at it on a siding.  The train will also include the dragon transport car shown below.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

I regret, but the Edit function is not working again.  I do know how to spell and use proper grammer most of the time, but for some reason *this forum*


"The stirrups ar folded onto the deck, and the retaining polls are now inserted into the turning sockets."  should read "The stirrups are folded onto the deck, and the retaining poles are now inserted into the turning sockets."  I tried twice to correct it, but it would not change.


The end of my message was also cut off.  After typing it three times into the original post, I finally gave up.  It is below:


*If you belong to a group that could allow me to display this train on a siding on your layout, please PM me or respond on this thread.*


Many thanks,


David Meashey


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

[email protected]#$%^&!!! It's doing it again! "I regret, but the Edit function is not working again. I do know how to spell and use proper grammer most of the time, but for some reason this forum" should read "I regret, but the Edit function is not working again. I do know how to spell and use proper grammer most of the time, but for some reason *this forum will not allow me to correct my mistakes*." 

I hope this gets fixed soon. I'm about to ask for a refund on my membership. Posting should not be this frustrating!


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

i like it! 
(are you going to paint that cannon?)


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

I plan to leave the cannon and shot case as they are. The car is pretty drab, so the cannon, shot case, and the clothing colors on the gun crew will help relieve that drabness. 

Best wishes, 
David Meashey


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

The car is completed. I used two more of my Walas-ite figures as the gun crew. Chris did not make them, but he did send them to me about 10 years ago. I had to remove the bow and arrow from the archer and cut the sword from his mate. The archer now holds a ramrod and extra fuses. The swordsman holds a torch. The flame is not the greatest - I used the foil from a Hershey Kiss and painted it with transparant paint from a sun catcher kit. I think it looks better when you actually see it.


Anyway, it's finally done. The photos are below. I'm trying to keep this brief, since my posts keepgetting cut short by the forum software.


Yours,


David Meashey


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