30s Loads Ideas

Bombastic

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Hi All, Sorry if this is the wrong forum (I'm not sure if this is more of a kit-bashing type question). But I was wondering if you all could share some ideas for freight loads for my (LGB) cars. My railway is a European steam railway loosely set in the early 20th century (technically my latest loco was historically built in the mid 30s, but I imagine the railroad as being set more in the 20s). My railway is imagined as being an interchange, with larger locomotives and cars hauling good between two large cities, and a small local railway that services a series of small communities and industries and connects them to the main line. What kind of loads might a small rural railway in that era carry, and how can I model those loads?

I'm looking both for ideas for loads, and pictures and methods for how to build those loads.

Obviously coal is the single most common commodity carried on my railway, and I figured out that it's pretty easy to make coal loads using black aquarium gravel glued onto foam board. I assume the same method would work for sand.

Any techniques for making G scale logs, crates, canvass gondola covers for covered loads, barrels, boxes, milled timber, or anything else you can think of that my railway might carry? Any inexpensive toys or model 20s farm equipment that you could recommend? I'm totally open to any creative ideas here.
 
I suppose the simplest load could be railway bits, rails sleepers etc, but then vehicles of the time be that early motor cars, carts etc, tied down, farming machinery, etc..
 
Crates can be easily made from stock thin timber, cut with grain and use a broken hacksaw blade to distress the timber before glueing together. Outside bracing can use coffee stirers. Boxes some in all sorts of sizes, I have one that fills a Toytrain open, others smaller many to a wagon. This link shows how I make coal and gravel loads, scrap metal uses the same principle. Collecting old bits or cutoffs from wagons, filings, swarf painted rusty makes great scrap loads. Use the search bar for Wagon Loads, you will find many ideas.
 
Logs are easy to create, tree branches, relevantly straight, and cut to length.
 
Pretty much anything and everything! You can even make up your own industry, treacle mines are prevalent in East Herts, so I'm sure there must be something similar on mainland Europe
 
If wanting to buy ready made, search on eBay under 16mm loads, G gauge loads, Playmobil crates, Playmobil barrels and Playmobil oil drums.
 
vegetables?

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boxes?

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printouts at: how to - wie gemacht (about halfway down)

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circuscars?

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covered freight?

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barrels?

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there are many kinds of freight. to buy or to make oneself.
That is very helpful! I really like how you did the fruit and the fruit crates, I'll definitely be stealing that! What was the source for your barrels?
 
As mentioned print outs, used this site for boxes, maybe a bit too modern in your case...


Maybe something else to consider round Ice lolly/corn dog sticks, could be cut to length as fence post of left whole as telegraph /light poles.
and you can always colour them to suit as treated timber.
 
Thank you everyone for the ideas so far. Sounds like lumber is pretty easy, I've obviously been overthinking that!

Does anyone have pictures or instructions for how you make stuff like g scale sacks, milk cans, barrels, etc.? Or a source for them? I'm generally trying to make stuff from scratch to save money, but if its affordable I'll splurge on some nice items.
 
For milk churns, I would spray up some of those yoghurt drink pots, if you have them in the US....
 
the sacks in the first picture above are cloth from an old first aid kit, died in either coffee or dark furniture polish. when dry formed and glued together with UHU all purpose glue ( i tried to sew them together first, but that takes too much time and too many pricking of fingertips)

barrels
i have three types in larger quantities. those visible in that pic. they are out of cheap chinese "Farm toy" bags.
modern oilbarrels, that were sold for the Carrera car racetracks in 1:32 (hayballs from the same source)
turned barrels from palisander/rosewood
(btw: keep an eye on the smaller scales. oilbarrels in H0 or N scale make fine tincans in largescale)

the best source for all the stuff, that lets a layout come to life, are eyes combined with curiosity and freetime to roam in all kinds of shops and retailers.

but my most used materials are veneer, coffeestirrers and matches.

see the pot in the pic below?
that started its life as cork on a bottle of cleaning alcohol.

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Thank you everyone for the ideas so far. Sounds like lumber is pretty easy, I've obviously been overthinking that!

Does anyone have pictures or instructions for how you make stuff like g scale sacks, milk cans, barrels, etc.? Or a source for them? I'm generally trying to make stuff from scratch to save money, but if its affordable I'll splurge on some nice items.
For barrels I used some purchased ones, then made moulds and cast more from epoxy resin.
 
Scrapped vehicles?
These were found in a garage sale (carboot sale) and broken apart.
The dents to the old utility vehicle (pickup) were done b using a small blow thorch.
Close Up 2.JPG Side View 1.jpg Top View.JPG

I also have made "pipe loads" using 25mm electrical conduit but any size would do.
The ends are circles cut from plastic card.
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End View.JPG

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For barrels and drums I invested in a cheap 3D printer and print my own.
 
3d printing is great for barrels, crates and any number of items if you have aceass to one
 
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