A New Flat Car for the Little River RR

[grabnet]

This was a fun build.It is a 30 foot logging flat in 1:20.3 scale. I used "bits" salvaged from an old junked B.mann Big Hauler flat car given to me by my model RR friend Bill.

I never turn down anything "free" in large scale. I used 5/8" poplar wood for the frame and steel strap iron from Lowes for weight. The deck was built up using cut down tongue depressors (craft sticks).

The wood was stained with alcohol and india ink. The small plastic bits were painted with acrylics, weathered and attached with Super Glue.

Metal wire was bent to form the coupler lift bars and some of the grabs.

I have always enjoyed this prototype picture from the Little River RR:

I am hopeful my model captures some of the spirit of hard working wooden flats doing the heroic work of moving the timber.

Thanks for looking. Tom



Doc Tom and the Little River RR guys in East Tennessee.

 

[pugwash]

Marvellous shot of the model versus the real thing. I'm intrigued by the metal and wooden stubs on the sides (most flat cars would have stakes there), are they some kind of chain tensioners?
Keep up the good work!

 

[beavercreek]

What an excellent bash Tom. Just love the realism that you have achieved.

 

[Richie]

Wow what a make over the flat car looks fantastic love the weathering .

 

[grabnet]

Marvellous shot of the model versus the real thing. I'm intrigued by the metal and wooden stubs on the sides (most flat cars would have stakes there), are they some kind of chain tensioners?
Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the feedback and the question.
The trick is to stack the logs carefully as a pyramid using the log loader. Three or four on the bottom layer, two or three on the next layer and so on. Logging chains were used,as in the prototype picture, and secured with the weight of the final top log. Note the chains do not go around the entire load as is so frequently modeled, but rather the last log pushes down and secures the chain and hence the load. This really shows in the prototype picture I posted.
I have not gotten to the point of modelling logging chains yet.

Tom

 

[grabnet]

Excellent job Tom

Do you have other modelling gems in your roster ?

Thank you.
Here is the first Bachmann bash I did:

Here is how I cut up the B.mann Big Hauler flat to make a stretched and widened 1:20.3 thirty footer:


Plastic bits were recycled off the donor flat's deck:

And attached to the wooden deck of the larger model:

And another car is put to work harvesting the Tennessee Mountains.


Fortunately my friend gave a large number of junked Big Hauler cars with plenty of bashing potential.
Tom