Building 4 wheeled rolling stock

[Shawn]

Since aquiring two new steamers (Cricket and Regner Lumberjack) and seeing the simple rolling stock Chris Bird built, the Kittatinny shop decided they need to build some 4 wheeled cars to go with the new steamers. After looking at some plans the guys came up with a design (it was modified to fit the journals and the railroad). The guys wanted a plan that would be simple, fast to build and worked.

The basic frame without the journals.

Journals, wheels and side beam added.

Jig to make the process go faster.

So far two frames with wheels and journals have been built. The plan is to make a few flat cars, a boxcar, gondola and a logging caboose.
I bought 2 log buggies scratch built from wood at the East Coast Train Show. The guys plan to make a few more of those.

 

[gregh]

Hi Shawn,
What are you using for the journals? Looks like they might be these pasidump ones from eBay??
http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/pasidump/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686 < Link To http://www.ebay.com.au/sc...ipg=&_trksid=p3686

I've just used plastic angle with some bits glued to vaguely represent springs, etc. I go very much for the 10' rule. My 4-wheelers are 200mm long.

Using the angles means I have more tolerance for getting them and the 'bearers' (or whatever they are called. solebars??) the correct distance apart. Your method of mounting them on the sides of the long 'bearers' means you have to be accurate spacing them apart to suit the axle lengths.
I use one nail and one screw per journal bracket - take the screw out and swivel to remove the wheels.

Always a good idea to make a few wagons at once! Can't wait to see what you build above the floor!

 

[Shawn]

Thanks Gregh. I like your idea for springs. Those are the same journals I used as well. You cant beat the price compared to the metal ones, especailly when making a more then one car. Mine are 7 inches long 4.2 inches wide. (1:20 scale) I have a side beam with the holes drilled for the journals, then I use that one as my jig. That is the one disadvantage to the journals.
My next project is to make some longer ones with trucks.

 

[Shawn]

So far I got 4 flats and one frame built. Next I have to sand thm down and add stake pockets to three of the flats and then weather them.

 

[Shawn]

The nice weather latley slowed me down on the indoor projects. I did manage to get more done on the cold mornings and the cold rainy days like today. I just about completed the logging caboose. Just waiting for the decals to dry so can weather them some. The three flats have been weathered and detailed. One of the flats will become a gondola. I also started on the boxcar.

Fleet so far

Start of the boxcar. The Logging caboose was built the same way.

I ran out of scribbed wood so I made my own using a jig saw blade and dragging it down a piece of boxwood board. Not too bad in my eyes.

 

[Enginehouse]

Excellent thread gentlemen. I will definitely adopt the plastic angle axle box idea. Cheap and quick. I have been using commercial axle box mouldings which are much more expensive. I already make up a similar timber wagon chassis using a steel jig to aid accurate cutting and placement. (A piece of board and a few nails would do the same thing).

 

[Shawn]

Thanks guys
Ross here is the guy you are talking about. He is from Sri Lanka. Thats where I got my journals from. I did buy the link and pin but they were a tad to large for what I wanted.
http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/pasidump/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

 

[GAP]

I used Pasidump wagons as a basis for my sugar cane train wagons.
I found that gluing a flat washer to the back of the plastic wheels gave extra weight down low and this greatly reduced derailments.
I have used gregh's method to make journals with springs, for a tank car I made out of 50mm PVC pipe and end caps.
To fold the styrene I wrapped strips lengthways around a small baked bean tin, securing them with rubber bands, then filled the tin with boiling water removing the strips when the water was cool.
I then layered the strips on top of each other gluing as I added a layer, the used a razor saw to cut my "springs" off.
The pictures probably show it better than I can describe.

Cane Wagon

Pasidump Wheels with washer

Spring and Journals

 

[Madman]

What a great idea. The Washers that is.

 

[GAP]

I am building a flat car at the moment and want to weather it can you give a description on how you wheatered these wagons?
Any other methods/suggestion greatly appreciated.

 

[gregh]

Wagons are looking good Shawn. I like the scribing.
I use black shoe polish for colouring balsa wood.
Not wishing to hijack the thread but if anyone's interested in my making springs method, see my old topic from 2010 here....

http://www.gscalecentral.net/Building-4wheel-wagons-m88918 < Link To http://www.forum.gscalece...eel-wagons-m88918

 

[Shawn]

Gap I just use a black wash using black Acrylic paint. I like to put a heavy coat down. If its too heavy just rub some sand paper. Works great.

 

[Shawn]

Just an update. The sides were put on the boxcar as well as the doors. I started working on the brass detail parts. First time really working with brass, bending and getting the shape I need. I could have made the brass about half the width but I wanted to use what I had on hand. It was a challenge bending the brass but I think I got it.

 

[Shawn]

Well I finally finished the box car today. That should complete my roster for 4 wheeled cars until next winter. I was not crazy how the brass looked for the door slidered etc..... They stuck out to far and a tad too big. I ended up making sliders out of wood. Looks much better. Here is the completed car.

 

[gregh]

Much better with the wooden slide. Looks great.
How about a pic of all the 4 wheelers in a train now.