I built this as part of a scratchbuild challenge for another board, but it came out well enough that I thought I'd share it here, too.
I started with a pile of odd bits that I'd gotten in trade for other bits.
and a photo:
While this was not going to be a model of this or any other particular car, it will be constructed based upon what I've been able to discover of general practice. The model will be a 'composite' car - an older 1890's wood car rebuilt on a steel frame in an attempt to comply with changes in the law in 1912-13
The limiting factor on length was the Kalamazoo roof, so the car would have to be really, really short.... 27 scale feet in 1:24! I built up the floor from some Bachmann parts and stripwood.
Then bodged the body to match
To try to maximize the interior space the car is platformless. Some mail cars were built this way to discourage vagrants and break-ins. This is an early test fit of the roof.
The interior is sort of minimalist (for now anyway)... A sorting table, a few pigeonholes, a bag rack, stove, restroom with dry hopper, supervisors high desk, and a water cooler. I simply didn't have some of the things I wanted to add... or a lot of room!
Its should look something more like this:
The RPO end was often "blind" to keep folks out. The wood carbody was reinforced with steel on the ends in an attempt to keep an older car compliant with changes in legal requirements.
Adding LGB steps and handrails, plus clerestory light glass and vents
And a wash of grime...
The Barber roller bearing freight trucks got backdated into something that vaguely resembles short cast frame Commonwealth trucks.
So that I could fit brake rigging....
To reproduce that chalky old paint look I wanted, I took the Pullman green color and added an equal part of light grey, then a drop of dish liquid and diluted it with regular tap water. Once it was all dry, I "buffed", for lack of a better term, the car sides with a dry paper towel to bring out some of the under colors...
Then I added a bit MORE grey and water to do the roof. and last was some "licorice" craft paint and a thin brush to do the fresh(er) "tar" on the roof seams
I think it came out pretty well for being built from old junk and $10 worth of new parts.
I started with a pile of odd bits that I'd gotten in trade for other bits.
and a photo:
While this was not going to be a model of this or any other particular car, it will be constructed based upon what I've been able to discover of general practice. The model will be a 'composite' car - an older 1890's wood car rebuilt on a steel frame in an attempt to comply with changes in the law in 1912-13
The limiting factor on length was the Kalamazoo roof, so the car would have to be really, really short.... 27 scale feet in 1:24! I built up the floor from some Bachmann parts and stripwood.
Then bodged the body to match
To try to maximize the interior space the car is platformless. Some mail cars were built this way to discourage vagrants and break-ins. This is an early test fit of the roof.
The interior is sort of minimalist (for now anyway)... A sorting table, a few pigeonholes, a bag rack, stove, restroom with dry hopper, supervisors high desk, and a water cooler. I simply didn't have some of the things I wanted to add... or a lot of room!
Its should look something more like this:
The RPO end was often "blind" to keep folks out. The wood carbody was reinforced with steel on the ends in an attempt to keep an older car compliant with changes in legal requirements.
Adding LGB steps and handrails, plus clerestory light glass and vents
And a wash of grime...
The Barber roller bearing freight trucks got backdated into something that vaguely resembles short cast frame Commonwealth trucks.
So that I could fit brake rigging....
To reproduce that chalky old paint look I wanted, I took the Pullman green color and added an equal part of light grey, then a drop of dish liquid and diluted it with regular tap water. Once it was all dry, I "buffed", for lack of a better term, the car sides with a dry paper towel to bring out some of the under colors...
Then I added a bit MORE grey and water to do the roof. and last was some "licorice" craft paint and a thin brush to do the fresh(er) "tar" on the roof seams
I think it came out pretty well for being built from old junk and $10 worth of new parts.
