More Flat Cars?

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bob turner
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More Flat Cars?

Postby bob turner » Sat Apr 16, 2022 2:30 pm

I missed the "window" in Maroon's thread for these. At least one OGR forumite asked about my eight axle flat, so I shall post. I must have had a synapse reconnect somewhere, because in my earlier times I could not have cared less about deep well cars - but now I think I have maybe ten!

This one is an All Nation, with extensions screwed and JB Welded on (I never learned how to weld aluminum):

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Trucks are Lobaugh ATSF Tender.

J. S. Bach
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Re: More Flat Cars?

Postby J. S. Bach » Sat Apr 16, 2022 4:19 pm

Nice. I have about two dozen or so of those (un-modified) between the Walthers and AN versions.

E7
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Re: More Flat Cars?

Postby E7 » Sat Apr 16, 2022 9:43 pm

bob turner wrote: I never learned how to weld aluminum


I don't think it's so much learning, but that you need a TIG welder.

Nice car!

Rich

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Rufus T. Firefly
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Re: More Flat Cars?

Postby Rufus T. Firefly » Sun Apr 17, 2022 12:12 pm

.
Last edited by Rufus T. Firefly on Tue Apr 26, 2022 5:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It also gives you a lot of unhealthy coping mechanisms, trust issues, and a dark sense of humor.

bob turner
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Re: More Flat Cars?

Postby bob turner » Tue Apr 19, 2022 1:16 pm

Here is today's offering - all brass, except wheels and couplers:

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I was offered these Kemtron kits for Buckeye trucks - I thought the hobby store was quoting a price for each, and I was going to pass - but it was a high reasonable price for one kit. They gave me six kits. Two show up here . . .

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sarge
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Re: More Flat Cars?

Postby sarge » Tue Apr 19, 2022 4:26 pm

I too have a soft spot for outsized flats, though no doorstop versions here (edited to say it turns out I do have a qualifier for doorstop status, though it polished up to need no apology).

I'll shoot a few and post them. Like everything else here, it only stays if it has a job.
Last edited by sarge on Tue Apr 19, 2022 4:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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sarge
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Re: More Flat Cars?

Postby sarge » Tue Apr 19, 2022 4:48 pm

First one is of interest to you doorstop types, an aluminium cast bolster flat:

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The water-tube boiler load is of toy train origin, I believe MTH.

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sarge
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Re: More Flat Cars?

Postby sarge » Tue Apr 19, 2022 4:52 pm

Here's one of Harry Roberts salamanders:

Image

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sarge
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Re: More Flat Cars?

Postby sarge » Tue Apr 19, 2022 8:31 pm

One more, then I'll flick it in if this horse is considered dead. (Grin)

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I built this salamander from MTH parts. Started with their centre section and decks but new span bolsters, end-deck mounts, brakes, &c.

bob turner
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Re: More Flat Cars?

Postby bob turner » Tue Apr 19, 2022 9:12 pm

A water tube boiler might be fun for a large flat - not sure I am up to curving that many copper tubes exactly the same - but maybe. Nice photos!

I am almost sure I put this one in Maroon's thread:

Image

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sarge
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Re: More Flat Cars?

Postby sarge » Wed Apr 20, 2022 5:22 am

You mentioned the load being a a "thousand dollar BMW armature". There is a story?

Meanwhile, the classic Quality Craft well-car on Kemtron trucks:

Image

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sarge
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Re: More Flat Cars?

Postby sarge » Wed Apr 20, 2022 5:39 am

Though not strictly a "flat", its hard to resist this challenge. Operationally it makes a train of its own with couple idlers.

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Again, the start point was an MTH product. The basic sections were pretty nice, so new details like brakes, the hydraulic systems, a few stirrups, lower the whole thing, much the same work as that MTH salamander I showed earlier except a lot more.

OMI made one, but they go for pretty stupid money. I often think I'd love to have one but, once the crews set to work in an ops session, the origins tend to disappear from the mind so long as the piece isn't visually jarring in some flaw or another and it does its job.

J. S. Bach
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Re: More Flat Cars?

Postby J. S. Bach » Wed Apr 20, 2022 1:58 pm

Nice Schnabel. I bought one to two-rail but never got to doing it. Then later at one of the Strasburg shows someone had a two-rail Westinghouse one for sale; saved me a lot of effort and expense. I finally found a matching K-Line Westinghouse extended-vision cabin car to use s a rider car.

bob turner
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Re: More Flat Cars?

Postby bob turner » Wed Apr 20, 2022 2:34 pm

Story: We have a 1988 BMW 6- series coupe - arguably the best looking Beemer ever produced (opinion, of course). When it goes in the shop, the minimum charge is a grand.
So the blower motor started squeaking. Instead of putting a drop of oil on each Gramix bearing, the shop got a new armature (with lubricated bearings) for $125, and spent $875 labor installing it. The mechanic is a friend, so he saved the armature for me.

So, "well" flat cars?

bob turner
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Re: More Flat Cars?

Postby bob turner » Wed Apr 20, 2022 2:39 pm

This one is not brass - it is dark Walnut. The steam pump mounted in the well actually worked at one time, and was built from a kit by my brother. Trucks are Max Gray.

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Oh - the "Pacific Locomotive Works" decal pre-dates the Briscoe efforts by two decades.


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