Ever Tried BuildingTinplate Styled Railroad Cars and Locomotives?

Seems to me there was a thread with pictures of homebuilt tinplate not too long ago. Maybe 2 months old?

Jeff C

You might want to check out the latest issue of Garden Railways as it has an article by Marc Horovitz called "Scratchbuilding Day Coaches in Tinplate" While it's in Large Scale, the article may be useful with techniques etc. 

Also more detailed "how to" articles are here:

http://tinplategirl.com/

Thanks I'll take a look

Here's a whole set: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOpIw-0UOhE

Yes, there was another thread about this topic. There two scratch-building directions, either to copy replicas of historic vintage toy trains or to manufacture you own trains out of sheetmetal, like I did..

Www.Saunalahti.fi/~likosjo/tinplate/tinplate.htm

Does that nibbler tool (mentioned on the Glitter Houses page) also work for cutting the slots for tabs and in the couplers?

Good morning…

“Nibbler” was not used to cut slot in coupler blank…but I did use “nibbler” to cut out coupler blank…

Here’s how I made slot…

Layout location of slot…Drill series of closely spaced, small holes in very straight line through coupler blank on layout line…Punch through remaining metal between holes with small straight tip screwdriver…True and clean up slot with an old fashioned “ignition points file“…(if you can find one)…

Note…it’s much easier to buy new couplers than make your own…but the challenge to me has always been making rather than buying…

My very best regards…Howard…

http://www.littleglitterhouses.com

for what it is worth...

here's a copy of the basic car body plan i used...i understand there is a much better plan posted somewhere in a book about marx trains but i have not been able to find...

my very best regards...

http://www.littleglitterhouses.com

Thanks so much this will help a lot

Here's the nibbler

http://www.kleintools.com/cata...g-tools/nibbler-tool

and there are a few Chinese hand punch sets out there you can pick up for cheap just to play around with.

http://www.harborfreight.com/9...d-die-set-95547.html

I tried making a few Marx-type chassis and Brit O scale body parts. You can find some custom pics on www.marxtin.com Click the 'customs' tab on the right.

Best thing is to lay out on paper or Strathmore and get a mock-up made before ya start nibblin'. I used to save smooth tin cans for messing around but they are rarer now. As electroliner says, tinplategirl.com has flat sheets.

After that you can get into die-making and buying up old punch-presses and sell to the rest of us! 

http://www.tinplatetimes.com/p...oe%20Mania/mania.htm

Not really any trains but I grew up around metal working. If you get into this big time, price a small metal break(bender), and a real punch will take all the abuse you can give it. Fast, no drilling, circles, squares, etc.. Here is the smallest they make, mine(xx) is 45-50 years old, with a bench mount adaptor Roper-Whitney 

(I am just as likely to use a screwdriver on the thinner stuff) 

I built a tinplate styled electric outline locomotive awhile back, but due to a lack of proper metal working tools I built it out of wood, styrene and PVC pipe! Totally free-style I used styling ques from prewar tinplate, including the std gauge Lionel 33 (no frame). Subtle weathering makes it look like it could be old to the average person.

K,

   I have restored a bunch but never built any from scratch, as Steve points out there is a lot more to doing it right, than one might think.

PCRR/Dave

This is the one I like and keep referring to for ideas:

http://www.tinplatetimes.com/Modern%20tinplate/SterlingSingle/sterling.htm

Also this beast on a Marx frame would look pretty cool: 

http://tinplategirl.com/2011/07/19/013-steam-shovel/