Suggestions For Flat Car Tie Downs: Information Updates/Photos

How about these:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Evot-Adj...sories/dp/B00SPQKNMG

 

These might work too:

http://www.gaspatchmodels.com/...-turnbuckles-48.html

 

And check out this site:

http://www.grandtline.com/prod...isc_car_details.html

Bossman284,

So many thanks. Those parts should enable me to do exactly what I want to accomplish.

Great suggestions !!!

I will e-mail you photos of the finished product.

 

Scrappy

 

 

If you don't mind, please post the photos here. I would love to see your results/techniques.

 

Matt

Eliot,

Go to evot-usa dot com. Look under crane and truck accessories. They have some great stuff that I will be using, but man are they expensive!! Even still I like them because they are so realistic.

 

Best,

Wyndham

Wyndham,

Thanks for the link. I have gone there and, yikes, they are too expensive for me.

I will try a less expensive alternative. I am going to build another military train with an increased level of detail. If I purchase the tie downs from evot-usa, I won't have any money for tanks !! 

Scrappy,  all depending upon just how detailed you wish to get, I make my military load tie-down turnbuckles from small tubing and wire with hooks on both ends.  I did make some operational with the smallest tap/die I could find, but were too big for O gauge. 

texastrain,

That's a great looking flat car load you built. I loved the way you blocked the tank and then crossed the chains and hooked them into the deck. Very nicely done !

 

I am going to try using the illustrations above which come from the military railroad manual on loading equipment. It will be fun to see how closely I can come to the drawing.

Great job !

Cool project. And a very fine tribute!
I second the request that you keep us posted with photos of your work. This is one those small details that is going to make a huge impact.

Scrappy,  yes the illustrations are very nice and detailed.  Only thing is, they are good for modern era military, only.  I model WWll to Korea periods, with that type equipment.  The railcar in the illustration uses tie-down methods developed, I believe, in the '60s.  I have made use of same in my younger days when working the docks in Houston area.  We loaded/off loaded from railcars and same system (similar) onboard ships when shipping construction equipment overseas. I have located pictures, and have videos, of military trains during WWll.  The use of gondolas, with open ends, was also utilized for transporting of trucks, jeeps, other equipment.  Steel plates were placed over the open areas above couplers and equipment drove from one set of cars to the next, and so on, allowing rapid load/off load.  I too found interesting some of the 1/48 detail tie-down parts one can purchase and use for detailing.  But, do cost a bit more than my method, even though they do look really nice.   Thank you, sir, for the compliment.  Yes, wish to see pics of your endeavor.  I will post more of mine, for no other reason than to give others ideas.

Lots of very interesting information at the five websites (PDF downloads) shown below about loading and blocking equipment. The second website (Alaska Railroad) has wonderful full color photos. The last website (Hulcher) has fantastic, close-up, photos of the tie downs on military loads.

 

Loading, Blocking, and Bracing on rail cars:

http://militarynewbie.com/wp-c...Rail-Cars-TR0690.pdf

 

Alaska Railroad Corporation Load Manual

http://www.alaskarailroad.com/...ht/Load%20Manual.pdf

 

Rail Transport Website

http://www.globalsecurity.org/...my/fm/55-17/ch20.htm

 

Hulcher Railroad Tie Down Services: Military Loads

http://www.hulcher.com/feature...ie_down_military.asp

 

Tiedown Handbook For Rail Movements

http://www.sddc.army.mil/sites...55-19_63_edition.pdf

 

 

 

One more cool tie down load for those of you with a wrecked locomotive !! What a great car that would be.

 

 

 

 

Scrappy, thanks for the links to sites concerning tie down of military equipment on railcars.

Great reference thank you for posting

Is there an all for one website that carries chain and other tie down materials suitable for Flatcars loads?

Seacoast,

Not that I have found, no.

There is not a great deal of O scale pre-fabricated parts to simulate the tie downs.

I have surveyed the aisles at Michaels Arts and Crafts and Homely Depoy.

I will have to scratch make some parts.

 

Scrappy

Scrappy,  pics of what can be done with home made details.  And these are not with

use of my turnbuckles I made.  these will be utilized with tie-down of tanks and heavier equipment.

Really nice, texastrain.

I love those dozers.

Scrappy

Scrappy, I am going to look again closely at the tie down of tanks and other heavies in the pics and videos I have of WWll military trains.  The railcars of that era did not have the anchor tracks utilized in modern rail equipment.  But, as railcars were/are always modified to best their usage, perhaps the addition of tie down anchor points is not out of the question for "older" type flats.

 

Great thread, BTW, great exchange of ideas and information.

 

To All... remember those who serve, have served, to honor and protect our America and Her Freedoms we enjoy, but never take for granted.

 

God bless.....

 

Jesse

Would fishing line connectors be a possible stand-in for O-gauge tie down chains ?  

 

I have never tried it; just a thought.  

All, attached are pics of just completed/painted "turnbuckles" I have made to secure military loads on my flats.  A couple are seen, made years ago, on previous pics I posted with the tank load on a flat.  Easy to make, and not expensive, at all.

Here is another alternative for those who would like to try this on their own.

 

The Spring 2014 issue of the Keystone Modeler has an article about building a depressed flatcar with a ship propeller load and within the article is how to make your own turnbuckles. Follow the link and scroll down to page 24. TURNBUCKLES

Jesse,

Are those pieces available commercially?

 

Big Jim,

That article has some amazing modeling. The tiny sizes of those turnbuckles was an example of modeling beyond anything I have seen. 

 

Scrappy

 

Scrappy,

I don't think I have seen anything like them anywhere.  I made them myself, and

very easily.  All that is required is as small diameter tubing you can locate, and the

proper size high tensile wire to form the hooks on both ends, then paint.  I do not mind some being different lengths, as there are turnbuckles of various sizes, depending upon

their load rating.  Give it a try, I am certain you will be pleased with what you can do.

And you really cannot beat the cost savings.... more funds for scale loads equipment.

Big Jim,

 

  YES!  Thank you for the link to the fine article on turnbuckles and other tie-down

on flats.  All I need do is file down on the more simple turnbuckles I have attempted

to form the open centers.  It has also inspired me to attempt making some shackles.

I have used them by the hundreds over my years in dock work and construction. Now,

to use some of that experience in duplicating more in my modeling.  Again, thank you,

sir.

 

Jesse

I just received ultra detailed metal turnbuckles from Gaspatch models.

They are 1/48 scale precisely and are the most amazingly detailed pieces I could imagine.

 

That's the good news.

 

The bad news is ain't no one on this earth going to connect those turnbuckles to anything other than by simply gluing the end of a scale chain to it. The turnbuckle is exactly 1/8" or less and so microscopic, it would totally freak me out to see anyone actually handling this and "buckling" anything to it. Perhaps a doctor with the most sophisticated microscopes. I did see a website which advertised HO scale turnbuckles. Look, no one wold ever see these O scale turnbuckles. Only God could see an HO turnbuckle !!

 

I doubt if I could ever put a piece of thread through this O scale turnbuckle.

Back to the drawing boards . . . . . 

 

Yikes !!!

 

 

Scrappy

Scrappy,

 

  We all need to remember, realize, turnbuckles are made in all sizes due to difference in capacity.  Just as the same with shackles and other rigging equipment, the load rating is what determines the usage, hence, the difference in size.  I know what I have made are large, so simply admit they may be "oversized".  But, that was/is done to ensure the security of the load while in transit.  Yeah, what I made can easily be made smaller, more to "scale".  What I made average one inch in length, or 4 ft in scale.  It was never unusual to see/handle turnbuckles of that size in the rigging and tie-down applications we did on barge loads sent out of the Port of Houston for delivery in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, etc.  So, to use a 4 ft length/capacity turnbuckle on a Sherman tank to secure for rail transport would not be out of the question.  IMHO....

I also ordered the GasPatch turnbuckles and WOW...........they are small.

I am not convinced of their "scale" as advertised.

 

They also don't adjust..........the picture sure does not match the product.

 

Anyway.........going for a refund on them if I can get it.

 

Will continue the search.

 

Dave

I agree.

No earthling could work with something so small.

No way, no how.

There are "Look alike" gizmos I am working with that will make a reasonable facsimile for the O scale/O gauge observer. The resulting "turnbuckle" will be 3 to 4 scale feet long but the overall effect will be more pleasing. 

Scrappy

Scrappy,

 

  You stated the turnbuckles you purchased from Gaspatch were approx. 1/8 inch long?  If so, am I correct, that would make them only 6 inches long in the real world?  I do not believe they could be O scale.... way too small.  The smallest turnbuckles I ever worked with ( and did so with thousands over the years ) were possibly 18 inches in length.  And those were only rated at approx. for two ton, or so.  And, would never be utilized for securing any loads on a truck, or railcar.  We made use of these for temporary tensioning of guy wires and other construction related rigging activities.  I do not see any turnbuckles used in securing a railcar load being smaller than two feet, minimum.  That would make them 1/2 inch long in O scale, minimum, IMHO and from past experience of turnbuckle usage.

 

Jesse