Traction Freight Equipment

Do you know how much work it is to make a car look like that on purpose?

Just kidding. That is a great car.

O27 is actually pretty well suited for O scale traction in 3-rail, as it makes for 13.5" radius curves (2-rail scale trolley curves are about 12" radius, per East Penn Traction Club standards).  If you search back through the Track Plan archives,  I did a bunch of trolley module ideas using O27 track.  

Is anyone making 3-D printed models of curved freight car ends?  If so, fitting them to plastic wood-sheathed boxcars and the like should be fairly simple... 

Mitch 

Nortonville Phil,

     Nice score...is it all tin construction? Which I find interesting....there is a lot of tinplate trains that could be repurposed as traction equipment!

Rick.

Rick,  It is made of wood.  With some bits of wire and tinplate.

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Is anyone making 3-D printed models of curved freight car ends?  If so, fitting them to plastic wood-sheathed boxcars and the like should be fairly simple... 

Mitch 

I had made a some resin parts to permit the application of 1/32" thick scribed siding to a curved end years ago when I was making CERA freight trailers.  Mildly tricky to do but I thought those cars turned out pretty decently then

On the 3D direct application of a printed part to existing boxcars might expedite things, but most of the freight trailers were at least 1-2' narrower than standard freight cars.

Nortonville Phil posted:

Rick,  It is made of wood.  With some bits of wire and tinplate.

 

Have you measured it?  I've found that a fair number of trolley freight trailers of that vintage to be 17/64's

rattler21 posted:

If anyone has an extra brass traction flat car please contact me.   John in Lansing, ILL

Who imported a brass traction flat?  The only traction flats other than scratchbuilt ones that I am aware of were the A-N/Zimmer kit (wooden) and the kit that I produced (resin/wood).

mwb posted:

I had made a some resin parts to permit the application of 1/32" thick scribed siding to a curved end years ago when I was making CERA freight trailers.  Mildly tricky to do but I thought those cars turned out pretty decently then

H'm!  Sounds intriguing.  

On the 3D direct application of a printed part to existing boxcars might expedite things, but most of the freight trailers were at least 1-2' narrower than standard freight cars.

(nods) True.  60xx series O27 boxcars, then?  They're narrower and sized to traction dimensions, more or less.  Not wood sided, but one can't have everything.   

Mitch 

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

mwb posted:

I had made a some resin parts to permit the application of 1/32" thick scribed siding to a curved end years ago when I was making CERA freight trailers.  Mildly tricky to do but I thought those cars turned out pretty decently then

H'm!  Sounds intriguing.  

Couple of years back in O Scale Trains mag.

On the 3D direct application of a printed part to existing boxcars might expedite things, but most of the freight trailers were at least 1-2' narrower than standard freight cars.

(nods) True.  60xx series O27 boxcars, then?  They're narrower and sized to traction dimensions, more or less.  Not wood sided, but one can't have everything.   

Mitch 

Some of the MTH RailKing stuff to traction width,

mwb posted:

Couple of years back in O Scale Trains mag.

Which issue?   

Some of the MTH RailKing stuff to traction width,

Ooooo!  Do tell.  You have intrigued me!

Mitch 

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

mwb posted:

Couple of years back in O Scale Trains mag.

Which issue?   

Some of the MTH RailKing stuff to traction width,

Ooooo!  Do tell.  You have intrigued me!

Mitch 

It'll take me a while to locate what issues and what columns....

There was an article by Andy Brusgard on converting an MTH Railking container gon to a traction gon.  I did at least 2 of them for me since you can pick those up cheap, convert to 2 rail, and sell the MTH trucks for close to what you paid for the entire car.  I know I added my resin castings to the ends of these to get that radial coupler end.  Good cheap fun with lots of play value!

Martin,

I measured the traction box car and it appears to be 1/4" scale. It is about 42' long and about 8'4" wide over the body.  I also came across a reference today to a Schmidt who modeled the Lake Shore Electric in Ohio.  This was in an early issue of Trolley Talk.  It said that he was an early modeler and builder of standard gauge traction equipment. He must have gone into O scale at some point.  

As far as traction flat cars go.  Remember there is also the kit by Midwest Train Hobby for the C&LE flat car. This is a wood kit.  Is Midwest still in business? I have one of these that I have built.

Nortonville Phil posted:

Martin,

I measured the traction box car and it appears to be 1/4" scale. It is about 42' long and about 8'4" wide over the body.  I also came across a reference today to a Schmidt who modeled the Lake Shore Electric in Ohio.  This was in an early issue of Trolley Talk.  It said that he was an early modeler and builder of standard gauge traction equipment. He must have gone into O scale at some point.

Neat!  There's a lot of old "stuff" out there with real character worth saving and enjoying.  I do have a CERA trailer that's 17/64'ths that I just like despite it's age and size; it is rather accurate to a set of plans I have.....somewhere......that are also 17/64'ths.

As far as traction flat cars go.  Remember there is also the kit by Midwest Train Hobby for the C&LE flat car. This is a wood kit.  Is Midwest still in business? I have one of these that I have built.

 

You are correct!  I forgot about the Midwest kit.  In business, I think, yes.  Well, at least Jason's Brass Poles lists Midwest kits on eBay.

Started out as an MTH Railking gon....

MWD,

    Your CG&W Car looks great, real nice job!

PCRR/Dave

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

MWD,

    Your CG&W Car looks great, real nice job!

PCRR/Dave

Thanks!  Just my version of what was in the Brusgard article in OST - reasonably cheap project as these cars can be had very cheaply, and in my case since I'm going to put 2-rail trucks under them, reselling the 3 rail trucks makes this even a better deal.  Adding a underbody details and bolsters is easy; annoying bit is Dremeling off the cast on details and clearing that up.  Adding the rounded end castings is also pretty straightforward.

Hello MWB

I stopped by to say that your models are excellent and as a fellow traction modeler also, I enjoy seeing them.  First class modeling and paint. finishing work !  I have been following your work (and threads) for a while now.  Keep up the good work !

Regards - Joe F

17/64'ths CERA trailer.....

Here are a few photos from this past Sat.  This was a test train on the new DFW O club modules after we completed track work.  We have been building new end loops and connecting track to work with 3 existing modules so we will be ready to run at a show the next two weekends in Allen TX.

Nice string of cars there!  That little 4-wheel trolley in front looks terribly familiar....

Buffalo and Lake Erie Traction "Auto-Ferry" flat

Another freight trailer...

Per Clint Chamberlin, "the NW#7 is an electric transfer car at one of N&W's Coal transfer piers in Norfolk VA.  The coal hoppers were dumped into a stock pile and the coal transferred to these cars, which would travel out onto the pier and dump into waiting ships

Sorry for the water mark.

Preston, Ontario

I think the Pacific Ele tric had some 40' boxcars which could be interchanged with "steam roads".

The South Shore and LIRR did have freight service.  These now are done by other companies.

The Texas Transportation Company serviced the Pearl Brewery in San Antonio TX.  Both are gone.

This is HSR in France, but is there at least one train set which carries mail?  

In the late 1800's quite a few cities had mail not only carried by trolleys but had rpo cars. An extensive network in NYC and Brooklyn as well as other cities. The rpo postmarks of these routes are available inexpensively in many cases making a great piece of history of the system.

Was there not a kind of mine train system under Chicago which was a local "UPS" inside of the Loop?

Yes, there was an extensive system. You need to find the book Forth Feet Below. Some of the equipment is at the Illinois Railway Museum. Last I heard some of the tunnels are still used for utility corridors. Also the Chicago Tribune had a conveyor belt for news print rolls in some of the tunnels.   The city inadverntly flooded much of the system in a construction mistake several years ago. I do not what has happened with the tunnels since then. 

I am starting work on a resin trailer that appears to be based on an Ohio Electric trailer. I will let you know how it comes out

C.M McMahon posted:

I am starting work on a resin trailer that appears to be based on an Ohio Electric trailer. I will let you know how it comes out

Please do!  Who made that kit?

It isnt a kit, Marty; it is a single casting of a freight trailer with  no windows and a railroad roof....