rkapuaala
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OZ
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 | | 03/04/2008 7:54 PM |
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Now that I have met my news years resolution to make at least 6 new figures, I thought I would start on the second part of my New Years Resolution and start building coach 64.
The best place to start this journal, I figured is from the begining and the begin always starts with a good plan, as seen above. I took this drawing and enlarged it to 1:20.32 scale and marked it up a little in process.
Coach 64 was built in the OR&L shops by OR&Ls master coach builder John A. Hughs. Much of the construction is similar to the Carter Coaches which OR&L bought to make up there passenger line.
I decided to start from the bottom up so to speak, and do the trucks first. I will include some photos of my progress, but since I am planing on casting the side frames in white metal or resin to save time, I will skip the mold making and casting process's and just show construction. | |
I keep forgetting we're not in Kansas! | |
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casey wilmunder
Brakeman
Posts:84
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| | 03/04/2008 9:00 PM |
| hi my grandfather used to own coach something like 54 or 24 i would have to look in pics it looks like a neat car. sincerly casey wilmunder | | | |
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trainmaster1989
Brakeman
Posts:44
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| | 03/04/2008 9:47 PM |
| Looks like a great project. I can't wait to see progress pics
Scott | |
Scott McKittrick
West Covina, CA | |
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joe rusz
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| | 03/04/2008 11:50 PM |
| Robert,
Auwe! You are one busy guy! The coach sound daunting to me, but you certainly seem to have a handle on the project. I await your next report.
I see that GR reviewed some of you figures. Nice! Now I really feel compelled to get one, especially since I'm getting sucked into the 1:20.3 vortex.
Onward!  | | | |
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rkapuaala
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| | 03/05/2008 5:51 PM |
| 
What the drawings don't show the image above does.
Last night I completed 1 side frame and 1 journal cover. The side frame is made of 1/4" ply cut on a scroll saw by cementing a copy of the full scale drawings on to a piece of ply and cutting out accordingly.
I had to drill the insides first to get the blade through, so since I had it up on the press, I made the holes for that would hold the wheel bushings at the same time.
Since this is just a prototype to cast in either resin or white metal, I will only have to make 1 complete side frame.
The load springs are another story.
I haven't decided yet if I want to cast them with the side frames or to just add them individually after the casting is finished. The are easy enough to make.
I use 18 guage aluminum wire wrapped around 1/16 " brass rod. I will only need 16 for each car, but I've decided to build 6 copies of 64 all at the same time because, its just as easy to cut 6 as it is to
cut 1.
Now I need to but some more detail on the journal c shapped thingy (whats it called) which, as you can see by the real trucks, has a bead all the way around.
Then I will make the actual star designed cover (probably out of the great plumbers epoxy I just got at ace hardware).
Then I will put all the nuts bolts and fasteners where they belong.
By that time I should be able to make up my mind about the springs.
One thing for sure is that the leaf springs are going to need to be a separate casting. | |
I keep forgetting we're not in Kansas! | |
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rangerjoel
1st Class Member
Cloverdale, CA
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Posts:55
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| | 03/05/2008 7:34 PM |
| Oooh, that's a great idea for load springs. I'll have to try that some time!
Joel | |
“Do something, even if it’s wrong!” | |
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flatracker
1st Class Member
Dunlap, TN
Foreman
Posts:146
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| | 03/06/2008 5:26 AM |
| That is an interesting unique car Ron. Do you know why there is such a large open area in the back? I know the weather is mostly warm where this was built, but also a lot of rain too isn't there? Anyway, it is a nice project and I will look forward to seeing your progress. The railings around the open back area, and also the front, sure will present an interesting challenge!
Good Luck!
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Bob Martin | |
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rkapuaala
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OZ
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| | 03/06/2008 9:23 AM |
| Bob,
Coach 64 is/was Dillinghams private car when first built. It is called an observation car and as far as I know, it wasn't brought out during heavy storms. It rains practically all the time some places in Hawaii. But it is a strange rain. Sometimes it will rain on one side of the street and not on the other. Once I was at the beach laying in the sand with a bunch of my cousins and watching the surf. It rained just on me, not on them. It is a very light rain, though and drys up almost as quickly as it falls. | |
I keep forgetting we're not in Kansas! | |
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livesteam5629
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Elkton, MD
Foreman
Posts:128
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| | 03/06/2008 10:28 AM |
| The last time I saw Coach 64 it was slowly rotting into the ground at the Bishop Museum in 70/71. Now It has been saved. A very interesting car to model. Go for it Kahuna!
Noel | |
Noel Crawford | |
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jimtyp
1st Class Member
Centennial, CO
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Posts:723
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| | 03/06/2008 10:37 AM |
| | Looking good so far! I like your spring idea, but if you made the side frame in pieces instead on just 1 piece you could use real springs? I've never scratch built anything let alone made side frames from scratch, so I have no idea what I'm asking or talking about. Just wondering if you considered that? | |
livin' la vida loco | |
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rkapuaala
1st Class Member
OZ
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Posts:634
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| | 03/06/2008 11:38 AM |
| She has been restored beautifully since 1971 and now sets in Waipahu at the Railroad museum.
Jim,
Since I am going to have to make several sets of these, I am considering making one set of molds without casted springs, so they can be added later, and another with the springs. I also have to make two different kinds of journal box covers; one with the star design and one without. Jeff informed me a long time ago that this differentiated the shop built coachs from the Carter Bros coaches, but I'm a little confused by which is which. Coach 1 clearly has no star design on the journal box cover, while 64 does. 64 was built in OR&L shops, while 1 was from Carter Bros.
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I keep forgetting we're not in Kansas! | |
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FH&PB
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Posts:113
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| | 03/06/2008 12:44 PM |
| | The star on the journal lid was characteristic of Carter Bros cars. In fact, you may be able to get just the lids from Hartford Products, who sell Carter Bros (freight) trucks with those lids. That might save you from making another casting. | |
Vance
http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass | |
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rkapuaala
1st Class Member
OZ
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Posts:634
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| | 03/06/2008 1:27 PM |
| Vance,
That would be great if I could get the lids because I have just determined that I was going to have to fabricate the lids separately since the over handing ears could not be done attached to the journal boxes.
This is where I am now. I have the side frames primed, need to do a little clean up, then I will build the first mold. From the first mold, I will make 4 copies.
Each of the copies will have the details refined, so that you can see the torsion rods coming through the nuts on the journal plates and on the top beam.
I will also do a better job defining the nut details, so that they are squarer.
The detailing around the journal plate needs to be cleaned up on the copies as well and I think the rivets are a little too big.
I had to do somethings to this piece that I wasn't real happy with because I am casting them:
That top beam is about 2 scale inches longer on both sides so that the cross member could clear the flanges. I also made the notches on it a little deeper than the prototype for the same reason. The wheels I have are about 1/16" wider in diameter than the prototypes wheels.
The journal plate is a solid piece front to back. I would have had to cast it separately to if I had done otherwise.
I'm not so sure that rod at the bottom is going to come out of the mold alright. Where it crosses over that bottom beam it should be okay , but where it crosses from the journal plate ear tips to the bottom cross beam it is probably not going to come out, at which point I will be faced with removing it from the 4 copies and resign myself to adding that piece during assembly. | |
I keep forgetting we're not in Kansas! | |
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jimtyp
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Centennial, CO
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Posts:723
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| | 03/06/2008 1:35 PM |
| | Wow! Up to your usual high standard I see :-) Since you are going through all this work are you going to make a kit or cars available for sale? | |
livin' la vida loco | |
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rkapuaala
1st Class Member
OZ
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Posts:634
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| | 03/06/2008 1:50 PM |
| I'm doing six cars, so if they turn out okay, then I will ask Oahu railroad museum if they would like one and sell the other 4 from my site.
As for the trucks, I had not planned on making any kits, but if they turn out alright and folks want a kit, I could make some arrangements to sell a few,,, last thing I want though is to have to cast a lot of truck kits after I finish mine. I want to move on to making more figures and working on Kauila Ruby bash  | |
I keep forgetting we're not in Kansas! | |
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DrVibes
1st Class Member
Vancouver Island BC Canada
Brakeman
Posts:29
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| | 03/06/2008 2:50 PM |
| Hi Richard, keep up the lovely work. Six highly detailed models is a lot of work!
I was interested in the trucks under one of the OR&L's Carter built cabooses, they were a mixture of Carter parts from thier sway motion freight trucks and their passenger trucks. I started asking around and was told that when Carters went out of business, their shop manager went to work for the OR&L, and the OR&L bought a lot of spare parts. So the OR&L continued to make thier own replacement trucks from parts on hand for some while. It's possible that when they ran out of original spares, they started making thier own. Hopefully they did not buy offshore cheap imitation knockoffs!!!
That is a good idea about the Hartford journal lids, those stars are not easy to make in a small size. I resorted to some I found at Micheals for the trucks on my Carter Duckbills, which I still have to finnish!! The trucks came from Hartland and Fletch acknowledged that they were not a good match, but close. I was not happy with my journal box lids, or the oversize stars, so I had another go on the 8 ton flat car trucks, which are also not yet completed.
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Best regards, Chris
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DrVibes
1st Class Member
Vancouver Island BC Canada
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Posts:29
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| | 03/06/2008 2:52 PM |
| | Oh by the way, after looking at my post, the stars should have one point centred downwards!!! | |
Best regards, Chris
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rkapuaala
1st Class Member
OZ
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Posts:634
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| | 03/06/2008 3:03 PM |
| Chris,
Nice work. Question, did you buy the second pair from Hartford, or did you make them. Jeff Livingston provided me with the photo you see at the top. Its hard to tell, but it looks to me that the stars are not flat, but seem to be beveled. Its as if the sculptor had taken a line from the points on the star and they converged in the center.
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and from that line he cut down to the surface at angle.
Like I said, its hard to make out on the photo, but it appears that way. | |
I keep forgetting we're not in Kansas! | |
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DrVibes
1st Class Member
Vancouver Island BC Canada
Brakeman
Posts:29
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| | 03/06/2008 5:28 PM |
| No the freight truck is home made, and some parts are still missing, some how I just like Carter trucks. This is supposed to be a later version of their 8 ton truck. I made an earlier version, without the cross bars for supporting the brake beams and it was VERY flexible!!
Now you come to mention the contour of the stars, I have seen a picture somewhere that confirms what you say about the profile. I will see if I can find it. The pic enclosed is not really conclusive, but I believe it is as you said. | |
Best regards, Chris
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Eric M.
S.F. Bay Area
Brakeman
Posts:51
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| | 03/06/2008 5:40 PM |
| The stars are not flat. They are, in fact, beveled. Hartford will sell you the lids you require. The Hartford Carter Bros.lids are very nice. I have talked to them in the past with a similar request and they will sell any part from any kit in any quantity you need. If you can make it to Ardenwood Park in Fremont CA you can have a look at some Carter Bros. trucks in person. I realize it is a ways off but they always have a railfair on Labor Day weekend and BAGRS will have the live steam and electric portable tracks set up.
http://spcrr.org/ is the group that restores all the old Cater Bros. equipment at Ardenwood.
Here is a link to a picture gallery from one of the past Ardenwood railfairs:
http://wegmuller.org/v-web/gallery/Ardenwood_2005
Regards,
Eric | |
Eric Maschwitz, Whistle Punk, Gunn Lake Land & Lumber
A subsidiary of East Devils Hill Lumber Co. | |
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