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A while ago I acquired an Accucraft flatcar and decided to squash it. Here's the old thread in the archives, titled "My not-so-flatcar": www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/view/topic/postid/12361/Default.aspx
My problem was the curve, which everyone thought was appropriate for an unloaded car. Here's Accucraft's photo:
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After squashing, I had this:
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And here's the finished project, an EBT end-gate flatcar.
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As you can see, the curve isn't very obvious - but on the other hand, it isn't curved upwards any more! The "Coach Bolt" thread [www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/8/postid/18634/view/topic/Default.aspx ] and Kevin's prior flatcar posts have lots of data about these flats and the gates, so I won't bore you again. But I will mention that those gates were probably held together by coach/carriage bolts, hence my thread. The same thread also has a prototype photo showing the sticks in the stake pockets - EBT used anything they could find, so I did too.
I did a few other mods - I had a bunch of EBT-style cut levers from my old hopper upgrade project, so I added them, and poling pockets. Then the whole thing got dirtied up a bit, and I tried to add rust in a few spots.
While fixing up that one, I got to work on my Bachmann flatcar, which has a different number of stake pockets. I was intrigued by this photo in an old 1953 magazine "Trains and Travel":
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It purports to show the tires from EBT's standard gauge switcher on their way back to Mt Union after turning. [EBT's shops were at Orbisonia, 10 miles south of the standard gauge in Mt Union.] There are clearly 6 tires, but how the devil did they take them off the switcher? Maybe it was sent down the Pennsy to Altoona where they had a wheel drop and tire heater? Anyway, that's a discussion for another forum.
I thought a similar load would be interesting, and after looking at my spare 'big hauler' wheels, I concluded I needed some real metal ones, so I bought a set of four steel tires from Dave Queener at www.cumberlandmodelengineering.com. And here's the result - a load of new tires on their way to Orbisonia for future use on one of EBT's 8 steam locos, which all had 48" drivers.
![]()
Here's a close-up; I let them sit on a rag soaked in vinegar (thanks for the idea, Vance,) to get a bit of rust going:
![]()
Here's another pic:
![]()
My problem was the curve, which everyone thought was appropriate for an unloaded car. Here's Accucraft's photo:
After squashing, I had this:
And here's the finished project, an EBT end-gate flatcar.
As you can see, the curve isn't very obvious - but on the other hand, it isn't curved upwards any more! The "Coach Bolt" thread [www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/8/postid/18634/view/topic/Default.aspx ] and Kevin's prior flatcar posts have lots of data about these flats and the gates, so I won't bore you again. But I will mention that those gates were probably held together by coach/carriage bolts, hence my thread. The same thread also has a prototype photo showing the sticks in the stake pockets - EBT used anything they could find, so I did too.
I did a few other mods - I had a bunch of EBT-style cut levers from my old hopper upgrade project, so I added them, and poling pockets. Then the whole thing got dirtied up a bit, and I tried to add rust in a few spots.
While fixing up that one, I got to work on my Bachmann flatcar, which has a different number of stake pockets. I was intrigued by this photo in an old 1953 magazine "Trains and Travel":
It purports to show the tires from EBT's standard gauge switcher on their way back to Mt Union after turning. [EBT's shops were at Orbisonia, 10 miles south of the standard gauge in Mt Union.] There are clearly 6 tires, but how the devil did they take them off the switcher? Maybe it was sent down the Pennsy to Altoona where they had a wheel drop and tire heater? Anyway, that's a discussion for another forum.
I thought a similar load would be interesting, and after looking at my spare 'big hauler' wheels, I concluded I needed some real metal ones, so I bought a set of four steel tires from Dave Queener at www.cumberlandmodelengineering.com. And here's the result - a load of new tires on their way to Orbisonia for future use on one of EBT's 8 steam locos, which all had 48" drivers.
Here's a close-up; I let them sit on a rag soaked in vinegar (thanks for the idea, Vance,) to get a bit of rust going:
Here's another pic:
If so, you got some 'splainin to do... 
