helium car - Printable Version +- (https://bigbluetrains.com) +-- Forum: Branchline (https://bigbluetrains.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=45) +--- Forum: Scratchbuilding and kitbashing - All Scales (https://bigbluetrains.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=27) +--- Thread: helium car (/showthread.php?tid=8945) Pages:
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RE: helium car - railandsail - 08-02-2019 An Aussie submitted this,... Originally the cars were lettered USNX for the Navy but later were transferred to the United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Mines Helium Field Operations and recoded MHAX. They were indeed used to deliver Helium to the Cape Kennedy complex as well as space and other industries throughout the US. The closing of the Helium Operations by the Government in 1996 meant the cars were withdrawn and some were preserved. This shot shows them being hauled by NASA 2 at the Cape. Note the water tower in the background, this is for Quenching Water at one of the launch pads. BTW, I'd like to have a NASA train on my layout even if I didn't have a space port or anything else,....just a NASA loco, some NASA helium cars, and a some NASA liquid oxygen cars. Maybe some solid rocket cars also.... RE: helium car - jim currie - 08-02-2019 (08-02-2019, 01:09 PM)railandsail Wrote:(08-02-2019, 10:53 AM)jim currie Wrote: .... also will paint inside of the car black so when viewed from eye level you will be able to see through .Don't know that i understand what you are saying here?? on the ends of the tanks on the proto cars you can see daylight through the car looking straight on so if you paint inside of car black looking down on car it will appear as a shadow if viewed at eye lever you will see light . RE: helium car - railandsail - 08-03-2019 Quote:on the ends of the tanks on the proto cars you can see daylight through the car looking straight on so if you paint inside of car black looking down on car it will appear as a shadow if viewed at eye lever you will see light . Sorry, I'm still lost on this one BTW I do not have one of these cars handy that I can inspect,...but I don't recall there being any 'open space' between the tanks. RE: helium car - jim currie - 08-04-2019 Brian if you look as proto type drawings the tanks don't rest solid on each other the tanks are double ended bottles with air space around them , don't have a photo of straight on side view but attached is a shot kinda showing what I mean. RE: helium car - railandsail - 08-04-2019 I realize that on the full size train the bottles were individual units, but not on any of the scale models. I was wondering how to make the scale models (solid/continuous plastic) look like individual bottles?? RE: helium car - doctorwayne - 08-05-2019 (08-04-2019, 09:53 PM)railandsail Wrote: I realize that on the full size train the bottles were individual units, but not on any of the scale models. While weathering/shading might lessen the solid appearance, I think the best way to get an accurate model of those cars would be to scratchbuild it from styrene. Rod and tube is readily available, as are structural shapes, and sheet and strip material. Rivet decals will take care of that detail, and Tichy and Grandt Line both offer hinge details in styrene. Wire grabs and sill steps, along with free-standing ladders will lift the appearance, too. The most difficult part might be getting appropriate (and accurate) decals, but Circus City offers custom work on a fairly large sheet which could do a number of cars if a group of interested modellers were to combine their order. That would make the cost very affordable. My good friend Charlie sent me some decals which he had made by Circus City, and while they were intended for use on a 50' outside-post boxcar, a little editing with my X-Acto changed the dimensional data to better-suit a couple of Tichy twenties-era 40' reefers... If I were not so far behind in my various projects, I might attempt such a project, even though it's not a car that's high on my list of "must-have" ones. Wayne Helium Sources - railandsail - 08-16-2019 Went looking for some info on sources of helium and ran across this rather interesting article,... Why Is There a Helium Shortage? A crucial ingredient in MRI machines, wafer manufacturing, welding, and more, helium is experiencing a shortage that's driving up its price around the world. https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/a4046/why-is-there-a-helium-shortage-10031229/ The USA is the source of 75% of the earth's helium. And helium is one of the most abundant elements in the universe RE: Helium Sources - doctorwayne - 08-16-2019 [quote="railandsail" pid='152788' dateline='1565982417'] ....The USA is the source of 75% of the earth's helium. And helium is one of the most abundant elements in the universe [/quote] A fact not to be taken lightly, I guess? Wayne RE: Helium Sources - railandsail - 08-16-2019 Quote: Hello Rick, I have quite a number of these cars, and was hoping to develop a method to make them look better than their stock condition. I took note of your modifications, but I had several questions for you; 1) How did you make it appear that the long tanks are individual units? You seemed to have gotten those dark lines pretty straight and consistent 2) Did you ever attempt to try making the cross-bracing separate from the tanks??...like this photo (did it show up, as it was posted on another forum?) RE: helium car - jim currie - 08-19-2019 Brian did some experimenting before left on trip will post photo when we get back. Jim RE: helium car - jim currie - 10-09-2019 ok here is photo of car using a fine tipped marker its sloppy work as car will be stripped, but just the marker adds depth to tanks. at distant it appears that the marker needs to be smaller. RE: helium car - railandsail - 10-09-2019 But the I wonder what a change in the color of the tanks would do to blur out some of that black marker? RE: helium car - jim currie - 10-09-2019 (10-09-2019, 12:04 PM)railandsail Wrote: But the I wonder what a change in the color of the tanks would do to blur out some of that black marker? don't know I have a silver one that is going to be worked on , will dig it out and try marker. RE: helium car - ezdays - 10-09-2019 Just a thought, but how about spritzing it with some diluted India ink? Lay it on its side and use a high % dilution to start with and keep doing it until it looks like you want. RE: helium car - railandsail - 01-17-2020 Going to have to leave this subject go for the time being and get my layout built and running,.....but I do intend to have both a small helium 'plant', and cryogenic car 'plant' on my new layout. |