7 hours ago
Now I don't believe that there is a diesel crane like this one available in HO scale so I'm going to use the larger Athearn crane and modify it just a bit to dieselize it. the Idler car will be a bit more acurate as it looks like it was a prototype kitbash as I will be doing.
The two main parts for the idler will be an Athearn 50' flatcar and a Branchline 50' plug door boxcar. I used my athearn crane to figure out the clearances and mde some measurments for cutting.
I stripped the UP paint off the boxcar shell. and made some tape lines right behind the door on both sides, then the razor saw came out.
After some careful cutting I have a clean straight shortened structure. Branchlime boxcars have their floor molded in to the box and the roof is seperate. I had already glued the roof on so it was cut square with the rest. I did have to sand the underbody detail flush with the floor so the body would sit flat on the flatcar.
I did shave the stake pockets off the flatcar and then the body slipped perfectly over the sides. The prototype doesen't have pockets anywhere so those will all be removed.
The last thing I did today was to add the front wall tool the tool cabin. I'm going to have to order some Tichy doors and windows for it.
The two main parts for the idler will be an Athearn 50' flatcar and a Branchline 50' plug door boxcar. I used my athearn crane to figure out the clearances and mde some measurments for cutting.
I stripped the UP paint off the boxcar shell. and made some tape lines right behind the door on both sides, then the razor saw came out.
After some careful cutting I have a clean straight shortened structure. Branchlime boxcars have their floor molded in to the box and the roof is seperate. I had already glued the roof on so it was cut square with the rest. I did have to sand the underbody detail flush with the floor so the body would sit flat on the flatcar.
I did shave the stake pockets off the flatcar and then the body slipped perfectly over the sides. The prototype doesen't have pockets anywhere so those will all be removed.
The last thing I did today was to add the front wall tool the tool cabin. I'm going to have to order some Tichy doors and windows for it.