Gondolas of Lake Terminal RR.

[modelsof1900]

For a long time I did not write about progress of my models being under construction. A few of you will remember to my 1899 gondola project – building five 66’ gondola models owned originally by the Lake Terminal RR.
I will start with a short pictured review of old thread because there all pictures have got lost after a server change.
First a link to that picture of an original car.

– building the frames.

– gluing floor planks.

– first four trussrods guided on top to side boards. (I think against upward arching.)

– pressing to the arched upward shape.

– in comparisation, a new gondola and an old one behind.



– bolsters, made from metal like the originals.

– five models ready for their first run.

And here is a short video documenting the last construction level.

Detailing must be the next steps and starting with the brake will follow. This I will document here now.

– adding nbws,

– 12 double queenposts, and than ...







I built 130 stake pockets in two different sizes and I glued and clamped them to the models using thin copper wire. (At this time the models have got already a light coating of thin black water-solvable color.) All the stakes are additional fixed by small NBW meanwhile - until today each model is equipped with 271 NBW of different sizes!







Preparation of small nickel silver strips and angles for the edge-connections of side- and end-boards. The first picture shows the needed parts for one model, 28 strips and 48 NBW – and the result. I was very lucky that only two of my models did get these “like new” construction of wall connections which I’m built after the original blue prints.



Three of the models (which I'm building in an aged version and arched up body) are built after the more simple method using one angle strip and four bolts only representing the changes in later times of live of originals. For seeing the differences click also to the link of original car and you will remark that I love this simplified solution.

Now the first parts in preparation for brake installation.



Click on picture for an enlarged view.

First here a sketch of the planned brake which I “constructed” after time-consuming searches of typical KC-brake constructions of that time. I did not found documents of the original brake equipped to these specific cars however I’m sure that “my brake construction” will be very close to one used on the time in 1900 era. A typical part of such a brake with handbrakes at each end of the car is the cross-lever which joints both handbrakes so the power of handbrakes will be transmitted to the brake lever like at ordinary other cars equipped with a single handbrake at one end of cars. So the mechanical air powered brake can work independently of the handbrake.









Here now already the preparation of first brake parts ...





... and installation of brake cylinder and train line – the models are in a condition before coating with a thin black color.

This is the present phase of models however adding of next brake parts will follow directly. A few of the needed parts are laying on my worktable and I promise that you must not wait a year or more again for next pictures.

[ocalicreek]

WOW!!! hock: Your work always impresses me! Fantastic. Please continue - I'm excited to see how all those little brake bits fit together!

Galen

[Gary S]

The small details are quite amazing. Makes me want to step my modeling up a notch!

[Sumpter250]

I have no words, worthy of use, to describe how impressive your detailed work is.

[doctorwayne]

To create such jewel-like parts for a single car would be impressive enough, but for five!! As always, beautiful work, Bernhard.

Wayne

[tetters]

Holy!!! Words alone cannot describe the level of dedication and craftsmanship in your models Bernhard.

[Steamtrains]

Impressive, to say the least...Much more impressive is the patience and skill required to make all those nearly-invisible pieces and have them look prototypical...!!!

Look forward to more updates....

[scubadude]

The small details are quite amazing. Makes me want to step my modeling up a notch!

.....Makes me want to quit! Bernhard, I have only one thing to say........
B-B-B-BAD TO THE B-B-B-B-BONE

[faraway]

Bernhard, do you have a (possible small) layout to present this and others of your gems? It must be a magic world where everything is done with that precision in 1:87 scale.

[Ralph]

Absolutely stunning and a labor of love, I should think.
Ralph

[P5se Camelback]

:jawdrop: :jawdrop: :jawdrop: :jawdrop: :jawdrop:

[e-paw]

great work,,,, can't say it any other way. Excellent craftsmanship.

[modelsof1900]

Greetings to all the model railroaders and many thanks for your friendly and honouring comments.

First! Sorry, I did publish an incorrect picture on sixth position of my opening post. Please look for the replaced and correct photo now – showing the corners of side-/end-walls.

I say in discussions every time that HO-scale will be the best size for my model railroading and model building because I must build many times more exactly and I must add more details yet when I would build in O-scale ore larger and I must say that N-scale modeling is to small for me and really nobody will see this details when they are build in half size of that what I build now. I feel well with my modelling in HO-scale also when I must state that my materials (and also results?) have done a small step to finer and smaller yet in last years.
Ten years ago I was lucky to find a dealer who sells wire of 0.3 mm diameter or brass strips of .02 mm thickness (0.012” dia and 0.008” thick). Shortly I ordered wire of 0.010 and 0.008” diameter a first time and in my shelves are stored a few metal strips of 0.1 mm thickness (0.004”). I think that this will be a normal way that my standards in model quality will increase like the time is going. But it is very nice to read that you notice my modeling jobs and that you give me a very friendly feedback.

Wayne, I think also that I’m a fairly crazy old man with my 67 years that I’m building five of these cars instead of one or two. However I had planned to build three models in such an aged condition, two for my collection and one for a very good friend. He sells a very rare and very fine brass loco to me for a very, very friendly price and so he must get one of my models for his high quality collection. But he said that he will get one model in new condition fresh from the car builder – and so I added first one and later two new models to this modeling job and now I know that I will do never will build such a big lot of models. Building one is model is enjoy, absolutely. Building two models is doing without problems because the experiences of first model will carry to second one. The third model is than work not other. And the fourth and fifth – it is often changing to frustration. But now – First I can see the end already and second – another friend financed me my most wished brass loco in exchange to such a car model. I think that this is a good target. (The brass model is a VGN class AE 2-10-10-2 and is standing in my show case already.)

Reinhard, no, I do not own a layout also not a small one. Most models are standing in a show case and only time for time they will run on a short test track. Best are meetings of our friend’s group here in Dresden or visiting the FREMO-meetings in Unna (both large cities in Germany) where I can run such an old time train. But there is the next problem and I think that you know about; all US-modeling groups here in Germany use DCC-systems for their layouts. Unfortunately I own only one digitalized motor car and I do not own the correct DCC-ready engine models. This should be one of my next projects – but I prefer to build model train cars from wood strips many times more!

Sorry for my long explanations, next post will be written about my modeling again!

[modelsof1900]

Here already one of the next steps - the parts of the air brake are mounted. Do you see that all connections to the levers are realized by small rivets (made from thin wire)? Thus all rods are movable until their ends are fixed to the frame and I do not have any problems with fixing the parts to the right positions.
In moment my biggest problem is to find a good working metal blackener for all the nickel silver parts (also these brake parts in picture) and a few of them are installed to the car since a longer time already. Background for the wish of blackening of the metal parts is simple. I would like to avoid a heavy air brush coloring at the end in order to preserve the visible wood surface also after painting and finishing. Now I have ordered the third blackener and I hope for success also after two flops.

[AF350]

Wow neat gondolas, great craftsmanship loads of details.