7mm American O scale Southern Pacific Motive Power and Rolling Stock

Stephen

Western Thunderer
It's been a long time since the last update, and in all honesty there hasn't been a huge amount of progress on any of the projects mainly due to the day job. However I find myself with time on my hands currently due to be stuck in a hotel in Orlando with my flight home today cancelled and rescheduled to tomorrow.....via Manchester!

Been a bit of a strange holiday, seeing as last week, it was stupidly warm - not what you'd usually get in Florida this time of year. Alas there hasn't been any 1:1 railroading (apart from the Disney 3ft Railroad), but I did managed to organise a visit to the HO layout of the Central Florida Railroad Modelers (Central Florida Railroad Modelers ). Wasn't to busy on my visit, but an impressive layout and really welcoming club members who took me through their whole operation.

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The one nugget of O scale I have had during this trip was the delivery of this loco to my hotel from a chap in California:

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The loco in question is a Car Works Limited 'Sacramento Northern' Steeple Cab electric loco. It is another example of how this 'side project' of American O scale has manifested into the main interest. Whilst I never envisaged going down the route of having anything of this nature, seeing a few models of Pacific Electric and other California interurban cars/electric locos, I really fancied getting hold of one, so here we are.

There is also a tenuous link that I saw similar locomotives working on the Hershey Railway in Cuba in previous visits over twenty years ago, so I've always had an interest in these type/styles of locos.

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The photos don't do the model justice - it really is cracking, so looking forward to getting home and testing it with a short consist of box cars.

I'm already on the lookout for a suitable caboose to go with it, and potentially a SN box car, which it seems various kits are available for including one by San Juan.

It does mean that any potential future layout will now need to have OLE added to a section of it, which could prove interesting, but that's a problem for five years time!

Cheers,

Stephen
 

Stephen

Western Thunderer
I decided to have a trip to up Birmingham this weekend and see what the 'New Warley' show at the NEC was like. Full credit to Warners for taking the show on, but it really was a shadow of its former self and was pretty underwhelming in all honesty. Good to catch up with @Scale7JB however, who like myself couldn't find any decent American O scale on offer.....guess that was all at the Guildford Guild meet! :)

Anyway, a few weeks ago I had another trip to @richard carr's layouts, and discussed potential 3D printing options for a few improvements to some of my Atlas 70Ton Covered Hopper Freight cars:

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Nice models, although its the massive Atlas Trucks that let the models down. Intending to replace the trucks, I had previously purchased some Protocraft 70Ton AFC A-3 Ride Control Trucks with a 5'8" wheel base, which quite timely went hand-in-hand with Sarah Griessenboeck producing replacement Bolster and Draught coupling box, which as always is available to download free of charge: Atlas 70 CH

Richard and Robin (@Boyblunder) kindly agreed to undertake some trial printing of the parts, and these were duly received by post a few days ago. With no purchases from the NEC to be pondering over, I decided to have a bit of a bash at getting these printed parts fitted to another 70Ton Hopper which is in the process of being repainted.

These are the printed bolsters:

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A small amount of filing was required to the bolster area of the atlas frame, but with minimal effort the new bolsters were slid into place:

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Trucks were screwed into place and the body / frame reassembled to get an overall check of the fit - perfect!

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The difference (in my eyes) is very visible and a huge improvement - the original:

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With new draught coupler box:

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And a comparison of the two vehicles:

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I need to have a play about with the couplings, seeing as I don't think they will have as much swing in the printed boxes as they do in the Atlas boxes, but hopefully that shouldn't make a huge amount of difference operationally. There is also a slight difference in ride height between the two cars which will need a bit of research into working out which one is 'correct'.

The protocraft Trucks will need priming, then painting the same SP grey as the body of the Covered Hopper. Naturally I'll batch paint the trucks for replacement on the other two SP Hoppers.

Thanks again to Richard and Robin for the printing to get this conversion started - much appreciated!

Cheers,

Stephen
 
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Stephen

Western Thunderer
Another shot to show the vast improvement to the underframe of the covered hopper.

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I'll probably take a punt and use some filler to seal the gaps between the existing frames and the 3D printed part. Famous last words, but I wouldn't enviasge myself needing to take the new boster frame off of the frame once it has been painted.

Cheers,

Stephen
 

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Another shot to show the vast improvement to the underframe of the covered hopper.

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I'll probably take a punt and use some filler to seal the gaps between the existing frames and the 3D printed part. Famous last words, but I wouldn't enviasge myself needing to take the new boster frame off of the frame once it has been painted.

Cheers,

Stephen
Night and day!

JB.
 

Scale7JB

Western Thunderer
Must admit I did notice that.
I keep meaning to make myself a coupler height gauge. But I could buy one and it would be so much quicker. But then it would be cheaper to build one, and it wouldn’t be difficult… etc etc..

I still haven’t got one.

JB.
 

Stephen

Western Thunderer
I would agree, but a little while back I compared a brand new Atlas Gp7 against a Precision Brass wagon (I.e. 20-30 years old), and the couplers almost didn’t touch due to there being such a difference. Which one is correct?

JB.

I've taken the stance that the Glacier Park Models will be my bench mark for coupler height - with all the research and time spent crafting such a brilliant model, they would surely have the coupler height correct wouldn't they?!? Surely.....! :):D

Don't get me wrong, although 'suitable' coupler height needs to be addressed for future reliable operations, I guess what's presently on my mind is the general look of the hoppers from a side view. I always felt they seemed a little squat with the original Atlas Trucks, so the raising of the hopper car with the new bolster does give a slightly different view. However, seeing as I plan to replace all three of my covered hoppers with these printed bolsters and Protocraft Trucks, they all should be the same height when in a consist.

Cheers,

Stephen
 
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