N to HON30

This could also be titled from two cars to three, as I used two N scale Readers Digest premium giveaway cars to make three HON30 cars.

This is a picture of the N scale car and the finished HON30 gondola.

I first cut the sides from the N scale car, which is the only thing I used from the original car. I built the underframe from brass so the car would have enough weight, and the ends were built from styrene shapes.

I scraped off the N scale details, leaving the rivets, and added grab irons, stirrups along with under body brake detail. I used N scale Arch Bar trucks as they are reasonable for HON30. Since I finished these cars, I have obtained some Grandt Line Gilpin Tram HON30 trucks and will be using them on future projects. This car ended up weighing in at 1.3 oz, so maybe I should find some brass trucks.

NEXT: the TANK CAR

Starting with this N scale car, I took it apart and built....

J&N #2

These are the parts I used to build the basic car. After drilling out the riveted on trucks, the car comes apart easily with a single screw. The frame of the N scale car was too small for HON30 and way to light. I needed to add weight and size to frame and tried out several ideas including brass, styrene and wood.

The tank had slots in it, and I trimmed wood to fit in those slots to be chocks to hold the tank on the flat car.

I trimmed, filed and sanded all the molded on details except the rivets.

I carved off the original dome and added a piece of 3/8" tube for the man-way. I also turned some steel bar stock I had laying around to fit in the tank for added weight. Even with all this added weight, finished, it only weighted in at 1.4 oz.

I finished off the top of the man way with..., you guess what I used.

To add maximum weight, epoxied brass bars in slots in the underframe. I decided to epoxy styrene all around the underframe to give me a 7' width and a reasonable looking length.

Here is the bottom of the underframe with the styrene added and the cast on moulding marks removed.

I filed the top side flat so the wood deck would fit tight.

I glued scribed wood to the underframe and trimmed to fit.

I painted the car, added a brake wheel, couplers and decals.

Then a little weathering and dullcoat for a finished look.

#3, a FLAT CAR

I used the underframe left over from the gondola and some other parts to make

this.

The frame would be too light unless weight was added. I soldered brass bar stock to the sides and ends to give me the needed weight, width and length.

It took a while, even with a 200 watt soldering gun.

I filed the top flat and glued boards to make the deck.

I stained the deck using the Pat Harriman method; I used Prismacolor markers.

I have gotta quit spending some much item on detail you can only see when the car is upside down! I used Grandt Line under body brake detail and stake pockets.

I did not figure the stake pockets into the width, so the car ended up about 6" wider than I would have liked, but I do like the way it turned out. This car weighs in at 1.5 oz. Considering it is about 4" long, that's not bad for a flat car.

I have dozens of projects that are waiting on good weather so I can paint. I have primed several projects, but I will have to wait until the weather warms up to do the finish painting.

what's on the bench

I am probably not going to get anything finished for several weeks, as it looks very busy around here. So, I thought I would show some of what I currrently have in the works.



The top car is an HOn30 tank car, see below for more in it. The Seaboard 40' double door box car is a simple kitbash from some old magazine article, just changed the side sill and added a second door to an Athearn box car. The Dairyman's League car is a Life-Like car that I kitbashed in to a prototypical car, but I had trouble with the correct Pittsburg & Shawmut dry transfers, I don't like dry transfers, so I pulled the Dairyman's league decals out and used them instead.


This is my second foray in to HOn30. The flat is the left over under frame from the earlier HOn30 gondola kitbash. This tank if from the same N scale set from Readers Digest. The tank scales out to an 1800 gallon tank. The car is pictured in front of a standard gauge box car.

This was inspired by a Labelle kit, but is mostly scratchbuilt, and will have a full interior. I will use the kit windows and trucks. The underframe is solid brass to give it plenty of heft, and I used Cal-Scale brass caboose end platforms. Note the inside walls are painted a prototypical green color.

MoPac Drover caboose from Silver Streak. I picked this up off ebay. It is a kit that I had been looking for for a long time. It was partly assembled when I got the kit, but it was not assembled in the correct order to paint the ends and roof, so I took it all back apart, and am reassembliing it.

Red Ball kits are some of my favorites. They are made with cardboard, wood and metal, or some combination of them. This is a pretty neat kit of a special purpose flat car that sits only 33" above the rail head. I am at a relative stand still, as I have not been able to get pictures of the prototype, and, in particular, how the load was tied down. This is another one of those kits that when you get it done, it won't fit back in its' original box.

This is a Labelle wood kit, Another kit that I started 10 years ago. Just about ready to decal, or the end is near.

This is an Ambroid kit for....well I guess it is obvious. I started out attempting to make the roll-up doors operable. After getting one side working, I decide it was not worth the effort. I still have the end detail to install, and have not found a good picture of the end, so I will go with the kit drawings, and assume the are correct. This is a kit that I started 10 years ago, and, since it does not fit the era I plan to model, I will probably sell it when I get it done.

This is another Ambroid kit of a Southern Hogshead Tobacco car. I real tough car to put together, lots of pieces, and very long. I have lots of pictures of the prototype and since I could not find a prototype for the door on the model. I kitbashed one to match the photos. I am going to add the Detail Associates cushion underframe, but it is on back order, so the kit is on hold until it shows up and/or I get in the mood to finish it. I will probably sell this one also.

Wow, this is four blog posts in one month, a new record.

Kitbashes and Craftsman Kits

I always have 15 or more projects going, so I can't get bored with any one project. These are all near finished or finished projects. Every once in a while I think I am done, then take a picture and realize what I forgot.

This is a Red ball wood, pre-printed paper side and metal kit. I laminated the sides to sheet styrene and built a styrene roof. It came with an embossed paper roof, which just did not look good to me. When I am building a vintage kit like this, I try to use as much of the original kit as I can, but there are many items that we have available now that were not available when this kit was manufactured 40 years ago...maybe more?

This is another Red Ball paper side kit. I could write a lot on this one, but suffice to say, it did not fit together like it was supposed to. Again, I laminated the sides to styrene, and used styrene for the slope sheets. The ladders that came with the kit were formed poorly, so I substituted Grandt Line ladders. Otherwise, it is fairly close to stock.

This will bring back memories for some of the MCoR members. I did not start model railroading until the 1980's, so this is before my time, but I like this type of kit. When I saw it, I just had to have it.

I think this is the first HOn30 item I have posted. I kitbashed this from a Readers Digest free give away N scale gondola. I just used the sides, scraped off the grab irons, and built the ends from styrene. To give it plenty of weight, I built the floor and supports from brass.

I also added brake detail as it really seemed to need it. I am working on an HOn30 tank car and a flat car. I am planning on soldering up the under frame for the flat car.

For comparison purposes, here is the HOn30 gondola in front of a standard gauge caboose. More on the caboose below.

I kitbashed this from two Tyco kits, Plastruct shapes using an article from a magazine. The Detail Associates antenna really makes the car Pennsy, doesn't it.

And now, looking at the pictures, I need to add Micro Glaze "glass" to the windows.

Update from several weeks ago. I added "glass" to the windows, except a couple, see the close up below, that I left without glass.

Since the car is modeled as being reconditioned, I modeled two window as being repaired with new wood on one side.

This car is from a Roundhouse 3-in-1 kitbash series kit. Obviously, it is the Tower Car. It is part of the Fire Fighting series, as is the car below.

And this is the water car from the same kit. With all 3-in-1 kitbash kits, you have to purchase added details and use lots of styrene and/or wood to complete the project. I still have one more car to complete in this set, but I have misplaced it...it will show up some day.

This is from one of my favorite manufacturers, Megow. This kit is probably older than my 54 years. Paper sides again, that I laminated to styrene. I also added styrene ribs to the side, and used 1/8" steel for a section of the bottom, to hide the weight. Other than the paper sides, ends, brakes cylinder, and hoppers, I don't think I used anything else from the original kit. The hoppers were cast metal that had degraded and I rebuild them and added some side detail.

This is a Tyco model kitbashed per a magazine article. I was able to find the Champ decals thanks to soobaldwin. Thats all for this week.

Latest kits

Some of these I started years ago, and just got around to finishing them.
This is an Athearn kit with Champ decals, mostly one letter at a time. Other than changing the dome platform, and, obviously, painting, this is a basic kit.

HOn3...not to many people will recognize this gondola. It is a Roco military trailer that I converted to a railroad car. Got the idea from an old magazine article.

Another basic old Athearn kit with change of the platform dome. Champ lettering set with each letter individually applied.

This is an AHM model of a European prototype. I painted an lettered it, but I still need to add some details...just not sure what. Send me any ideas.

This is a stamped metal kit that I purchased from the River Road. I converted it to automatic couplers, touched up some of the black paint and dull coated. Otherwise, it is original.

This certainly looks like a stock Athearn model, but it is not Athearn. I don't know what brand it is, as I can find no markings. It is a stock item, and the tank looks like Athearn, but the underframe is not theirs. Any ideas?

This is another of the stamped metal kits from the River Road. I dull coated, added automatic couplers, and left the rest stock.

Guess what brand this kit is?

National Car Cast. As far as I know, it is the only kit they ever produced. This was a flat plastic kit produced in Canada. I still have the letter size envelope that it came in. They just supplied the two sides and two ends. There was an article in one of the magazines, probably late 80's or early 90's about the kit, so I ordered one. I still need to put a car number on it, but I will have to do some research to find the correct numbers.

I have enough material for a couple more blog posts, so I hope to get to at least one of them later this week. I have one on kitbashes I recently finished and one on what I am currently working on.