What’s on your Workbench?

[sarge]

Finally finished the cabin cars for the Elmira Branch operating scenario currently being written for the operations group here.

First, my Grabowski N5c


Along with it is this N5. It came to me in a trade, one of the rather infamous "Not Kohs" cars. Without choosing sides in the resulting controversy, I can say this car is not without its flaws and I have no problem understanding why the run would have been rejected by George. It looks like it started out pretty nice, but the finish is obviously hurried as far as paint, glazing, part-detailing, and part cleanup. Then there is the matter of the platform planking stuck down with double-sided crafter's tape after the builder discovered it couldn't be permanently attached and allow access to the screws that hold the roof on.


Since it really has no collector panache, I felt no compunction about taking tools to it, breaking a few smaller bones, and weathering it up. It doesn't hold up to high end collector standards but is certainly a good operators car.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[sarge]

Mine so far haven't fallen off but are also good examples of what I meant by the finish being "rushed". The more you dig into them (if you are used to building you'll get the "feel" of this), the more they show the builder was feeling a little desperate to get them completed.

I had to make this out of tube stock and a jeweller's screwdriver bit to get to the roof screws even after popping the platform flooring out.





It just felt like that one was a missed engineering foible that bit them in the arse trying to put them together. Grin!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[PRRK4s]

I have one of the Kohs N5 Cabins (serial number on the bottom, #83 of 250) as well and it too has the cupola windows that slide too easily. Since its only a display piece no need to place a dab of tacky glue on the frame to keep it still. Now if it was a layout runner, probably the glue dab.

[J. S. Bach]

I have a pair of K-Line cabins, one with and one without the Trainphone antenna. Once they are two-railed, they will be good enough for me.

[ScaleCraft]

Since we're doing cabeeses....these are three of mine. They started out as Walthers and maybe All-Nation wood and metal complete units, NYC or whatever, in 2-rail.
I have a couple in 2-rail, but this photo was handy.
I have a soft spot in my brain for short, wood, NP cabeese, and many years ago, after I had picked up another half dozen of these (whose bright idea was that stupid cupola wrapper with wood roof plug?) I decided to see what I could do.I de-kitted them, cut both ends of the sides to get windows where I wanted them, cut the frames, cut the roof then cut and ground out the plug under the cut end.....found plastic Lionel cupolas that look just like the prototype, paint and decals....and there ya go.
Even ladders on opposite sides like early NP had.

[sarge]

The values for two different markets; collectors expect opening doors and hatches, lights, windows that slide, all that stuff.

I secured the sliders on that N5 with a little clear lacquer and a treble-naught brush, but in the "open" position. I have to go back and check the end doors, but I often will secure them open on cabooses and diesels just for the look. For operation, the whole opening bits schtick is a hinderance. I secure everything.

I pulled the lights out of it too. I tend to do that religiously as it cleans up the insides of a ton of little wires, the removal of wipers lets the car roll more freely, it isn't sitting on a powered cab track all lit up like a Christmas display when not on a train, and no-one cares during an operating session anyway.

It was interesting to dabble in that rarified world of the high end collector piece but, to be honest, if it hadn't come to me in a trade I would have never actively sought such a car no matter the importer and no matter how perfectly made. No-one will be pointing out all the "features" during an ops session, so paying the extra freight for opening battery compartments with little battery castings inside just isn't an advantage. Sometimes its even a detriment to purpose.

If it's too "collectable" to weather and put to work, it doesn't stay here.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[bob turner]

Yay! Photos! Very nice, Dave. And when I open the big computer, I can see Sarge's as well. Very nice!

I agree - if I am working on Overland steam, all those sand dome caps get glued shut before the first slow roll.

[ScaleCraft]

Sometimes, you do something to salvage something that really isn't. We always thought this was Wentzco, but the roof is different than the NIB Wentzco kit I sent to Jimmy.
Sand cast bronze roof, ends and nose, prolly .060 brass sides. Whoever did this had no clue. Not B-17 windows, for sure.
Could have fixed them, but the sides are horrible...then find A-N drives, and I gave up on 2-rail FT's after Lorel Joiner mailed me an FT A and B set.
Openings are too big, screen is wrong, I think the portholes aren't quite right, but an old Lionel F unit chassis, do machining to fit, paint and decals, and LONG before anybody had FT's in 3-rail....I did.
Pulls teeth.


The windscreen always reminds me of British locos:
https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02 ... 322599.jpg

Ya gotta click on that link, apparently

[bob turner]

Paint looks elegant from here.
The only doorstop FTs I have time for are the all-cast ones with rivets. Mine are due for new paint.

[ScaleCraft]

Little show and tell here.
Look at the bottom edge screened in openings, run a line to the side cab windows:
https://www.american-rails.com/images/x ... 2ZGRTa.jpg

Then look at what the original builder did to the ones I have.

Now, I could have cut new sides. Rivets as needed. Bracing, screens, fixed the windscreen....but just wasn't interested with the A&S units on the property.

[Nortonville Phil]

This KTM Baldwin Steeplecab was on my work bench the other day. The roof is damaged as you can see in the photo. I was looking into what needed to be done to fix and modify the roof for trolley pole operation. Also this is a test to see if I can figure out how to post pictures from my Flickr. I saw Dave SC did it so I thought I would try again. Have not had much luck recently.



https://flic.kr/p/2mVswTM

[ScaleCraft]

This KTM Baldwin Steeplecab was on my work bench the other day. The roof is damaged as you can see in the photo. I was looking into what needed to be done to fix and modify the roof for trolley pole operation. Also this is a test to see if I can figure out how to post pictures from my Flickr. I saw Dave SC did it so I thought I would try again. Have not had much luck recently.



https://flic.kr/p/2mVswTM

ya gotta go to right click, "view page info", then scroll down to something that says "livestaticflicker", copy the entire line, paste it in here in an "img"