From the Firefly Shops

[Jay Criswell]

Please remember, it goes, Fox before Andrews, arch bar before either. Well, okay, Fox can be the equal of Arch. Don't give in to the dark side.

Jay

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Please remember, it goes, Fox before Andrews, arch bar before either. Well, okay, Fox can be the equal of Arch. Don't give in to the dark side.

Aye, the Dark Side - Bettandorfs!

And, on that note I think that the next 2 cars in the queue will get Fox trucks!

[rogruth]

Rufus,
@ 2000 I tried to build an HO kit and my fingers made a real mess of it.
My eyes were a little better then so I can't blame them.
Bad fingers pushed me to 3 R O.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Rufus,
@ 2000 I tried to build an HO kit and my fingers made a real mess of it.
My eyes were a little better then so I can't blame them.
Bad fingers pushed me to 3 R O.

I have built a sum total of 2 HO kits and only to scale them up to O and/or to adapt them to O.

I have several still on the shelf that I still have similar plan for that I will probably never get to in this life.

[De Bruin]

A step-by on building one of these "gems" would be interesting given the "stock ingredients" in the MLM kit, dyslexic plans and strip wood assortment provided.

And, I would do what with that - send to OST? Would it get published there? I have no idea.

Sorry, wasn't actually suggesting that you do an article (I'd likely be the only one interested anyway having actually torn some of them up) but think the details of building these (drop-ballast gon especially with that card stock trough) are just too weird to explain without before and after pictures. Think I still have a few more of the MLM's beside the Hart Hanks car. Flats, Stock Cars and some of those Solvay coke cars too. Being a sucker for this kind of tedium, I've been selling them off as I can(find marks) in the hope that someone can do them justice (which again I'm not sure they deserve)

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Think I still have a few more of the MLM's beside the Hart Hanks car. Flats, Stock Cars and some of those Solvay coke cars too.

Have you any of the container cars?

....... in the hope that someone can do them justice (which again I'm not sure they deserve)

Most of these cars can be dressed up to be rather nice; just takes an investment of one's self and better detail parts, and a bit of advance planning on modifying construction now & again.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

And here's the 2nd one....







...probably keep this one.

[E7]

Pretty Kool, Rufus!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Pretty Kool, Rufus!

Thanks!

Bit of sheet lead under the ballast,

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Next up.....two shells w/o sides or underbodies - blank canvases that are ready to be used to make a pair of reefers....

[Seaboard Air Line Fan]

Lookin good!

When was the last time you did anything not in wood or resin, but in plastic/styrene?

Why the post in the middle of the box? I "wood" think the "would" roof and floor has plenty of strength.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Lookin good!

Somebody put these together solidly!

When was the last time you did anything not in wood or resin, but in plastic/styrene?

Been a while, hasn't it? I do use plastic/styrene parts, but an entire build would take me back about 16 months when I built that Glacier Park drop bottom gondola that was ~95% ABS and the rest styrene. Wood for wood cars and structures makes sense to me; if I were building a metal car, styrene or brass makes better sense.

I do have an incomplete Red Caboose tank car kit that is in the queue for my traction column,

Why the post in the middle of the box? I "wood" think the "would" roof and floor has plenty of strength.

As wood I, but whoever did it must have thought the floor might bow or twist? I'd estimate that a week from now that these will both be sheathed with the underbody framing added, so out of sight, out of mind.

[bob turner]

Wood Eye? "Big ear! Big ear!"

I just carve a solid block, then add the sheathing with huge clamps and a big vise. Gives a car a certain "heft". Probably too heavy for most, but my max train length is 14 cars.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I just carve a solid block, then add the sheathing with huge clamps and a big vise.

I have had a similar thought; a block of well aged poplar or similar run through the radial saw to mill the roof profile; add underbody and apply sheathing; 90% done. Add details, paint & letter.

Probably a building style ~75 years young..........

[robert.]

"Why the post in the middle of the box?" It's used to hold a giraffe actuator.