S.A.& A.P. Maintenance of Way builds

Re: Next project: S.A. & A.P. Pile Driver No. 1 - MOW

Yep ! Jim's right for sure. Looks like you might run into bed rock. No need on that division!
Bill it out, rear end, local service only, 25 MPH.
Bill Jackson

 

Re: Next project: S.A. & A.P. Pile Driver No. 1 - MOW

Another short midnight marathon. Started construction on S.A. & A.P. PD1A, idler flat. I cut the LaBelle body down to the 30 Ft. length, added the decking, which has seen its share of better days, and has had temporary 2x8's replaced at various locations, including over the bolsters area. The flat will have sides, three (3) 2x6's high, held together by stakes in the stake pockets. The front section where the PD Nigger Head, (proper railroad term) hangs over the car, there will only be a 6x6 across the flat to prevent anything from rolling out and allow easy access to the crew.

I've ordered a bunch of parts from Rio Grande Models and Scale Structures Ltd, for the flat load including: Spare Nigger Heads, replacement gears, oil cans of various sizes, welding equipment, track tools, steel cable to replace a broken cable on the hoist, spike barrels, hoist rigging gear, and tools.

Progress will slow a bit because I am awaiting key detail parts from Bitter Creek and I also need to get more Kadee 148's. However, I will continue to work on the upper body, positioning the stake pockets and working on the containment walls.

Here are pics of tonight's progress. More in the morning.

 

Re: Next project: S.A. & A.P. Pile Driver No. 1 - MOW

Worked on the flat car as far as I can go. The decking is complete, and all the stake pockets have been added. The cut levers are attached and the brake wheel assembly is installed. I have to wait for the bolsters, needle-beams with queen-posts, and Kadee couplers and gear boxes to arrive. I may make a run to Hobbytown USA or Dibble's to pick up some 242 draft gear boxes, and some couplers.

As for the decking, I've chosen a different path. I'm going to bolt down 8x8's in a "U" pattern to act as a containment area for everything. I'm undecided as to whether to use single 8x8's or double stack them, staggered at the end.

Here are the pics of the flat, top side.

 

Re: Next project: S.A. & A.P. Pile Driver No. 1 - MOW

Thanks to Jim James, and his wonderful trestle bent tutorial, I'm going to build a flat car loaded up with trestle bents to go along with the pile driver and its idler car. It's all your fault Jim. LOL...

 

Re: Next project: S.A. & A.P. Pile Driver No. 1 - MOW

LOL. I have the Dremel 408 w/collar. I just need to get an Atlas Snap Saw. I wonder if 34 foot bents are too small? I'm a glutton for railroad punishment. Whippin' out a load of pilings sounds great. If you said cuttin' or pinchin', then there would be a problem. LOL.

 

Re: Next project: S.A. & A.P. Pile Driver No. 1 - MOW

Another late night...I decided to pull out all the pewter/soft metal castings for the idler flat and have a field day filing and cutting off flash. Some parts are not yet here, like the gears and the nigger heads. They will complete the flat car. Only need to model some rope as well.

Here is the pics of the initial layout of items in the car. Gears will go by the anvil and the nigger heads will be up front since they are the heaviest of pieces.

Manny

 

Re: Next project: S.A. & A.P. Pile Driver No. 1 - MOW

Detail Parts! Gotta love 'em...except when and while you paint them. But the results that come make you forget all the time consuming aspects of painting, dry brushing, weathering, etc.

Here is what I've been working on this morning. I have a few more tools to complete and all the parts I have included in the previous pictures of the raw parts are completed.

 

Re: Next project: S.A. & A.P. Pile Driver No. 1 - MOW

Finished them up. Just one more to do. Parts will be coming in later this week that I can finish up the flat.

More work on the pile driver is coming up as well. Stay tuned.

Manny

 

Re: Next project: S.A. & A.P. Pile Driver No. 1 - MOW

LOL...I'm afraid that the pile driver wouldn't of done you service due to builder error.

I made a mistake when building the tower. The kit is designed for an HOn3 flat car which sits much lower than the LaBelle HO flat car. 3'6" to be exact. The tower is short by that much and does not properly reach the ground. I have contacted Eric at Rio Grande Models and have purchased all the necessary metal parts to rebuild the tower at the proper length, that should the tower be raised, it will be at the proper track level height.

Now some may say I should just leave it, no one will know the difference. The problem is that I know and it's bugging me to no end. So, I will fix it accordingly. Heck, I might even keep the wrong tower as a trackside item at the shop as a ground clutter piece. This repair will happen after the flat is completed.

Sorry Jim. You'll just have to stick to swinging the hammer to drive them piles for right now...

 

Re: Next project: S.A. & A.P. Pile Driver No. 1 - MOW

My parts from Bitter Creek arrived. I'm working on the underframe right now! Awesome stuff. If you haven't checked out Jeff Stone's materials, you should, especially if you are modeling 1860-1920. Go to: Bitter Creek Models.

Pics in a few...

 

Re: Next project: S.A. & A.P. Pile Driver No. 1 - MOW

Somebody call the fire department. I've got so many lil construction fires going right now. Argh!

Where to start?

Pile Driver: It turns out I made a mistake in the tower height because I did not compensate for the height difference between the RGM HOn3 flat car and LaBelle's HO flat cars. So I had to order a whole bunch of new parts to rebuild the tower. I got some of them in, but still need some more to be able to complete it.

I did get these:



That is the water tank and Dolbeer Donkey Boiler from Rio Grande Models logging skid. I am going to make my pile driver self-supportive.

So, the pile driver is on hold while I await the instructions as to where everything goes on this boiler.


2. Idler flat: I got the necessary items from Bitter Creek Hobbies in, but then realized that I was out of .010 gauge Phosphorus Bronze wire. So I have to order more from Tichy Train Group. That won't happen until next week.


3. The M.O.W. train arrived. I'm stoked. These kits are fun to build. I started with the Latrine Car. All the kits are very similar to how a LaBelle, Ambroid, Silver Streak, or Main Line Models kit goes together. I'm having a blast with it.

Here are pics of the first car build. I've stopped because I am needing parts from Bitter Creek, so I have to wait to order them next week. He has them all in stock, so I just need to pay him.




Things will slow down while I await parts. Oh well, just another day on the railroad.

 

Re: Next project: S.A. & A.P. Pile Driver No. 1 - MOW

Moving right along. Six cars down. Five more to go, but they all need to have their underframes completed. I have to wait for parts. I'm really enjoying this project. I'll post pics up in a few. Working on completing the Recreation Car.

 

Re: Next project: S.A. & A.P. Pile Driver No. 1 - MOW

Here is a group shot right now. When I get to finishing individual cars, I'll post up pictures.

Cars shown, left to right:

Supply Car
Equipment Car (doors not on yet)
Commissary Car
Bunk Car
Engineering Car
Latrine Car

Working on Kitchen and Recreation Car right now...

More to come.

Manny

 

Re: S.A.& A.P. MOW Train w/ Pile Driver No. 1

Manny, again those are great looking cars. I want to do something similar. Much of my career, I either ran or worked around Tie and Steel gangs. I want to do the Bunks and Machine Flats. Today there is a lot of soft metal kits available for machines. The names you used on the cars, got me thinking about what I have seen stinciled on the cars. Course without doubt, different railroads use different terms. Bunk, Foreman Car, Tool, Shower, and Kitchen were common. Power or Generator was used. MOW or Engineering. Gangs are a real experience, once while laying rail on the Hugo, OK line, I was walking behind the gang, and kept seeing parts of watermelon all over the track. A little later a field of melons, fearing the worst, I thought they were stolen. Here comes another call, just what I needed, problems. As I approached the back machine, I ask what were all the melons, the rear guy said the farmer give them to the gang. They had already took the good ones to market. As I worked my way through the gang, you guessed it melons stacked on every machine, scrap loaders, no scrap, full to the top with watermelons. Steaming, I finally decided, what the heck, we headed later on to tie up for the day, they filled the Ice car up with melons. To make thing worse, steel gang 2 arrived, about two days later. The men told gang two, a watermelon truck turned over and they bought the melons, course they would pass on the savings to their friends for only a dollar a melon. When gang two went by the watermelon field, two or three days later, I mean the colorful metaphors flew. One Day August, 1981 Bill Jackson