Restoration of old rolling stock

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Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of some rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

This hopper is falling apart as I work on it. Sandblasting is not an option as the car would disappear.
Dug a hole in the yard and made an electrolysis tank.
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A lot of metal work later.
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Would have preferred to keep more of the original patina but I might foe paint that on at a later time.
It is no longer a full peak hopper as I thought at the time it might be nice to have a place for feet to ride in.
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-Mike
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of some rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

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Truck upgrade
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Filled it with coal for the look but ended up being about 300+lbs so I decided to fill most of it with foam and do a thin layer instead.
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-Mike
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of old rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

Brake detail
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3d prints with some cast and stamped parts.
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I've never seen a train car without graffiti.
Some of the members of my club have highly buffed and waxed models. As that looks very neat and tidy it also screams model, not as realistic.
Thats it untill I try my hand at getting some of the orignal white painted lettering back. Not bad for being built sometime in the late 60's and stored outdoors uncovered in the midwest since the late 70's.
Should look great behind the b&o q4 it was made for.
-Mike
DanS
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 3:28 pm

Re: Restoration of old rolling stock

Post by DanS »

Terr1bleone wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 3:27 pm I've never seen a train car without graffiti.
Some of the members of my club have highly buffed and waxed models. As that looks very neat and tidy it also screams model, not as realistic.
That is awesome.

Dan
Pontiacguy1
Posts: 1566
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:15 am
Location: Tennessee, USA

Re: Restoration of old rolling stock

Post by Pontiacguy1 »

That hopper is my favorite of all of them. Love that patina! Looks like what tens of thousands of freight cars end up looking like while working out the last few years of their lives, often on some branch line somewhere or being stored for future use.
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milwiron
Posts: 156
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2020 1:52 pm
Location: Flanagan, IL.

Re: Restoration of old rolling stock

Post by milwiron »

Love it, that's what a hard worked freight car looks like these days.

Denny
"Measure twice, curse once."
MoPac5324
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri May 21, 2021 8:27 am

Re: Restoration of old rolling stock

Post by MoPac5324 »

Can you tell us more about the trucks on the flatcar? Those are beautiful.

I agree with Scott-the hopper is awesome. Corey Adams from SLLS had a CB&Q gon that was quite similar. It looked like it had been outside for years, with rust streaks below each letter. It received compliments wherever it went.

Great work.

Alan
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of old rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

The ones under them or ontop?
Thanks to everyone for their nice remarks.
-Mike
Glenn Brooks
Posts: 2930
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 1:39 pm
Location: Woodinville, Washington

Re: Restoration of old rolling stock

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Bravo! I like the third restoration the most. Don’t be afraid to wack away at all the old rusted material. You can always cut back to edges and use the remanent lip to attach new plate. Even sister in new angle iron for the frames and attach to that- although looking at the last set of photos, looks like you finished it up.

are riveting or welding the new material?

Looks like it has good bones and will be a noteworthy ballast car - particularly with the original build date, and the rebuild date stenciled on the sides... Iam all in favor of new paint. It will weather all to quickly. Class 1’ run good equipment- Everything gets repainted after a rebuild. Inner city freight yards, and down and out short lines have a lot of graffiti and rust, but the long haulers often have very clean equipment.

Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of old rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

Glenn, I have used both welding missing panels and riveting where it matches. I won’t be repainting it but might touch up the letters. the goal is to not make it look rebuilt. the original build date is unknown, sometime in the late 60’s early 70’s. it’s a coal hopper so no ballast either.
-Mike
MoPac5324
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri May 21, 2021 8:27 am

Re: Restoration of old rolling stock

Post by MoPac5324 »

The trucks riding on the flat. Thanks-

Alan
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of old rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

Alan, the trucks are designed by my late grandfather.
they are a mix of the look of a commonwealth tender truck with the spring rigging of the type of trucks on a sd locomotive. if you have any more questions let me know.
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-Mike
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