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 Posted - August 27 2012 : 8:26:12 PM
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About a year ago, I found an HO Motorola Gondola at the quarterly swap meet I attend here in Tampa-St Pete. I searched for it online and found it was part of a 1997 Motorola employee HO train set offer, perhaps from Athearn, judging by the characteristics of the car I have.
Anyway, I wanted to make it useful, but could not figure a prototypical load for it, and even asked on the MR forum about loads that might be reasonable. Finally, I figured that an electronics manufacturer with a wide variety of products, some consumer and some commercial/military, would make their own customized equipment casings and racks, so I decided to make steel (or aluminum) coils.
Pele Soeborg, who always seems to have an article in each issue of MR, wrote a book about quick one-day projects, from which I got the idea for an inexpensive way of making the coils.
I created a wood deck from scribed styrene board and weathered it, but used a tension (press) fit, instead of gluing it- as perhaps I have other same-sized gondolas that may need similar treatment, and can then use it as a template.
As I had enough additional weight with the rack and 8 coils, I used the center open area to create a storage lid for stowing tarp covers. Not sure if that is prototypical, but it looks clean.
After reviewing what the author used for blocking for his two-coil setups, I realized that I needed to increase the car weight to NMRA standards, so I decided to makethe blocking and coils sufficient to do the job, as there really is no place to hide additional weighting on an open gondola.
I made the frame and the coils, as per Soeborg's methods, using .010 styrene strips and CA glue, wrapping them in slivers of electrical tape as banding.
] 
Then I glued the coils to the rack frame and again, used a tension fit to place the load into the gondola, so I can change it out, if needed.
/tyco/forum/uploaded/siouxlake/20120827202257_Completed Job 1 jpg.JPG[/img
Now, back to the other jillion projects ongoing as we head into fall!
Siouxlake/ Ron
Edited by - siouxlake on August 27 2012 8:28:43 PM
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Posted - August 27 2012 : 8:32:55 PM
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Ron,
THATS awesome! Looks really good and its a GREAT idea to make for some gondolas of my own with out paying the walthers price for the "coil kits" that they sell!
I like it......That looks REALLY good!
P.S. I have a Motorola box car that I bet goes with that gondola! 
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - August 27 2012 : 8:34:41 PM
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Ohh I forgot to ask, what was the length of the .010 thick strip used for the coils?
I may do some of those, myself!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - August 27 2012 : 8:58:58 PM
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Soeborg's instructions state that you cut (from a standard sheet of .010 x 12" long styrene) three (3) one-half (1/2") strips per coil. I cut all the strips at once, using about 1-1/2 sheets of material. I touched one end of a strip in fast-setting CA (Loctite) and butt- joined three strips together first. Then I used a 3/8" diameter dowel rod ( or similar sized pen, etc) to start winding. After about ten turns, I removed the roll from the dowel and continued wrapping. When I came to the end of the roll, I made sure the roll was tight, then I ran a line of CA along the inside lip of the end piece to secure the roll. THEN, I used a toothpick to CA the initial turn on the inside of the roll. What you can do, that I did not, is to use CA periodically as you turn the roll; however, I found it better not to, so that I could make sure it was tight first.
I used ordinary electrical tape, cut about 6" long in 1 mm widths to do the "banding" but only on the top and sides of the roll, not the hidden (and glued) base. I ran a bit of the band inside the inner hole of the roll, then up and over and again inside the other side of the roll, then secured both ends with CA ( I did this after all three bands were on the roll. Note: this was done AFTER I panted the rolls and let them dry for a day to cure the paint.
Ron
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Posted - August 28 2012 : 05:22:12 AM
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Thanks Ron! I'll be looking to make a few coils in the near future for a few of my coil cars and then even might do a few to go into some of my gondolas, just as you did!
VERY NICE WORK!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - August 28 2012 : 4:07:48 PM
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That is really cool, Ron. I'm also a sucker for rolling stock with the names of electronics firms, so it's doubly cool. Is simulated wood plank floor original, or did you add that?
It certainly looks like a steel shipment they might receive for making transformer laminations, etc.
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - August 28 2012 : 4:29:56 PM
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Nelson- the floor is v groove styrene sheet painted WalMart primer gray, then a quick spray of model master olive drab, with a final India ink wash after the paint cured. It is a tension fit resting on top of the white floor which has the usual molded rivet detail common to Athearn gondolas. I tried for wider "planks", about 7" scale in HO, as I didnt think that narrow 3 inch flooring was realistic on an open car like this.
Ron
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Posted - August 28 2012 : 8:42:46 PM
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Ron, you didn't mention it, but I was pretty sure it wasn't original. It looks excellent.
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - August 29 2012 : 05:28:51 AM
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I'll be making a few of the coils, hopefully tonight after work!
I LOVE how that car looks! Altho, I think I'm going to use alittle less thickness of plastic on mine just for S&G's.
As I have quite a few "Coil Cars" to fill and that seems to beat the crap out of Walthers price on the coil load kits they sell! and, look much better!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - August 29 2012 : 10:49:12 AM
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I know this should be posted in the crazy auctions thread, but since this is about my Morotola gondola, it is perhaps better noted here:
Only a fool would pay money like that..........
Ron
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Posted - August 29 2012 : 11:11:13 AM
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Ron, make no bones about it, your a BEAST!!! Great work!!!
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Posted - August 29 2012 : 2:57:03 PM
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Ron,
Thats insane!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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