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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 04 2016 :  10:38:21 PM Link directly to this topic  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
I am proud to announce one of the most ambitious model railroading projects I have dared to undertake; the Great Tyco Plug Door Boxcar Rebuilding Program!!! My New Years Resolution is to rebuild 50 Tyco Plug door cars to show off on my club's layout at Trainfest 2016!!!!

This project was inspired by GIC's article on Tyco's plug door boxcars. Before reading GIC's article I had never really considered the shear number of pluggers that Tyco had produced, much less how many of these things are still floating around out there. As GIC said in his article about the BN version of this car....

Just for fun – do an ebay search in Tyco for “Burlington Northern” and see how many of these turn up. Then expand that to general HO and see how many more you find. Ooops – don’t forget your nondescript ebay listings like “lot of old cars” “miscellaneous HO stuff” and “HO trains”. Do that every few days, and I guarantee you’ll have accounted for at least a metric decabuttload of these by the end of the year. Lined up end to end, there aren’t enough PowerTorques in the world to pull the train these would make. But they could probably be used to build a lunar staircase.

Now I am the kind of modeler who likes to convert "Toy Train Junk" into useful models, so after reading GIC's article my creative juices started flowing. I asked myself two questions....

How many prototype cars could be reasonably modeled using the Tyco plug door boxcar as a starting point


and

could I turn Tyco plug door boxcars into models that would blend in on a layout populated by the higher detailed models being produced today?

I am currently exploring the answers to these questions, I have already rebuilt some cars and I have many more projects planned.



Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 04 2016 11:34:48 PM
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 04 2016 :  10:45:27 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
First I would like to show off some of the candidates for rebuilding....



If anyone sees a car that is of special collector value, speak soon or
forever hold your peace!!!


Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 04 2016 11:27:39 PM
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 04 2016 :  10:47:00 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
This photo shows some of the cars that I am in the process of repainting....

The jade green cars will be New York Central cars and the brown car
will be a Santa Fe car.

Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 04 2016 11:26:06 PM
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 04 2016 :  10:54:00 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
Here are some examples of cars I have already completed.....


This car is a basic rebuild, Kadee Couplers, New Trucks, Repaint, Decaled and weathered.


This car is for GIC, this is how a Tyco BN boxcar should look!


This car has additional upgrades including new stirrups and extended cushioned draft gear.


This car features a sliding door from Accurail and wire grab irons.


The Frisco used ladders on all four corners of their cars, mine are from Accurail.


This car also uses an Accurail sliding door, note the use of roller bearing trucks.


By the time I made this car I had standardized with wire grab irons and stirrups.
All cars also feature Kadee brake wheels.

More cars to come....


Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 04 2016 11:20:19 PM
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fourteen
Little Six

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 Posted - January 05 2016 :  01:32:54 AM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add fourteen to Buddylist
Looking good
Modeling on the cheap
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Barry
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 Posted - January 05 2016 :  11:55:51 AM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Barry to Buddylist
Scott, that is some fine work. I'm pretty ignorant about modern day equipment; that extended draft gear . . . is that sometimes used on modern equipment, or is that just for improved operation of a model train?
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JNXT 7707
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 Posted - January 05 2016 :  12:35:40 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add JNXT 7707 to Buddylist
quote:
Now I am the kind of modeler who likes to convert "Toy Train Junk" into useful models, so after reading GIC's article my creative juices started flowing. I asked myself two questions....

How many prototype cars could be reasonably modeled using the Tyco plug door boxcar as a starting point


and

could I turn Tyco plug door boxcars into models that would blend in on a layout populated by the higher detailed models being produced today?

I am currently exploring the answers to these questions, I have already rebuilt some cars and I have many more projects planned.
Originally posted by Srenchin - January 04 2016 :  10:38:21 PM



Scott -
Probably quite a few!
and...
Yes, I think you CAN do that!

I have experimented with the ubiquitous plug door boxcar from both Tyco and Bachmann attempting those same goals. With correct paint, decals and attention to some details like you have done, I think it's possible to accomplish, and a lot of fun in the process.

Great work there, looks good. Not sure if I could maintain the interest and the needed funds to do 50 of them though - good luck!

http://tycodepot.com/
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Redwoods
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 Posted - January 05 2016 :  12:53:15 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Redwoods to Buddylist
quote:
Here are some examples of cars I have already completed.....


Originally posted by Srenchin - January 04 2016 :  10:54:00 PM



Wow, those are some great rebuilds! Nice work on the painting, decaling and especially the weathering. The Frisco and the Penn Central are my favorites!
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microbusss
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 Posted - January 05 2016 :  1:45:46 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add microbusss to Buddylist
I likes & want the BN one hehe
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 05 2016 :  10:11:04 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
In this post there are six cars, five are just like the other and one is not quite the same.....













One of my goals with this project is to rebuild old tyco cars so that they can blend in with the higher
end equipment you can buy today. If it takes you a few moments to pick out the impostor then I have achieved the desired results.



Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 05 2016 :  10:17:11 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
Among my potential rebuild candidates I have is this car....



Do you think it deserves to be preserved or should I just strip it?

Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 05 2016 10:18:00 PM
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fourteen
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 Posted - January 06 2016 :  03:23:04 AM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add fourteen to Buddylist
I would save that one, was the fruit growers express the imposter?
Modeling on the cheap
Edited by - fourteen on January 06 2016 03:24:17 AM
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 06 2016 :  7:59:57 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
quote:
I would save that one, was the fruit growers express the imposter?

Originally posted by fourteen - January 06 2016 :  03:23:04 AM



I see you know your cars, yes the FGE car is the imposter (I hope it's not too obvious).
As for the "Hobby Horse Car" I will leave it "as-is", there are so many regular Tyco pluggers available it would be a travesty to sacrifice this one.

Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 06 2016 8:02:36 PM
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 06 2016 :  10:54:57 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
quote:
quote:
Scott, that is some fine work. I'm pretty ignorant about modern day equipment; that extended draft gear . . . is that sometimes used on modern equipment, or is that just for improved operation of a model train?

Originally posted by Barry - January 05 2016 :  11:55:51 AM



The extended "cushion draft gear" components are strictly supper detail parts representing the "after market" equipment that railroads used to upgrade their older freight cars. Santa Fe went a step further and used these extended draft gear components on their older cabooses to help protect rear end crews from slack action. These after market cushioning systems are rare to see in this day and age because most of the cars that had needed them have since been retired. New cars built from the 1970's to the present day have cushioning systems that are built right into the center sill and can be difficult to see from track side.

Originally posted by Srenchin - January 05 2016 :  9:45:13 PM


Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 09 2016 :  10:30:36 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
As I progress through this rebuilding program, I would like to share with you the techniques I use to turn a Tyco plugger into a passable model.....

First stop for every car going through its metamorphosis is a paint stripper bath.....



Scalecoat II "Wash Away" paint stripper is magic, the old Tyco paint will simply rinse off after being immersed in this fluid for about an hour.

Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 11 2016 12:10:44 AM
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 10 2016 :  11:29:45 AM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
After a nice long soak in the paint stripper solution...

the car comes out looking like this....

Then I use an old tooth brush to gently scrub away the old paint and lettering...


Then after a rinse in water what you now have is an undecorated Tyco plugger...


Next step, detail improvements and modifications....

Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 10 2016 11:31:43 AM
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 10 2016 :  12:01:16 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
I found this picture in one of my photo albums, it's a cropped picture of PRR 45924 spotted at Conrail's storage yard in Altoona Pennsylvania in 1990. This particular car will make an excellent candidate for a Plugger project, note that the car ends are the original Dreadnaught style just like on the Tyco Shell...


Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 10 2016 4:21:52 PM
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Barry
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 Posted - January 10 2016 :  12:33:29 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Barry to Buddylist
Cool to find a photo to prototype your build.
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 10 2016 :  1:32:09 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
Yes, PRR 45924 was built for this project! There are certain details that stick out for me besides the Dreadnaught ends (a huge plus, very few 50 foot cars have this style).....



1. The Modern style brake wheel
2. The side sill that extends to the end of the car
3. Square Stirrups
4. Post 1960 lettering scheme
5. Journal Bearing Trucks, (you can just make out the journal cover lids)
6. Brown roof, This is basically a "dip job" paint scheme
7. Plug Door
8. Grab irons on the corners rather than ladders

The one glaring difference this car has from the Tyco shell is the roof walk (or lack there of) but these were removed after this car's last trip to the paint shop. As a result, my model will represent this car as it would have been in the 1960's before roofwalks were banned.

Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 10 2016 1:34:59 PM
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 10 2016 :  2:52:47 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
Just tried to order decals for PRR 45924 only to find that nobody makes them, at least not in one easy set. I will have to kitbash decals from at least 4 sources in order to properly decorate a model of this car.

The Keystone emblem will come from a pre-1960 set. The older Keystone had shadow lines making the emblems look almost 3-D, but by the time this car was painted this effect had been dropped. Fortunately I can just trim the shadow lines off of the pre-1960 keystones to get a correct emblem.

The yellow lettering will come from a "cushion car" decal set.

The PRR reporting marks and numbers will come from a hopper car decal set.

The dimensional data will have to come from a generic box car data decal set.


Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 10 2016 2:55:59 PM
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 10 2016 :  7:57:46 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
In this post I am going to show how I make my shell modifications......

First I remove the molded on grab irons, remember to remove the grabs on the sides, ends, and the "L" shaped corner grabs on the roof...




Next step is to remove the old stirrups....






Once all the old details are removed, use styrene strips to fill the peg holes and extend the side sills






Next step is to add wire grab irons and Kadee brake wheel, stay tuned....

Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 11 2016 12:01:44 AM
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Barry
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 Posted - January 10 2016 :  8:29:09 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Barry to Buddylist
Nice clean little modification. Keep the story coming.
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fourteen
Little Six

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 Posted - January 11 2016 :  12:07:51 AM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add fourteen to Buddylist
Looking forward to it also.
Modeling on the cheap
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 11 2016 :  09:42:30 AM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
Good news for those of you following the progress of my model of PRR 45294, the prototype car has been preserved !!! You can actually visit this car at the Danbury Railroad Museum located in Danbury, Connecticut.
Check out the link below....


http://www.danbury.org/drm/prr45924.htm

I discovered this when I googled PRR 45924 looking for more pictures of it. Sure enough, several railfans have also uploaded pictures of this survivor. I see that Conrail put roller bearing trucks under it to get it too the railroad museum (probably for interchange rule reasons).

I for one am happy that the preservation movement is focusing on old freight cars, often times lowly boxcars get forgotten in the rush to save locomotives and passenger cars.

Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 11 2016 3:08:44 PM
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 11 2016 :  2:51:18 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
Here are my Pennsylvania cars with details added to the shells....



Note the brake wheel, grab irons, and stirrups.

Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
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Redwoods
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 Posted - January 11 2016 :  3:10:36 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Redwoods to Buddylist
quote:
In this post I am going to show how I make my shell modifications......

...

Originally posted by Srenchin - January 10 2016 :  7:57:46 PM



Great technique! Keep 'em coming!
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 11 2016 :  5:42:18 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
In this post I will describe the modifications I make to the Tyco Frame.

This is what the Tyco plugger frame looks like before modification...


Start by removing the sheet steel weight.....


Remove all mounting lugs on floor of the frame and file smooth so that the frame will lie flat when turned upside down....


Now that the frame can lie flat, chisel away the center sill detail that will interfere with mounting a Kadee coupler draft gear box....


I then use a quarter inch drill bit to open up the original truck mounting hole on the body bolster.


After opening up the bolster holes, use quarter inch diameter round styrene plastic rod to fill the bigger hole...


Then trim the plug and file smooth....



My next step is to add a "stiffening" sill on the floor of the frame, this is done to add some rigidity to the tyco frame and to provide some extra material for the draft gear and truck screws to bite into without needing to drill new holes in the Tyco weight...


Then use Walther's "Goo" to attach the Tyco weight to the stiffening rod...


Lastly, trim back the shell mounting pegs clear the hole plugs on the modified car shell.


Now the frame is ready for new trucks and couplers....

Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 11 2016 5:51:09 PM
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 11 2016 :  11:01:15 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
In this post I will describe mounting the trucks and couplers to the frame....

First, make holes in the bolsters to accommodate the truck screw, to do this use a butane torch to heat up a dental pick that can be used to press pilot holes into the styrene bolster plugs.....


The advantage of using a hot dental pick to make the pilot holes is that you can easily center the pilot hole in the soft plastic...


Once the pilot hole is made use a twist drill to make the screw hole in the bolster....


With the holes drilled in the bolsters attach the trucks using machine screws...


Next step is to add the coupler draft gear boxes, I prefer to assemble my couplers before installation. First use plastic cement to hold the coupler box in place. NOTE, you must have a shell attached to the frame in order to accurately mount the draft gear box on the end of the frame....


Then using a hot dental pick make a pilot hole...


Then drill out the hole with a drill bit and install a screw to permanently secure the draft gear to the frame...


Now with the trucks attached, check the height of the couplers against a Kadee height gauge...


Chances are that the couplers will be high, remove the trucks and carefully file down the frame bolsters....


Eventually the couplers will line up with the Kadee height gauge...


At this point, the car is ready for repainting....


NOTE: In order to attach a shell with wire grab irons installed, it may be necessary to trim the edges of the frame in order to accommodate the interior ends of the wire grab irons.

Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 11 2016 11:17:17 PM
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walt
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 Posted - January 11 2016 :  11:32:50 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add walt to Buddylist
Many good looking cars there Srenchin!
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fourteen
Little Six

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 Posted - January 12 2016 :  01:37:30 AM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add fourteen to Buddylist
Do you do anything with the roof walks? In my opinion they are the worst thing about those shells. I use for bolster a plastic rod that fits in the hole, with the inside being the right size for a 2/56 screw.
Modeling on the cheap
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thetramp
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 Posted - January 12 2016 :  07:55:19 AM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add thetramp to Buddylist
If you trim back the shell mounting pegs, what holds the shell on?
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 12 2016 :  10:57:03 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
quote:
If you trim back the shell mounting pegs, what holds the shell on?

Originally posted by thetramp - January 12 2016 :  07:55:19 AM



If you look closely at the pictures, I do not cut the mounting pegs flush with the side of the frame. If you cut back the peg to abut about 1/16th of an inch, there will still be enough of a stub left to catch the shell holes....

Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 12 2016 :  11:00:06 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
quote:
quote:
Do you do anything with the roof walks? In my opinion they are the worst thing about those shells. I use for bolster a plastic rod that fits in the hole, with the inside being the right size for a 2/56 screw.

Originally posted by fourteen - January 12 2016 :  01:37:30 AM



No, I leave the roof walks "as-is" because the work involved in removing the roof walk exceeds the value of alternative manufacturer cars. Why mess with removing or modifying the "molded-on" roof walks on Tyco cars when Athearn makes a plugger with a removable roof walk?

The purpose of this project is not to create "NMRA contest quality models", but to dress up Tyco products so that they will fit in on a typical model railroad. I actually prefer that the products of my efforts still retain a little "Tyco-ness" in their appearance .

Originally posted by Srenchin - January 12 2016 :  10:53:50 PM


Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 13 2016 10:30:01 PM
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Srenchin
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 Posted - January 13 2016 :  10:36:58 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
Someone call Webster, "tyconess" needs to be added to the dictionary!
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trainman280
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Nice job on all those cars, they look great!
I personally don't know whether or not its worth while spending all that time on each car...but if you enjoyed it, its worth it!

PS I don't think the sliding door and the roller bearing trucks match on that boxcar.

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quote:
Nice job on all those cars, they look great!
I personally don't know whether or not its worth while spending all that time on each car...but if you enjoyed it, its worth it!

PS I don't think the sliding door and the roller bearing trucks match on that boxcar.

Originally posted by trainman280 - January 14 2016 : 1:20:44 PM



Every model is based on photographs of prototype (real) cars. My main website sources for photographic information are from "Fallen Flag Railroad Photos".....

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/#r

and "Railroad Pictures Archives"

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/

If I put roller bearing trucks or sliding doors on my model it's because the prototype I was basing my model off of was so equipped.

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Edited by - Srenchin on January 14 2016 10:41:42 PM
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Trainman 280 raised a point that I have not addressed, that is "how exactly do I choose which prototypes to model for this project"?

Well beyond the obvious need to have similar dimensions as the Tyco car, I do have some guide lines that I use to select prototypes .....
1. The prototype needs to have a high hand brake
2. The prototype needs to have a roof walk (or have had a roof walk when originally painted)
3. The prototype needs to have riveted side panels

Ideally the prototype should have a plug door, if so then...
4. The plug door needs to have similar door locking hardware to that found on the Tyco Shell.

Details that I DO NOT concern myself with include...
1. Style of car ends
2. Dimension of the doors
3. Style of Roof Walk
4. Rivet patterns or numbers

With these basic parameters in hand, I next look at lots and lots of box car pictures either on line (mostly at the links mentioned in my last post) or by paging through railroad color guide books.

Then for every car I find that may make a good candidate for my project I next determine if I can find decals for that prototype. This can be a real problem because a number decal manufactures have either gone out of business or have cut back their available selection. (A special shout out to Micro-Scale and Herald King, for without their products this project would not be possible).

Then I do a similar search for appropriate paint colors, again this is a challenge because Testors has dropped their Poly Scale line of acrylic paints. Accuflex paints made by Badger are my preferred brand but their color pallet is not complete.

So far the most frustrating thing I have encountered with this project is to find a prototype of a car that is oh so close to my set of parameters but just doesn't quite match. I would like to model a "bankruptcy blue" Rock Island car but I haven't found a single picture of a prototype car with an intact roof walk. I would have also liked to model a New York, New Haven, and Hartford car, but the NH's only 50 foot cars were welded Pullman-Standard PS-1 types with the wrong style of plug doors. Ditto for the Boston and Maine.

The good news is that there are more than enough prototype cars that can fit my parameters that I can choose from. Stay tuned....

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Edited by - Srenchin on January 14 2016 10:46:17 PM
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Looking forward to more of your work
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In this post I will show the basic remodeling of the air brake details I do on my Tyco Frames. These modifications are important if you plan on running your cars on a layout that provides an "eye level" view of your equipment.

Now before I go on I have to point out a mistake that Irv Athearn originally made and practically all other manufactures, including Tyco, faithfully reproduced when cribbing off Athearn's work...

THE AIR BRAKE DETAILS ARE PLACED BACKWARD!!!

The mistake was a natural one of course, schematics of freight car air brake systems are usually drawn from a prospective above the installation. I.E. As you would see the parts laid out if you could see through the floor of the car. Unfortunately Mr. Athearn assumed that the schematics were drawn from a view of what you would see if you simply turned the car upside down. The general rule of thumb to remember, the air brake piston cylinder (the apparatus that has a cone shape on one end) must be located on the hand brake side of the center sill with the cone shape pointed toward the hand brake.

Fortunately this problem is easy to fix with an AB Brake System set by Details West. Similar parts are also produced by other manufactures.


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Edited by - Srenchin on January 17 2016 9:06:47 PM
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Impressive. Very thorough documentation, as well.
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quote:
Impressive. Very thorough documentation, as well.

Originally posted by Chops124 - January 17 2016 :  9:20:26 PM



Yes Srenchin, I agree with Chops - very impressive. I think your goals have been met and exceeded.
And thanks for sharing the detailed photos and descriptions. Great info at any level.

The only question in the back of my head is the cost for converting so many. On the other hand, I suppose I probably put similar amounts in any decent upgrade to a Tyco car, and I've lost count on how many that has been...

http://tycodepot.com/
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quote:
quote:
Impressive. Very thorough documentation, as well.

Originally posted by Chops124 - January 17 2016 :  9:20:26 PM



Yes Srenchin, I agree with Chops - very impressive. I think your goals have been met and exceeded.
And thanks for sharing the detailed photos and descriptions. Great info at any level.

The only question in the back of my head is the cost for converting so many. On the other hand, I suppose I probably put similar amounts in any decent upgrade to a Tyco car, and I've lost count on how many that has been...

Originally posted by JNXT 7707 - January 18 2016 :  07:17:08 AM



I am not certain if I understand you question. If you are wondering whether it is cost effective to convert Tyco pluggers into passable models of 50 foot box cars, I would say "yes" (I get more than my moneys worth in the enjoyment of the process). If you are wondering if I will have to spend a fortune to rebuild 50 cars into passable models I would say that the more I do, the less each car costs. That said, I estimate that the average cost per unit would be somewhere between 8 and 12 dollars per car.

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Ok, nest stop for my PRR cars is the paint booth...

First step, the primer coat...


Then the color coat...


Next step, decals!!!!

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quote:

I am not certain if I understand you question. If you are wondering whether it is cost effective to convert Tyco pluggers into passable models of 50 foot box cars, I would say "yes" (I get more than my moneys worth in the enjoyment of the process). If you are wondering if I will have to spend a fortune to rebuild 50 cars into passable models I would say that the more I do, the less each car costs. That said, I estimate that the average cost per unit would be somewhere between 8 and 12 dollars per car.

Originally posted by Srenchin - January 18 2016 :  5:28:56 PM



Well I ended up answering my own question I guess, but thank you for attaching a cost estimate on it - and that sounds about right.

Enjoying reading about your process!


http://tycodepot.com/
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In this post are pictured some of the decal sheets used for this set of cars....


and decal application in process....

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In this post the decaling of the PRR cars is almost finished....



I had to use several different decal sets in order to finish these cars, the most unusual was a Louisville and Nashville box car set from which I got the "LD" lettering above the reporting marks. (The L and D came from a "Dixie Line" slogan). Unfortunately I did not have enough L and D letters to finish all three cars so this set is on hold until I get more decals.

In addition I finished a Soo Line plug door car shown here...



Next step will be sealing the decals and weathering, stay tunned...

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Edited by - Srenchin on January 20 2016 1:30:04 PM
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In this post, I we will cover weathering and final assembly. Since I am waiting for decals to finish my Pennsy cars I will shift to my Soo Line Plugger to demonstrate the final phase of rebuilding....

In this photo, the car has just been decaled...



First step is to give the car a light mist of paint, this helps blend the decals into the side of the car...



Next step is to coat the car with weathering chalks, these are the colors I used....



Next step is to brush the chalk colors on the car, note that I use a mixture of colors in a single application....





Next step is to seal the weathering chalk and Decals with a light misting of Testors "Dull-Cote", note that much of the weathering chalk disappears in this process, if the car looks too "clean" apply more chalk and then Dull-Cote again....



Next step is to add the trucks, if the trucks have oil-lubricated journal bearings, paint the wheel faces with thick black paint to represent leaked oil....



Once your trucks are finished, its time to perform final assembly. Next step testing the car on your layout!!!



At this point the car is essentially finished, however I like to make sure the car is properly weighted to conform with NMRA standards. I will discuss this in my next post....

Proudly keeping Tyco Pluggers out of landfills since 2016
Edited by - Srenchin on January 20 2016 11:07:28 PM
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Question on the sealing coat for the powered I saw at hobby lobby a spray coat, cant remember the name but it is for sealing chalks etc. would it work better then dull cote?
I have the name of it at home will post it today after I get up after work. Have tried hair spray also, that worked about the same as the dull cote.

Modeling on the cheap
Edited by - fourteen on January 21 2016 01:49:39 AM
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Feel free to experiment with different products to test the effectiveness of sealing decals and weathering chalks. I use Dull-Cote because I am familiar with the product and know it works. If you are going to experiment with other products I recommend that you perform your initial testing on plastic scrap materials rather than on a model that you have invested time and money into!
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Could not find today what that sealer is called will look tommrow at hobby lobby and get the name. Do you use a airbrush or spray can for the dull cote?

ahh found it.

http://www.hobbylobby.com/Art-Supplies/Drawing-Illustration/Sharpeners-Tools/Winsor-Newton-Artists-Workable-Fixative-Spray/p/6875

or

http://www.hobbylobby.com/Art-Supplies/Drawing-Illustration/Sharpeners-Tools/Prismacolor-Tuffilm-Final-Matte-Fixative/p/9972

Modeling on the cheap
Edited by - fourteen on January 21 2016 10:52:55 PM
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 Posted - January 22 2016 :  10:54:59 PM Link directly to this reply  Show Profile  Add Srenchin to Buddylist
I prefer to use a spray can for my Dull-Cote applications.
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