A scratch built DSP&P Waycar (caboose)

nkp174

Active Member
I mentioned in my thread of my DSP&P 27' boxcar that I'd switched work to a waycar. Here's an update and some pictures.

The Denver, South Park, and Pacific was built between 1874 and 1884 from Denver to Gunnison via the South Park & Alpine Tunnel. At Como, midway in between, a line split that headed to Leadville & Breckenridge via Boreas Pass. In 1898, it was merged with a larger company which included the Clear Creek line (the Georgetown Loop) and became the Colorado & Southern. I model 1884 when the road had Mason Bogies, Cooke moguls, UP ownership, and cogdon stacks on every engine.

This waycar will end up being a UP built car from 1882 that was painted either white or UP straw yellow. One of these cars with a 13' long car body survives in Silver Plume, Co...although it has been rebuilt with a cupola, new running gear, and it has been resided. This rebuilt version is available from Grandt Line in On3 & HOn3...as well as from Precision Scale and in brass. There were cars as short as 12'4" and as long as 14'11"...one of the long cars survives at the Colorado Railroad museum.

In order to obtain the running gear and a few other difficult to build pieces...which have only been offered in On3 once...close to 30yrs ago...I am duplicating in resin, some of the parts from one of those old unbuilt (& rare!) kits.

My car will have an interior and I'm scratch building the windows with removable "glass". The portion of the window which should be slideable will be slideable. I regret having already installed castings for the doors...but not enough to rip them out...they are a scale 1" to thick and slightly incorrect. I built the frame from styrene strips and the car sides from scribed sheets...with 0.060" thick strips as spacers to create scale 5" thick walls (except the ends which are 6" thick). I added reinforcements around the window frames and constructed with window frames from 1"x6" strips for the ledges and 1"x2" for the sides. I'll be adding the trim under the ledges later.

My abnormal details so far are that I decided to add the truss rods after having the frame completed and glued to the car body...so I used drills to create a slightly less than straight path for the truss rods through the nuts in the endsills to run the length of the car. In future cars...I'll do this in advance.

The other abnormal details are the windows. I'd planned to make sandwiches for the windows...0.010" thick outer layers and a 0.005" thick middle. The outer layers would be 0.040" thick on the top & bottom and 0.060" thick on the sides (fit into a space in between the vertical frame pieces to allow sliding). The inner layer would then be 0.005"x 0.020" on the bottom and 0.005"x0.040" on the sides to create a pocket for 0.005" thick clear styrene "glass". The total sandwich would be a scale 1.25" thick. Since 0.005" strips aren't available...I've decided to use 0.010" thick pieces in the center. I've constructed the outer portions of the window frames and one of the movable portions of the windows.

My plans are to complete the other three window panes...then the back side of the frames. Then complete the 4 stationary window panes. Once these are complete...I'll probably form & install the grab irons/end rails. I'm then torn as to whether to build my roof next or switch to the underframe. I'll probably work on the underframe...running gear first and then the brake rigging. I'm toying with the idea of making functional leaf springs. I already have my fascina strips formed...so I'll need to heat up a piece of styrene and form in to serve as an arched roof. I'll also build a support structure under the roof which will probably keep the roof on due to friction. I've toyed with the idea of using a screw or two to attach the roof as I don't have a permanent layout...and won't for a few years. This car will, eventually, be receiving the correct Link & Pin couplers from Coronado Scale Models.
 

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TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
Thats looking really cool and really good :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Keep it up and dont forget to post more pics :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
 

cnw1961

Member
WOW, that’s quite impressive :thumb::thumb:. I am with Josh on this one: don’t forget to post more pics.
 

nkp174

Active Member
I've continued my work on the windows. All four of the movable panes are completed...although I've only cut "glass" for one of them. I've also completed two of the fixed panes which are a scale 1' by 1'10". I've cut the vertical pieces of the other two panes and I'll measure to get the correct horizontal spacing. One of the fixed panes has been glued into place.

I've also completed the window frames. The stringer aligns with the top of the fixed panes. I'm getting super psyched about getting the roof and running gear completed. I hope to have this nominally done (aside from lettering) by the start of October.

The first picture illustrates the three components of each window. I glue the top pieces together first...then the pieces at the bottom of the picture...and then the last 4 pieces on top.

The second picture illustrates the size of two completed panes...one is on the scale ruler and the other is vertical next to the ruler. My digital calipers says that they're 0.0325" thick...with an open slot in the top of each pane...and a groove in the middle...to hold the "glass".

The last picture shows the 6 completed panes...with the four movable ones partially raised. The left front one shows how it slides behind the fixed pane. The top of the movable pane is obscured by the bottom of the top pane when the window is closed. I love double hung windows.
 

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nkp174

Active Member
I'm home for lunch...so here's an update while much lunch simmers...

Yesterday I only managed to finish the windows, form a roof and cut roof ribs...I spent most of the evening at a short seminar about the underground chinese church.

The roof was formed by using a little trig to guess at the size...2.04"x the length of the fascina...0.020" thick. I then attached it to a can using rubber bands and submerged it in boiling water...I didn't have a 5.6" diameter can, so the roof is currently too curved...I sort of wish I wasn't so picky about my coffee, because a folgers can would be perfect.

I then constructed a jig which would allow me to use a layout tool set to a radius of 2.792" to slowly score 0.020"x0.250"x1.8?" pieces of styrene into the proper roof profile. My six completed pieces are of slightly too tight of a radius, but it is good enough for me.

Next up is to trim the lengths of these arches so that 2 cover the top ends of the car and the other four fit inside the car along with some form of reinforcing shape running the length of the car. I won't worry about adding the smoke stack yet...torn as to whether to make my own stove or to get one from grandt line...and use their roof vent casting. I might just nab one of their C&S caboose detail kits since it is pretty similar...minus the cupola.

I've also borrowed a picture from the net of a DSP&P waycar...

Hey lurkers, if you have any comments...good or bad...please post!
 

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bigsteel

Call me Mr.Tinkertrain
looks great nkp174,i definatley couldnt have built those windows by hand! very interesting project :thumb: .and keep postin pics :mrgreen: !--josh
 

scottcn

New Member
This is looking great. :thumb: I'm especially impressed with the windows. Is there enough friction that the windows stay open when you raise the movable pane or do the windows need to be propped open?
 

nkp174

Active Member
The window frames are tight enough for them to stay where I set them. I hope painting won't cause too much trouble...as they'll be tighter then.
 
Wow,
a really excellent done modeling job, a model with double sheated walls.
Absolutely congratulation, nkp174 !!!!

I'm waiting for next pictures.

Bernhard
 

nkp174

Active Member
I've been busy with a variety unplanned things...such as a cold...so I've fallen behind on my hobby work. I hope to make a little more progress on the roof in the next couple of days. I've got the sign boards and the end fascia together.
 
N

nachoman

egad! that's impressive. Plus, this info will come in handy for a similar car I hope to build in HOn3.

Kevin
 

nkp174

Active Member
egad! that's impressive. Plus, this info will come in handy for a similar car I hope to build in HOn3.

Kevin

I'm almost fine now...I've just finished preparing some Shish Taouk for my wife's birthday party tomorrow...it has to marinade overnight. Unfortunately...my wife has my cold know...what a birthday gift!

Kevin, I'd check out the Precision scale and Grandt line caboose kits. They might make nice starting points...since the running gear would be even harder to make or to notice on HOn3 than On3...especially getting it to function smoothly.
 

nkp174

Active Member
Roof is nearly completed now. I worked a little yesterday and as soon as I got home from work today. I first cleaned the clay off of the car's parts...I'd used the clay over a week ago to hold the sign boards as I glued them the end pieces in place. A little clay got in the way of one of the joints...so I finished it up yesterday (my Bears' poor game encouraged me to work on trains instead of watch the New Jersey Giants-Philly Eagles game). In the future, I'll just use clips as the clay was a mess. Note: I added a temporary stiffening piece to bend the sides back to square...the sides were bowing out...I think I added that before the windows...but I don't remember.

So next I glued a pair of supports above the window panes. These are to reinforce the top of the car as well as to firmly anchor the roof supports. I had to slightly file one side to fit. I used spacers to match the roof support elevation with the end pieces (they sit 0.040" above the bottom of the roof assembly). I then filed notches into the top of the sides midway between the 4 roof supports...added styrene stiffeners...and added roof supports to these.

It was now time to re-boil the roof to the right degree of curvature. After much time molding it...I noticed that the roof was too short for the roof frame :curse: I don't know if it is something along the lines of poisson's law or what. So on to roof plan B

I took a piece of 0.010" thick sheet styrene and cut it to size...approximately 2"x4.12". I then glued one edge to one edge of the roof frame. After it had dried for 30mins...I then bent it the rest of the way around the frame. Here's the pics...
 

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bigsteel

Call me Mr.Tinkertrain
fantastic work nkp174 :thumb: .thats a level of craftsmanship i could never acheive scrtchbuilding! great job,can wait to see it finished.--josh
 

nkp174

Active Member
fantastic work nkp174 :thumb: .thats a level of craftsmanship i could never acheive scrtchbuilding! great job,can wait to see it finished.--josh

You just need to try your hand at it.

The first time I scratch built a frame...it was crooked. The first time I scratch built caboose windows...it was far more tedious and they weren't as good. Both of those parts were for an NKP caboose in HO scale. I've found that by screwing up...I find better ways to do things...and that I do a better job of picking up on other peoples tips.

I've decided that the greatest limitations that we have in model building are tools and knowledge of construction techniques. I've learned to trash parts which I don't like.
 

nkp174

Active Member
Nothing quite like the resin parts that make me go yuck! So, I sent most of them to where they belong...:flush1:

I made my own running gear parts and took the car for a test ride. I'm pleased! I still need to make the brake parts.

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