I just posted 5 photos to the photo album;

Haskell & Barker Wood Side-Dump Gondola

These show my continuing progress on this famous car.

It has been a lot of work getting to this point. I had to make a master of the coupler striker-plate, cast it in a rubber mold, then resin-cast the parts. The one picture shows the mold, etc. There was no such suitable part available from a model company. Took a long time to make it. (2 attempts at making the master because the first one breaking after construction. Very delicate structure.)

I also had to scratchbuild each large, rectangular truss-rod, end-beam washer, and the brake ratchet-handle assembly with chain to the brake cylinder.

Still have a lot of work to do on the side dump-door rods and mechanism.

I'm intending on building 3 or more of these cars. The initial work, casting and planning will make it easier for completing the others.

This car has been very labor intensive, starting with an F&C model. Back in 1906 these composite cars sure took a lot of original parts.

Paul Hillman