Ed Walters wrote:

http://www.archertransfers.com/AR88001.html

That's a fascinating freight car load. And, the car proves that an ECW kit does make a fine model, with all the necessary care and fiddling to make it fit together. Congratulations, Bruce.

--

Frank Greene
Memphis, TN

On Jan 11, 2009, at 5:17 PM, Frank Greene wrote:

Ed Walters wrote:

http://www.archertransfers.com/AR88001.html

That's a fascinating freight car load. And, the car proves that an ECW
kit does make a fine model, with all the necessary care and fiddling to
make it fit together. Congratulations, Bruce.
--
Frank Greene

Frank,

Thanks for the compliment! The car and load were based on a photo that Richard Hendrickson kindly provided to me. I am told that the boiler is a marine boiler destined for a Victory Ship and that typically, they would have used 3 per ship. I would definitely say that the car is classic ECW, with mismatched moldings and all the other problems, but that with a bit of care, it does make into a unique and nice car. Wire grabs, A-line steps, scale couplers and air-hoses all help <G>.

I built the flat probably about 6 years ago, but struggled for a way to built the load (and keep my sanity) until recently. Then, Chooch released their large boiler resin casting. Those of you familiar with that casting know that it comes complete with cribbing (*YUCK!) and is certainly wider than an HO scale flat car. The boiler has 3 sections. Using a band saw, I cut out the middle section and cut the cribbing off the boiler. After gluing the ends of the boiler back together and sanding the circumference smooth, I added a wrapper of 0.010" styrene, with an appropriate splice plate. I added the tie down points and the support straps and brackets from scrap styrene. I sprayed the plastic with clear gloss to give the decals something to stick to, and I believe I used the "large" rivets on Archer's sheet with 3 sizes (you can now buy whole sheets of one size). As I told Jeff, visions of putting long strips of 50 rivets on at a time were quickly dashed as around 8-10 rivet strips were really the maximum that can be handled. Once the rivets were on, I painted the circumference aluminum and the ends flat black. The AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE CO. SCHENECTADY N.Y. decal was created on my computer using ink jet decal paper. I made the cribbing out of various sizes of scale lumber to match the appearance of the cribbing in the photo and likewise the tie-downs were made from brass wire to match the photo.

Regards
Bruce

Bruce F. Smith
Auburn, AL
http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/index.pl/bruce_f._smith2

"Some days you are the bug, some days you are the windshield."
__
/ &#92;
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|- ______/ O O &#92;_______ -| | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ |
| / 4999 PENNSYLVANIA 4999 &#92; | ||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||
|/_____________________________&#92;|_|________________________________|
| O--O &#92;0 0 0 0/ O--O | 0-0-0 0-0-0

Dear Mr. Smith:
 
Would it be possible to post a copy of the photo you mentioned?
 
According to the sources I have available, the "Victory" class vessels used two water-tubed boilers, not three.
 
If your model is based on the Chooch load, the boiler type is of a Scotch fire-tube boiler.
Normaly, two would be used in a freighter [like our Great Lakes bulk carriers] but a passenger vessel may have three or more.
 
Karl Peters

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Bruce,

In my later conversation with Ted Culotta, he indicated that he didn't have that problem. Tom Madden noted that the rivets are on Microscale decal film; perhaps you got a batch with "old" film?

I hope that Ted or Tom can offer their additional comments on using these rivets.

Regards,

-Jeff


________________________________
From: STMFC@yahoogroups.com [mailto:STMFC@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Bruce Smith
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 6:17 AM
To: STMFC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [STMFC] Bruce Smith's boiler - was Prototype Rails 2009 -- my opinions


As I
told Jeff, visions of putting long strips of 50 rivets on at a time
were quickly dashed as around 8-10 rivet strips were really the
maximum that can be handled.
Regards
Bruce

On Jan 15, 2009, at 11:38 AM, Aley, Jeff A wrote:

Bruce,

In my later conversation with Ted Culotta, he indicated that he didn't have that problem. Tom Madden noted that the rivets are on Microscale decal film; perhaps you got a batch with "old" film?

Its possible, and I have a newer batch of rivets from Archer for use on a pass... (can't say that word on this list <G>) car, so I'll see how it goes.

Regards
Bruce

Bruce F. Smith
Auburn, AL
http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/index.pl/bruce_f._smith2

"Some days you are the bug, some days you are the windshield."
__
/ &#92;
__<+--+>________________&#92;__/___ ________________________________
|- ______/ O O &#92;_______ -| | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ |
| / 4999 PENNSYLVANIA 4999 &#92; | ||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||
|/_____________________________&#92;|_|________________________________|
| O--O &#92;0 0 0 0/ O--O | 0-0-0 0-0-0

Bruce and Jeff:

I've manipulated Archer rivets in narrow, continuous strips up to 12
scale feet long with ease, working on HO freight car sides. So it
seems there is definitely something amiss with the decal film on your
set. I've been most impressed by the durability and workability of the
decal film of my Archer rivet sheets, and by how well it settles and
dissolved without visible edges with a couple shots of Microsol or one
of Champ solvent.

If you're having those problems you should send the sheet back to
Archer with a note, he seems quite responsive to customer concerns.

Chris Frissell
Polson, MT


--- In STMFC@yahoogroups.com, "Aley, Jeff A" <Jeff.A.Aley@...> wrote:

Bruce,

In my later conversation with Ted Culotta, he indicated

that he didn't have that problem. Tom Madden noted that the rivets
are on Microscale decal film; perhaps you got a batch with "old" film?

I hope that Ted or Tom can offer their additional

comments on using these rivets.

Regards,

-Jeff


________________________________
From: STMFC@yahoogroups.com [mailto:STMFC@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf

Of Bruce Smith

Sent: Monday, January 12, 2009 6:17 AM
To: STMFC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [STMFC] Bruce Smith's boiler - was Prototype Rails 2009

-- my opinions

As I
told Jeff, visions of putting long strips of 50 rivets on at a time
were quickly dashed as around 8-10 rivet strips were really the
maximum that can be handled.
Regards
Bruce




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Jeff Aley:

In my later conversation with Ted Culotta, he indicated
that he didn't have that problem. Tom Madden noted that the
rivets are on Microscale decal film; perhaps you got a batch
with "old" film?

Bruce Smith:

It's possible, and I have a newer batch of rivets from Archer for
use on a pass... (can't say that word on this list <G>) car, so
I'll see how it goes.

Technology is rolling stock neutral, no need to be inhibited by being a
closet passenger car modeler. I routinely work with 8 to 10 scale foot
lengths of the smallest Archer rivets, laying single strips of them
across the width of Pullman clerestory roofs. Absolutely no problems
with the strips breaking up, in fact I straightem them out by pinning
one end of a strip to the roof edge with a tweezer tip and pulling
gently on the other end. Sounds like you got a bad sheet.

Tom Madden