Chicagoland FGEX Reefer
Bob Chapman
In recent years, the folks at the Chicagoland RPM have presented a kit or minikit to registrants, allowing them to model a freight car not commercially available. The 2018 minikit was a truss-rod FGEX reefer, comprised of an Accurail carbody, a custom sheet of cast resin details, and custom decals. Attached is my result -- built as a "layout model" (no museum-quality modeling here!) For the most part, I followed the Chicagoland instructions, with one exception. I have never had luck in scraping off cast-on ladders and grabs from a double-sheathed carbody. No matter how careful, I can't seem to avoid at least one gouge, and almost always end up with ghosts of the ladder rungs and grabs showing in the siding grooves. For this model, I replaced the siding on the ends and under the side ladders and grabs with #2040 Evergreen siding. I shimmed the replacement siding on the sides with .040"-thick styrene strip spacers. The replacement siding on the ends was slightly thinned, then laminated atop the original end siding. A big thanks to Mike Skibbe, Frank Houdina, Tom Madden, and Ted Culotta, who made the kit possible. Regards, Bob Chapman
|
|
Nice work!
Thanks!
From: <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> on behalf of Bob Chapman <chapbob611@...>
In recent years, the folks at the Chicagoland RPM have presented a kit or minikit to registrants, allowing them to model a freight car not commercially available. The 2018 minikit was a truss-rod FGEX reefer, comprised of an Accurail carbody, a custom sheet of cast resin details, and custom decals.
Attached is my result -- built as a "layout model" (no museum-quality modeling here!) For the most part, I followed the Chicagoland instructions, with one exception. I have never had luck in scraping off cast-on ladders and grabs from a double-sheathed carbody. No matter how careful, I can't seem to avoid at least one gouge, and almost always end up with ghosts of the ladder rungs and grabs showing in the siding grooves. For this model, I replaced the siding on the ends and under the side ladders and grabs with #2040 Evergreen siding. I shimmed the replacement siding on the sides with .040"-thick styrene strip spacers. The replacement siding on the ends was slightly thinned, then laminated atop the original end siding.
A big thanks to Mike Skibbe, Frank Houdina, Tom Madden, and Ted Culotta, who made the kit possible.
Regards, Bob Chapman
|
|
Andy Carlson
Hi Bob- That kind of clever problem solving is why I like the STM FC. What a great solution! -andy Carlson Ojai CA
On Wednesday, April 17, 2019, 5:12:32 PM PDT, Bob Chapman <chapbob611@...> wrote:
In recent years, the folks at the Chicagoland RPM have presented a kit or minikit to registrants, allowing them to model a freight car not commercially available. The 2018 minikit was a truss-rod FGEX reefer, comprised of an Accurail carbody, a custom sheet of cast resin details, and custom decals. Attached is my result -- built as a "layout model" (no museum-quality modeling here!) For the most part, I followed the Chicagoland instructions, with one exception. I have never had luck in scraping off cast-on ladders and grabs from a double-sheathed carbody. No matter how careful, I can't seem to avoid at least one gouge, and almost always end up with ghosts of the ladder rungs and grabs showing in the siding grooves. For this model, I replaced the siding on the ends and under the side ladders and grabs with #2040 Evergreen siding. I shimmed the replacement siding on the sides with .040"-thick styrene strip spacers. The replacement siding on the ends was slightly thinned, then laminated atop the original end siding. A big thanks to Mike Skibbe, Frank Houdina, Tom Madden, and Ted Culotta, who made the kit possible. Regards, Bob Chapman
|
|
Nelson Moyer
That’s a nice looking car, and your solution to the molded details is ingenious.
Nelson Moyer
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io [mailto:main@RealSTMFC.groups.io]
On Behalf Of Bob Chapman
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2019 7:12 PM To: STMFC <main@realSTMFC.groups.io> Subject: [RealSTMFC] Chicagoland FGEX Reefer
In recent years, the folks at the Chicagoland RPM have presented a kit or minikit to registrants, allowing them to model a freight car not commercially available. The 2018 minikit was a truss-rod FGEX reefer, comprised of an Accurail carbody, a custom sheet of cast resin details, and custom decals.
Attached is my result -- built as a "layout model" (no museum-quality modeling here!) For the most part, I followed the Chicagoland instructions, with one exception. I have never had luck in scraping off cast-on ladders and grabs from a double-sheathed carbody. No matter how careful, I can't seem to avoid at least one gouge, and almost always end up with ghosts of the ladder rungs and grabs showing in the siding grooves. For this model, I replaced the siding on the ends and under the side ladders and grabs with #2040 Evergreen siding. I shimmed the replacement siding on the sides with .040"-thick styrene strip spacers. The replacement siding on the ends was slightly thinned, then laminated atop the original end siding.
A big thanks to Mike Skibbe, Frank Houdina, Tom Madden, and Ted Culotta, who made the kit possible.
Regards, Bob Chapman
|
|
skibbs4
That’s clever with the scribed styrene instead of carving! Nice work, Bob. Mike Skibbe
On Apr 17, 2019, at 7:12 PM, Bob Chapman <chapbob611@...> wrote:
|
|
Tony Thompson
Your model looks excellent, Bob, no reason to apologize.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Tony Thompson
On Apr 17, 2019, at 5:12 PM, Bob Chapman <chapbob611@...> wrote:
|
|
Well done Bob, nice innovative solution to the issue and the finished product looks great. Fenton
On Wed, Apr 17, 2019 at 9:10 PM Tony Thompson <tony@...> wrote:
--
|
|
gtws00
Nicely done! Nice solution to the problem of carving off details.
Thanks for sharing George Toman
|
|
Lester Breuer
Bob a fine model. Thank you for sharing your method to replace molded on details without carving. Clever!
Lester Breuer
|
|
Dennis Storzek
On Wed, Apr 17, 2019 at 05:53 PM, skibbs4 wrote:
That is a clever idea, and the evergreen stock should match well, as I more or less copied the Evergreen grove dimensions when I designed that tool. I might point out that Evergreen "car siding" would be closer for the board width, but it matters little for those narrow panels. It also occurs to me that harvesting portions of an extra side would be a dead on match for the siding AND include the siding retainer strip along the bottom edge. We do sell extra sides, #420 (yellow) or #421 (white) $2.99 pair, halfway down the parts page on the left: Accurail Parts The Evergreen siding is still likely easier for the ends. Dennis Storzek Accurail, Inc.
|
|
Michael Gross
Very nicely done, and very innovative!
-- Michael Gross Pasadena, CA
|
|
Great looking car, Bob. I have one to build and will try your clever technique on the scribing issue. Thanks for sharing with us. Jim Kubanick
On Thursday, April 18, 2019, 11:40:22 AM EDT, Michael Gross <ActorMichaelGross@...> wrote:
Very nicely done, and very innovative! -- Michael Gross Pasadena, CA
|
|