The Home Machinist!

Here we have a view of the outside end wall of the caboose. The door sill has been fitted and is a perfect fit to the bottom of the door. There will surely never be a scale rodent slithering its way under the door and taking up residence inside the caboose.

We can also see the end window that will be installed once the body is assembled. The siding will be installed with over 300 individual pieces of material when completed. The siding on the tool box was just a taste of the future.

Robert

Another productive afternoon in the shop has the top lift coupler conversion completed. Started in the lathe and then the top end was shaped with a 1/8 diameter ball end mill. Final shaping with a file and the sanding sponge to blend and round the sharp corners. The long 5-40 stud that connects the lock pin to the top piece was adjusted for length until the two surfaces just touched in the locked or closed position.

Here is a view of the open position and the closed position.

Robert

The past few days have allowed for some progress on the caboose body and it is now assembled. Connection to the frame will be the next major task.

The exterior corner brackets have also been drilled and bent. The corner brackets were a signature part of the SP C-30 caboose design and was used on all but the very first few built.

Robert

With the need to complete the frame before the body is fitted, the staff brake brackets were TIG welded to both endsills. Here we see one bracket as welded and the one in the back complete with the staff brake castings. Always nice when parts fit after being welded.

The use of some CA glue facilitated the application of the window glass and face frames to all the window frames. The two frames on the left are drilled for safety bars. The two frames on the right were made from maple before I began using cherry for the remainder of the wood work details. The cherry is a pleasure to work with as it does everything well. I considered using Titebond II wood glue like on the earlier assemblies but knew I would have more than a few problems with application time and cleanup. Even under the best of conditions, it would have taken at least two hours or better to do all ten windows with the Titebond. By using the medium thickness CA glue I was able to glue the face frames into the window frames in about 10 minutes total.

I can see many more uses for the CA glue before the caboose is completed saving much time.

Robert

Coming out nice.

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My current gang, Hugh the weim and Guiness the pointer. Both 6, so should keep me in shape for a while!
Lost Paddington, my senior boy last year and he had a good time here. Better than going in a kennel, Ill miss him.
I miss them all.

Robert, your detail work is just amazing, that is going to be one good looking caboose when finished.

regards,

Nathan

Thank you David and Nathan for the nice comments. It may not be a Memorex caboose but it will be filled with lots of details.

I should probably reveal a few secrets to manufacture of the window face frames. First I used high quality Midwest 1/8 thick birch plywood. The premium plywood was scribed with a utility knife to insure reduced or no chipping when cutting across the grain face. Cutting close to the very fine line is a challenge. I used a very fine reverse tooth Olsen precision ground tooth blade tensioned by sound. I keep the scroll saw table free of rust with 220 grit sand paper and waxed with a liquid wax. The real secret weapon is the lighted magnifier placed over the cutting zone. With a good chip blower to keep the chips out of the way and two work lights, staying close to the knife blade layout is almost too easy. I cut the first few without the magnifier and the remainder of them with the magnifier. With the magnifier the amount of clean-up was minimal compared to the first ones without it. I found the magnifier at a woodworking show years ago and have seldom had the need for it until recently with the face frames.

A hole is drilled in the cut out area where the blade is then inserted and tensioned. After the cutting is completed, the blade has to be released of tension and then un-clamped to allow the frame to be removed. By the time the 10th face frame was completed, I was ready to move on to a new task. I found the face frame blanks to be a tight fit when not cut but removal of the interior material makes the face frame a bit more flexible and the fit to the window frame is still tight but now just a snug fit that will stay put just waiting for a quick application of some CA glue.

Robert

The top lift castings arrived along with the C-3 conductor's valve yesterday. A bit of cleaning and tap job with a 5-40 tap found the top lift casting in a happy new home.

The sprue system on the conductor's valve required some delicate removal work and some other minor cleaning. A bead blast job and some paint will find it ready for the cupola wall. Just need the proposed 3/32 diameter based plumbing fittings by Jack Bodenmann to create the remainder of the cupola air plumbing system including the train line air pressure gauge in the future. I still need to decide how I will attach it to the wall of the cupola.

The valve is cored for 1/8 diameter rod and a bit of needle file work was all that was needed for a press fit of the rod in the image.

Robert

Looking good Robert! I'm proud to be a part of this project in some small way.

ADK

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Adirondack Car & Foundry

Things have been too quiet on this project way too long. As usual, the issues of work have have stolen most of my quality hobby time. With a week for Spring break, it is time to show evidence of some progress before the next moon phase.

Research has indicated that with a 1951 ICC decision, all cabooses operated in California were to be equipped with toilet facilities. The railroads were forced into a more sanitary operating climate. One old timer reported that the countryside was becoming too populated and it was about time they put a toilet on the equipment. This required a water source overhead and a method by which to keep it filled at the caboose service track. With the new diesels arriving on scene at the same time, it was a simple decision to use the same water filler casting being used on the diesels to make servicing the cabooses just as easy and the parts room could have the same part in stock for either end of the train. Today most of the bronze water filler castings have been recycled by the metal thieves or already removed as the older locomotives have been converted to an improved pressurized system that does not use the water filler fitting. The new fittings where they remain are plastic but are the exact same shape.

I now have a sample water filler fitting from which to measure and make up a master pattern so the "Water" lettering on the lower sheathing of the caboose will have meaning. Attached are a few images showing the unusual fitting and a photo of how the fitting was piped into a caboose. In the case of the Colfax caboose, the tapered fitting was smooth and the NWP fitting was filled with the bumps. Both styles are seen in service but I will be making the fitting with bumps.

The end result will be a new casting that can be used to detail both ends of the train.

Robert

Robert,
Welcome back to the Funny Pages!

Most cabooses had toilets, they just didn't always have anything under them!

Grins,
Brian

Brian,

In the case of the SP, toilets were not in the original drawings of most cabooses until after they were forced by ICC decree. All stations and work areas of yards usually had the standard outhouse somewhere close to the on duty point and at all stations. Often times the round concrete phone booth at the ends of sidings were employed for the same duty.

The water filler fitting was also found on most of the passenger equipment as well. Not very many parts besides air equipment that will serve on diesels, cabooses, and passenger equipment. On my research mission the other day, I was shown a hospital car converted into a MOW car that had the water filler fitting on the bottom of the car next to the edge for easy access. Might need one on that monster heavy weight passenger car you are rebuilding.

Robert