building a 3" scale bobber caboose

[Harlock]

Inspirational. 3" scale is bold! Good for you!

It's a compromise scale that about matches my engine and keeps things to a reasonable size for transport. I also have a 3" scale boxcar and two log cars.

Cheers,

-Mike

Are you going to have Jack Bodenmann make a potbelly stove like he did for the Caboose on the Sandstone Crag Loop Line for George Thagard? Thanks and Keep on Steamin' My Friend!!

David

No interior on this model, for now.

[prlawiii]

The cove and bead shaping on the strips, is standard practice for building strip planked canoes. If you check with a marine lumber supplier, if there is one in your area, they may be able to supply cedar "canoe strips" already cut to shape for that purpose. Since most canoes are 14 to 16 feet long, for the roof on a caboose you would only need a few of the pre-made strips.

Herman

[Postwarbob]

Wished I was on the build list for one of these. I do have a new 3" Meg/Chu being built in my sons shop. I really miss my Meg that Jim Sabin now owns. At least he has made some nice improvements to it and I can hardly wait to see it again. Mike you and your Father do very nice work. I'm enjoying this post .

[Harlock]

Hello folks, here is a quick update on the bobber. The basic frame is complete and painted, and here are the two sides stuck on it to get a general idea.
The paint will turn a darker red when it is fully dry, and the camera is also a little over-exposed so that's why it may look lighter.

Despite being a small piece of equipment in prototype it still scales out fairly large at 5 feet long for 3" scale / 30" gauge. (3" scale for 7.5" gauge = 30" gauge prototype exactly) Imagine if I had gone full 3 3/4" scale for two foot gauge...too big! Hence the nice in-between size.

I have dubbed this scale 7.5n30 and will be referring to it that way more frequently. It's a wonderful size if you want big stuff but not so big that it becomes a real problem to transport and store it. I hope I can convince more people to build for 30" prototype on 7.5" track.

-Mike

[steamin10]

Ya, I like a larger scale of small woodsy locomotives and shop built cars. They have character like me. 2.5 scale is big enough for me, just a little undersize for your 3", which is getting up to park scales. Even a 'short' 32 foot truss rod box car would be over 8 feet long in your scale, and still 70+ inches in 2.5. Plenty big enough.

[Harlock]

Ya, I like a larger scale of small woodsy locomotives and shop built cars. They have character like me. 2.5 scale is big enough for me, just a little undersize for your 3", which is getting up to park scales. Even a 'short' 32 foot truss rod box car would be over 8 feet long in your scale, and still 70+ inches in 2.5. Plenty big enough.

I shortened my boxcar to 5ft long, looks like some of the very short boxcars you see on backwoods lines.

So far every piece of rolling stock is 5 feet. It all matches.

[steamin10]

That is EXACTLY my train of thought, a common family resemblance. Length is not as important as transport issues and the 'doable' in your shop. Ya make me jelous as I view the progress. Kudos.

[Harlock]

Updated hardware drawing. The assembly has been very helpful for setting the correct car height and coupler height given a particular wheel diameter. The position in the pedestals of the box and springs are pretty much as prototype.

The journal box is based on an old one from Car Builder's Cyclopedia.

The wheels have been switched to more traditional solid wheels of 6.625" tread diameter, which is close to prototype. The others ended up being too big.

[gwerhart0800]

How are you going to make the pedestals and journal boxes? I am assuming for now that you will cast them rather than hog them from solid. If so, how are you going to make the patterns?

[Benjamin Maggi]

I have dubbed this scale 7.5n30 and will be referring to it that way more frequently. It's a wonderful size if you want big stuff but not so big that it becomes a real problem to transport and store it. I hope I can convince more people to build for 30" prototype on 7.5" track.

I am currently building a Sweet Pea to run on 7.25" gauge track. Originally I was going to scale it to match the Talyllyn Railway in Wales, which would be per your nomenclature (or, more like the model nomenclature) 7.25n27. However, the Talyllyn didn't have a lot of diverse freight equipment so I decided to scale it to match the Isle of Man, which would be 7.25n36.

[Harlock]

How are you going to make the pedestals and journal boxes? I am assuming for now that you will cast them rather than hog them from solid. If so, how are you going to make the patterns?

For the pedestals, RP patterns for traditional castings, in cast iron, steel or aluminum, depending on price and availability and desirability.

For the journal boxes, I will probably make the doors in RP directly (stainless or high strength plastic) and the rest of the journal box as a traditional casting. There is currently another person making a similar caboose so there is some economy in running two sets of castings.

-M

[PRR5406]

Take a look at my thread on the L&NE bobber.