2.5 Inch Scale Boxcar From the Wheels up

[johnpenn74]

Kudos Charlie, I have always been a big fan of the earlier "Arch on Top" truck. Looks really awesome.
JP

[SZuiderveen]

The great thing is, these are standard Master Car Builders (MCB) erector set truck parts, and build into a variety of trucks. My first set will be West Side style logging trucks. I may keep inside brakes(or not). Waiting for wheels from Cattail, pattern went in last week

Steve

[Soot n' Cinders]

Those are some nice looking trucks! Definitely gonna keep an eye on this, I've been looking around for some MCB truck parts to do 2.5" Symington archbar trucks to go with the shay

[Pipescs]

I mentioned earlier that the machining of the frame columns was straight forward. Well, this was true up to the point when I machined out another set for a second prototype.

This is to have brakes. Steve had warned me that the stubs for mounting brake hangers on the Allen Models we bad about being hardened due to the small area. This also surfaced on my project. Talking with Cattail this is going to be a continuing issue.

Rather than sending them back to Cattail, I found a way to slot and drill them that was cheaper than annealing them or sending them back.

After tearing up two slitting saws on the random fittings I ended up switching to a slitting wheel.

Whips right thru the hardened area. The need to drill a whole for the pin was solved with a 9/64 carbide bit. Also drills thru it like butter.

[Pipescs]

2.5 inch scale first prototype next to a 1.5 inch scale Little Engines Arch Bar truck. Both for 7.5 inch gauge.

[Pipescs]

Current efforts.

Ordering springs in various weights and sizes. As all the trucks I produce will be for non riding cars I am looking at a half inch diameter spring with a 3/4 inch outside spring to pick up any extra load while running.

I have been working up a spring pad to hold the 16 springs per truck. These I am printing on a local 3d printer to test. when it gets finalized I will convert it to a pattern and cast these locally in the back yard.

The same goes for the bolster ring.

[TEAMTSM]

I would be interested in the bolster ring if you cast some extra i will take a pair of them.

[Fender]

Charlie, what rpm do you use on the abrasive cutting wheel? I think you said that you stacked two “angle grinder” cutoff wheels together?

[Pipescs]

Sorry for the delay in the answer Fender. I am running at 660 with the wheel. You can tell by the sparks that you are cutting a hardened surface. Same RPM with the drill for the pin hole.

[Pipescs]

The 2.5 inch Narrow Gauge Truck compared to an Allen 1.5 inch truck in front of the 26 foot Box/Brake Car for the American.

A batch of Journal boxes going thru the process. I work on them any time I have a few spare minutes around the house.

[Glenn Brooks]

Charlie, really nice work fabricating the truck patterns and the journal boxes (and the other stuff!) Superb really.

Any chance I could piggy back on your work to produce some extra journal boxes or other goodies? Iam starting to build three or four rolling stock and would love to detail out two 1890’s era NG passenger cars -in 2.5” to 3” scale. It won’t be period accurate, but I am planning to use the spoked wheels and patterns you drew up for me.

Thanks much,
Glenn

[Pipescs]

The trucks continue along.

Steve just informed me he picked up the wheel castings for the narrow gauge trucks from Cattail.

I may be driving out to pick them up as forty wheels weigh 220 pounds. As it is, I am planning on going out with my wife as she has to work out there for three weeks.