32 hopper cars in 2-1/2 days

[corlissbs]

The MLES has started the assembly line to build 32 coal hoppers. It started when a couple of us asked Tom Artzberger about building a hopper car. He offered his shop facilities (Hartford Shops) for three days and ordered enough steel for the cars. The MLES members signed up to work on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday and signed up for as many cars as they wanted. Everyone who worked would get a complete hopper car body for $110.00. The car is built exactly like the prototype car, with angle frame, not sheet metal. It is a N&W prototype car and the choce was either peaked ends or flat ends.

Some of us set the line up on Tuesday and Thursday (today) We built one complete car to test fit the parts. The production parts will be sheared and formed on Friday night and Saturday. Ribs are pressed in a die on Tom's press and punched for rivets in Tom's CNC punch. Other parts are sheared and formed on the brake.

It was a great opportunity for the club members to own coal hoppers at the cost of the steel, only.

Brad Smith

[Nate]

Sounds pretty neat, I'd like to see a pic of one when it's finished!
-Nate

[Highiron]

Hey Brad

any of those for sale

[Howard Gorin]

Would you consider selling these cars as ready to assemble kits? Are there any complicated assembly fixtures? Do they weld of rivet together?

[corlissbs]

All 32 cars are spoken for. There was a sign up list. The cars look so nice that I wanted another one, but once the proect started, orders were closed. Tom did this as a one time thing for MLES members. It is his shop that was disrupted for close to a week. Tomorrow is assembly day one. One member's wife is bringing the food. Sunday we wrap up any cars that are not finished tomorrow. There will be two weld stations and six guys doing the setup.

The cars go together by welding and riveting. The formed ribs are riveted to the car with aluminum rivets. Each person does his own. He gets as many ribs as he wants and enough rivets. Different cars had different numbers of ribs. The other choice is peaked ends or flat ends. Doors can be made to operate if diesire. The difficult part is forming the parts and shearing, but Tom has that equipment and the CNC punch.

I am going to try to attach a pic to this. It is a poor pic of the test car under construction.

Brad Smith

[FLtenwheeler]

Hi Brad

Try to get some pictures over the weekend of the work crew.

Nice Job on the hoppers.

Tim

[willy]

Post the list the next time you plan to build, I am sure there are quite a few out there that would want them.

-willy-

[kap]

That shows the production capabilities of a modern cnc sheetmetal shop.

You guys must be very grateful this man shut down his business to do this hobby project for your club.

Most would not, or could not, shut down for something like that .

kap

[FLtenwheeler]

There is one picture I would like to see in the end. A 32+ car hopper train pulled by steam.

Tim

[ccvstmr]

Brad,
I saw the notice about the MLES hopper car project in your club newsletter around holiday time last year,. I think that was already a little late to get in on the action. I was thinking too of driving up to join you guys for the day on the assembly line, but other plans got in the way for the weekend. One of the responses asked about providing kits or RTR cars. I have mentioned this to several of your club members as a way of financing your other club projects. Tom A's line of cars are good looking and "relatively" easy to assemble.

In my case, I helped one of my partners detail a Tom Bee hopper. We had the car powder coated and then went to a sign shop to get vinyl adhesive backed car data, road name and initials. The end result turned out better than expected. Hope I can get the photo attachment to work. cb

[Mikado14]

"Tech Nickel Plate"?

[UnkaJesse]

Brad now that you have figured out the picture attachment set-up get a pic of the completed car(s) in here Monday.

Unka Jesse