Restoration of old rolling stock

Where users can chronicle their builds. Start one thread and continue to add on to it.

Moderator: Harold_V

Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Restoration of old rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

This thread will be covering the mostly completed rebuild of three cars, one at least of which was destined for the scrap yard.

The hopper was left outside upside down almost 40 years.
20170413_170428.jpg
20170608_191505.jpg
20170529_124704.jpg
The flat car will be my first rolling stock build, as I had the most fond memories of it growing up.

Cleaned off deck
20170415_163800.jpg
Added some (what i thought looked ok at the time) stake pockets.
20170415_182908.jpg
More in the next post
-Mike
Last edited by Terr1bleone on Mon Nov 22, 2021 11:23 pm, edited 6 times in total.
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of some rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

Tried to simulate rivets with some drive screws
20170604_012557.jpg
20170604_020751.jpg
Doing this after the pockets was a mistake as was trying a chalk line.

Onto the deck
Used large paintsticks ripped down on horizontal bandsaw. Drive screws attach them
20170604_082446.jpg
20170604_100504.jpg
20170604_200144.jpg
Sealed up
20170604_224712.jpg
It stayed like this for the rest of that season then got a second overhaul continued below.
-Mike
Last edited by Terr1bleone on Mon Nov 22, 2021 11:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of some rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

Flat car take two.
Had built these buckeye trucks originally intended for a tender but had no tender so this flat car would be the most appropriate of my cars to use them.
20171112_184939.jpg
Well that doesn't look right sitting that high, maybe a fishbelly would help.
Decided my stake pockets were too crude so I cut them off first.
20171114_222012.jpg
Onto the fish belly modification.
20171116_225036.jpg
Bodyworked with new drive screw pattern and stake pockets.
20171119_023909.jpg
20171120_133721.jpg
Much better.
-Mike
Last edited by Terr1bleone on Sun Nov 21, 2021 12:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of some rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

Finished paint/decals with load.
20181124_160412.jpg
20181124_160340.jpg
20180421_214601.jpg
Ive since stolen the trucks for another more appropriate car, so there will be an update on this soon about going back to bettendorf or modern trucks. As well as the modifications required to do so.
-Mike
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of some rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

Tank car part one. Before pic again
20170529_124704.jpg
Decided since it was pretty plain jane tank with no detail except straps, I'd start by converting it to a modern tank car.
I have a set of barber s2 trucks for this project designed and cast by my late grandfather. This influenced the choice to go modern.
20170807_162835.jpg
Starting to add detail.
I wanted all of the ladders to be kind of durable to passing feet and grabby hands so I opted to weld them all out of steel instead of using scale bolts and softer metals.
20170902_030546.jpg
20170902_030530.jpg
As I was going to repaint the whole car over winter i decided to just touch up the new parts and existing damage with spray paint for now.
20170902_165012.jpg
-Mike
Last edited by Terr1bleone on Sat Nov 20, 2021 2:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of some rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

More pictures of the temporary and permanent details.
20170902_165028.jpg
20170902_165022.jpg
Done till fall comes.
20180824_181421.jpg
Paint upgrade. First thing I did was remove the valves that stand out and scream air compressor tank.
20181108_003800.jpg
20181121_151247.jpg
Sand blasting starting.
-Mike
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of some rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

Paint part one.
20181122_220916.jpg
Better (still not great) rear deck wallway.
IMG_1717.jpg
Good coat of black.
IMG_2406.jpg
Added the satin clear.
20190114_173455.jpg
Was looking good, untill this happened..
20190116_012517.jpg
20190116_012523.jpg
In the end it was my fault mixing paints but still a huge setback.
-Mike
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of some rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

Paint take two.
Re sandblasted.
20190208_182318.jpg
Paint mixed by local paint shop but I will be doing the spraying right after.
20190222_125227.jpg
Success.
20190224_032520.jpg
The tank used to hold compressed air for brakes, i wanted to keep that but hide it better.
20190225_003706.jpg
3d printed lid ended up being too delicate but maybe in the future I'll machine a copy.
20190307_000302.jpg
I don't have any close ups of the lid on there but its a pretty basic 8 hex bolt pattern with grab iron to lift it.
The hinge is an oil cup from a machine cut up.
I'll try and get a picture next time im at the club.
Brake wheel and housing also designed and cast by my late grandfather.
20190317_224104.jpg
-Mike
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of some rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

More detail, Brake stuff.
20190318_002311.jpg
20190318_002403.jpg
Decided to freshen up the trucks.
20181116_194928.jpg
20181116_194857.jpg
20181116_194845.jpg
This particular set uses 16 sealed ball bearings on each truck with bronze thrust washers to take the side load. floating journal boxes, and the center caps from Oakley littles modern trucks with an added 4-40 hex pattern.
Last modification was to make the cut levers actually work.
20190322_222509.jpg
More pics on this later as I only currently have a video.
-Mike
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of some rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

Finished.
20190421_175853.jpg
20190421_175943.jpg
20190421_175901.jpg
-Mike
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of some rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

The b&o hopper had been upside down filled with leaves and water, ontop of the shed my whole life.
It's going to be a challenging fix. -Mike
20170608_191505.jpg
20170608_191532.jpg
20170608_191519.jpg
20170415_144316.jpg
20170608_191513.jpg
20170608_192950.jpg
Last edited by Terr1bleone on Sat Nov 20, 2021 2:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Terr1bleone
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:01 pm

Re: Restoration of some rolling stock

Post by Terr1bleone »

20170608_191556.jpg
20170608_191546.jpg
20170608_195609.jpg
Gotta start somewhere.
20170608_195554.jpg
Straightening out and re attaching pannels.
Cutting out cancer areas.
20170608_204531.jpg
20170608_195542.jpg
-Mike
Post Reply