It's been a quite a while since I've actually posted anything, but I wanted to share my most recent HO Scale, 3D printed heavyweight flatcar.  This car is a completely custom design, down to the trucks.  The only commercial parts used were the wheels and the couplers.

I've completed my latest CAD designed, 3D printed rail car.  This time, it's a 16 axle, heavy duty drop deck flatcar, KRL164004.

Here's my current design project, approaching completion.

This time, it's a specialty car for the Steel mill modelers.  This is a 300 ton, 12 axle,  Reichard "Bottle Car", used to carry molten steel.

The car was designed in CAD, then the pieces were 3D printed in UV cured resin material.

I'm still working on the end platform details, including handrails and brake gear.

Dunstan

www.firecatdesigns.com

There's been a few posts lately about 3D printing, and being a devoted user for my own work, I want to show you the printer I found this past summer.

I was asked recently if I would consider making a 12 Axle, heavy duty flat car as a kit to offer.  I thought, Why not?  It’s unique and it would present a great design challenge.  After a bit of research, I decided on the Kasgro 325 ton 12 Axle flatcar shown here as my prototype.  There’s plenty of photos available on line, plus it’s red!  Who can resist a bright red car?

Detailing a load of utility poles in HO scale

After completing this scratch built HO scale 89’ LTTX flatcar,  it was time to create a prototypically accurate load of utility poles for the car to carry.  

I just received my shipment of "utility poles" for my LTTX flatcars and they are looking great.

These are custom made to exactly represent 85' and 65' utility poles.  They are perfectly tapered and the correct diameter.

Special thanks to Roger at Coastman's Scenic Products

www.coastmans.com

I want to scratch build this rail car, so this is a request for any photos, details, or accurate drawings of the real thing.

It's a fairly new model of an open top Aggregate hopper, manufactured by National Steel Car.

https://www.steelcar.com/products/open-top-hopper

If you have photos or measurements of this particular car, and don't mind sharing them, please let me know.

Update to my earlier post, I've nearly finished the scratchbuilt heavy duty LTTX flatcar.

I've used Tichy train group's strap winches and Microscale decals for the finishing touches.  No weathering yet, as I'm not quite ready to grubby this one up.

Thanks to those that contacted me about this.  I've made the parts available to anyone who wants to build one of their own with either the wide spaced log bunks or this closely spaced version.

I can also link you to a dropbox folder with lots of prototype photos

Here's an in-process project I want to share...

This is a 100 Ton TTX heavy duty flat car equipped to haul utility poles.  This model uses a donor chassis from a Walthers 89' TOFC flat, but has a completely scratchbuilt body, deck and log bunks.  There are a few more details to add, but it's getting close to completion.