Beginning

I found plans for this car or a very similar car at prr.railfan.net here.  It is plans for a GB PRR hopper gondola that looks exactly like the ITC car.  I used it to create a 3D print and uploaded it to Shapeways.  

This is the 3D print as I received it in the mail.  (Minus the trucks, obviously)

The only thing I don't like about the print is that some of the NBW castings on the ends didn't print correctly and the holes for the trucks are too big to tap for a 2-56 screw.  Those will be corrected in short order and will be re-uploaded to Shapeways.  

Brake detail

I used a Tichy set of K brakes for this model.  Using the photo above I best simulated what the major parts look like.  I am not a super detail, but tried my best to get the general feel of the car.  I used 5' arch bar trucks from Tahoe Model Works and a regular #5 Kadee coupler.  The truck holes were filled with wood and re-drilled to accept a screw.  The Kadee couplers were mounted with a screw that was drilled and then tapped.  I used some spare pieces of wire that I had lying around for the brake lines and piping.  

I used some lead sheet to insert into the floor to give it some weight. 

The car is only 26' feet long, it feels like I'm in narrow gauge and not full size standard gauge.  Next up is primer and paint, then decals.  This has turned into a fun project. 

Oh, and I had to leave a "hole" in the floor for some reason so that the print would work.  Need to cover the hole with some styrene sheet.  

Neat project

That's a nice-looking car you got forming there.  It's very interesting the way the brake cylinder is mounted!

Weight

Someone asked me about weight.  As it sits it weighs about 1.2 ounces.  It needs to be 2.5-3.0 ounces for NMRA standards.  I think I will try and use some lead sheet inside the car and shape it to look like the floor.  

Cool Build

Nice build Doug.  Now only 20 more to go!  Right?

Dave

Hopper car

I'm going to ask the un mentional question, How long to do the design?  Cost to have the  3 D printing ?  Clean up time needed to get to paint ready. My reason for these  questions, I have a laser.  My drawing time was 2.5 hrs  lasering  20min. and 1 hr. assembly with a cast center beam for weight.

 Regards  Ray

coupler question

Replies -

@ c&ei - Hoping to get four or five at least to pull behind my class A, B, and C Illinois terminal locomotives I need to finish up.  

@ Ray - Great questions.  "To do the design" - I used Sketchup to do the design, probably 10 hours total over about 5 days, two hours a day roughly.  I'm no expert and so takes me a while to  I had several guys look at it and the suggested a few small changes, so that took a little bit.  Sketchup works great as long as there aren't many curves, which is why this is a great project.  "Cost to Print" - it is free to upload to Shapeways - for me to buy it at cost it is $26.96, $5.00 for shipping.  I ordered two things, this hopper and one of my previous ballast cinder cars, still cost my just $5.00 for both.  I have it listed for sale on Shapeways for $39.50, but will probably lower the price before to long once I'm happy with the corrections I need to make.  I'm not doing any cleaning of the 3D print, very happy with how it came out.  It took an hour to add the weight and brake detail. 

Just out of curiosity, how much did your laser cost?  What program do you use to "draw"?  Do you have a finished car to show, I'd really like to see it.  

Replies

@ Scott - I appreciate the suggestion.  I will order some of the Kadee 148's and take a look.  

Kadee #242 coupler box

Thanks, Scott

It sure is obvious that we don't hang out at the hobby shop any longer and find out about these new parts.

The mounting of the brake cylinder is similar to what the Copper Range used on their wooden rock cars.  (To prevent copyright infringement by posting a photo simply Google Copper Range.)

Robert

Neat!

It's always cool seeing what people can produce through Shapeways. This looks very cool.

BTW, car weights are not NMRA standards but Recommended Practices. They have not been updated in decades and we have much better rolling trucks today than in the early 1960s. I use 75% of the NMRA weight recommendations for freight cars and have had no problems in regular operations. YMMV.

Eric

PRR class GD

I could probably use a GB or two.  It might be good for a class GD hopper too.  The PRR has 30k of them.  At $50-60 a car I’d probably have still make my own master car and make resin castings to get a dozen or so GD’s.

weight

Thanks for the comments.  I wasn't really sure how to add weight to a 26' gondola, so, I tried to get out of the box and used some lead sheet to create a "false" floor that sits above the floor.  

It is now at about 2.2 ounces, and "feels" about right to me.  So, I will go with Eric's recommendation and see how it works.  

I simply love the contrast in early cars.  The hopper gondola was built around 1910 I believe, and the bigger wooden hopper in the early '20s if I'm not mistaken.  What a size difference.  

The plan is to get them primed tomorrow, painted this weekend, and then decaled next week which will be just in time to show them at the Illinois Terminal Historical society meeting in Litchfield IL, on April 28th.  

REPLY

I have a Epilog Zing 12 x 16 . Very happy I bought  a U.S. engraver. . as I had no computer or laser expierence the program I use  is Corel X6 . It has good help  side bars . After I taught my self to make  boxes and rounds , doors and windows, I printed them on my printer. THEN I JUMPED IN.  The Epilog machine was a plug  and, play .The friendly folks at Epilog held my hand . The  price of the U.S.machine was worth the back up . $ 8000.  no regrets. I model in On3 ,  my cars weigh 5 oz. with a cast peuter center beam. 

I don't visit this forum

I don't visit this forum often but I'm glad I spotted this. This gon has been on my (long!) list of to-dos in 3D printing

Tim

PHOTOS

 My laser cut car number 1 of 6  built so far plan  on doing 10 to 12 cars.

I do my design in Corel Draw  X6 .  It took me about 2.5 hrs to do the drawing and 20 min to cut it out .  Assembly was around 1 hr. I 'm a self taught old amateur. come to computer VERY late in life .I use the laser because my eyes were failing . It helps me stay in my hobby  of 40 years 

I bought an American built Epilog 12x16  30 watt laser $ 8000.  worth every cent because of their back up and support.  This is a plug and play unit ,unlike the cheaper Chinese models. BEST REGARDS   RAY

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@ Tim - thanks... Once I get the few corrections made I will post it.  It's on my Shapeways store now, but will tweak it a little.  Need to make the hole for the truck screws smaller, add a few NBW spots, and need "raise" the bolster so that the coupler height will be lowered a bit. 

@Ray - That's an awesome looking car.  Just a few follow up questions... Did you laser cut the entire side as one piece or did you laser cut each part of the side then glue the side together... Having a little trouble following you.  On3 or On30 seems like such a fun scale, especially if you like scratch building.  I have built a few pieces of G gauge rolling stock and am amazed at how much more detail can be fit in to such a larger scale. 

Weight for small cars

Cast metal trucks with metal wheel sets will add weight, in addition to the lead sheet in floor.  It is possible to scribe the sheet lead to give the appearance of planks so it’s not so obvious.  Last option is to fill the hopper with bird shot.

GB gon

The PRR GB gon is an 1880’s era car.

Update

Dave - The Illinois Traction/Terminal, from what I understand, seemed to be about 20 years behind everyone else.  So for you to say the GB gon was an 1880's era car for the PRR, that would make sense the the IT didn't get them until early 1910's.  Course they didn't really "complete" their railroad till about 1910, I think.  They apparently ordered wood sided coal cars in the late 20's or early 30's when every other railroad was ordering metal coal cars, go figure.  Adds to the charm I guess.  

Got it primed.  The primer really brings out the detail.  I used a gray automotive primer from Walmart. 

Car

Looks really good.  With the primer, it appears you can see some of the texture of the print.  Not that objectionable since its a wood car and when painted with the final color it won't be visible.  

The reason the air brake equipment was mounted the way it was, was because it was a car designed pre-air brakes and had air brakes retro fitted.  Did the ITC buy them new or were they used from the PRR.  In 1910 the PRR would be getting rid of the GB's in favor of GL's.

@Ray

Ray,

Please start a new topic about your laser cut freight cars.

I use Coreldraw and an Epilog also.

Replies -

@ Dave - I'm still learning, but as far as I know the IT got these new (I think)...  Apparently the details on the early freight car stuff for the IT is sketchy at best and non-existant at worse.  The leading photo is one of the few pictures of these cars.  Apparently everyone focused their cameras at the passenger equipment, not the freight stuff.  Hopefully one of the IT guru's will weigh in on this.  

@ Ray - I agree with Charles, you should start a blog on how you laser cut your cars and put them together.  I think MRH readers would really enjoy it.