If you remember. I ran across that string of tie cars last February and posted the picture on my blog. After a few conversations with Brett Isaccs who developed the N Scale models I found that these models were developed from pictures and decided to do the same in HO. For those of you that don't get Running Extra, these cars are part of a complete train that picks up old ties while the train is moving The locomotive is a rebuilt SD40-2 done by Relco here in Iowa.

I was able to capture some good pictures from all the videos on YouTube and converted them to .dxf files so I could import them into may CAD system. This allowed me to scale them to HO scale and take dimensions directly from the photo.

Below are the 3D renderings of the various components. Since they are to big for my printer I am having Shapeways print them for me, the only one done for now is the locomotive.  I also created the frame by reverse engineering an Athearn SD40-2 frame from one of my locomotives. I was able to print this as I split in in half then put it together by splicing it with the fuel tank.

I will be using Cannon Company details to finish out the body rather than trying to draw the grilles and fans.

The Cab car at the end of the train was developed in pieces and combined into one file

The crawler car stores the two Cat M315F grapplers when not in use

Since no one makes a model if the grapplers I made one myself scaling with photos and a drawing I found on the internet. The sled in the foreground is upside down. It rides on the top rails of the cars and the M315F sits on top. The hydraulic cylinders will make it a static model but I designed the parts so I could possibly replace the cylinders with cylinders that telescope.

The final car is the well car that holds the ties that have been picked up. The cars are designed so I can place weight in the bottom then cement in the bracing.  I plan to have three of these cars in my MOW train

Now comes the fun part, getting them printed and doing the detail work to get them on the layout. As I gain more experience with 3D development I like the fact I can produce cars that manufactures don't produce. Even with the time it took to do the design work (about 200 hours) and get them printed I still consider it cost effective with the manufacturers price of rolling stock these days. Will post more as I get them printed and built.

Happy Railroading

Greg