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ABCs of Building Model Railroad Cars by Wesolowski Soft Cover
ABCs of Building Model Railroad Cars by Wayne & Mary Cay Wesolowski
207 pages Indexed
Soft Cover.
Copyright 1985. FIRST EDITION, First printing
Contents
Forewordvii
Acknowledgmentsix
Introduction
1 You and Your Models-Some Basic Ideas1
Research and Study-The Work Area-Using the Camera-General Hints-Component Parts
2 Where to Begin!10
Day 1-Day 2-Day 3-Day 4-Day 5-Day 6
3 Basic Tools19
Measuring and Marking Tools-Cutting Tools-Holding Tools-Filing and Finishing Tools-Drilling Tools
4 Safety and the Hobbyist33
Chemical Hazards-Mechanical Hazards-Safety on the Rails
5 Reading Plans and Blueprints40
Scale and Gauge-Plans and Drawings
6 Working with Wood52
Types of Wood--Wood Stock-Selecting and Storing Wood-Coloring Wood-Glues, Adhesives, and Joints-Cutting Techniques-Layout and Construction Techniques
7 Freight Cars66
Variations-Terms-Changes in Design
8 Building a Kitbashed Work Car75
9 Building an Air-Operated Rail Loader92
10 Building a Standard House Car100
11 Working with Paper107
Window Areas-Simulating Wood and Motal-Cardstock Construction Tips
12 Maintenance of Way Equipment112
13 Building a Grease-Cleaning Car130
14 Building a Paper Conrail Caboose136
15 Working with Plastic143
Characteristics of Styrene-Styrene Material-Components and Castings-Bonding-FinishingMolding Plastics
16 Passenger Cars160
Early Passenger Cars-Ventilation-Metal Cars-The Streamliners-Summary
17 Building Pulpwood Gondola Braces166
18 Building a Modern Soo Line Gondola175
19 Finishing a Model182
Dry Transfers-Decals-Custom Decals and Transfers-Couplers and Trucks-Epilogue
Appendix Suppliers and Historical Societies192
Glossary198
Index205
Dozens of exciting ideas for kit building, kitbashing and scratch-building model railroad cars from wood, paper, and plastic!
Includes fascinating tricks and secrets to building model railroad equipment that you won't find anywhere else.
Learn to build your own models for a fraction of the cost of those commercially available.
Award-winning model builder and well-known model railroading author Wayne Wesolowski provides both the beginner and advanced modeler with a wealth of practical design ideas, construction tips, and project ideas-paying particular attention to detail.
You'll find loads of important tips on tools, plans and blueprints, modeling materials, construction techniques, finishing methods, and much more. Plus, there are step-by-step directions for building a variety of actual projects including kit models, kitbashing, and scratchbuilt models -all supported by more than 200 detailed diagrams, drawings, and photographs.
You'll find all the easy-to-understand how-to's you need to
research historical models.
customize a basic kit to make an air-operated rail loader.
scratchbuild a grease cleaning car from paper cardstock.
The importance of gauge is fully covered as are the various popular scales including 0, HO, N, and S. The authors even show you how to make your own plans and to scale photos to fit your particular layout . . . and gives you a whole gallery of photographs to help you launch your own kitbashing or scratchbuilding project.
Wayne Wesolowski is well-known in model railroading circles as an author and a model builder. He is currently full professor of chemistry and Department Chairman at Illinois Benedictine College, Lisle, IL. He has also been a member of the National Model Railroad Association for 25 years. Mary Cay Wesolowski is currently food editor for The Marengo Beacon Newspaper, a substitute teacher, and coordinator for the Marengo-Union Fine Arts Co-operative.
Foreword
MODELING RAILROAD FREIGHT CARS AND rolling stock presents an unending source of
pleasure and an opportunity for creativity in the hobby. In fact, it is a rapidly growing part of model railroading, as the cars between the engine and the caboose receive increased attention from both individual modelers and manufacturers. There exists at present a wide range of kits, both simple-assembly and craftsman types, and an expanding number of ready-to-run models in relatively inexpensive plastic or limited-run brass forms. It would seem that there would be no need for serious rolling stock modeling; yet this is not the case.
Part of the reason for this need lies in the mixture of universal and unique elements that affect the nation's car fleet. Railroading moved out of its formative years about 125 years ago, after the American Civil War. While today's rolling stock certainly does not look like that of those days, the time-proven system of flanged wheel on steel rail remains. Car construction has been evolutionary-a continuum. Thus, a boxcar has remained a boxcar.
The basics of the design, and the required items to allow it to mix together with other freight cars in an international North American interchange pool, have not been discarded, nor will they be in the foreseeable future. One may not model, but can relate to, an older, or newer, boxcar.
Yet, all boxcars are not alike. So many things may be shipped in them that differences are inevitable, even at a specific point in history. They may be built in different ways, with different materials, and receive special fittings to protect their cargoes. Then, there are the variety of colors, heralds, and reporting marks that come from the number of railroads using them. The universal boxcar becomes rather special quite quickly.
What is true for boxcars, of course, is true for other types of cars. Take the century's production of freight and passenger cars, cut it in half, then choose the most common types. Commercial sources still could not supply every kind of car in every variation. Thus, there is a need for traditional and other methods of modelmaking.
A more important reason for the new strength of rolling stock modeling comes, I believe, from another source. We could look at statistics about the kinds of cars in service and how their numbers have changed over the years (the total is down to 1 and 1/2 million today, as compared to 2 million 20 years ago) and not come to an understanding of why a modeler would kitbash or scratchbuild yet another freight car. Studying car construction methods, and checking books on locomotives and car rosters are enjoyable, but not the cause of such interest. The main force behind the adding of details, the weathering, the kit bashing, and the scratchbuilding of rolling stock comes from one thing: a desire for excellence from within the individual modeler. The search for prototype fidelity, the experimenting and mastering of modeling techniques and materials, the hours spent researching car parts and the history of car construction-all of these grow out of that source.
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