album67

	November 2009, Eric begins building a model of a Carter Bros. narrow gauge flat car. Casey the dog gives a sense of scale.
	Out in the yard, the crew surveys their work.
	This project involved some fancy wood joinery.
	The crew discusses coupler options. All the wood parts have been cut except the draft timbers and the decking.
	The truck is mocked up in place on top of the frame.
	The needle beams are dry fit. They will support the truss rods.
	Hmmm. How should I mount these trucks.
	Mounting trucks involves some serious discussion.
	Nice new jackstands.
	A nice flat table top was necessary for clamping up the cars frame. Waterproof wood glue was applied to all joints before clamping.
	The corner of the table was used to square the frame. I double checked it for squareness by taking diagonal measurements of the frame before tightening the clamps.
	After the main frame was dry I glued and clamped in the body bolsters.
	Here you can see that all the wood parts were weathered and stained BEFORE assembly. Note that the truss rod holes have also been drilled.
	An air brake reservoir and cylinder was created for the car by 3D printing. The metal part in the foreground was used for reference.
	The part is nice but will require some sanding and filling to be usable.
	The 3D printer builds the piece by extruding hot ABS plastic from a nozzle. It gradually builds the part--much like frosting from a pastry bag.
	This shot gives you a clear idea of the size of a 1:8 scale part compared to a 1:20.3 scale part.
	After the car frame was assembled, prep of all the metal parts began. Here you can see the brake wheel/staff assembly, a brake lever and the stirrup steps.
	The brake wheel assembly is built from a combination of brass castings, machined and forged metal parts. ALL metal parts were bead blasted before painting.
	The brake wheel is a large and beautiful brass casting from Branchline Products in CO. it is bolted onto the staff which was filed into a tapered square shape.
	Casey Jones (the dog) gives a sense of scale to the newly assembled car. Most of the metal parts have been installed and the car has been painted but there is more to do...
	Almost finished!! The car has been lettered and weathered. David's 1:8 scale tractor and crew are "testing" the new car.
	Credit where credit's due: EDHL Co= East Devil's Hill Lumber Co= Eric, David Henner. Here you can also see some of the hand carved cracks that add to the aged appearance.
	End grain and checking were simulated in some of the timbers.
	The ratchet and paul mount plate is through-bolted to the deck planks.
	The truss rods are steel and fully functional. You can tension them by tightening the nuts at the end of the car.
	The turnbuckles are brass painted to look like rusted iron. They are decorative only. The stake pockets are repurposed parts from a slide-bolt style latch.
	I (Eric) lettered the car in honor of a piece of property my parents own in Northern MN.
	A look at the underbelly reveals a fully detailed brake system with all linkages. The queenposts are brass castings.
	A look at the truck mounts and pivots. A 1/4" thick mounting plate is through-bolted to the body bolster. Delrin blocks stabilize the trucks which are attached with a shoulder screw and spacers.
	The couplers are built up from brass stock. The assembly was silver soldered together and painted to look like rusted iron.
	I couldn't resist taking this shot of the 1:8 scale John Deere model A tractor in Henner's yard.
	Eric ordered this Maxitrak Planet in April 2010. The 1:8 flat car wil make a nice riding car for this locomotive.
	Planet2.jpg
	Planet3.jpg