RailPup Design

"Sure, I can build you one of those cars, no problem." Man, I sure ate those words. This car fought me every step of the way, but I am happy to say it turned out nice. I learned a lot about car building using wood, and I learned some about myself as well in the process.

It is all wood (Baltic Birch) on top of a standard Tom Bee car frame. Trucks and couplers are from Accucraft.

The prototype is a 50 SP automobile boxcar.

RailPup Design is doing a limited run of these 66-foot mill gons. They make for a perfect car for transporting your coolers or other things. Overall length minus couplers: 106.5" (8' 8 ½"). Overall width: 15.5", Side height: 7 inches. Cars will include grab irons, stirrups, and other details. All steel construction. Price includes Accucraft couplers and modern trucks, one color paint, and standard lettering. Cost: 3400 plus crating/shipping. Orders placed before March 15 can be delivered to Train Mountain for the triennial.

This door is a half door for a 50 foot car carrier box car. I spent 8 hours today figuring out their design, and all the things around them that they affect. Eight hours may sound like a lot, but I am working on a set of cars I bought from an estate sale a few years ago. I had piles of parts and materials, but no instructions, and the person who had the design is no longer on this earth. This car, along with three others, is an on again, off again project I am working on. Now that the first door is done, and all the other parts that go around it, the next 15 should go faster.

Now that the 8000 gallon tank car is on its way to its new home, I am back to working on the 50-foot auto carrier box car. Starting to lay out the roof walk elements, figuring out board joints, etc.

How cool is this? The scale six dome tank car spent the night next to the full six six dome tank car.

The six dome tank car made it to Python last night. And it looks like it will be moving again today, but I am not sure where it is headed. Someone has it reserved for their train.

It is really neat to be able to watch the six dome tank car we built for a customer last year progress around Train Mountain during the Ops Meet. It is currently sitting in "Appendix" and needs to move to "Python". They valued the move at $110. I was able to do a quick map of where it is and where it needs to go. hopefully my memory of routing at train mountain is correct. Train Mountain Railroad is it possible to see the history of car moves in the "Train Game"?

Just found out that the six dome tank car we built for a customer last year is being used at the OpsMeet at Train Mountain. Very cool to see.

I don't want to start a discussion about German Passenger Car Trucks vs. American Passenger Car trucks form the early 1930's, since both had their strengths and weaknesses. However, I am working on a personal project with a lot of sentimental reasons, and I just finished drawing up a Goerlitz ii Drehgestell for a German express train coach of the early 1930's. The Germans used some interesting engineering, and combined leaf and coil springs to absorb the bumps and undulations of the track. These were the first welded steel trucks used for passenger service in Germany. Before this, they were riveted.

Some more progress on the tank car. The frame is primed, and the hand rails are going on to the tank.