Among the projects completed this week was assembling an American Models
SOUTHERN PACIFIC boxcar from which I have been raiding parts,beginning with the
floor that I used for an AM VIRGINIA WESTERN boxcar body that I received from
the late "Wes" Westendorf twenty some years ago.
I used a styrene floor that Ed L. had built (at least I guess he did, he sold
it to me a few years ago), and parts from a couple of detail sprues I obtained
from American Models.The car still needs underbody brake details, (Stewart),
but is a good "five-footer" right now.
Also, after trying to repair the track between the diamond at MZ and into the
curve to Mt. Zion, I finally "bit the bullet" and tore it out and completely
relaid it. Since my benchwork building and track laying skills leave a little
"meat on the bone", I will use fine sifted Iowa "Durght" as a grade to hold the
track in place as it now lays across the low spots, along with some loosely
place shims, but no more trying to "force" track into compliance with spikes,
etc., except at rail joints on curves, where I use small nails to support the
soldered rail joiners that hold the rail ends in alignment.
I also repaired the trouble spot at the bridge at Bonaparte, but a final
solution will be to rebuild the Shinohara #6 switch at that location with a new
tie section under the points, built using the same techniques I use for
building styrene switch blocks for other switches. The West Siding Switch is
also on the schedule for major rebuilding.
There is (was) nothing wrong with these switches, they have simply suffered
from abuse and ineptitude over the years. There is an article out there on
building the switch blocks I use, but I don't know when it will appear.
The SHRB decals for the SHABBONA Plug door boxcar fleet are "in house" but I
don't know when I will get to apply them at this writing.
Bob Nicholson _______________________________________________
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