This part is still live in my Solidworks screen - so I guess you could say it is "hot off the press". I still have to make the bottom plate for it. That should be done tomorrow.
This whole thing started in about 1998 when River Raisin released the USRA hopper cars. Kent Singer sent me killer photos of a NYC car from the "Headlight" magazine. I ground and chiseled out a brass master pattern - old school - with my Unimats and had them cast in about 1999. This is the car http://www.lanestrains.com/Open%20Hoppers_Photos/NYC_Panelside_Hopper.jpg almost perfectly matching the NYC photos and they have been on all of my brass URSA hoppers ever since. I gave Don Thompson a drawing of it. Some samples got made but they never made it to full production. 2 months ago I got a car from Don with 2 sample SHS draft gear on it. It was really cool! I also got the SHS drawings of the draft gear. Last night after dinner I started in on designing it. The SHS drawing was a bit complex with things I did not need to know so I accurately measured the sample. Boom - it's done. So my 2012 design is based on Don's 2001 design that copied my 1998 design! Surprisingly the coupler compatible with Don's prototype is the 802. I did not know that until last night. Still the interior of the draft gear can be very easily revised to accept the SHS coupler or even the oft mentioned Sergent. Here is where we are. I am probably heading towards brass castings here. This will screw right on your SHS USRA hoppers. My 1998 version was also brass but was soldered in place so no need for the winged screw holes. Like everything else they CAN be made - it just takes money. The cost of printing my trees has almost tripled. I am probably only getting 2 complete draft gear on a tree so they will be expensive. Reply directly if you think you want some. Thank You, Bill Lane Modeling the Mighty Pennsy & PRSL in 1957 in S Scale since 1988 See my finished models at: <http://www.lanestrains.com/> http://www.lanestrains.com Look at what has been made in PRR in S Scale! See my layout progess at: <http://www.lanestrains.com/My_Layout.htm> http://www.lanestrains.com/My_Layout.htm Custom Train Parts Design <http://www.lanestrains.com/SolidWorks_Modeling.htm> http://www.lanestrains.com/SolidWorks_Modeling.htm PRR Builders Photos Bought, Sold & Traded (Trading is MUCH preferred) <http://www.lanestrains.com/PRRphotos.xls> http://www.lanestrains.com/PRRphotos.xls ***Join the PRR T&HS*** The other members are not ALL like me! <http://www.prrths.com/> http://www.prrths.com <http://www.lanestrains.com/PRRTHS_Application.pdf> http://www.lanestrains.com/PRRTHS_Application.pdf Join the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines Historical Society It's FREE to join! <http://www.prslhs.com/> http://www.prslhs.com Preserving The Memory Of The PRSL
