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This article uses a plan from the magazine Finescale Modeller, and information from Ron Rudnick's books 'Denver & South Park & Pacific Modelling Guide' - the present version is 4.1. This is available (for the international market) from Coronado Scale Models in Phoenix, Arizona. Internal American modellers can get it direct from Ron Rudnick. It is $10 + plus post I believe. . This flatcar is a short one, being 26ft long and a maximum width of 8ft 6inches (over the outside of the side stakes). The main body width is 7 feet 8 inches, and the colour of the Denver & South Park flatcars is red oxide, with white lettering. I do not have any transfers yet, but I am working on it. Bachmann sell a couple of Flat Cars, one is listed as 20ft - ignore that one; the other generally listed as a log car (flat with logs) reference number (in 2003) 98470, is the one that you want.
The logs can be put into the 'spares' box, the flat car is what I have used. This flat is some 15.25 inches long and 4.25 inches wide over the side stake pockets. First thing to do is remove the trucks, and carve off all the detail on the ends and on the sides remove the nuts and washers on the outside of the stake pockets. I used a sanding tube, but they can all be carved off. Now remove the uncoupling lever and all the extra black plastic bits like the steps, brake shaft, handrails. Keep the brake shaft safe you can re-use the brake wheel; the rest can go into the 'spares box'. Leave the black plastic underframe in position, which will not be touched.
The entire shell will be covered and you will need either a good circular saw, or the use of one, and a supply of what in the UK is called red deal - the cheap white wood available quite cheaply from DIY outlets or your local hardware store. Get the straightest and most knot free wood you can find, be 'pernickety', any bad wood will be useless. Using a 10" (friends) saw I find that with a good setting of the blade cover I can saw down to 2.5mm with care. You will want the 1" thick wood, either 1.5 or 2 inches wide, and in pieces about 18 inches long.
The first pieces cut are for the floor planks 11/32" wide and 3/32" thick: you need 43 planks 4.25" long + two half planks at the ends. (the first one I built has half inch wide planks - I think theses are a bit wide) Also cut the two (vertical) end planks - these are ½" x ¼" x 4.75" long.
Glue the end planks on, allowing for the floor planks to fit inside them (the end planks will stick up slightly), I used Evo-stick glue to fix them and then get your floor planks ready - using 'Hard as nails' glue (available in 'cartridge form - mine is £1.00 per tube), all over the floor of the wagon glue your floor planks on all in one session. This is to allow you to adjust the gaps to be approximately the same; then leave to dry; they will overlap the sides by just under half an inch, and cover up the side stake pockets.
The new sides are next to be cut - from .080 thick plastic card. They fit between the ends and have a small 'sliver' cut off the bottom edge; this is 1/8 inch deep and 1 5/8 inch long at each end. Thus the bottom edge has the sloping (up) end section at each end. With the sides cut from scrap plastic make some pieces .060 thick. You will need 4 pieces 4" long, and 2 pieces 5" long; all are 3/8" deep. Fit the longer ones over the central 3 (now redundant) stake pockets, and the 4" pieces at the ends, from inside the new ends and they will cover two stake pockets, using Evo-stick glue. Onto these distance pieces the new sides are glued, but first rub some 'half rough' sandpaper down the outer side to give it some 'grain'. Now glue the sides onto the plastic distance pieces: I used Evo-stick along the top and plastic cement on the side, the original flat is ABS so normal plastic cement will not work on it
With the new ends and floor now in position the ends can have their 'hardware' fitted. I used 9mm (.2 mm thick) circular discs and 5mm (2mm thick) square nuts with a tiny piece of 1.5mm rod in the centre of the nut. These fittings represent to tie rod ends; they are in the correct position but the ones on the Bachmann plastic tie rod casting are not. The outer ones are 11mm in from the end and the centre one is 36mm in again, repeat (reversed) for the other side from the centre line. These fittings are in the centre of the end beam. These end beams do not have the coupler box fitted (it would be 38mm x 11mm), it would be in the way of the coupler swing.
At each side (of the end are a couple of grab rails, made from brass 1.5mm rod, the grab being 30mm long. These grab rails are not flat: they are slightly canted upwards, having formed them to shape fit the long (grab) rail part in a vice, and bend the upstanding bits of rod by 30 degrees, make sure both sides are the same. They can then be fixed in position - there are 2 per end. Beneath each end fit a NBW to represent the fixing nut (etc). I will be fitting vac (or air which came later (C. 1884)) under these beams they will be to the right of centre when fitted.
At the right hand end when looking at the side there is a step, again made from brass 1.5mm rod. Due to the upward (towards the end) slope these steps have uneven legs. The step has an inside measurement of 25mmand the total drop at the short leg end (towards the centre) is 10mm. To fit it you will need to drill a couple of holes in the plastic side; I suggest that you add a 'doubler' inside to give you enough thickness to drill the required holes. The outer end of the step is 20mm in from the end, it should just clear the outer stake pocket. To the inside of the steps add a 24mm x 2mm x .5mm step plate on the inside, to assist in fitting cut a tiny 'V' in the ends. The inner leg of the step has an iron washer plate above it (the outer one is bent sideways, and fits on the thickness of the side). It is 11mm x 2.5mm x .5mm with a semi-circular end and a couple on NBWs on it.
Stake pockets- 12 are needed and they are made from Plastruct grey styrene square section tube ¼"(6mm) on each face wide. Each stake pocket is 10mm deep, and 'clean-up' the cut lines with a square section file. These pockets now need some detail; mark all 12 pockets with a line 2mm from each end, on 3 sides only and then take some .040 (1mm) plastic rod and cut 348 pieces 7mm long. These fit on the sides of the pockets on the lines - I used the 'semi thick' plastic cement in the pistol shaped container; mine is from Revell. Ensure that the two sides line up with each other; because when all the sides are done (& dry) you join them together with 24 pieces of 1mm rod, this time cut at 8mm long. Let them all dry and then trim off any bits past the edges, and round off the front edges slightly. They can now be glued into position, the holes that you cut out before should be the same size as the outside edges of them and they are fitted just below the deck planks. I used Evo-stick, and let it cure for 24 hours as you want the strength of it here. Two part Epoxy can also be used, but each side will have to be done by itself.
Now the stake pockets are made they need fitting, but first the planks need some cut-outs for them; these are just over ¼" wide and 1/10" deep. The first is cut ½" in from the end, and the next two are 3" from that, here you are now at the centre line; reverse the sequence to the end. The holes should be touching the new sides, and the rear thickness of the stake pockets when fitted is just in a tiny amount from the edge of the sides.
A brake staff and wheel are fitted to one end; I have used the original Bachmann brake wheel, which really is a bit small, on a new shaft made from bicycle spoke. My brake staff is 63mm long, which is a bit short to allow for the bogie mounted couplers to swing; it should be 73mm long. These measurements are sufficient for a 2 plank coal box; if you are making a 3 plank design adjust accordingly (add the width of the upper plank). The brake shaft is fixed with a bottom plate of 10mm x 13mm with a hole 5mm in from one edge and side - that is it is offset. There will (if using body mounted couplers) another plate that will be 20mm x 10mm that will run under the coupler box. Between these two pieces there is a small tight bell shaped tube to which the brake operating chain is fixed. I have not fixed it so because of bogie mounted couplers, which may well change; if so I will alter my flatcars accordingly. )n top of the flatcar deck there is one more plate which the brake shaft passes through; this is the ratchet (& pawl) plate 6mm wide with a rounded end (hole for the brake shaft in the middle and 16mm long. On top of the (7mm diameter x 1mm thick) ratchet disc I have added a protection plate ( a 10mm disc). All the parts are from .75mm (.030) black plastic card. Add a tiny pawl from plastic on the inner side if the upper plate. Finally glue the (original) brake wheel on the top having carefully drilled it out
Trucks
The use of swing motion trucks require a small addition to the bolsters on the Bachmann underframe; there are cross rods on the prototype which just peek out under the lower edge of the side beams. I made these from bits of bicycle spoke 1" long, you will need four per bolster, that is two per side. First add a small piece of .020 plastic card 14mm x 2mm onto the outside of your new side at the bolster position of the original Bachmann body the extra pieces should touch the lower edge of the side. Take your bits of bicycle spoke and glue them from the edges of the bolster to the edges of the new side, and running parallel to the original bolsters; the outer end should just project out from the sides by about 1mm. Use plenty of glue (I used Evo-stick) and give them all a second coat to ensure they will stay put. These small additions should not get in the way of any bogie swing.
© Peter Bunce. 27th May 2003.
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