Tuesday 5 June 2012

L&N 7438 Gondola: Part 1

My Intermountain USRA L&N composite gondola build. Here is the basic gondola as I found it after taking out of storage.


Since then I have managed to complete the undersides by adding the brake rigging as can be seen here.


However, in the process I broke a stirrup step, which I've reinforced with microstrip as the initial repair didn't hold up to being looked at hard. I'm really looking at that over scale width coupler box. I shall have to see if it needs trimming to allow this car to negotiate the ridiculously tight curves I run on my traction layout?


And here is an end view with the first three of the 26 grab irons that have to be applied to finish the model. These are a bit of a fag to do, being the very epitome of tedious repetition. Also, I think that they would be better if they were metal.


Next I have to move on to finishing of applying all of the grab irons...

2 comments:

  1. So why not toss the nasty styrene grabs and use brass grabs?
    And while you're at it replace the stirrups with metal as well. They will get broken otherwise during operations.
    Pierre

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    Replies
    1. You're right of course, and this may well be the reason I've not been pushing myself to complete this project. SO I will now have a look at replacing all the grabs and stirrup steps with wire ones.

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