Model Railroading > HO Ballast Car Doors

Hey all,
I was wondering if any of you knew of a good source for ballast car doors in HO, short of chopping up some Walthers cars.

Maybe this would would be a good project for 3D printing?

Thanks!
- Jeff Carlson

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I think I would just make them, it looks to be all of three or four pieces unless you like to run your cars upside down where the bottom detail is visible.

Was that car made from one similar to the Athearn car?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/15 10:39 by pmack.

pmack Wrote:
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> I think I would just make them, it looks to be all
> of three or four pieces unless you like to run
> your cars upside down where the bottom detail is
> visible.

Yeah, it wouldn't be that bad to make from scratch, but when making multiples of something, it's nice to be able to work off of a mold or something. I've never worked with making my own resin castings either, but that doesn't look that difficult.

> Was that car made from one similar to the Athearn
> car?

I'm not entirely sure about the Athearn car, but this one looks awfully similar to the Bowser 70-ton hopper, with the center rib removed.

- Jeff Carlson

The pictured car is a former Pullman-Standard 2003cf PS-2 covered hopper... Atlas, Athearn (ex-MDC) and Kadee all make versions of this car in HO.

Eastern Car Works made the Morrison-Knudsen ballast doors in HO and offered them both separately and included in the ballast car conversion of their ACF 1958cf covered hopper. Supply of these has long since dried up in the retail channel. They are badly needed parts - I know half a dozen people that would buy a dozen sets if they were available, as would I.

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/117-9100

Doug Stark

bnsfsd70 Wrote:
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> I'm not entirely sure about the Athearn car, but
> this one looks awfully similar to the Bowser
> 70-ton hopper, with the center rib removed.
>
> - Jeff Carlson

Been saying for years that the M-K ballast car rebuilds would make a great project for one of the manufacturers. Besides the ones built specifically by M-K, nearly every major railroad had clones, or cars that were EXTREMELY similar. You could offer them in virtually any road name.

But ... non-revenue cars don't seem "sexy" enough for the average manufacturer, or hobbyist.

bioyans Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bnsfsd70 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > I'm not entirely sure about the Athearn car,
> but
> > this one looks awfully similar to the Bowser
> > 70-ton hopper, with the center rib removed.
> >
> > - Jeff Carlson
>
> Been saying for years that the M-K ballast car
> rebuilds would make a great project for one of the
> manufacturers. Besides the ones built
> specifically by M-K, nearly every major railroad
> had clones, or cars that were EXTREMELY similar.
> You could offer them in virtually any road name.
>
> But ... non-revenue cars don't seem "sexy" enough
> for the average manufacturer, or hobbyist.

Like the post above yours said. Eastern Car Works used to have a kit for these.
Went out of production years ago. Didn't seem to be a market for them...

BN_FAN Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The pictured car is a former Pullman-Standard
> 2003cf PS-2 covered hopper... Atlas, Athearn
> (ex-MDC) and Kadee all make versions of this car
> in HO.
>
> Eastern Car Works made the Morrison-Knudsen
> ballast doors in HO and offered them both
> separately and included in the ballast car
> conversion of their ACF 1958cf covered hopper.
> Supply of these has long since dried up in the
> retail channel. They are badly needed parts - I
> know half a dozen people that would buy a dozen
> sets if they were available, as would I.
>
> http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/117-9100
>
> Doug Stark

Does anyone have a photo of one or one to use for a pattern. I can mold and cast parts, especially small ones like that. Is it the same as the part that pops off the bottom of the Walthers cars?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/15 14:05 by pmack.

BN_FAN Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The pictured car is a former Pullman-Standard
> 2003cf PS-2 covered hopper... Atlas, Athearn
> (ex-MDC) and Kadee all make versions of this car
> in HO.

Got it. Thanks!


> Eastern Car Works made the Morrison-Knudsen
> ballast doors in HO and offered them both
> separately and included in the ballast car
> conversion of their ACF 1958cf covered hopper.
> Supply of these has long since dried up in the
> retail channel. They are badly needed parts - I
> know half a dozen people that would buy a dozen
> sets if they were available, as would I.
>
> http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/117-9100
>
> Doug Stark

Thanks again for the info on these doors and the ECW part. I'll keep an eye out for those.

- Jeff

pmack Wrote:
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> Is it the same as the part
> that pops off the bottom of the Walthers cars?

Yeah, that sure looks like the same door.

- Jeff Carlson

PHall Wrote:
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>
> Like the post above yours said. Eastern Car Works
> used to have a kit for these.
> Went out of production years ago. Didn't seem to
> be a market for them...

Using a flat kit from a vanished manufacturer as a gauge of interest, doesn't make for an accurate representation of potential market.

bioyans Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > Like the post above yours said. Eastern Car
> Works
> > used to have a kit for these.
> > Went out of production years ago. Didn't seem
> to
> > be a market for them...
>
> Using a flat kit from a vanished manufacturer as a
> gauge of interest, doesn't make for an accurate
> representation of potential market.

It was accurate for back then. Results could be different today. And it wasn't a flat kit. It was a conversion kit for 2 bay covered hoppers.

A bit off topic....Received a catalog from Micro Mark yesterday ,and they are now offering a 3D printer.
Regards,DK

Working on making these through Shapeways. Planning on doing the M-K manual, short auto door and long door (think Herzog, BNSF and CSX) Getting the 3d patterns drawn.
I will let you know when these are available for sale. The fellow producing these did the scale Wabtec cab used by CSX as a drop in on an Athearn or KATO SD40-2.

I will let you know when they are ready if interested...

H in AL

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Man, that would be great! Some of those MK doors would be greatly appreciated!

- Jeff Carlson

georgiaroad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Working on making these through Shapeways.
> Planning on doing the M-K manual, short auto door
> and long door (think Herzog, BNSF and CSX)
> Getting the 3d patterns drawn.
> I will let you know when these are available for
> sale. The fellow producing these did the scale
> Wabtec cab used by CSX as a drop in on an Athearn
> or KATO SD40-2.
>
> I will let you know when they are ready if
> interested...
>
> H in AL

Posted from iPhone

georgiaroad Wrote:
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> Working on making these through Shapeways.
> Planning on doing the M-K manual, short auto door
> and long door (think Herzog, BNSF and CSX)
> Getting the 3d patterns drawn.

If you know of a source for drawings of the ones on this CSX car below, that would be awesome (I'm not sure who built these). I need to build a few of these cars, and I've been staring at the photos for a couple years now trying to motivate myself to scratchbuild the first one. I have three undecorated Kadee PS-2s that will be "sacrificed" to become ballast cars. Can't wait to see what you come up with for these first two styles.

Dave



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/15 08:00 by drolsen.

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The ECW kit for the Ballast car doors looked like this.

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I've been buying unbuilt ECW kits just for the ballast doors and scrapping the rest. The last couple I bought were about $5/car, which isn't bad. I wouldn't mind having another source too.

Nathan Beauheim
Cheyenne, WY

Duplicating in resin is a piece of cake and fun after you've made your master, but you might have $100 in the ingredients once you are done, and I don't particularly like working with the stuff with the known health hazards. Micro Mark offers the components but you can get a better price from other sources directly. I suppose if you crank out multiple parts, you can recoup your costs by sharing with other modelers.

(I seem to recall the second time around, I sourced mine from a company in Grand Rapids, Michigan.)

I found when making multiple parts, I cast enough so that I can make a master mold that has more than one cavity in it so I can crank out more parts with each pour. It is messy stuff but picks up the detail well. Before you paint your parts, be sure to clean them well.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/15 12:21 by wabash2800.

PHall Wrote:

> It was accurate for back then. Results could be
> different today. And it wasn't a flat kit. It was
> a conversion kit for 2 bay covered hoppers.

ECW offered both just the doors, and a complete M-K ballast car kit. The complete car was a flat kit, based on their 2-bay hopper. I have a couple stashed away, and have looked at what work would be involved in modifying the doors to fit the old MDC two-bay hopper. Every time the door kits pop up on eBay, they go quickly.

Posted from Android

DKay Wrote:
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> A bit off topic....Received a catalog from Micro
> Mark yesterday ,and they are now offering a 3D
> printer.
> Regards,DK

Sorry for the misinformation folks.The item is offered by Dremel,and was advertised in the feb issue of Garden Railways, not the micro mark catalog.Will be available at Home Depot for around $1K
Regards,DK