The Flange
When I started to work on it again, I wanted to stay on one part.....one step at a time. sitting there watching paint dry is not my idea of fun, so I moved on to other aspects while this process was occurring. I started with the flange, a small plow-like structure under the caboose section that scraps the snow down and exposes the rails. it starts with gluing side supports on the pointed part that comprises the small plow's frame. two blades are then to be cemented on and finished off with a couple of pieces of angle "iron". the angle iron is actually 1/16 wood , milled to the look of real angle iron, adding yet more detail to the kit.
Soon after this was complete, it was painted, and later fitted permanently on the underside of the caboose section. the underside of the caboose section was also painted. while this was drying, the walkway that sits on the roof, behind the cupola, was next.
While this was drying, I turned my attention to the cupola. the front wall was to be cut in half and fitted like a wedge on the upper plow frame. here is where I ran into my first major problem. the outer walls are scribed with lines, like the rest of the kit's exterior walls. the bottom of these walls are to be beveled, so that it lays on the frame flat. I failed to pay enough attention to this and beveled one side the wrong way. I ruined it! ARRRRRRG! my only recourse here, is to make a new face for it. I could just give it a flat front wall, but that's not what the kit portrays.....not an option......it HAS to be beveled. my attempt at re-creating the walls turned into a bust! it was not symmetrical, the windows were too big, and it was too long on the frame.
It looked terrible.....like a knight's face shield! I was musing over the shortcoming, when i got a phone call from my friend Dan, in Canada. he is a train enthusiast, so i posed my problem to him. he reminded me that I could get this wood from any place that sells train accessories and the like.....Walther's is one, but I could also check out the Ambroid site. last time I knew, they were still selling stock woods for layout structures. after I got off the phone, I pulled out the ruined parts from the box. looking at them, I saw that the solution was right in front of my face. I cut the lowest scribed line along the bottom of the affected part, and reversed it to the other end on the part! my problem was solved.....thanks Dan for your idea, that "between the lines", you had given me. I took off the crappy looking face and glued on the original ones.....that's better!
While this was drying, I put the railings on the walkway. the overview picture show a more symmetrical view of the front cupola face, and the windows are more to scale. molding will added to the nose and sides of front wall, window frames will be added as well, to further complete the assembly.
In the beginning of the cupola face fabrication, I got a good idea just how dry and brittle the wood was, as the walls broke when I sanded the bevel. I was able to repair them, and will do the rest of the sub-assemblies, before I sand the bevels for the roof that will later be added. even the scratch-built ones broke when i cut the windows out in them. I may even add interior braces to aide with the strength and stability. the above pictures show the bevel I made into the bottom, so it would sit flush on the roof.
Another thing that I thought about is that decals were not included in the kit. I will go on line and find some or create some of my own. I have the Testor's decal maker......I remembered to get more decal paper, and it's a good thing I did.....you never know when one needs a quick decal or two! here is one last picture of the flange, painted and cemented onto the bottom of the caboose section.
The unpainted area will be painted flat black, as well as the rest of the underside surface. the last pieces to be installed under here are the placement supports for the trucks and the rear coupler, which hopefully will be combined in the assembly of the rear truck.....at least, that's the way I remember how the train I owned in my youth was made. the build continues..............
