My Z Intermodal

HoboTim Nov 7, 2010

  1. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    It all started when I saw my very first Z well car produced by Harald Freudenreich of Germany way back in 2004. I pictured a hundred of his Husky's pulled by several BNSF/AT&SF AZL Dash-9's surrounded by beautiful scenery, all in Z scale. 6 years later I have not made that Dream come true yet, but it is progressing.

    2004 saw my addition of the Mi-Jack Translift crane, 48' & 53' rib/smooth side cast resin containers, and 48' & 53' Trailers for Alan Curtis's 48' Spine cars.

    2005 began with modifying the 53' trailer into a Roadrailer of which 13 were brought to the NTS in July of that year. The rear included a working F.R.E.D. of Michael Hilliard's design. I started making available ALPS printed decals for MTL's 20' and 40' Containers.

    2006 I made decals to fit the 40' reefer containers that Harald Freudenreich made. Many hundreds of container decals were sold world wide. I also created an Ottawa Yard Mule that is used to ferry chassis/containers around Intermodal Yards.

    2007 saw little Intermodal from me other than making Mi-Jack's and Ottawa's for fellow Z scalers. Then I made the test sample of a 48' Thrall wellcar. What a hit!

    2008 was big as I had hundreds of Thrall's to produce. Used MakeMyModel's containers to use as loads for these Thrall's.

    Between early 2008 into 2010 I have been mostly away from home following work as it takes me from Texas to Louisiana, to Georgia all the way to Arizona, several times. My Intermodal creations have been limited to duplicating more Thrall's or Ottawa's to even finishing the last Mi-Jack run in that time. This is not to say that I don't have anything new planned or prepared, because I do, just can't talk about it right now.

    What I can say is recently I finished a set of Ottawa Yard Mules for Fellow Z scalers on the Yahoo "Z_Intermodal" group. I offered the Ottawa's there first as it is solely for Intermodal in Z scale. If any were left over I would post in other forum's. When the dust settled from the grab I was left with just 4 Ottawa's. If anyone is interested in obtaining one of them please send me an email at sgt_tim1@yahoo.com.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    Just a few photos showing my Ottawa Yard Mules in Action!!!!

    In the Z_Intermodal group we have attempted to track all items that have been created for Intermodal. Here is a list. If for some reason I have missed something, please feel free to post it to this thread.

    Well Cars
    Freudenreich Feinwerktechnik - 48' Gunderson Husky Wellcar
    MTL - 48' Gunderson Husky Wellcar
    Freudenreich Feinwerktechnik - Gunderson Maxi-III (5 articulating 48' wellcars)
    TNT-Z - 48' Thrall wellcar
    TNT-Z - Thrall Drawbar (3 Drawbar 48' Thrall wellcars)
    TNT-Z - Etched brass kit to drawbar 3 or 4 MTL Husky's (BN 3Drawbar How-To)
    Freudenreich Feinwerktechnik - 56' Gunderson 2+2 Wellcars
    TNT-Z - Etched brass kit to modify an MTL Husky into an "All-Purpose" Husky.
    AZL - 53' NSC Wellcar(in the beginning promoted as a Thrall)
    Hobo Tim'z - Gunderson Maxi-IV (3 articulating 53' wellcars)

    Flat Cars/Spine Cars
    Alan Curtis - 48' five articulating Spine Cars
    Alan Curtis - 89' Channel & Smooth side Flat cars (can drawbar 2 together)
    Marklin - European Flat car (for Container or Trailer transport)
    Marklin - European Flat cars (capable of carrying 40' or 60' of containers)
    EDModels - 48' five articulating Spine Cars
    EDModels - 89' Channel & Smooth side Flat cars (can drawbar 2 together)
    Hobo Tim'z - 57' AP three articulting Spine Cars


    Containers
    Marklin - 20' and 40' Rib Side and 20' Tank-Tainer
    Freudenreich Feinwerktechnik - 20' smooth side and 40' Reefer
    MTL - 20' and 40' Hi-Cube
    TNT-Z - 48' and 53' Rib and Smooth side and 20' Tank-tainer
    Searails - 20', 40' and 53' Smooth side and 20' Tank-Tainers
    MakeMyModel - 20', 40', 48' and 53' Rib side
    MCZ - 40' and 53' Corrugated side
    AZL - 40', 48' and 53' Rib side


    Roadrailers
    TNT-Z - 53' Triple Crown
    eXact Modellbau - 53' (kit of 5)
    Searails - 53' (details unknown)


    Trailers
    Marklin - (size unknown)
    Nansen Street - 20' and 40'
    TNT-Z - 48' and 53'
    Arrowhead - 28' and 40' UPS
    Mark4Design - 28' UPS
    Searails - 20', 40' and 53'
    MakeMyModel - 20', 40', 48' and 53'
    eXact Modellbau - 53'

    Transport/Chassis/Misc
    Searails - Mi-Jack
    Nansen Street - Container forklift
    TNT-Z - Mi-Jack and Mi-Jack w/LED lighting
    Searails - 20', 40', 48' and 53' Container Chassis
    TNT-Z - Ottawa Yard Mule
    Searails - Container forklift and Kalmar type lifter
    TNT-Z - Intermodal Entrance
    Searails - Side Lifter Yard Truck

    To the best of my knowledge, and the group on Z_Intermodal, these are all the items that have been made for Z scale Intermodal. If you see an item that is missing, or questionable, please post it here.

    With all this now said, I will open this message thread to be used for a gathering of Z Intermodal Data and with hopes of using it to post my personal Z Intermodal and that of which I will make available to the Z_Intermodal group and the general public.

    Anyone interested in joining the Yahoo Z_Intermodal group, memberships are always open. Please explain in GREAT detail why you want to join as Ad-bots are always trying to enter. Don't get frustrated if you don't explain in detail and get denied membership. The Group administrators scrutinize the membership requests carefully!!!

    Welcome to My Z Intermodal thread!!!

    Hobo Tim
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 2, 2011
    Kurt Moose likes this.
  2. ztrack

    ztrack TrainBoard Supporter Advertiser

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    Tim,

    You are missing one European car. It is the 2nd car in the photo:

    [​IMG]

    The is a very typical European car. It is sort of an all purpose and can carry trailers with the wheels in the bed, or 20' and 40' containers on top.

    Rob
     
  3. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    I did list it!!!


    Rob, I did list it. This particular flat car is capable of carrying two 20' containers, one 40' container, or a Trailer. This flat car is equivalent to a US Spine car except the tire well is depressed lower than the top deck to allow for low overhead obstructions. I have two of these flats at home in Georgia. I think they are kick @$$!!

    Hobo Tim

    p,s, What I did not mention was the first car, 40' flat. Change to be noted in a few minutes.
     
  4. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    Cardstock/Paper Containers

    In the past 5 years, I have come across a few websites that post pdf's of containers that can be printed on cardstock, then cut and glued together. Some of the containers are in singles and others are in stacks.

    I have here a website where you can download pdf's of single containers. They have them in 20' and 40' lengths, in several popular paintschemes. They are available in 1:87 (HO) scale, 1:160 (N) scale, 1:100 and 1:200.

    I do not recall at what percentage you need to use to adjust a printer to reduce the size of an HO drawing, but I know a fellow Z scaler will pipe in soon to tell us. This is your invitation to shine!!!!

    All of the containers on this website are listed in 1:87, 1:100 and 1:200 with only about half in 1:160.

    The website is http://www.igshansa.de/igsdownloadeng.html

    That link should take you right to the Hot Spot of containers.

    Please, someone post at what percentage it takes to reduce a 1:87 (HO) drawing to a 1:220 (Z) size!!!!! I promise to write it down this time!!!!

    Enjoy!

    Hobo Tim
     
  5. Z_thek

    Z_thek TrainBoard Member

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    Z is approximately 39.5% reduction of HO scale, so to scale down, you need to multiply the HO dimensions by 0.395.
     
  6. zscaler

    zscaler TrainBoard Member

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    Just joined the intermodal group. See Tim's Mi-Jack (lighted too).
     
  7. Mike Skibbe

    Mike Skibbe TrainBoard Member

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    Mark4Designs sold UPS 20' trailers for a time. They were excellent, and not oversize like the Arrowhead UPS trailers.
     
  8. shamoo737

    shamoo737 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Fr also has 20' containers.
     
  9. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    Noted!!!

    Yes, John, you are correct, FR did experiment with 20' containers as I still have a few at home!!

    Also, I do recall Mark Gasson having the 28' UPS trailers.

    I will note both these to the list.

    Hobo Tim
     
  10. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    39.5% reduction


    There you go!!! 39.5% reduction should turn any of the HO 1:87 scale pdf versions into a 1:220 Z print. Best of Luck to all who model Intermodal and to those who soon shall (or at least think about it!).

    Hobo Tim
     
  11. jdo

    jdo TrainBoard Member

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    Tim I would like a couple Ottawa's

    JD
     
  12. Fred Ladd

    Fred Ladd TrainBoard Member

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    Stony Smith also designed 20', 40', and 53' container chassis's, made by Shapeways.
    Fred
    And two different styles of tanktainers.
     
  13. Fred Ladd

    Fred Ladd TrainBoard Member

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    got pictures:
     

    Attached Files:

  14. shamoo737

    shamoo737 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Nice shot Fred, but what are you doing with my Husky.
     
  15. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    Hobo Tim'Z Maxi IV's

    Being today is 1-1-11, I believe I started the New Year off right by finishing all the corrections needed on the art work for the Maxi IV's. Now to proceed to step #2, to make a new test etching, to ensure all measurements are correct before shipping the artwork to the pro-etcher. What I thought would take 20 hours to finish only took about half that.

    [​IMG]

    I have one bit of dis-appointing information. When I created the artwork for the 48' Thrall that I make for Ztrack, I included holes in the bottom that would allow a Marklin 20' or 40', FR 20' or 40', MTL 20' or 40',and MMM 20', 40' or 48' containers pins to fit in the well. Today I drew out the pin arrangement of the new AZL containers and the hole dimensions doubled in width. The holes in the bottm of the 48' Thrall already look out of place but with the added double width, they would look grotesque. What I decided on was since these MAXI IV's I am making will mainly be for 53' containers only, I have eliminated putting the holes in the bottom. For those who will run these in their consists/unit trains, you usually dedicate certain containers to the inner wells. Since their will be NO holes for pins, then you can either file/cut off the pins to the dedicated bottom well containers, or do nothing at all. Pins only raise the cars from .020" to .040"s depending on who's containers you use.

    Now, by not including the pin holes, a wellcar that is empty will look much more proto rolling down the rail.

    I hope next weekend will have good weather as I intend on doing the test etch then, perhaps even tomorrow, if the sun is shining bright!!! Stay Tuned! Will post photos then!

    [​IMG]

    Maxi IV - Container note: The wells will comfortably accept both MCZ and AZL 53' containers.

    I intend to have these etched in .012" nickelsilver as opposed to the usual .012" brass. They will still be solderable using silver based solder.

    I look forward to the day I receive the package of all those etched frets of Maxi IV's.

    For, now, will use this thread to update progress.

    Signing off for now!!!

    Hobo Tim
     
  16. TechRepJapan

    TechRepJapan Permanently dispatched

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    But, Tim... Where are your Z rivets?
     
  17. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    Too Funny

    You are too funny Alex, too funny!!!!

    Hobo Tim
     
  18. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    Maxi IV Update

    I have made a second test etch to verify changes made to the artwork. Will be sending it to the Pro Etcher for review/quote. Hope the price is not damaging. I think the Z Intermodal Community needs this wellcar as on most main roads, it populates the rail more so than any other 53' wellcars combined.

    Stay tuned for more details!

    Hobo Tim
     
  19. MrCONRAIL&BNSF

    MrCONRAIL&BNSF TrainBoard Member

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    Holy smokes those boats are the real mccoy. I have a 1:200TH SCALE big rescues boat. The same one that was in the doc on the cover of this month Ztrack. Which boats are yours im curious? they came out amazing.

    Oh and the intermodels cool too haha
     
  20. HoboTim

    HoboTim TrainBoard Supporter

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    What I've been working on!

    Can you guess what these are???

    [​IMG]

    How About a closer look?

    [​IMG]

    How about with Purpose!!!!

    [​IMG]

    And NO, they are not Alan Curtis or ED Models!!!! They are Hobo Tim'z!!!

    These white metal castings are less than 2 hours old. Still have not cleaned the slag, BB's or filed on them yet. Still need the etched decks, end walkways, and fifth wheel plates to really make these look good!!!

    So, have you guessed what they are yet??

    Hobo Tim
     

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