A few more Photos! Just wanted to post a few photos with Containers. Gives a better perspective. (Note: In the bottom of FR's Husky's & Maxi III's and MTL's Husky's, you will find small holes for the container pins to fit. FR containers will mate with Marklin containers. MTL containers are different. The holes in the bottom of this 48' Thrall will accomodate ALL containers!) Just a few more photos to drool over! Hobo Tim
Make My Model Advertising!!! Adverising for Make My Model For all of you Intermodal Modelers, I want to tell you about a company that makes various containers that will greatly enhance you Intermodal modeling experience. MakeMyModel.com produces N & Z scale models using an Acrylic RP printing technology. They have produced a variety of shipping containers for the Intermodal modeling community. The containers are available in 20', 40', 48', & 53' Standard and Hi-Cube sizes, and either Marklin or MTL compatible. All of the containers are available in corrugated siding. Here is a photo of a 48' and 53' Hi-Cube, MTL compatible. You can find these containers, and other Z scale items at http://www.makemymodel.com Also, I hear that they might start making an Ottawa Yard Mule soon! Hobo Tim
Tim, I think 10$ for a unpainted container (makemymodel) without decals is expensive. I remember I bought some '53 Containers paintet and with decals some month ago on Ebay for less. I can't remember exactly the name of the seller but I think something like Hobo from Atlanta.
Yeah, But............................. Yeah, I remember making those. What a Nightmare! mg: I recall starting the casting and before I knew it, I had 60+ 53' containers. Half corrugated and half smooth side. The most difficult part was designing the mold where I could embed a bent brass wire aligned so that when finished, would pin into the top of a MTL container. Worked!!!!!!!! The most labor intensive part was cleaning them up for a paint job! I still have a few left in my container box. Out of the 60+ containers I had, about 30 had defects, 15 I could live with, 15 I threw away. It's those 15 that sustain me now! :shade: On the horizon, doesn't look good for TNT's to make any more containers. *** If someone reads this, and is proficient with a CNC Mill, contact me for I have some aluminum that is begging for a shave in becoming a mold for my plastic injection machine!:teeth: Hobo Tim
Awesome job Tim! (As usual.) Speaking for myself, it is people like Tim in Z who keep me in this scale. AZL, Mark4Design, and Robert (just to name a few) keep me excited about the future of Z. Thanks to all you guys who go the extra 10 miles!
I'm drumming my fingers waiting for these to be available. Especially looking forward to 5-packs with containers!
Z Track Goes Intermodal! Z Track has gone Intermodal! http://www.ztrack.com/intermodal/index.html Hobo Tim
Research & Development R&D Here are some photos of a Research Project! What you are looking at is DTTX 25037 Thrall 3 drawbar wellcars. Enjoy the photos! Hobo Tim
Tim, Are those cars you have manufactured or are they from the Alan Curtis Pewter? In any case they are terrific looking cars. Will they be kit or pre-built? Bob
The Thrall Stand Alone is a Ztrack Exclusive Release Chooch, The Thrall Stand Alone Well Car is a release exclusive to Ztrack Magazine only. You can find them on their website. http://www.ztrack.com As for the newest photos posted, this is a Thrall 3 Drawbar Unit. It is 3 Thrall Stand Alone well cars connected by a drawbar between cars. Thrall made several 3 & 4 drawbar units as did Gunderson. Thrall connected 3 well cars together. TTX was the sole purchaser of the 48' Thrall Stand Alone well cars. Please do not get these mixed up with the All Purpose well cars Thrall built. All Purpose well cars have trailer hitches at both ends to accomodate trailers in the wells. Even though the 3 & 4 Drawbar units have one roadnumber, TTX has allotted seperate single roadnumbers to each well car in the drawbar configurations in the event that TTX has them broke apart into Stand Alones again. From what I have read, the Drawbar Units are so good that none have ever been seperated. If you notice the middle car designated "C" it does not have a manual Brakewheel but it does have the tank and regulators. If TTX seperates these cars the middle car can be road worthy in less than a day by bolting on the brake wheel and linkages. All bolt holes are present, just say the word and One unit becomes 3 Stand Alones in no time at all! ------------------------------------------------- Ok, I designed the artwork for photo chemical etching in metal, tested the artwork thru home etching some test cars, and sub-contracted the mass etching out to a professional company. I build them, paint them, create the artwork for decals, print decals, decal the well cars, create the packaging insert, vacuum form the plastic insert cradle and the cover sticker. From start to finish is a mass task! Similar to Lay's Potatoe Chips, you can't just make one! Have to build these in quantity! Here are some photos of production! It takes 2+ weeks to get to this point. This includes all packaging (paper insert, plastic vacuum cradle, and cover decal per each car). Hobo Tim
Hi Tim, Excellent work. From start to finish they are a knockout and your to be commended for the time and effort you put into a project like this. Bob
Time and Effort! Their is, indeed, a lot of time and effort put into these Thrall's. 2+ weeks from start of cutting them out of the brass frets to final assembly/packaging! I wish I could make 20 a day, but after writing down on paper all the steps I have to go thru to make one, the list comes out to nearly 3 full pages. That is one task to completion per line with 28 lines per page. Now I know what Kurt feels like when he builds his famous modern tank cars! Lots of steps to completion. But, after seeing the masses of beautiful cars when completed, they were worth the time and effort! Hobo Tim
Wow!!! I just wanted to say that all of those nice sheets of shiny brass, in the above posted message, are gone, but I know of a few more heading my way!!!! Thrall singles are still a Go at Ztrack!!!! Hobo Tim p.s. I hear that Ztrack might bring back the 3 Drawbar version too!!!
