Current status regarding the Z scale 60’ 33Kgal Whalebelly Tank Car Ed Kaminski, author of two excellent books relating to Tank Cars and ACF, has provided dimensioned drawings for reference to complete the prototype drawings of this car. John Coots, N Scale of Nevada, has provided this car in 1:160 to study. We need to make a decision regarding the level of precision of reproduction. We need your advice, regardless of your interest in a finished decorated car, or a kit. Should we produce the end support structures, ladders, stirrups, walkways, railings, and tank dome details in etched metal? We can do this in our Rapid Prototyping process, but we have discovered in our BIG RIGS, prototypically dimensioned ACRYLIC details (axles, drive shafts, leave springs) become so – thin - in 1:220 that any impact, torque, or flexure will cause damage to that part. If we etch metal for only 100 units it will add a minimum of $10 to each $55 kit, $30 to the $99 set of three kits, and $15 to each $75 finished decorated car. The etched metal will be strong, easily formed, and prototypically correct. Questions – A. (majority rules) Do you want to have these details etched in metal? B. Does this increase in price change your commitment? Please email your answer to harbormaster@searails.com with the subject ETCH. We’ll post the response we receive before next Friday. Thanks for continuing to support this Z scale project. This brings us one step closer. Jim Shiff
Jim, as much as I want a tank car, I dont think I want to spend $65 for a car that I still have to paint and decal. Correct me if I am wrong, but I alway thought for the $55 we would get the etchings. I will look back to past posting when I have time.
I would have to say that durability would have to win out. While I am not interested in the kits ... only the RTR ones ... I really want to be able to use/display this car ... not keep it in an airtight container at the bottom of a well covered in cement to prevent it from breaking the first time I exhale. an aside: Folks ... why the lackluster support for this project from the z-community?
To answer the aside: the Whalebelly is not something that is prototypical for my area so I have no interest in purchasing. I do wish modern tank cars in my layout, I just haven't seen any yet other than the 50' ones from 3RWorks, which are too expensive for my budget.
Jim, this will put the RTR Whalebelly Tank Car in a price range of 90$. At this price you can have a beautiful Tank Car from Kurt or a beautiful Car from Freudenreich and those Cars are not Acrylic. Just my 2 cents...
Yes, you do have to put it in perspective. For kit's the price must be lower regardless of the expense of the materials used. If you can purchase a ready to run handbuilt model for less than a kit that you have to assemble, paint, and letter yourself, and you run the risk of messing it up, you have to ask yourself if it is worth it? Now, another solution that might be workable, is using the RP car body to make a mold for casting in resin, then you can reduce your costs by providing a resin and brass model in kit form. I can see using the RP process for the details, but if this tank car kit's details are etched brass, then the tank itself is just a smooth shape that resin should be able to reproduce easily? -Robert
Whalebelly mfg methods and costs Thanks for the input. All of the responses so far have indicated a metal etching would be preferable, AND in order to reduce the price significantly, resin casting the body and two separate end supports with bolsters for trucks and couplers is going to be an experiment we will do in any case. Robert is right, this may be an efficient and cost-preserving way to go. Our only probelm is the increased weight of a cast resin body vs. an RPM acrylic body, but we'll deal with it. Jim
Jim, I appreciate your flexability about this project. In any case, I don't want to be negative. We need more guys like you! I'm sure that a RTR Modell in the pricerange from 50-60$ will be a good deal.
As far as the weight reduction of resin, I joined the casting yahoo group some time back to pick up what I can, and one of the tidbits I found is "Glass Spheres" or "Air Filled Spheres" that a lot of the commercial guys are using to save on resin costs. They say that it reduces the weight significantly, does not affect the smooth finish of the resin, and saves lots of money in resin. This might be worth investigating. I have not gotten into the resin stuff myself, but I might be tempted to experiment with vermiculite for large pieces. Anyways, I remember the topic suggesting tap plastics for the tiny spheres.
Resin casting and studio/chop tours Thanks for your resin casting tips. Our clients are welcome to visit our shop and production studios in Sebastopol, CA to see how we make molds and injection cast resin. You can see our production work, mostly prototype modeling for owners of licensing from fast food and comic characters at; http://www.anaglyphinc.com (select "enter") and, see some of our scale model production specifically at; http://www.anaglyphinc.com/glyphit.htm/html/scale_models.html Our design studios are in Valley Ford where you are always welcome by appointment (800-929-3361). Jim PS The "Woodie" blueprint on the home page may give a hint to the future!
