Sine the quarry line is HOn30 I'm going to write up the building of the brass quarry cars in this section. This project started a little over a year ago after I did a basement redo moving things around to start on the quarry layout part.
I had purchased two MiniTrains set over the years at train shows.
ahm-minitrains.jpg
I'm using the plastic cars as a template to make the brass ones. Why brass and not use the plastic one's? They are going to be used dumping real rocks into a crusher building and then the crushed rock will get loaded into the cars and taken to an interchange where they will be dumped into standard gauge hopper cars. That's why brass is being used. The plastic cars do not shove well when empty.
So once I came up with some idea of how I wanted to go about building these I began getting parts together. I'll be using the wheels and axles from the Mini-Trains cars. They will roll in roller bearing axles instead of friction bearings for easier rolling stock.
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/HOn30QRR/Quarry%20Car%20Plans/QC_0001.JPG)
Tiny bearings from E-bay. They have an id of .039" and fit the Mini-Trains axel.
Here's a close up of the plastic cars and one set of bearing fitted to an axle.
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/HOn30QRR/Quarry%20Car%20Plans/QC_0002.JPG)
Six cars will be loaded simultaneously under the rock bin. The rock bin will be animated for loading the quarry cars.
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/HOn30QRR/Quarry%20Car%20Plans/QC_0003.JPG)
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/HOn30QRR/Quarry%20Car%20Plans/QC_0004.JPG)
Taking a closer look at the plastic cars shows some detail bracing and of course rivets.
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/HOn30QRR/Quarry%20Car%20Plans/QC_0005.JPG)
I looked into making rivets in aluminum shim (very thin aluminum - approx. 005" thick).
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/HOn30QRR/Quarry%20Car%20Plans/QC_0006.JPG)
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/HOn30QRR/Quarry%20Car%20Plans/QC_0007.JPG)
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/HOn30QRR/Quarry%20Car%20Plans/QC_0008.JPG)
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/HOn30QRR/Quarry%20Car%20Plans/QC_0009.JPG)
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/HOn30QRR/Quarry%20Car%20Plans/QC_0010.JPG)
The jury is still out as to whether I'll install rivets on the cars. I may say they are welded steel instead of riveted cars.
That's it for now. More to come.
Bernd
Bernd,
This project has come a long way for the beginning, and I know its been well thought out before you proceeded.
I also know its a project that I will never do as it requires much needed mechanic methods. But its fun to sit
back and watch you perform your magic. Thanks for sharing. I will be following along with your progress.
Rich
Quote from: Pennman on March 13, 2026, 11:57:38 PMBernd,
This project has come a long way for the beginning, and I know its been well thought out before you proceeded.
I also know its a project that I will never do as it requires much needed mechanic methods. But its fun to sit
back and watch you perform your magic. Thanks for sharing. I will be following along with your progress.
Rich
That's one thing I love about this hobby. It lets me design rolling stock that would be plausible if they were built to 1:1 scale.
Bernd
Outstanding work Bernd.
Jerry
Bernd,
I would seriously think about using the rivets you made, they are consistent and look look fantastic.
Why aluminum rather than brass for those rivet strips?
dave
@ Jerry.
Thanks Jerry.
@ Ron,
Still thinking about it. I've got some time before I have to make a final decision on that detail.
@ Dave,
It's all I had with a thickness, which I can't remember what it was, to test out if I could use my Robo router/engraver set up as a rivet machine. That's a whole nother story in it's self.
Bernd
Been working on the second version of the rotary dumper that'll be used to dump the cars I started building. A picture of the first brass car I assembled from all the brass pieces I cut out on the CNC machine.
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/HOn30QRR/Quarry%20Car%20Plans/QC_0028A.JPG)
Version 2.0 of the rotary dumper.
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/HOn30QRR/HOn30%20roatarydumper/RD_0038.JPG)
And a close up of the rotary mechnics.
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/HOn30QRR/HOn30%20roatarydumper/RD_0039.JPG)
Next I need to work on making a stop so the dumper returns to the position to load the next car. That's it for today.
Bernd
Very cool, Bernd.
Mike
Thanks Mike.
B
Impressive!!!!!!!
I look forward to more.
FWIW I think embossed rivets are acceptable, especially in your scale.
MJinTN
Are you thinking something electro-mechanical for the stop like a limit switch, or something digital?
dave
Quote from: labdad on May 21, 2026, 06:39:14 PMImpressive!!!!!!!
I look forward to more.
FWIW I think embossed rivets are acceptable, especially in your scale.
MJinTN
Thanks MJinTN. There will be more but at a slower pace. Summer outdoor projects plus time at the camp take presidents over modeling during the May to October time frame.
Here's a picture of a On30 boxcab I had built many years ago on the now defunct RRL forum. This and a second one went to William Andersen (aka Gezzer(RIP)). I can't find a picture of my shop built riveter. I'm at camp now and on my portable computer and don't have access to all my pictures.
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/Critter2/details/4axcritter89.jpg)
Bernd
Quote from: deemery on May 21, 2026, 06:48:41 PMAre you thinking something electro-mechanical for the stop like a limit switch, or something digital?
dave
Staying away from "electro-mechanics" as far as I can. They are too troublesome when the electronics don't want to work anymore. Half the time you can't find the same components anymore because they updated the device or chips. It will be strictly a mechanical stop. Kind of like a railroad type bumping post. Solid and immoveable at slow speed.
Bernd
Quote from: labdad on May 21, 2026, 06:39:14 PMFWIW I think embossed rivets are acceptable, especially in your scale.
MJinTN
Found my pictures of my rivet tool. I made this probably 30 years ago while I was still employed at the place I was employed working in the toolroom. It's a copy of an article that was written up in Model Railroader except the guy used wood. I used a piece of cast iron and tool steel.
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/RLF/On30Critter1/rivet1.jpg)
(https://www.kingstonemodelworks.com/RLF/On30Critter1/rivet2.jpg)
I like making my own tooling when I can. Helps to have machine tool's and also helps to have knowledge of how to use them properly.
Bernd
Nice work Bernd. I should really pay attention. I thought you were making the bearings flanged by turning them down one at a time. A clever way to omit friction!
Philip
Disregard my PM :-[
QC_0002.jpg
Quote from: Philip on May 22, 2026, 10:46:44 AMNice work Bernd. I should really pay attention. I thought you were making the bearings flanged by turning them down one at a time. A clever way to omit friction!
Philip
Disregard my PM :-[
QC_0002.jpg
Thanks Philip.
If you go back to page 1 post#7 it shows all the parts and assembly of said parts. I used a brass rod drilled out and reamed for the bearings to fit in snug. The OD of the rod fits the curved cutouts on the chassis frame. The bearing tubes were soldered on first using the jig in the center of the picture. The bearings and wheels were then pressed on to gauge.
Bernd
10-4
8)
While sitting here at Northern Command (1000 Island camp) waiting for the rain to come I've been contemplating on designing a mechanical stop for the dumper. Since it's using magnets to drive the rotary part, I am looking at using a solid stop. It won't damage the drive. It'll just keep slipping on the magnetic drive wheels. Also need to come with a design to hold the car on the tracks while rotating it when dumping the loaded car.
Should have brought it with me to get a better idea if some of the ideas I have would work. Maybe next time, but then it probably wouldn't be raining, and the other half would want to go for a boat ride. Water temp up here is 50°.
Bernd