This is another offering from the Friends of the East Broad Top Co. Store: a 3D printed bobber caboose No. 27/28 that was one of two predecessors to the steel-framed wood-sided no.'s 27 & 28 that the EBT built in the 1920's to scaled-down plans for the all-steel NE cabooses of the anthracite roads and the Western Maryland. Both of those are still in service on the EBT.
No photos or instructions come with the kit [in fairness, I know of only one image of an EBT bobber, and it's copyright protected in the long out-of-print East Broad Top, by Rainey & Kyper (1984)]. I built the kit as it came in the box, substituting brass wire for platform end railing in lieu of the soft copper wire provided. The photo in R&K shows corner grabs on the cupola roof, but I didn't mess with them. Nor did I mess with probable platform end grabs. Although pilot holes for platform end railings and brake wheel staffs are kindly printed into the car floor, none were evident on the cupola roof or end sills.
This is the kit unboxed:
01_IMG_9182.jpg
I drilled out the pilot holes with a #74 micro drill bit (#75 gives a snug fit, but I prefer the easier insertion). I hand-bent the end railings using small needle nose pliers, and, as the refuse pile in this image shows, I batted a little over .400 ... good therapy. Super glue on the protruding ends, then nip off the excess below the platform when set.
02_IMG_9185.jpg
After spraying with Tamiya Light Primer and allowing it to set overnight, I used TrueColor Grime for the under carriage and Weathered Black for the platforms and cupola roof, both from spray cans (Grime has been discontinued, sadly). Tamiya gloss True Red, again from a spray can, for the car body. All were again allowed to set overnight. By the way, even though this image was made while the paint was still curing, TrueColor flat paint in spray cans yields a semi-gloss finish that I've found has to be dulled with DullCoat.
03_IMG_9186.jpg
After masking all the red surfaces (including the roof walks), I sprayed the roof Weathered Black. Only a few touch-ups with TrueColor Brushable Flat Black were needed where the cupola sides meet the roof.
04_IMG_9190.jpg
Then I brush painted the printed-on car body side and end railings - phew. Believe it or not, I was able to do that without getting any black on the red. The lighting in this image hides how brilliant that gloss Tamiya True Red really is.
05_IMG_9194.jpg
I was banking on DullCoat toning it down after I got the decals on, and as you'll see in the next installment, it did.
Thanks for checking in.
Here's an idea for the end railings: Construct a bending jig using a piece of scrap wood (plywood pieces from a laser cut kit work well for this), and a 1/16 wood dowel. Carefully figure out and drill holes for pieces of dowel that is the correct distance (or maybe .01 less) for the top of the railing. Then use that to bend the U shape railing around the 2 dowels. You can add another dowel to get that bump-out that is typical on the end railings for passenger cars.
dave