HOn30 electric Boxcabs for the Quarry Line

[Bernd]

Time to write up the construction of four boxcab electrics I had built several years ago. These were built to compliment the Diesel Boxcabs I wrote up in the following link:

https://modelersforum.com/index.php?topic=6790.0

One of my modeling interests is in electric engines powered from overhead wires. I have several large main line engines from commercial manufactures. Nobody makes small four wheeled electric boxcabs so I had to  scratchbuild them out of brass of course. One of my favorite building materials.

So to start off, a search on the net to get an idea of what's out there. I did a search for quarry electric engines and came up with the following pics. These were the closest that I had in mind.





Next problem, was I going to build a DYI powered chassis or buy one. After looking at what was available in HOn30 (N gauge track width actually) I came up with these Kato 11-103. I didn't like what was available in a two truck design in HOn30, that's why the two axle unit was picked.



Now I needed to come up with a properly designed boxcab. I paper mock up was drafted in CAD, applied to some cardboard for the mock up, but first I needed to make a floor to fit on the chassis.

Using a piece of .030" thick brass I used a CAD drawing to cut out the base using a fret saw with a fine tooth metal saw blade.





To fit properly I had to removed two tabs for the floor to fit over the motor.





Next the body mockup.



Next I'll get into the sides that were cutout on the Sherline CNC.

Bernd

[Larry C]

Bernd great photos of the electrics and especially the first photo. I see you're using a Kato drive so I assume you're going with HOn3 scale for the boxcab. I purchased a Kato 11-109 awhile back and it runs flawlessly for a On18 critter. Good luck with this and I'll stop in and see how you're progressing.

[Bernd]

Bernd great photos of the electrics and especially the first photo. I see you're using a Kato drive so I assume you're going with HOn3 scale for the boxcab. I purchased a Kato 11-109 awhile back and it runs flawlessly for a On18 critter. Good luck with this and I'll stop in and see how you're progressing.

Thanks Larry. I went back and checked when I actually started these. It was ten years ago. They aren't finished yet. They still need a few details and paint. Since I've started work on the brass quarry cars the engines have taken a back seat so to speak.

I believe the Kato 11-109 is the newer version of the 11-103. They do run flawlessly. Can you imagine doing a brass one in On18? I can. but I'm staying away from the O scale (for now  )

Bernd

[Larry C]

I believe the Kato 11-109 is the newer version of the 11-103. They do run flawlessly. Can you imagine doing a brass one in On18? I can. but I'm staying away from the O scale (for now  )

Bernd

If you can do brass in On18 you're a better modeler than I am. Don't be afraid to be lured to the "dark side" of model railroading.

[Bernd]

I believe the Kato 11-109 is the newer version of the 11-103. They do run flawlessly. Can you imagine doing a brass one in On18? I can. but I'm staying away from the O scale (for now  )

Bernd

If you can do brass in On18 you're a better modeler than I am. Don't be afraid to be lured to the "dark side" of model railroading.

I was into On30 back about 10 years ago along with TT scale and live steam. I figured I better settle on one scale if I wanted to get anything done. But perhaps for a side interest I might try it some time when I get bored with HO.   

Bernd

[Pennman]

Bernd,

Making anything smaller than HO scale is beyond my train of thought, HO is small enough for me.
Like I mentioned in your other thread, its fun to sit back and watch you, especially running all
of your milling machines. I wonder after seeing your mock-up above, if I can follow along to make
a similar piece of powered rolling stock with one of the self-powered Tenshodo Ho Gauge Coreless
Power Trucks WB 24.5-10.5? All I have to do is make a floor (maybe out of wood), and add the wood
sidewalls, similar to your mock-up. I'm thinking on the lines of a small climax, vertical boiler
engine. Thanks for the inspiration. I may try it!

Rich

[Bernd]

Bernd,

Making anything smaller than HO scale is beyond my train of thought, HO is small enough for me.
Like I mentioned in your other thread, its fun to sit back and watch you, especially running all
of your milling machines. I wonder after seeing your mock-up above, if I can follow along to make
a similar piece of powered rolling stock with one of the self-powered Tenshodo Ho Gauge Coreless
Power Trucks WB 24.5-10.5? All I have to do is make a floor (maybe out of wood), and add the wood
sidewalls, similar to your mock-up. I'm thinking on the lines of a small climax, vertical boiler
engine. Thanks for the inspiration. I may try it!

Rich

Thanks Rich. HOn30 is not smaller in scale size, it's smaller in track width or track gauge.

Yes, you can make it out of wood. Material doesn't matter.

Lets see what you can come up with.

Bernd

[Bernd]

Ok, moving on to the shell or body of the boxcab.

Below are two drawings, one labeled CAD and one CNC version. The CAD file is then exported as a DXF file into the CAM program. The CAD version has all the lines that will be needed in the CAM (computer aided machining) to set up telling the machine what line to cut, whether to cut inside the line or outside the line, how deep and how many passes it needs to make to step down to the next amount of stock to remove so the machine can cut out the part to proper size. Note the little black boxes connecting the door, windows and louvers. The machine is told to leave this part uncut so when the cutter breaks through the bottom the little waste piece doesn't tangled in the cutter and breaks the cutter or wings it across the room.



Here are the first two sides cut out. Note the stock left to hold the parts in place.



I had cut out the first floor manually to get the dimensions needed to draw it up in CAD and then proceeded like I did for the sides. Makes for better fit and straight line cuts and square corners.







After cutting out the parts from the main sheet and some filing to clean up the edges. This is what you wind up with.



That's it for now. Next I'll get into assembly of the basic shell.

Bernd

[Pennman]

Great work Bernd, now all I have to do is get to my drafting board!

Rich

[Bernd]

Thanks Rich.

Kind of tough to covert those drafting plans into CAM. 

Bernd