The inspiration for this build is a well car designed in 1900 by Edward Blossom of the Woodbury & Hardwick RR. This was to be used for shipping large granite slabs that would be too wide for flat cars.
Looks like Barclay Bros borrowed the car and did a little custom relettering for this photo
The design is ingenious, with the supporting bits designed to be removed easily, and the car converted back to a normal flat if needed.
Making the model convertible is more work than I want to do, so my version will be permanently a well car. First step, making the flat car frame. This is made using the same jig I made for a 36' flat car which I posted about a long time ago - but with the middle two timbers left out of the jig, and glued in manually, leaving space for the well. Then added supports for queenposts and a place to anchor the (future) truss rods. Note the pile of pre-stained decking timbers in the back
Next, added the decking. I cut them a bit long on purpose so I can move faster when installing them.
Then, cut the well out of the middle, and sanded the edge of the deck to size.
More to come - I have the beginnings of the well floor made up, but now waiting on some scale 12x12 timbers to be delivered so I can finish the part above the deck.
Looks like Barclay Bros borrowed the car and did a little custom relettering for this photo
The design is ingenious, with the supporting bits designed to be removed easily, and the car converted back to a normal flat if needed.
Making the model convertible is more work than I want to do, so my version will be permanently a well car. First step, making the flat car frame. This is made using the same jig I made for a 36' flat car which I posted about a long time ago - but with the middle two timbers left out of the jig, and glued in manually, leaving space for the well. Then added supports for queenposts and a place to anchor the (future) truss rods. Note the pile of pre-stained decking timbers in the back
Next, added the decking. I cut them a bit long on purpose so I can move faster when installing them.
Then, cut the well out of the middle, and sanded the edge of the deck to size.
More to come - I have the beginnings of the well floor made up, but now waiting on some scale 12x12 timbers to be delivered so I can finish the part above the deck.