Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Day 11 of 180 Days of A/P Cars - #2 Flat Car - Loads of Fun

Flat Car #2 will have the same build as flat car #1.  We'll just change the load.  Picking out the load is a big issue.  If you do it right it can add points.  If you do it wrong it can really lose points.  NMRA AP purist will tell you that losing points is not the case.  Well, to me "not earning them" and "losing them" comes to the same conclusion. 

The Hebard Cypress Company cuts down cypress trees in the swamp and then takes them to the mill to be cut into timber.  I'm thinking that cars #1 and #2 should reflect that.  So I think I'll have car #1 with a large cypress log and car #2 with a load of lumber. 

The log car will be beaten to a pulp.  Chains will hold the log in place.  You have to block a load very carefully or you'll not win points.  I'll need some photos of a logging flat car.  The log will be hollow at the base like many cypress trees and will be constructed out of polymer clay.

Car #2 will have a load of lumber.  Cypress wood looks very different so I'll probably cut the load on the new saw from real cypress wood just for good measure.  In fact the flat cars would have been built from kits at the logging site, so they will be made out of real cypress wood as well.

Both #1 and #2 will be the same color, a faded dark green.  I also thought about dark brown.  Maybe that will change.  

Sorry if I ramble a bit tonight.  I'm tired...

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