To keep it brief...
I'm new to the forum and model railroading. Have discovered a pension for superdetailing. Am working on a 1920's era layout with one prototypical road as the main line (Copper Range) and one free-lance to drive the action (Aardvark Mining Co.). Needed some "back woods" rolling stock to support the mining & timber operations of the Aardvark. A friend suggested that Bachmann old timer cars were a good place to start, so here's what I came up with...
Before...
(http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww83/AardvarkMine/Bobber%20Caboose%20Project/BachmannbobberLR.jpg)
After...
(http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww83/AardvarkMine/Bobber%20Caboose%20Project/AMbobberLR.jpg)
My first attempt at customizing. Wire handrails, break, grabs and stanchions. Krystal Klear windows, safety & auxilliary chains, Z couplers.
Before...
(http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww83/AardvarkMine/Gondola%20Project/BachmanngondolaLR.jpg)
After...
(http://i708.photobucket.com/albums/ww83/AardvarkMine/Gondola%20Project/AMgondolaLR.jpg)
Since the original model didn't come with grabs, I used a real gon of this era that has been restored at the Midcontinental Railway Museum in New Freedom, WI as an example (8 per end). Other than the wire work, the thing I'm proudest of with this one was using strip styrene in order to make the inside walls of the gon have the same wood plank look as the outside of he walls, rather than smooth as on the original model.
Fun projects (thank's for the excellent raw material Bachmann!) Lot's more to do...
Art
Looks good, nice use of wire for grab-irons and braces. I have similar plans for the Bachmann OT's.
Charles
Thanks. The wire doesn't really show up that well in the photo's... but they're all there. Still need to weather the cars to make them look a little less toy like, but they turned out O.K. Have also done some detailing on the OT box cars, but they're a little trickier as the molded in details are tougher to deal with.