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3-D printing a model


thin cross-section I included these in the same pattern as the window sash- es. As long as I was laser cutting, I also cut all the glazing, as well. Since I knew I would have to sand the roof, I left all the details off and added them later. I like to make my own smoke stacks from a length of brass rod, some tube and a square of shim material. This enables one to see through the cap. The lamp jacks/vents are brass pins soldered to a tube with some shim material. The toilet vents are simply lengths of brass rod turned in a drill. You can probably buy nice lamp jacks and toilet vents, but I would rather spend my time making them than researching who makes ones that match my needs.


The tanks beside the smoke stacks are Baker heater expansion tanks, and they took a few tries to get right. I should have printed them as separate parts so they would have fit on the roof perfectly. In the end I wrapped some .010″ styrene around appropriate-sized rod and filled the gaps with putty. With a lot of sanding and filling later, they looked pretty good. The tanks received dainty filling cocks soldered up out of wire and turned funnels.


Finally, I assembled the handrails on the body ends from two pieces of .010″ wire. The middle leg of these handrails loops below the railing so you don’t rap your knuckles as you’re boarding the train. I replicated this feature.


Underframe, platforms, interior


The core of the underframe is a ¹/₈″ thick piece of steel cut to fit precisely into the body. This provides almost the correct amount of weight as well as su- per-strength to what could be a trou- blesome, floppy piece of modeling if done in wood or styrene.


I covered the steel underframe with a wooden sound-deadening ceiling that I built board-by-board. By using wood, it was easy to get the coloring right, which is something I’ve struggled with on some of my freight car models. The platforms, steps and end beams were printed together with the interior, ensuring that they would be straight. The platforms are somewhat vulnera- ble out there, however, and my next car will incorporate more of the steel in the platforms. The other lesson learned is that 3-D printed parts that need to fit together and then come apart need a little clearance to do so. I didn’t leave any clearance between the body and the interior sections, and the first trial fit was almost the last.


Various details, such as the brakes, levers, train line and so on were glued straight to the sound deadening ceiling or between the frame members under 56


The underframe (top) was covered by a sound deadening ceiling. This extra layer insu- lated the car from dust and noise kicked up by the wheels. The individual boards took longer but look great on the model. The completed, and printed, interior (above) has seats that were not quite wide enough for two Preiser figures. The aisle could be narrower.


the platforms. These details are all made from commercial parts or fabri- cated from plastic, brass or steel, as ap- propriate.


The interiors for the passenger sec-


tions were printed complete with seats, toilets, sinks, Baker heaters and parti- tions. Even the door handles on the in- terior doors were printed. Just prior to declaring an end to the project I paint- ed up a half a dozen Preiser figures and seated them throughout the coach. The conductor must be in the baggage sec- tion since he is not in either passenger section.


Finishing


The question of color took months to resolve. Obviously, we have no color photographs of CA rolling stock as the GTR took over in 1905. I have one col- orized postcard that shows some wine- colored passenger cars.


There is also a newspaper account


suggesting that CA passenger trains were “Turkish Rouge.” This note led


me on a lengthy quest. There are some ghastly fuchsia pinks that people refer to by that name. Even if I had totally verified that this was indeed the right color I couldn’t have used it on my mod- els for fear of being drummed out of the hobby.


Some helpful folks suggested that I look at jeweler’s rouge, which is a brick red, a socially acceptable color for pas- senger equipment. Finally, thanks to the generous people on the early per- fume Yahoo list, I came up with not one, but two antique cosmetics recipes for Turkish Rouge. (It was for “bright- ening” women’s cheeks.) The key ingre- dient is Alkanet, and after procuring a small packet I reproduced the simpler recipe. It has a beautiful pinky-red col- or under some light. However, I’ve nev- er seen a color change so dramatically from one light source to the next. I airbrushed the body, roof and inte-


rior. Since the color reference (a re- porter’s impression of the color) is so imprecise, I used Polly Scale Pacemak- MARCH 2012


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