Sunset NSL Silverliners #7B – The Roof

Note - Some of the photos used may appear to be out of order for the work being explained in the post. The best photo for the work being done is used regardless of the order in which the photo was taken.

There are the 2 items I expected to find but could not on the roofs of the Pullman Silverliners. They may be there but I was unable to see them in photos. Almost all of the cars operating on the "L" which had trolley poles had a roof mounted fuse. This included the "L" cars themselves as well as the CNS&M and CA&E cars! This is the roof fuse available from Current Lines Models.

Current Line Models Drawing

Another item sometimes found on the roofs of NSL cars is a lightening arrestor. None was found by me on the Pullman Silverliners from what I can tell.

Current Line Models Drawing

What is important regarding not finding the roof fuse or lightening arrestor is, I did not find them in photos of the cars I was modeling #738 and #739. Always build to the photo of the prototype car you are modeling!


Next is the mounting of the roof mats. Check with Eric Bronsky for these. The roof mat has to be bent to conform to the end of the roof. You'll find this is not an easy task! The roof curvature of the Pullman built NSL cars is not the same as the other cars in the NSL fleet of cars. Do the very best you can.

The reason the mat cannot be bent to conform exactly to the curvature is the outer wooden (on the prototype) mounting rails prevent the slats from being bent more round. The mounting rails are normally mounted in the roof 1st with the mat slats mounted on top of them. The rails can be cut, but you'll have to clean-up any rough edges after the mat is glued to the roof. I have a better solution to any gaps between the roof mat rails and the roof.

Here is what the original roof mats looked like when they were "pulled" off of the roofs of the cars. The outer mounting rails were cut off with a grinding wheel. Note the mounting rails (the part going up 90 degrees to the slats and forming a V-shape). These have to be added to the brass roof mats.

Here is a new roof mat with the missing mounting rails glued in. The missing mounting rails were made from 0.020" and 0.030" styrene strips. ACC was used for glue. Even though the mat is shown upside down, the missing slat for a toe hold can be seem. It was removed after the styrene rails were installed.

Now the roof mat is ready for gluing to the roof, but not until the roof vent located over the vestibule is taken into account. This is an unfortunate photo of a wreck on the NSL. The vent over the vestibule can be seen along with the cut out of the roof mat. Along the roof boards to the right can be seen the roof mounted fuse. It is mounted at an angle. The open part of the box holding the fuse is over the roof of the car.

Chicago Tribune Photo, John Giove Collection

Here is a roof mat already been glued in place. You'll be shown how to keep the mat in place while gluing later. A portion of the mat has to be cut for the vent to fit in place. Cut out the notch before gluing the mat in place.

Be sure to read this and the following paragraphs before attaching the roof mats to the roofs. In the photo above you may have noticed white showing at the outer most mounting rail. This is a 0.010" and 0.030" styrene strip wedged in place to take up some of the gap between this rail and the roof.

Holding the mat in place while you are trying to position the mat and at the same time applying gap filling ACC is a TASK! You don't have enough fingers and hands. After some thought this "Rube-Goldberg" apparatus was used.

The brass tabs are held in place used the 2-56 trolley base screw. A paper clip holds the United States Postal Service (USPS) supplied rubber band. This device is installed on both ends of the model at the same time. The USPS supplied rubber bands are held together under the model with another paperclip. Apply some gap filling, slow curing ACC and allow it to "dry" for 24 hours or more. After the ACC has cured the rubber bands can be removed.


Now the 0.010" x 0.030" styrene strips can be wedged between the roof and the mat. More gap-filling ACC should be used to hold the styrene strips in place and at the same time fill any gaps. If one of the prototype metal rub rails for the trolley rope break off. A piece of 0.010" x 0.030" brass can be attached with ACC. I broke off this piece and had to do a repair. Here's what the repair looks like.

Once the mat is firmly in place and any repairs completed the vent over the vestibule can be mounted using ACC. A metal strap to protect this roof vent needs to be made and installed. For the strap 0.010" x 0.030" brass was used. ACC was used to glue it in place.

In preparation to painting the roof(s), wipe the roof clean. If simple wiping won't work try using a clean soft rag moistened with isopropyl alcohol. The isopropylRustoleum Automotive Primer. It’s gray in color. Never apply finish paint on bare metal.

After 24 hours drying time, Floquil Weathered Black was sprayed on. You should have a nice smooth finished. When a car was fresh out of the NSL paint shop, the roof of the car would be a shiny black. Over time as the car was in service the roof would take on a dull lightened black color. My models will have been in service a while therefore the Weathered Black color was appropriate.

Now that you have the roof of your coaches finished, it's time to look at the trolley poles. In any photo of the Pullman made 737 to 751 coaches, you'll notice 4-spring horizontal trolley bases. The cars were supplied by Pullman with this style of pole base. NSL did not change the trolley bases. You need to change the poles supplied by Sunset to the correct trolley base. Select your favorite supplier of trolley poles.


Attach your selection of trolley poles to your models and hook the poles down. According to the car drawings in the CERA Bulletin and photos, the trolley shoe should not extend much beyond the roof line of the car. If they do, you'll need to shorten your trolley poles. I had checked my poles before painting the roof. Here's a photo of the final check of a trolley pole.

By happenstance there were 4 Q-Car 4-spring horizontal trolley poles in my supply of unused poles. The shoes of the poles were changed to the original Wagner style. These are now available from Jim Osborn in Ohio. Jim Osborn can be contacted by telephone or USPS mail. Information on Jim can be found at the bottom of this page – lower right. The Wagner shoes for some reason tend to hold the trolley wire better and make for "more" contact with the wire providing better running of the model. Don't forget to blacken the poles where needed. One hallmark of the NSL was the silver sock painted on the pole near the trolley base and the shoe. On the prototype this was done with rust retardant paint to make it easy to remove the pole from the base or the shoe assembly from the pole. Paint a 1/4" aluminum stripe at the base and shoe of each pole.

Remove the poles and place them in a safe place. Next are the sides and ends of the cars.

Cheers,

Ed

Sunset NSL Silverliners #7A – The Roof

Working on the roof of a model is one of the sections where every effort has to be taken to protect the paint finish of the cars. There are items to be removed from the roof. But 1^st, the location of the trolley bases was check and found to be correct. The trolley hold-down hooks as well as the 4 trolley boards are also correct. However, everything else on the roofs of the coaches has to be removed.

As a side note – When my models were completed, one of the trolley hooks had been mashed down so many times it cracked in 2. At this point all the trolley hooks were replaced with Q-Car B150 Tall Inside trolley hooks and painted. To remove the old hooks, with small pliers twist the hooks at the base and pull. The solder joint is easy to break.

Something to consider is if you are planning on wiring your models for pole reverse. This is the time to work out how the trolley hooks are to be insulated from one another. It may be best to replace the roof boards with ones made from styrene. More comments are coming regarding roof boards when the roof of the 415 is worked on. There will be wiring diagrams in future posts including pole reverse.

The items you need to remove from the roof include, the horns, the vent above the lavatory, roof mats on the ends of the car.

· On the model the horns are located on the roof boards. On the prototype they are mounted on the roof mats.

· The vent above the lavatory is too small and is located too low on the roof.

· The roof mats have too many slats and are under size.

Now the question is - do I unsolder the parts off the roof or grind them off with a cut off wheel in a Dremel Tool. If you decide to unsolder the parts, an extremely hot iron is required. To melt the solder and not destroy too much paint, a hot iron is the only tool to use. An iron without sufficient heat will only heat up a larger and large area of the roof. Heat the part and yank it off. If pins were used to position the part there will be holes to fill in. The filling the holes can be a problem. Something has to be used to back up the hole(s) in the thin brass roof. A thin layer of brass can be soldered underneath. This requires heat being used and the chance of more damage being done to the model!

If you decide to grind off the part and don't have a light touch, you'll have to fill in the damaged area of the roof. I learned to gain a light touch when repairing a patch welded into the aluminum body of a 1953 Porsche convertible. I have kept my extremely light touch. Today I use 2" Gyros cut off wheels http://gyrostools.com/. If you order cut off wheels from Gyros, place the order by phone. You need to also purchase the correct mandrel for the cut off wheels. The individual taking your order will assist you with this.

Hold both the model and the tool firmly. Don't press down too hard and stop when you see the solder used to attach the part. Then gently sand and/or file the area. This is how the roof of one of my models looked after the lavatory vent was "ground off”.

The horn was removed by unsoldering and at the same time pulling the horns. The roof mat came off with a combination of grinding-off and pulling-off the casting.

Regarding the blue tape. I wasn't too good in protecting the sides of my models, especially the fake corrugations "painted" on the silver part of the sides. When the tape was removed some of the decal came off. More on this problem later

This is the style of vent found on the roofs of the Silverliner cars. I call them the Darth Vader style for those who have seen Star Wars. The vent is not entirely tear drop shaped like the helmets in Star Wars. Instead they are flat on the sides. The foot-print of the vent looks rectangular in shape in the photo below. However, they are squarer in actual shape. From measurements taken from the CERA plans for the Silverliner coaches, this style of vent is about 15" square. The part of the vent near the center line of the car is attached to the interior of the car. The part going away from the center line is open on the bottom. As the car is in motion air is drafted out of the car.

Curt Seeliger Jr. Photo, Greg King collection

This style of vent can be made from a Utility vent. The box end of the Utility vent is filed down to make it more streamline in shape. Just be careful not to alter the edge of the casting. While it may not be the absolutely correct size or shape but it's probably as close as you're going to get. The drawings below show how the filing alters the Utility vent. Although the drawing was taken from the Q-Car Co. web site, either Q-Car or Current Line Models utility vents can be used. If the measurements don't work out you may need to add 0.005" thick brass under where the vent should be open to the air. Then something like Squadron green or white filler can be applied to build up the vent from the top and reshaped using sand paper. You will need 3 for each coach and 2 for 415 for a total of 8.

My vents didn’t have a “pin” for mounting them to the roof. For this reason, holes in the roof were not required. Note the "guide post" for locating the lavatory vent. ACC was used to glue the vent in place. Note the solder and brass pins left from grinding the old vent off. Also notice the nice louvers in the vent in the equipment locker and the way the window replacement is inset into the exterior wall of the car. Close-up photos are great. If you're ever in doubt about something, with the immediacy of today's electronic cameras, take a close-up photo and look at what you need to know about on your model.

The next sets of vents are not as easy as the lavatory vent. They are over the vestibule of the car where the end roof mats are located. Therefore let's take care of the junction box located over the #1 end electrical cabinet. This junction box is used to bring, make than bend, the 600 v. electrical cable from the trolleys down into the car itself. The junction box is a lost was casting available from Eric Bronsky. This is what one looks like.

It's a nice casting but the BIG sprue is a pain in the tush. The sprue is just where a delicate lip is located. Even though I managed to cut and file the sprue back, a hole had to be drilled in the roof. Start with a small hole and enlarge it with a round file. File the hole larger as needed in the location (direction) as needed. I used ACC to secure the casting in place. Of course it doesn't sit down on the roof. The curvature of the roof is not correct - or is it? Remember my comments about shop workers altering prototype cars from manufacturers' specifications over time. The same is true here. Your shop men need to do some alterations. Apply some Squadron green or white body putty around the base of the casting where it rests on the roof. When dry; gently, slowly sand the excess body filler away. Apply more body filler as required and repeat the process. Here's what the junction box looks like when mounted. (It looks like a corner of my casting was eaten away by a dog.)

In the photo above the roof mat had aready been removed. We'll get to them soom.

The cars’ air horns are to be soldered onto the roof mats. Gluing won't work out as well as soldering. The horns take too much abuse. Plus, now is the time before the mats are applied to the model. I'm reusing the roof horn supplied with the models. The model horns come on a small tab with 2 pins for mounting. I pulled the horns off the mount. (The mounting was ground off the roof boards.) After filing the bottom flat, the horns were silver soldered in place (I use a 6% silver solder, not the real jewelers' silver solder.) A protective hoop was formed from 0.010" x 0.030" brass and soldered on. The protective hoop is required to protect the horns from errant trolley poles. Errant trolley poles will get you every time!

This topic was too much to post as a single post. To be continued.

Cheers,

Ed

Available CRT/CTA Rapid Transit Models in Kit or Other Forms

The topic of what epoxy "L" models have been available came up over the past few days. This seems like the time to post this list.

The list of "L" models was prepared long ago as an extra to the Insull Empire of Traction holdings. Sam Insull's empire included the CRT in the 1910's and 20's. The CTA models are included since the CRT morphed into the CTA in 1947.

For those who are unaware, the Chicago elevated rapid transit system is better known as the "L", and not the "El". The "El" is a New York name for their elevated rapid transit system. The "L" is uniquely Chicago.

The MTH line of Chicago "L" cars is not included. The bodies of the MTH models are slightly oversize compared to O scale models in my list. Also, I have not kept up with what MTH Chicago "L" cars were available. If you are interested in the MTH "L" cars, check the "CTA O Scale L Layout" blog http://ctalayout.blogspot.com/

I don't have a list of CSL/CTA streetcars. If someone prepares a list and shares it with me, it will be posted.

Because a model is listed does not mean an endorsement from me. Some items listed are fantastic while other may be very basic in nature. However, even very basic models with proper finishing can be extremely well done model!

Here is the CRT/CTA "L" list -

Explanation of descriptions used for models:

brass body – unpainted built-up brass body without trucks
brass body w/trucks (non-powered) – unpainted built-up with non-powered trucks
powered brass body – unpainted built-up brass body with powered trucks (RTR)
wood body - unpainted built-up wood body without trucks
urethane body – unpainted built-up urethane body without trucks
“zinc” metal castings kit – a kit composed of “pot” or zinc alloy metal castings
various materials kit – a kit composed of metal stampings or castings, wood, etc. material
soft metal body – unpainted built-up “lead” based alloy body without trucks
epoxy body – unpainted built-up epoxy body without trucks
painted, complete powered model- a ready to run model

(Some knowledge of the manufacturer and/or importer of the model is helpful as they tended to provide all of their models in the same condition.)

CRT/CTA (Rapid Transit)

Type Manufacturer
#1-180 series South Side motor or trail car

Q-Car Company – epoxy body

#1755-1768 series Northwestern “L” wood motor car

Q-Car Company – epoxy body

#1260-1299 series Northwestern “L” wood trail car

Q-Car Company – epoxy body        

#4001-4066 series Cincinnati Car Company steel trail car
           Chicago Traction Models (CTM) - 3-D printed kit

#4067-4250 series Cincinnati Car Company steel motor car
           Chicago Traction Models (CTM) - 3-D printed kit

#4251-4455 series Cincinnati Car Company steel motor car

Q-Car Company – epoxy body

#5000 series Articulate Rapid Transit Car

             The Car Works – powered brass model

#1-50 series St. Louis Car Co. PCC rapid transit car (single unit)

            Q-Car Company – epoxy body

The Car Works – brass body w/trucks (non-powered)

#6000-6200 series St. Louis Car Co. PCC rapid transit car (married pair)

            Q-Car Company – epoxy body          
            The Car Works – brass body w/trucks (non-powered)

#6001-6200 series 1950 St. Louis Car Co. PCC rapid transit car (married pair)

SPTC built-up car complete (non-powered)

#6123-6130 series 1950 St. Louis Car Co. PCC rapid transit car (married pair)

equipped with trolley poles in 1955/56-60

SPTC built-up car complete (non-powered)

#6127-6130 series 1950 St. Louis Car Co. PCC rapid transit car (married pair)

in “Hot Rod" paint scheme equipped with trolley poles in 1960-64

SPTC built-up car complete (non-powered)

#2001 series 1964 CTA Pullman-Standard rapid transit car (married pair)

SPTC built-up car complete (non-powered)

NOTE - Some of Q-Car's early Chicago PCC rapid transit married pair cars in epoxy were models with both ends of the cars being "A" ends instead of "A" and "B" ends.

Cheers,
Ed

Sunset NSL Silverliners #6B – Couplers, Underbody & Steps

Before continuing with the topic, Current Line Models has the thin stamped brass radius bar available separately. Anyone who is interested in obtaining the thin brass radius bars should contact Current Line directly. They are listed at the far bottom of the blog page under "Traction Suppliers with Web Sites". The email address and phone number are on the web site.

Back to the topic at hand! Something had to be done to get the brass couplers closer to the floor of the vestibule to rectify the "giant" void. An appropriate size cut-off wheel in a Dermal Tool was used to remove the brass tab. Take care not to overheat the area. The back of the anticlimber has to be cut back so the coupler castings will fit in place. All the Sunset coupler brass tab material has to be removed.

As long as we’re on the brass tab, do not paint the area under the brass tab. Paint may get on the outside of the end door of the model. If you look closely on your model you will notice the small open space between the top of the anticlimber and the door.

With some measuring and guessing a "filler" of styrene 0.180" thick was found to be the correct thickness. To clear the end door and screws to hold the cab and bulkhead, the styrene filler was made from 2 main pieces. One was 0.100" thick and filled the entire area. The other piece is 0.080" thick (actually 3 pieces glued side by side). You can see the side of the styrene filler which fits against the vestibule floor. The screw heads hold the radius bar in place. The area to the left appears uneven. The 0.080" thick pieces originally went all the way to the left. It had to be cut back to clear the heads of the screws holding the bulkheads in place. Remember this is the test piece.

Using styrene for the filler turned out to be an advantage by insulating the couplers from the body of the car. Below is my 1st installation of the styrene filler using 1-72 screws. The floor was drilled and then taped. The 6 holes were tested. Only 2 screws are required. The actual holes used depend upon what is in the vestibule. The holes to hold the brass radius bar have yet to be drilled out.

To re-affirm the decision to use the all brass couplers, here is a soft metal coupler on the styrene filler. To bring the coupler closer to the body, the outer parts of the radius bar that curve back and are normally used to secure the coupler to the body have been filed off. Look how far the coupler still sticks out. I was starting to worry, if the radius bar was filed more, the part of the coupler where the radius bar and the hanger are screwed together would be too far back into the center of the model. It could interfere with truck swing. The other potential problem can be the clearance over the pilot.

Here is the brass coupler on the styrene filler. The ends of the radius bar have been filed. The brass coupler looks better than the soft metal coupler did. The coupler is closer to the anticlimber just like the prototype. Screw holes to secure the styrene filler and the holes in the radius bas car be seen.

This is the brass coupler from a different angle. The spacer bolts, cast into the radius bar, designed to hold the radius bar off of the floor look like they are doing something. The brake hoses have been added. More about these later.

To recap, to mount the radius bar to the styrene filler, the 2 holes in the center of the radius bar can be taped 2-56. Then short round head 2-56 screws are used to secure the radius bar to the styrene filler. This is the coupler material for the rear of the lead car - they are the radius bar, styrene filler, 2 2-56 screws, 2 1-72 screws, 1 0-80 screw and the carrier with the coupler attached.

You may have noticed numbers on the styrene fillers. For all the styrene fillers except the one for the front of the 3-car train, the holes in the styrene filler nearest to the front of the steps can be used to screw the filler to the floor of the vestibule. Each of the styrene fillers were numbered from front to rear of the train. For example, "5" is the front of the rear car of the 3-car train. For the leading coupler only 1 hole near the front of the steps can be used due to the motorman's compartment floor. The circled screws are in the holes which can be used. To prevent confusion, the unused holes have been filled in with small pieces of styrene.

The mounting of the Q-Car brass couplers turned out to be not exactly a mass production process. Couplers were mounted on the 415 while I remember what all had to be done. My Sunset Replacement Liner 3-car train is going north from Chicago to Milwaukee. The north end of the tavern/lounge is the kitchen end of 415. This is the #1 end or front of the car. I'll explain how I knew this when work of 415 is started.

Regarding air brake hoses –

· The lead coupler "F" and rear coupler “R” will have the 2 brass air brake hoses each.

· The couplers "2" (end of lead coach) and "3" (front of 415, the kitchen end) will have the wire for the electrical connection between the 2 cars. This will look like an air brake hose.

· Couplers "4" (rear of 415, the lounge end) and "5" (the front of the rear coach) will look "bald" unless something is done. However, using brass air hose castings interfere when coupling and uncoupling the cars. They can also break off! A 0.050" diameter copper wire was used to simulate 1 air hose coming from under each coupler. The copper wire is pliable enough not to break when flexed during the coupling/uncoupling process. They will be cut to the appropriate length the 1st time the 2 cars are coupled together.

Unfortunately this photo is blurry. However, how far the coupler sticks out can still be seen. When knuckle couplers are to be slid over one another, the knuckle along with the complete knuckle "hole" have to stick out and be free. Otherwise the couplers might hang up during travel over vertical curves.

From the side the Q-Car brass NSL couplers mounted on the styrene filler looks correct when compared to the Silverliner drawing on page 148 of CERA Bulletin 107.

If you are altering and/or improving upon a model and/or building a model to high standards; air brake hoses should be included on the model. A major problem with installing brass air brake hose castings on models is - the hose often cracks off if hit too hard. This can happen during taking a model in or out of the box it is stored in or by just running into another model on the layout. To prevent this when 2 brass air brake hoses are attached to a coupler or the end of a model, bend the hoses carefully so they overlap. Then solder the 2 hoses together at a point near the glad hands. This makes them stronger. Don't file all of the solder away.

I know there are air brake hoses made of plastic tubing. The air brake line valve is soldered on to the car. Then, the hose with the glad hand is slipped over the end of the valve. Over time the plastic tubing slips off the end of the valve leaving you with naked valves between cars and you fuming as you try to find them on the layout.

All the coupler material is stored away unpainted for the time when the cars are to be assembled. There are reasons for not leaving the couplers attached to the models now. Instead, wait for the final assembly of the models. Work on the roof and the sides and ends to the models may require some close handling of the models. Having the couplers and perhaps the pilot attached to the models will interfere with handling. Plus, the couplers and pilot can be damaged. Therefore, it's best to leave them off until the final assembly process.

The steps and the bottom of the vestibule floor were painted flat grimy black since they quickly become dirty. The flat grimy black is a very dark gray color. It allows the details to be seen by both the eye and the camera.

Part of the uncoupling mechanism can be seen in the photo. It's the round, almost pulley looking object inside of the step well. The hand lever is absent on the Sunset models. This lever was attached to the "pulley" and normally faced down. I did not make any effort to attach the levers. If you have the Winter 2002-03 issue of First and Fastest, read the 1^st article “Never Say Never” and look at the photos. The uncoupling mechanism can be seen in the step well of the cars. Keep in mind the photo on the cover for when work is done on 415.

The next posting includes the upgrading of the roofs of the coaches.

Cheers,

Ed

Sunset NSL Silverliners #6A – Couplers, Underbody, & Steps

Due to the length of this topic the post for the Couplers, Underbody & Steps will be broken into 2 posts. Two different methods to upgrade the couplers on the models are presented.

Before getting into the topic of couplers, some words on switching models of interurban passenger cars and making up trains. Initially when building my layout the idea of being able to make and break-up trains was an interesting concept. When the layout got to the point where cars and trains could be run, I found myself more interested in running individual cars or 2 to 3 cars in a train. The idea of switching was soon put by the wayside. This is the reason for using solid non-working couplers instead of working couplers. Many modelers may find this happening to them.

The switching of the replacement Liner cars becomes even more improbably when the fact the 415, a trailer, has to be electrically tethered to one of the powered cars for lights, unless you’re running the train on 2-rail. Chances are you will keep the 3 cars coupled together only to take them out of the yard to run as the replacement Liner 3-car train.

The most common complain I have heard regarding the Sunset Replacement Electroliner sets has been the couplers. Although Kadee couplers are nice, having them attached in a fixed location to an interurban car like a freight car is nonsense. As on many interurbans, the couplers on the NSL were radial. They swung freely from side to side. Changing the couplers on the Sunset models will not only make the models more prototypical looking but will decrease the operating radius of the models. My desire is to make the models operate on a radius of at least 18". The prototype operated on an O scale radius of 22.5" (90 feet prototype) on the Chicago "L". For street running you may desire to operate them on 12” to 15” curves. Tighter curves may cause problems.

The process of replacing the couplers is one to do on all 3 of the cars at one time. Before doing anything remove the pilot at each end of the car(s). They are held in place with 2 small metric screws. Place both the pilots and screws in a safe, secure location. The pilots will be one of the last items reattached to the models.

One of the hallmarks of the NSL was the unique smaller size couplers used on their passenger cars. Also, NSL passenger cars could not couple onto other railroad equipment equipped with knuckle couplers due to a difference in coupler height. If you desire to know more about this, most books on the NSL explain the reason for this "coupler uniqueness".

To make an informed decision on what to do you need to know what O scale interurban couplers products are available. The Current Line Models, the old Wagner Car Company, couplers available are #M-400 Kadee coupler pocket on a thin brass radius bar. You supply the Kadee coupler. (Reuse the Kadee supplied with the Sunset Models.) Kadee couplers are not in any way, shape, or form NSL looking couplers. Furthermore, if Kadee couplers are used with the M-400, the cars will probably be coupled further apart than the prototype NSL cars were.

Current Line Models Photo

The other coupler from Current Line Models is #M-404 Radius Bar with a soft metal knuckle coupler mounted on a stamped brass radius bar. The coupler is a representation of the standard knuckle coupler. This coupler is larger than the NSL passenger couplers.

Current Line Models Photo

The other supplier of radial couplers is Q-Car Company. Q-Car's products include #CB010 which is a soft metal North Shore coupler mounted on a soft metal radius bar. The coupler is close to the size of the NSL passenger coupler.

Q-Car Company Drawing

Above is a drawing taken from the Q-Car web site. The coupler did at one time come mounted on a thin brass radius bar. Now the coupler comes mounted on a soft metal radius bar (below) #CB010A which is also available separately.

Q-Car Company Drawing

So, this is how the Q-Car #CB010 coupler now comes.

Since the coupler did at one time come mounted on a thin brass radius bar, you still may be able to fine them. Concentrate your search in a traction modeler's parts bin or older hobby store inventories.

The other NSL coupler available is Q-Car’s #B135 Coupler North Shore w/Spring Hanger & Carrier as a set of lost wax castings. The coupler is very close to the size of the NSL passenger car coupler.

                                                                         Q-Car Company Drawing

O scale interurban couplers are also available from Precision Scale Models (PSC). Since these were designed for the Illinois Terminal; the couplers, hangers, and carriers are all oversize for use on NSL cars. They were not considered for this application.

Like with many things about these models, the choice of couplers and how to install them provides many choices. A friend Charlie Pitts decided to use the Current Line Models M-404 coupler. Charlie told me he has standardized on using Current Line Models M-404 couplers for all his traction equipment. You will see his installation but if you have any questions you'll have to contact him at czepher@norwoodlight.com

The Kadee couplers on the Sunset models are mounted with metric screws to a thick brass tab soldered to the back of the anticlimber. The original holes for the screws holding the Kadee are evident in the photo. Charlie has already drilled and tapped 2 holes (brass colored holes) to hold his new couplers to the brass tab. I think Charlie said he tapped the holes for 2 mm screws.

Charlie Pitts Photo

Here is another photo showing the end of the car after the holes have been taped.

Charlie Pitts Photo

If the stamped brass coupler radius holder is attached to the brass tab, a small spacer has to be used between the brass tab and the coupler’s brass radius holder. Without the spacer the coupler will not be able to swing past the brass tab. Note the curve in the spacer for the coupler to pass by.

Charlie Pitts Photo

Finally here's the coupler attached to be brass tab. Note the 2 places on either side of the coupler carrier to hold brake hose. When looking at the finished work look at how much room there is between the end of the anticlimber and the coupler's knuckle. While it may not look like a lot of space, it is more than on the prototype NSL cars.

Charlie Pitts Photo

Charlie's method is a fast solution to an almost overwhelming problem with the Sunset models. It’s a great idea and the couplers work. I do not have any close-up photos of Charlie's NSL models from the side, coupled together, to get an idea of coupler height or distance between cars.

Initially I was planning on installing lost wax brass couplers with air brake hoses on the front and end of the 3-car train with soft metal couplers between the cars. I wanted to basically do the same thing Charlie Pitts did but with NSL style couplers. My logic of what I was thinking and doing may appear a little disjointed as you read what was done. I was doing and learning as this part of the up-grading of the models was progressing. The decision to use the all brass coupler was reached after different things happened. Here's the start. This is the Q-Car coupler I was hoping to be able to use. Then I discovered Q-Car no longer mounts the soft metal NSL couplers on a thin brass radius bar.

Below is what Q-Car now offers in the way of NSL couplers. The coupler on the left is made from soft metal while the coupler on the right is a brass casting. The couplers are available as complete couplers or the parts alone. I guess Current Line couplers could be obtained, taken apart, and Q-Car NSL couplers mounted on the Current Line stamped brass radius bar.

A major difference between brass and soft metal castings is the strength of the 2 metals. Brass is stronger than the soft metal plus soft metal bends easier than brass. During filing and handling, the radius bar can easily be bent out of shape. Bending it back into shape may not always produce the flat radius bar you started with. This is why I wanted the stamped brass radius bar.

A factor regarding couplers to take into consideration as you read this section is the profile of the layouts over which your models will operate. My layout is a flat as a board! It has no vertical curves. This means the knuckles of the couplers do not have to slide up and down very much if at all. If you have a layout with a roly-poly profile, a layout with vertical curves, the knuckles need to be able to slide freely up and down past one another. If not, your train with experience problems.

How does this fit into a discussion of soft metal vs. brass? From experience I’ve found brass couplers do not have a lot of clearance in their design to allow the knuckles to easily slide up and down when coupled. On the other hand, soft metal couplers do have more clearance to allow the knuckles to slide up and down when coupled.

Which ever metal coupler you chose, the areas both outside and inside the knuckle should be filed to allow the couplers to slide over each other. More judicious filing inside the knuckle will allow for more clearance and the ability of the knuckles to slide pass each other even better.

I tried to mount the soft metal Q-Car radius bar the same as Charlie had done. (Photo note - On my models I have already cut off the brass tabs on the ends of the cars. Therefore, I'm unable to provide photos. You'll have to imagine what happened as you read this part.) There was little to no metal to hold the Q-Car soft metal radius bar to the brass tab with screws. Also, when the Q-Car radius bar was held in place on the brass tab, there was a "giant" void in the area from bottom of the vestibule to the radius bar. After looking at both photos and drawings of the prototype I realized this was an unacceptable situation.

An examination of the Q-Car brass casting radius bar shows the "bolts" in the casting which are the prototype bolts holding the radius bar down from the body of the car. At this point I decided to use Q-Car brass couplers between the cars as well as the front and end of the train regardless of the cost!

Stay tuned! The balance of the info will be posted soon.

Cheers,

Ed

Sunset NSL Silverliners #5 – Bulkheads & Cabs

If anyone needs the Silverliner corrugated striping, Greg King from Australia has decals. Contact Greg directly via email transitclassics@netspace.net.au . He has a very limited supply. Therefore, contact him immediately if you are interested. To date Sunset has not responded to my 2 request for replacement decals for my Silverliners.

You need to read the prior post "What the Glue?" to under stand something in the post.

Back to the Sunset Silverliners, when the 4 bulkheads are removed, you'll notice one from each coach has a small "entryway" built into the bulkhead itself. I tried to flatten out the bulkheads. No matter what was tried including soldering 1/16" square brass to the top and bottom, this bulkheads would not flatten out. Two new bulkheads were fashioned from 0.025" brass. In the photo you'll notice the holes drilled into the brass for the windows. Don't forget the "raIlfan" windows in the bulkheads of the coaches.

You should have noticed the bulkheads do not reach the ceilings which brings us to an offbeat discussion. Most models don't have the bulkheads or partitions reach the ceilings of the cars. Making bulkheads and partitions fit to the contours of the ceiling of a model can be difficult but not impossible. A beneficial effect of not having the bulkheads and partitions fit to the ceiling is the spilling of the interior lighting over the top of the bulkheads and partitions into the lavatory and other "walled" off areas within the model.

The same is true for the vestibules of the model. For the bulkhead leading to the motorman's area of the lead car, as much as possible, interior lighting must be excluded. You'll notice in the photo of the partitions, the one on the right has had a piece of brass soldered to it. Using a piece of card stock the curve of the ceiling was found. This curve was transferred to the piece of 0.025" brass soldered to the original bulkhead.

When finished the interior of the bulkheads were painted Floquil PolyScale Aged White. The side to face the ends of the cars was painted with an equal mixture of PolyScale Refrigerator White and NYC Jade Green. I know this is a lighter green than in the models but as long as all these parts are the same color no one should notice. Set the bulkheads aside for installation at a later time.

Next is the removal of all the interior lighting except for the lead car's headlight. The electric for the headlight is a separate module easily removed from the main light stick. The module works off of track voltage to provide a constant voltage. It will be rewired into the car's lighting later. In the photo note the use of a terry cloth towel and heavy duty hand towel to protect the exterior finish of the model. This photo shows the module and the wiring for the trolley poles. The piece of white plastic in the right end will be explained when we reach the topic of couplers.

This shows the light stick with the headlight module attached. Undo the screw holding the two together and break the connections of 2 wires to remove the headlight module. Leave the headlight module wired up to the headlight. The rear car's headlight will be taken out later.

Now remove the balance of the wiring. I didn't like the pole base screw mounting. The screw mounting consisted of a hex head "2-56" screw (In one coach it was a nut soldered to the screw while the other was a hex head screw.) inserted through a brass soldering tab, a smaller red fiber washer, a larger red fiber washer, and finally inserted into the plastic insulating bushing in the roof. All this was held in place with some form of ACC.

On one of my models one of the trolley screws had already come loose. There is no protection against side (back and forth) movement against the trolley base. In my parts bin were small pieces of a "phenolic" board once used for making electronic boards. It's an insulating material used 40-50 years ago. Since I like to place a screw through the roof to hold the trolley pole, small strips of the "phenolic” board were cut, drilled, and tapped 2-56. The old soldering tab was cleaned up and screwed to the "phenolic" board with a 2-56 screw.

You can use any type of trolley pole attachment method with which you are comfortable.

After removing any material protruding through the roof, the insulated trolley screw was secured to the roof. Once the adhesive is dry and wiring completed, ACC will be used to hold the screw and soldering tab in place. The clear material you see is "Kwik Seal" bath tub caulk. This assembly is secure enough to prevent and side movement of the trolley base.

One screw holds the representation of the motorman's closed compartment along with the controller and air brake equipment. Greg King took a look at these and decided to replace the entire interior of the cabs. From the photo you can tell they are "ugly"! BTW - The brake stand fell out of the cab when the cab was removed from the model.

For the lead coach, to add a motorman, the compartment has to be completely rebuilt. Here's my compartment made out of styrene along with the appropriate controller, air brake, etc. I left the door to the compartment open. For the other control compartments, a 1/16" brass angle was soldered along the 90 degree turn in the brass wall. While the brass is thick, it will not resist bending and twisting as the small window is cut out of the short wall. The piping holding up the brake stand was straightened out and a faux controller was installed.

Store the bulkheads and cabs in a safe location for installation later. Next are the long awaited couplers, underbody, and steps.

Cheers,

Ed