Grizzly Flats Rolling Stock Adaptation

I was looking for some pictures of the original Grizzly Flats passenger cars to get some color inspiration for my models. I usually just go straight to images when looking for pictures, for some reason the other evening I did a simple web search, and I'm glad I did.

I had taken a liking for the Grizzly Flats rolling stock for no reason other than they fit in with the trams and I like them, I hadn't appreciated the interesting story behind the wee railroad. 3-4 hours later, as can be the way when looking on the web, it's quite an interesting story how the Grizzly Flats Railroad came in to being and the folk that were behind it, if folk have time I would recommend a wee web search of your own, it's a bit of a shame in some respects that the line was di-assembled and the rolling stock wasn't all kept together in working order (someone will probably correct me), but such is life.
 
Well, this evening I am a happy chappy, the bogie coach which became a 6 wheel coach using two Grizzly Flats coach bodies actually works, and it runs over what could be described as the most challenging track I have on the test track 6 wheel coach takes a rolling test. While the coach body is simply two 4 wheel coaches, with one end each trimmed to length, joined to make an extended length vehicle, the chassis is entirely my design and scratch built, is it perfect, not really, does it work, yep and the next one will be to the same design.

Still quite a bit of work to do, but I wanted to make sure it ran through the dual gauge point work first.
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Brakes on the outer wheels, truss rods and the real fun part, I need to fit the couplings I've had made for vehicles having extended end overhang.
 
FatherMcD said:
Nice looking little railway! I assume that the engine and coaches/wagons in the picture will go around the corners. Are they LGB R1 curves?
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They look like the original Grizzly Flats stock.

I'm after a live steam version of the Fairymead loco, a company in Australia made a kit which unfortunately isn't available anymore, and trying to find a second hand Accucraft loco is impossible :confused:
 
Grizzly Flats adaptation number 3 to be completed, this is the only one to have a stock number, I'm keeping it as Number 7.

Plan is to finish at least one of the three open passenger wagons this weekend, the parts have all been made, I just need to finish some painting and fit the the new steps etc..

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A better photo

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FatherMcD said:
Nice looking little railway! I assume that the engine and coaches/wagons in the picture will go around the corners. Are they LGB R1 curves?
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The curves are LGB R1 but they have been pulled in a bit to go on a 4 ft board. The sidings are even tighter but the locos will go round. All stock is early LGB.
 
This is one of the few places where I can have one of those really happy moments that non-modelllers will never be able to understand.

I have taken 2 x 4 wheel coaches, removed the underframe's, joined the 2 bodies together to make one coach.
I have then scratch built a new underframe, originally intended to have small bogies fitted, but has ended built as a 6 wheel underframe, at my request a company that makes link and pin couplings has drawn and 3D printed a new coupling with an extended shank, and today the whole thing has been assembled and test run by hand round what was built as the most testing track curves and it works.

Okay it has only so far been tested by pushing a passenger wagon attached at one end, but the whole model works, the outer trucks turn more or less to the correct angle of track curvature, the coupling goes from side to side through a reverse curve being both propelled and pulled, folks the flipping thing works.

Yes I have the finishing work to complete but it works. My first fully scratch built vehicle underframe larger than 7mm scale, and I don't care if anyone thinks it strange to be happy about my achievement, I built built it to my design and it works.

Photo is the underframe down side up with the new coupling in place.
Some tidying up and the coach should be running in my first train consist on a friends line this weekend.


Edit

I also want to say thanks to folks on this forum, no one has been judgemental, as we know some of the humour, well we all know about some of the humour, but support and suggestions for newbie to the larger scale has been great, thanks all.
 

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DafyddElvy said:
This is one of the few places where I can have one of those really happy moments that non-modelllers will never be able to understand.

I have taken 2 x 4 wheel coaches, removed the underframe's, joined the 2 bodies together to make one coach.
I have then scratch built a new underframe, originally intended to have small bogies fitted, but has ended built as a 6 wheel underframe, at my request a company that makes link and pin couplings has drawn and 3D printed a new coupling with an extended shank, and today the whole thing has been assembled and test run by hand round what was built as the most testing track curves and it works.

Okay it has only so far been tested by pushing a passenger wagon attached at one end, but the whole model works, the outer trucks turn more or less to the correct angle of track curvature, the coupling goes from side to side through a reverse curve being both propelled and pulled, folks the flipping thing works.

Yes I have the finishing work to complete but it works. My first fully scratch built vehicle underframe larger than 7mm scale, and I don't care if anyone thinks it strange to be happy about my achievement, I built built it to my design and it works.

Photo is the underframe down side up with the new coupling in place.
Some tidying up and the coach should be running in my first train consist on a friends line this weekend.


Edit

I also want to say thanks to folks on this forum, no one has been judgemental, as we know some of the humour, well we all know about some of the humour, but support and suggestions for newbie to the larger scale has been great, thanks all.
Click to expand...
Nothing strange about the pride in your achievement, many of us on here build things and show equal pride. We would like to see the full thing in a photo to see how and what you have joined together. You now have 2 4 wheel chassis spare, time to test your skills on a couple of wagon bodies, possibly in wood?
 
dunnyrail said:
Nothing strange about the pride in your achievement, many of us on here build things and show equal pride. We would like to see the full thing in a photo to see how and what you have joined together. You now have 2 4 wheel chassis spare, time to test your skills on a couple of wagon bodies, possibly in wood?
Click to expand...
The two bogies are now destined for a welltroll based on a photo I have with the lower deck of a tram being delivered, the second pair of bogies are now small short flat wagons with wood tops.

I'll share a photo of the finished coach once I am happy with the finish, just now it has a couple of post construction cut out slots for the coupling that need a tidy and some touch up paint (due to my fettling after sending the previous message) and it's truss rods and brake gear final permanent refitting after some heavy handed nit wasn't very careful last night
 
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