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John
hails from Wisconsin. He has taken to modeling the American
Freedom Train in HO scale and has graciously agreed to share
with us images and notes of his progress. It is still very
much a work in progress, so check back every month or so to
see what's new. John is basing much of his model on the Lionel
AFT cars from the 1970's. Click on any of the images to see
a larger version!
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John
Ripp's update February 26, 2007:
I'm
looking at 18" of fresh snow in my backyard and the radio
says another 10+ in the next couple of days. Great days to
stay inside and model...
Starting
on AFT generator car No. 200 for John Finnin.
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Starting
point is a Rivarossi baggage.
a) Shaved
off all cast grabs and unwanted details. b) Stripped off
original paint c) Filled in both baggage doors completely
on 'A' end. d) Started to form doors and side grills for
generator end
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AFT
#200 - After cutting out the area for the generator grills.
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AFT
#200 - Bracing added for micro-mesh grills.
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AFT
#200 - The car with the grills installed.
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AFT
#200 - Putty and grills have been sanded down.
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AFT
power car #200 - other side.
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AFT
power car #200: Blue stripe airbrushed.
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AFT
power car #200 - other side.
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AFT
power car #200 - striped. March 2007.
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Builder's
Photo - AFT power car #200.
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John
Ripp's update March 5, 2007:
Although
they provide a great starting point, the Lionel AFT showcase
cars just didn't have the 'right' look to them. Although I
redid one and correctly placed the display items in the one
at the top of my gallery, I wanted to go back and fix what
it was that bothered me: The windows. They just didn't give
the car the 'feel' of the prototype. They were, of course,
very unique cars indeed...
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Here
are some views of the process and notes:
1) The cast car portion over the windows was removed.
2)
Windows were framed using various sizes of strip styrene.
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3)
The cast windows (attached to roof) had to be cut away, leaving
the ends for fit to the car. These have weights attached as
well.
4)
Bulkheads creating the separate compartments were fashioned
from styrene. As were the display room floors.
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Cast
windows cut away and weighted.
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Next
it's off to the paint shop.
I feel that doing this creates what the original intended,
better viewing of the cars' contents... And the model now
more closely reflects the prototype!
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AFT
#40: Blue stripe airbrushed.
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Alrighty
then, here's the revamped Showcase No. 40 car.
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Notes:
Body mounted knuckle couplers, 36" metal wheelsets and scale
sill steps with wire grabs.
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Each
window has a one piece 'glass' insert
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AFT
#203 comes together.
NO
ROCK THROWING from the collectors! This car (and the AFT #204)
were created by splicing two (2) of the Lionel observation
cars together. I had no other use for the five extra ones
from the sets I had to acquire to get the other cars, so I
made due with them.
This
shows where the cuts were made. Counting from the left, the
fourth window from the end is smaller. It is on the right
side of this sill that the the two bodies were spliced together.
On the opposite end of the car is the roof splice. I like
to keep the cut pieces at opposing ends to help hide where
the cuts were made.
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AFT
#203
This
time the roof cut is on the right and the car splice occured
between the second and third windows from the right. The
most important part in doing this type of work is to keep
the bodies absolutely square.
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AFT
#203 in progress.
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AFT
#203 made from cutting up Lionel observation cars, adding
knuckle couplers and 36" metal wheels, and custom painted
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AFT
#204.
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AFT
#PNWC76 well under way.
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Builder's
Photo - AFT tool car #PNWC76
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John
Ripp's latest commissions for John Finnin --- AFT PNWC76,
111 & 200 ply the rails of the MadCow.
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A
fine model, coming together piece by piece....
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