Beginning on the 5000

Over the past few months I've been doing a bit of project hopping.

I stepped away from 3D modeling to do some “real” modeling. This has focused on the 5000 series Skokie Car. I’ve had this thing for several years and I finally started doing something with it. Prior to painting (which would be done best with an airbrush—a tool not currently within the Dunsel Line shops) the car needs to be primed.

Brass models often come with a protective coating so that they arrive in the eager hands of the modeler with a crisp, glossy luster. While this coating keeps the brass free of surface imperfections, it impedes the painting process and therefore needs to be removed.

My 5000 no longer had the glimmering brilliance it must have had when it was new and had developed a few tarnish spots in. As such, I wasn’t sure if the brass had the protective clear coat on it. Going the safe route, I “removed” it anyway. The method here was a breadbox filled with thinner. (I actually got this breadbox while on the IRM Highliner fundraiser. It’s officially traction related!) I started with the middle section as this requires no prep work, unlike the ends. The body and underbody/floor were soaked separately in the bath for 24 hours before being brushed off and cleaned. Interestingly, there was no gel coating left on the parts after the bath (as I was expecting) however there was a distinct color change in the thinner, so I’m left to assume that there was a coating on the brass.

Dis is what happens when you displeases da boss, see? You sleep wit da lacquer thinner fishes, chump!

Before I repeat this process with the ends, I need to remove the trolley pole shrouds and roof boards. This will require a soldering iron which will be acquired in the immediate future.

Once both pieces of the middle section were dry, they were primed with Tamiya light gray primer.

I also ordered the replacement wheels for the unpowered trucks. As delivered, these cars came with resilient wheels but by the time they were assigned to the Skokie Swift, these wheels had been replaced. (Since I need the car to be 2-rail operable, the wheels have to be insulated and therefore replaced anyway.) A quick search of Chicago-L.org shows that the 5000-series were equipped with 26” wheels so I acquired a set of 26” flush axle wheels from NorthWest Short Line.

I quickly installed them on the two trailer trucks and (aside from the faces needing to be painted silver) they look great. There is, however, one problem. The wheels supplied with the model aren’t the same size as the NorthWest Short Line wheels. They’re slightly larger, a difference which is only really noticeable when you have both sets in hand. The new, smaller wheels cause the truck to sit marginally lower. Unfortunately, this is just enough to cause the “hanging” track brake to rub against the rails. Other than switching to 28” wheels, I don’t have a solution at present.

A front truck with original wheels and tread-gap as seen under poor lighting conditions

A middle truck with replacement wheels and no tread-gap under the same poor lighting conditions

With an unusual bit of forethought on my part, shortly after buying the model, I ordered an interior kit from Q Car. The seats have all been cleaned and primed. I tested one seat with a can of Rustoleum chrome for the metal parts and I find it passable. Only this one seat has been done in this way since I haven’t been bothered to start the tedious process of masking all the other seats yet.

The March Meet

This past weekend was the weekend of the O Scale Meet (also known as the March Meet) and I was not going to miss it.

I arrived on Saturday, March 14, about an hour and a half after opening. I was delayed due to celebrating “pi day” by having a slice of pie at 9:26:53 a.m. (3/14/15 9:26:53—or 3.141592653—being the first ten digits of pi.) As always, I was on the hunt for more CA&E, North Shore, and “L” rolling stock and I was armed with a fat wad of twenty dollar bills in my pocket. As such, I was prepared to come and not find anything of particular interest.

Instead, almost immediately I was shown by a member of what my father has dubbed the "Trolley Mafia" to three brass North Shore models by MTS Imports. (I'm terrible with names and I've forgotten his. One of these days this will be the death of me.) Two of the models were early steel coaches from the 1920s with the double-width upper sash windows. As I've decided to model the North Shore circa 1952-1953, these were of no interest. The third was of an appropriate era and I decided to come back to it.

The traction selection was actually quite decent this year, although I did not see any "L" cars for sale. (I later discovered, much to my chagrin, that a pair of 1-50 series cars were sold the previous day—while I was at work.)

I did come across a pair of CA&E 450 series kits, another Clouser coach, and a North Shore wood (one of the ones that made it to the CA&E) but ultimately passed on these as my father already has four (unfinished) 450s and at least one North Shore wood. Instead I returned and purchased the third MTS Imports North Shore coach, a 170-182 series coach.

Still hasn't even been removed from the plastic wrap

I've decided that this car will be paired up with the Clouser coach I acquired last week as part of a Shore Line train. This car may remain unpowered, but whether I power it or not, I'll still have to replace the wheels for 2-rail operation. The Clouser coach and the high 700 will be part of a Skokie Valley train to Milwaukee. I am still waiting for the set of trucks (applicable for both of the latter cars) to arrive.

I also acquired a pair of pantographs for their shoes. And some CA&E trolley beams.

I got quite a bit of griping over the pantograph from my father. Something about "ruining" a pantograph just to get some parts. (For the record, the conscience of Dr. Frankenstein is undisturbed.) Besides, I later discovered that 1) the spring tension is rather weak (which would result in sub par wire contact) and 2) one of the pans is actually broken!

The shoe for this pantograph is a pretty close approximation for the shoes used on the CTA-designed pan-trolleys for the 1-50s and 5000 series assigned to the Skokie Swift. To use it for those two cars, the shoes on both pantographs would need to be removed and then the two halves (visually upper and lower in the image) sawed apart. Thus these two pans would yield the four pantograph shoes required for both models.

After leaving the meet, I attended the open house at Ed Halstead's Chicago & Utopia Railway. I didn't take any pictures, so unfortunately I don't have anything to show from the event. It was still a good time and several interesting models were run including a pair of early St. Petersburg Tram Collection Washington DC pre-PCCs and a South Shore coach. This was my first time seeing a model operating via pans and it helped me to visualize some of the operational differences of model pantographs versus trolley poles.

But enough talk. Time to get back to the shops and start working!

CTA's Form 5

I haven’t fallen off the face of the Earth! (Not yet. Give me time.) There are still a number of issues that continue to plague me with the seats for the 3200 series and I haven’t yet decided on the course of action to take in that direction.

Instead I’ve refocused my efforts into another part of this project which will affect additional projects that I have planned. In CERA Bulletin 115 are plans for the Form 5 coupler. This coupler (with slight modifications) has been used on every series of “L” car from the original 5000 series onward.

Once the grounds at the Illinois Railway Museum open, I’ll make a trip out there to continue gathering measurements for the 2200 series cars. Once I have the appropriate numbers, I’ll finish the 3D model I’ve created and produce a 2200 in true O scale. (Island Model Works produced a rehabbed 2200 series shell that was designed to fit onto the MTH 3200 series chassis. The MTH cars are oversized and are closer to 1:45 scale than 1:48.)

Since the Form 5 is used on both the 3200 series and on the 2200 series, this seemed like a logical place to go.

The MU connections haven’t been added yet, and as you can see, there are other details that haven’t yet been modeled. My goal is to have this printed and in my hands in time for the O Scale Meet (March 14) although I’m beginning to suspect that this might not happen.

The 3D model pictured above represents a departure from my previous models in that it is designed in full scale. This has the advantage of being easier to work with (Sketchup doesn’t like small numbers) and easier to rescale at will. The initial print will be in 1:45 scale so it will be suitable for the MTH 3200s and the Island Model Works 2200s. Once I’m satisfied with that, the plan is to produce a set in 1:48.

Initial System of Subways entrance

This is one of those other projects I mentioned. This is a full scale model of an original entrance to an Initial System of Subways (State and Milwaukee-Dearborn subways) station, excluding North/Clybourn. Obviously, this model has not yet been finished.

I got the idea after seeing a number of subway entrances available in multiple scales for the New York City Subway, but being immediately aware of any subway entrances for Chicago. The other motivation is CTA's "Your New Blue" program which promises, as part of station renovations, to obliterate the last remaining original style entrances. Creating 3D models (and scale models) is my small bit for historical preservation.

Time to Focus

In the past two months I've continued working in Sketchup on a number of the projects outlined previously. None of them are, as of yet, finished. I was trying to take care of a few other things at the same time, but that cannot completely account for the lack of progress. After some consideration I've come to the conclusion that I've been trying to work on too many things at once. A distinct lack of focus has been a chronic problem of mine and this jumping from project to project has not helped the situation at all.

In order to get back on track, I'm going to work on one project at a time. The first order of business is getting back to the interior of the 3200-series cars. The last time I discussed this, I had recently gotten the prototype seat back from Shapeways and was relatively pleased with the result. That didn't last. As I discussed in that post, I left the possibility open that I might try my hand at making the scoop in the seats. Lo and belold! I did just that. (This is the hazard of never being satisfied with your own work.)

They aren't "perfect," but I am satisfied with how they look. (For now.) I haven't printed this design yet, although it did pass Shapeways' file initial and wall thickness checks when uploaded. That's good enough for me and I've gone ahead and begun designing the different types of seats found in the 3200-series. These are (from memory) as follows:

• Single seat with handhold (pole on left)
• Single seat with handhold (pole on right)
• Single seat without handhold
• Double seat with handhold
• Double seat with handhold and ventilation box
• Double seat without handhold
• Wheelchair position double seat (flips up)
• Longitudinal double seat with windbreak on left
• Longitudinal double seat with windbreak on right

Shapeways digital preview of some of the pieces to be made. The scoops are more evident in this rendering than they would be in a screenshot from Google Sketchup.

The problem with simply printing the chairs is that a fair number of them are not self-supporting. They are (naturally) small and somewhat fragile. Trying to accurately mount something of this type to the floor of a model sounds like a chore and a half. I've thought about this for some time and eventually came up with something I'm willing to try.

The obvious answer is to print them as part of the car floor and be done with it. Unfortunately, this would be expensive to do (still earning vet tech wages) and the product is too large to be produced by the Frosted Ultra Detail printers. (The details are too fine to be printed in anything else.) My solution is a sort of compromise on this idea. I plan on dividing the car into three sections (front, middle rear) and designing the interiors in these sets. Each set will have all of its "furniture" (chairs, windbreaks, door pockets, etc.) created together and mounted onto a thin "surface floor." The three sections would then be placed end to end and mounted onto the real car floor (made of an inexpensive, but durable, material) and slid into the car body as one piece. Doing it this way solves the problem of mounting the chairs properly (without damaging them!), positioning them correctly, and also will allow me to make the grooves in the floor fairly easily. The grooves can also help to hide the separation lines between the three segments. We'll have to see how well this works and how expensive it turns out to be...

There has been a definite success with the printing. I sent off the updated version of the snowplow frames and received the finished product days later. These are a resounding success. I just have to fit them with the blades (to be made from index cards) and paint them.

These are remarkably crappy photos, but they do illustrate the point. This is a pair of snowplow frames, held back to back by sprues. They have a good amount of detail (which probably won't even be seen) and are decently strong. They're also reasonably flexible so they shouldn't break too easily.

I also have some new acquisitions to report: CA&E car 500 and a section of the Lake Street "L" structure. Both of these come to the Dunsel Line via the Chicago, Wheaton & Western (my father). He's beginning to focus on some other things and has come to the conclusion that he won't be doing anything with either of these, so he gave them to me.

The 500 (which could also be built into a North Shore Line 350-series streetcar—yeah right) is from a kit produced by Greg King. Currently it is completely unassembled, although it did come with a Q car power and trailer truck set. The downside is that the power truck is only set up for overhead operation. This will pose a slight problem as my (eventual) layout will be two rail, but for the time being it doesn't matter. (I'll probably also change out the power truck later.)

The Lake Street "L" structure is from a portion of the line with provision for only two tracks and the majority of support columns in the street and not anchored at the curb. The structure is somewhat old and slightly brittle. When removing it from my father's basement, I accidentally slightly tapped one of the columns against a wall and it broke off. (Apparently this has happened before.) I believe it is still structurally sound, so I'll fix it and post photos of it at a later date.

Project Overview: Skokie Swift

The primary focus of my efforts has been modeling equipment from the Skokie Swift. This project actually predates any conception of building a layout (or even doing anything in O scale) by several years. The idea first came to me while riding home from Columbia College on the Red Line in 2005.

Growing up in Southwestern Evanston I was always aware of the Skokie Swift. I did not ride the line much, though a trip with my father shortly after the arrival of the 3200-series in the early 1990s did have a lasting impact. Still, the Skokie Swift was always present, acting at the very least as a distant portion of the soundtrack to a quiet evening. The line and it's unique catanary operation stayed with me through high school and on into college.

I started attending Columbia College Chicago in October 2004. Once I had gotten back into the swing of riding the "L" but before I had developed any real enthusiasm for it, I became vaguely aware that the "Yellow Line" (the Skokie Swift) no longer used the overhead wire and that the pantographs would be removed sometime in the near future. I felt that this passing should be commemorated in some small way (by me) and, on a whim one spring day, drew a crude rendering of a pair of Skokie-equipped 3200-series cars intended to be operated on LGB track.

This little project simmered in the back of my mind for a few years. Eventually I got into traction modeling in O scale. MTH released a series of O gauge (3-rail) 3200-series cars and eventually I acquired a few of these. By this time I had decided on moving forward with the Skokie concept (but in O scale) and, as I learned about the history of the operation, expanded the scope a bit.

The Skokie Swift Project

In my expanded version of the project, I have decided to model four different "sets" of equipment used on the Swift: a 1-50 series, a 5000-series, a "60" pair, and, of course, a 3200-series pair.

1-50 series

Experimental high-speed cars 1-4 were the first equipment rebuilt and assigned to the Skokie Swift.

Several years ago the Dunsel Line acquired an unused CTA 1-50 series car from the Chicago & Utopia Ry (Ed Halstead of Modeling Insull's Empire). This car will have its roof boards removed and replaced and will be equipped with CTA-designed trolley pans.

This car was previously owned by the late Dave of Dave's Rail Pix who equipped with car with CA&E trolley beams and sleet scrapers.

5000-series (as 51-54)

The second unit to be modeled is one of the most unique cars ever acquired by the rapid transit lines: the experimental 3-part articulated 5000-series cars. Like the 1-50, this car will also be equipped with trolley-pans. These four cars wandered the "L" system, not finding a permanent assignment due to some of the drawbacks of their design. They finally found a home on the Skokie Swift where their single unit, high capacity nature made them extremely useful. Once assigned, these cars remained in Skokie service for two decades before being retired.

61-65 series

The next set represented the first instance of a pair of cars being assigned to the line. In reality, the 60s were little more than pairs of rebuilt 5-50s that had been semi-permanently coupled and equipped with single-arm pantographs. I have yet to acquire a two more 1-50s, but I'm always looking.

3200-series

The 3200-series represents the last set of Skokie Equipment. These cars came equipped with pantographs for operation on the Swift.

For this, I'll be extensively rebuilding a pair of MTH 3200-series cars. The only downside here is that while the cars operate on O gauge track, they aren't O scale. MTH did a pretty good (not great, but far from terrible) job with the detail put into the cars, but unfortunately they didn't scale them properly for 1:48. Instead of being 12 inches long, the cars are 12 3/4 inches long from anticlimber to anciclimber. This is, however, fortunate as the cars are then the proper length for 17/64 (Q) scale, or approximately 1:45. This means they're correct for the track gauge.

The scale difference between the 3200s (left) and the other two cars (both O scale) is evident.

In addition to the addition of roof boards and pantographs, these cars will have to be entirely rebuilt from the floor down and be outfitted with new interiors.

Lots to do!