Auto carriers

Very nice!

Nice work!

Nice work. Are those Lykens Valley Kits or kit-bashes?

Kit bash from Lionel cars.  I’ve tried various ways to combine them to get the lettering I wanted and to extend height and width so that they would accept scale cars. 

The car with double stacked trailer train was my first attempt.  I’ve figured out how to avoid that now by using different models when I bash. 

@davidbross posted:

Kit bash from Lionel cars.  I’ve tried various ways to combine them to get the lettering I wanted and to extend height and width so that they would accept scale cars. 

The car with double stacked trailer train was my first attempt.  I’ve figured out how to avoid that now by using different models when I bash. 

David

Now that you have an idea on what is needed to get clearance per level , 68 -69 era  K-LINE cars seem tobe slightly smaller . I lived in Detroit as a kid and saw strings of cars with loads of Camaro's , You could cut on a table saw a spacer block to sit on lower frame then get evergreen styrene in 24 in sheets cut long strips for the floor of ea level 18, 21 ? whatever length .060 , or .040 and # 767 T shape strip run down the edge to form a lip , make your space blocks long enough to stick thru about 3 inches on each end and notch the ends to keep them aligned 

once the "T" shape is dried attached to the floor material then stack 3 levels keep them "square , once all is in place .080 X .100 vertical posts can welded with MEK and will fuse the styrene , once all is harden (overnite) then slide your spacer blocks out , I coated mine with vaseline to make sure the glue did not stick , but careful gluing and it won't happen , you can make a center beam for the underside from bass wood ,

once all 3 levels are dry the car will never sag , on the real car they had steel rod up rights with a cable attached on top which can be duplicated with copper wire , bare #30 and .032 brass rod supper glued to the styrene vertical posts , I even made jig so I could make the vertical posts angle on the bottom , these cars are all Plastruct and Evergreen  and (TIME) make them whatever length , AMT makes 1/43 cars that can be found on eBay , I made 10 of these cars , now with 3d  printing I would get basis wheels made as the chrome hub caps were in the trunks during transport , also to put side windows use heavy duty packing tape(clear) . Below 2 AMT model kits , at one time they were $1.00 , They make Camaro , Chevelle , Torino , Mustang , AMC Javelin , so you could make very cool cars , if you have time . I built these 15 yrs ago , using AMT kits , the cars do not get too heavy , I added a .250 square key stock hidden in the underframe centerbeam for weight .

the large road name placards can be printed on card stock

Nice job you did , hope these tips help , today if you look closely at real autoracks some older ones look like my models but had the panels added .You can tell because they have little tabs tacking them to the vertical posts on each level .

Bernie

A number of us in S gauge have used these Lionel cars for auto carriers, we just have rermoved the Lionel trucks and replaced with flyer trucks, they are a perfect fit.

This is one cut down and attached to a flat car for a four car hauler.

Ray

It took me a whle to find the eight car hauler in the computer but thought I would post it now. These automobiles are for the most part Autothentics 1/64. The 1955 Pontiacs are my personal favorites.

Ray

@Scratchbuilder1-48 posted:

David

Now that you have an idea on what is needed to get clearance per level , 68 -69 era  K-LINE cars seem tobe slightly smaller . I lived in Detroit as a kid and saw strings of cars with loads of Camaro's , You could cut on a table saw a spacer block to sit on lower frame then get evergreen styrene in 24 in sheets cut long strips for the floor of ea level 18, 21 ? whatever length .060 , or .040 and # 767 T shape strip run down the edge to form a lip , make your space blocks long enough to stick thru about 3 inches on each end and notch the ends to keep them aligned 

once the "T" shape is dried attached to the floor material then stack 3 levels keep them "square , once all is in place .080 X .100 vertical posts can welded with MEK and will fuse the styrene , once all is harden (overnite) then slide your spacer blocks out , I coated mine with vaseline to make sure the glue did not stick , but careful gluing and it won't happen , you can make a center beam for the underside from bass wood ,

once all 3 levels are dry the car will never sag , on the real car they had steel rod up rights with a cable attached on top which can be duplicated with copper wire , bare #30 and .032 brass rod supper glued to the styrene vertical posts , I even made jig so I could make the vertical posts angle on the bottom , these cars are all Plastruct and Evergreen  and (TIME) make them whatever length , AMT makes 1/43 cars that can be found on eBay , I made 10 of these cars , now with 3d  printing I would get basis wheels made as the chrome hub caps were in the trunks during transport , also to put side windows use heavy duty packing tape(clear) . Below 2 AMT model kits , at one time they were $1.00 , They make Camaro , Chevelle , Torino , Mustang , AMC Javelin , so you could make very cool cars , if you have time . I built these 15 yrs ago , using AMT kits , the cars do not get too heavy , I added a .250 square key stock hidden in the underframe centerbeam for weight .

the large road name placards can be printed on card stock

Nice job you did , hope these tips help , today if you look closely at real autoracks some older ones look like my models but had the panels added .You can tell because they have little tabs tacking them to the vertical posts on each level .

Bernie

 

 

 

 

Bernie. Very nice work. Thanks for the tips!   I’d be interested in where you got the graphics for the trailer train signs and all the other markings.