Shifter Truck Completed

Look forward to seeing the finished products. As I have said before, I am extremely happy with my 2 UPS shifters & have gotten many compliments on them. Great job Alan.

Alan:

I find all of your projects very interesting. The shifters you did for Spence look better than factory models.

Alan....I am hoping that you will be at York as I would like to talk to you about some projects!!  I always enjoy your builds....

Alan

Alan,

   I'm sure these are going to look fabulous when you're done. Looking forward to seeing the progress. 

Alex

Spence, Brian and Alex, Thank you.

Alan,

I have not gone to York in a number of years because I do not have enough time to buld speculation items. I used to go and bring about 50 to 75 various oil tanks, sand towers, water towers and small building. In the next few years, I will try to make some time to build some items and take a table.

Alan Graziano

I can't wait to see the progress and then the finished shifter! I'm still amazed at Spence's. The start above is great! Thank you Alan, Terry

I have made a little more progress on the shifter truck but the tank car rack is pulling into the lead .

Alan Graziano

Alan, You dont waste time do you! 

Looking fantastic and our club cant wait to see the final product!

John

Wow Alan,

Looking fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alex

Alan, I love following your build.  Would it be possible to see a sketch of what you are aiming for?  My entire life has been aviation - now getting back to honoring my Grandfather (who was head of motive power for C&O back in the late '40s and early '50s) by modeling a small 6x12 layout in my basement for my grand kids.  I'm not as up to speed as even the most unlikely visitor to this wonderful forum. (Then, again that might be me!) Thanks.

Here are a couple of pictures of the tank car rack painted. I tried to make the platform look like it is galvanized by using grey primer with silver paint lightly sprayed over the top. An outdoor picture will probably show this much better. I will paint the handrails yellow.

Trapnell,

One picture shows the sketch I drew that I am working from. My sketches are all just a basic concept. I always change things along the way.

Terry,

I will complete the tank car rack and than go onto finish the shifter.

John,

I am glad you like how the tank car rack is coming out.

Alex, Thank you. I hope you are having fun in York.

Alan Graziano

Oh yeah, looking awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alex

Alan:

WRT the platform Awesome - I may have to plagiarize your design! I especially like the swing gate.

Joe

Joe,

That would be a compliment.

Alan Graziano

Alan, I'm good! Spence assures me the shifters are fantastic!

And the tank car rack is looking spectacular!

Terry

Alan, Fantastic!!!

I esp like the loading ramps. Really really nice! 

The boys will be happy...

Thanks

John

Alan:

Do you think you make a shifter truck circa late 50's? I am building a piggy back yard with a ramp to off load the trailers and need a tractor/truck to pull them off the flatcars.

Rick,

Get me a picture and I will try it.

Alan Graziano

Alan:

Thank You, I will start searching. Not even sure they were using such trucks then, not sure what was used. I will let you know what I can find. Wish my dad was around to ask he spent his life in the trucking industry. First time he taught me to drive a truck it was pulling "pigs" (short for piggy back or TTUX)from the FEC yard in Miami.

Alan

Nice work as always. You provide tons of inspiration to jump into such projects, now if I can only get the time.

Steve

I just completed the tank car rack. I can not work on completing the shifter truck.

Here are some pictures of the completed tank car rack.

Alan Graziano

Alan:

How do you hide the wires for the lamp posts?

Joe

Alan: Been searching the internet for photos of TTOF from the 50's and it appears that a regular truck was used to pull the trailers off the flatcars via a ramp.

Rick,

That makes sense. Like everything else, technology has overhauled the trucking industry.

Joe,

There are three lights on the outside of the building and one inside. The wires come through a 1/4-inch grey pipe next to one of the columns. The other three lights have the light post pipe extending down to the base. This is the type of thing that takes a lot of time and also has to be worked into the model while it is being constructed. Lights are my least favorite thing but I know most customers want them.

Alan Graziano

Alan

The unloading rack looks very prototypical of a refinery setting.

And the control room looks spot on to one we had at Shell.

Is it designed for any particular product off loading?

Joe,

I use bulbs that have an 18-inch lead. The wire is very thin. I strip it with my fingernails. Sometimes I cut clear through the wire.

Charlie,

This is going to a cub in Alberta, Canada. One of the members works at a Glycol Plant. I tried to model it based on typical top-loading and that suits many products. I may be making a part of the plant for them including a distillation tower and some tanks.

On another note, I went to look at a job at Shell Chemical in Woodbury many years ago. You had mentioned in the past that you worked there.

They were looking at lining the big open-top concrete tank with a steel liner. They never did the job.

Alan Graziano

Hi Alan

I can't believe what a great job you've done. It really fits the bill and is just what I envisioned! Now to get it us in one piece! Just kidding. 

Looking forward to it!

Thanks john

Alan.....I absolutely love the tank car rack!

Peter

Alan:

Where do you buy your bulbs from?

Joe

I really like that!  Fantastic job.

Peter, John and Johnny,

Thank you.

Joe,

You can get the bulbs I use at CirKit Concepts. They are located in Minnesota.

Alan Graziano

Alan,

That look's awesome

Alex

Beautifully done, Alan. The boys up north are in for a real treat for their club layout. 

I am back to working on completing the shifter truck. I finished the frame and will work on the cab next.

Alan Graziano

The tank car rack turned out fantastic!

And the progress on the shifter looks great too! Can't wait to see more! Terry

Terry,

Here are two more pictures from this morning. There is still a lot of detail work to do but it is looking like a truck now.

Alan Graziano

The shifter is looking fantastic.

I agree with Spence! Wow...It's exciting watching this come together!

Thank you Alan!  Terry

Alan:

You need to start a regular production line for your Shifters. Beautifully done.

Hey All

Just wanted to post a couple of pictures of Alan's loading rack trying out its new home! The rack looks fantastic! More than I had imagined, for sure. We are going to put a base under it to bring it up a half inch or so to track height. It will be perfect!

Thank you Alan for taking this from idea to layout in under two months, and doing such a bang up job! We need to talk about phase 2!

More pics to come...

John

Wow, that is a lovely project.  It really looks good.  

Alan....what can I say that others have not already said!  That tank car rack should be in my refinery....perhaps John will decide he wants to send it south??

As always, your projects are masterfully done...

Alan

Lee, Alan,

Thank you very much.

John,

I am glad it got there in one piece. Enjoy the model. I hope that will be the first of many.

Alan Graziano

Well,

The shifter truck is 95 percent completed. I have to put a company name and some numbers on it, but for the most part i is finished. Here are some pictures.

Alan Graziano

Alan, looks fantastic!!

Jeff

Shifter looks great.

Alan. It looks fantastic and I can't wait to have it on my layout and check out the details!!!

Thank You for a great job creating this and to Spence for coming up with the idea!

Terry

Super job, Alan.

Jeff, Spence, Terry and Brian, Thank you for the nice compliments.

Here is the truck after completing the final 5 percent.

Alan

The final product looks great.

Terry; now we want to see photos of it on your layout.

Another great job, Alan!

Art

Alan - Beautiful job

Joe

Turned out fantastic Alan!! 

Alan

Pictures coming as soon as it arrives! Final details look great Alan! Thank you! Terry

Wow. There's no comparison from pictures to the actual shifter in person. There are details galore to include a windshield wiper, mirrors and many others attached to the frame. It's simply fantastic! And a steering wheel as well! Plus the hookup pad for the trailer looks weather worn. It simply turned out superb.

Thank you Alan! You are certainly an extraordinary craftsman!!!

And Thanks to Spence for starting this.  Terry

It really is a beautiful job.   The detail is great and you have the look down just right.  I love it.

Terry; your welcome. It looks great. Does the # 2014 stand for Feb. 2014 or something else!!

You got it Spence! Just the date.  Terry