rbrown7713

Thanks for you input. Down here in Florida, very little freezing threat. When I say P gravel, the rock is at varying sizes, can't use 3/4 rock, just too big. I have poured large column bases for my house with great results, no cracks. You can view them on my channel on YouTube---omiateeful, There are about 53 videos. Just scroll down.

The top piece, if made with rock would weigh 172 lbs. If I can make it with Perlite, it will weigh about 90., again, it doesn't have to be very strong. If I can't get the looks, detail, than I will make it with rock, and have to use dollies to haul around, but I hope the lightweight stuff works out.

Lightweight concrete is weaker than concrete made with the proper sand and gravel mix. A regular mix is about 3000 psi. strength. The mix that I will use is only about 1800 psi, but it doesn't have to be very strong, it just has to hold up 1/3 of the top piece. P gravel is 3/8 in. rock or gravel. White cement is white Portland. The lightweight concrete recipe that I will use has no rock, just one cement, 2 sand and 2.2 Perlite ratio by volume. I got the P gravel to make one column to compare the weight to the lightweight version. The gravel or rock in concrete is for strength. P.S. the above picture of the column is just the pattern from the mold that I painted white, I haven't poured the column yet. Just joking since you wanted to see the end product, I will be pouring it tomorrow. Bob.

Hello Sean, I can see you can't wait, so I poured it with Sacrete fast setting formula. So, here it is in 3D.

I am preparing the mold right now and maybe pour tonight or tomorrow. Just went down and bought some white cement, sand, p gravel, and some Perlite. I will make several combinations to see which is the best as far as weight and resolution is concerned, so I will post pics. soon. Bob.

I know some, who make molds keep them a secret, but I don't. All of my mold methods were created by me and some are easy and some not, but I don't keep secrets, I am willing to share them. The most unique method is machining or routing the molds that I make out of Bondo, so easy. One day, when I have a lull making my projects, I will make a video on how to make a side for an F7 or E series with a router, if there is any interest. Then one could make as many as they want. The problem is not making the sides, that is easy, the problem is making the cab. Making the cab is like sculpting. I suppose an experienced artist/sculptor could do it right the first time. Well I am not that good, it took me about 8 versions and molds until I got something that resembled a cab. Of course, it is easier to make the sides of diesel locos on a Bridgeport mill with digital readout, the method that I use now, but when I first started, I use a router and a table saw. The spacers cut, measured carefully on a table saw and then inserted on the router jig to make a cut. The skirts are made by looking at pictures of examples. The roofs of my Pullman passenger cars are made of 1 inch cuts of wood and then pieced together depending on how long the roof is. The mold that I made, I made with the boattail end on it, so that if I wanted to make another observation car, I could. The mold is extra long, therefore I can make a regular car or the observation. I also have a universal mold for the side of a Pullman standard, both a smoothie and one with flutes without windows, so I can make any car, just have to cut different combinations of windows. I also made a pattern of the Pullman dome, just a section that can be cut into the Pullman roof. I make more molds than I do cars, because I haven't had the time, but when I finish some of my other projects, I will do what I like best, and that is making passenger trains.

Here is the finished mold for the column for the viaduct. No bubbles, came out perfect even though I have never poured urethane before. No degassing necessary. mixed easily, did everything by the directions and it worked out well. Here are some pics, next I will have to try out some concrete and the vibrating table. Bob.

My mind feels like 20, but my body feels like 70.

If you are talking about concrete, about 10 yards, not including the foundation, about another six. If you are talking about urethane, about 160 lbs., about 1200 dollars, well it's only money, but it will sure to be good looking.

Hello engineer joe. I can't sell anything at this time, sorry. My enjoyment is not only building locos and passenger cars, but also patterns and molds, these hobbies are so time consuming that all I can do is show my projects and maybe share some ideas on how to make molds and patterns. I am busy enough just building my own stuff. I have to build about 20 passenger cars, several locos, finish the molds for the viaduct, an outdoor layout that will take me probably 2 years to build, plus finish my house, and all of this before I die. I am 70. I will probably have to live to be 120 to finish all of my projects. You have probably read some of my comments about making molds and patterns, I encourage anyone to experiment and build their own molds. It's not that difficult and very much fun and a satisfying project. If one doesn't have a mill, it can be done with a router with some careful setups. I built my first E8 B unit mold with a router and the 1945 Pullman observation car all with a router. The jig for the boat tailed observation car was the most difficult tool I have ever built, but it worked. I used flat plastic sheets for spacers for the fluting and a curved surface for the curves. I have since thrown away that tool because it kept getting in the way. I kick myself for doing that, because it was a piece of art in itself. After using that tool to make a mold it was useless, so I tossed it. As to the Dash 8 trucks, I don't think the wheel base is correct. The ones to use is the NWSL 3 axle truck made specifically for the E's, about 240.00 a pair I believe. The pattern for the mold of this observation car was made with a router, no mill.

I poured the first half of the column mold with urethane rubber. It was my first time using urethane, but it was just like silicone except for the mixing ratio. It almost poured like water, a little thicker, so I am glad that I sealed all of the seams with clay or it would have ran out. Unless there is some void in the mold, it should come out fine. Here is a picture.

I mentioned before that the next loco that I build, F7, or E8, or E7, I would use my own cab I found a picture of it. I thought I would share. This was made by hand of about 8 evolutions until I saw something that I liked and this is it.

Well if it takes that, that is what I will do. Here are some pictures of a cheap concrete vibrator I made, looks like it will work. I put a video on YouTube, just search either my channel- omiateeful, or DIY concrete vibrator cheap.

Yes Jerry if I make them in white cement. White will take any colors, but looking at real viaducts, the colors are much darker and dirtier in real life. I haven't decided yet to make the look nice or realistic. Thanks for your encouragement and interest.

Well I finished the mold on the curved section of the viaduct for the urethane part. I wanted to share the way I grouted the blocks. At first, I used a water and grout mixture to grout, very messy. This time I spread the grout dry and packed it in with my fingers and brushed off the excess and then sprayed with polyurethane, much easier, quicker and a lot less messy and it still filled the voids. I also came across the mixture of lightweight concrete formula, should reduce weight from 172 to 85 lbs. according to the formula, so I think I can handle that. My main concern is strength and resolution of the details, I won't know until I lay a column up, should be within a couple of weeks, urethane on the way. Here are some pics.

Hi Jerry, yes it will. The large part will weigh 160 lbs. if I don't try to reduce the weight with micro balloons or perlite or foam. Regardless, I plan to use a small crane to place the large pieces. If anyone has any ideas to make the concrete lighter, let me know. I will be experimenting with the smaller columns until I get the mixture correct. I even thought of pouring them with some sort of foam, but I am afraid of the weather damage being outside. Maybe I can find some kind that holds up with weather, I don't know yet. I am making the curved section for the urethane mold right now, probably be done tomorrow.

I am posting the pictures of what I am doing as far as making the molds for the Viaduct, If anyone is as crazy as I am for attempting this. Here are some pictures of the large part of the mold ready for the pouring of the silicon or urethane, I haven't decided which one to use. I guess the silicon is twice as much as the urethane material.

No, they don't open, they are castings from a supplier that doesn't exist anymore. I make my locomotive sides on a Bridgeport mill, but when I first started, I made the molds with a router. Any one can do it with the proper setup. You can make beautiful molds for the sides of an E8, both A and B with a router. The rivets would be done by hand with a ball mill. I have done it. A lathe would be nice for the portholes. The molds that I make are nothing more than Bondo. The nice thing about Bondo is that if you make a mistake, you simply fill the error and recut. Ask Jerry, he has seen one of my molds. They can be made easily with a router and accurate setups. I will try to find some pictures. I think I have posted some somewhere on this forum. I found the pictures. Don't be afraid to experiment. This mold and side can be made with a router, bondo, and epoxy resin and micro balloons. The brown side was made from the Bondo mold.

I added hinged portholes to the E8, here are three pics.

I told you that I would post some pics of the mold. Here is the design of the mold for the columns, 6 will be needed. I had to design the mold in a way that I could access the sides to be able to clay up the plastic fence for the first pour of the half of the mold. The pictures are in order of the procedure. First clay up fence. 2nd, add the other half of the mold end. At this point the first half of the mold will be poured with synthetic rubber. When it sets up, the fence will be removed and the ends will be replaced with the full width section. The second half of the mold will be poured and that completes the procedure. The bolts keep the mold together because I will have to vibrate the mold when concrete is poured. If you have any question or comments, let me know, thanks Bob.

Hey Jerry, I forgot to mention that your statement of this being a big project. I keep it in perspective because I just built my house, a 9 year project, I got it finaled the other day, so this project is duck soup compared to that one. I just figured out the plan for the mold for the columns, I can't wait to show it to you, I am working on it today. Bob.

Hi Jerry, the parts of the mold that are flat and not in contact with the stone will be made of epoxy and will make hundreds of parts. The two part synthetic rubber, made for concrete, should hold up fine. If it doesn't than I will have to. According to a commercial product made for concrete, the website says that it will make hundreds of parts also, we shall see. This will be the most difficult mold that I have made so far, because I will mixing hard molds with the rubber sections of the mold. I will post updates when I get further into the project.

UPDATE: I am finished with the pattern. I laid the track to test the clearances. When I run the 85ft. passenger cars, I might have to run one train at a time, the clearances are close. I am ready to start making the molds. Here are some pics.

Someone mentioned it, yes the fluted roofs are Budd, I don't do Budd, just Pullman Standard and EMD. I am involved with the viaducts right now, but I started a project to stretch the MTH passenger trucks to make them look correct, added about 1/2 inch in length. If I recall, I will have to stretch the MTH passenger cars about 2 inches to make an 85 foot car, or what ever length they are. Even having molds for 85 foot, both corrugated and smooth, the MTH cars would be easier to put together than starting from scratch, and they look good. I have fun no matter which way I make them.

Hello Nick jr. I am curious why one would not like the prototypical look of banked curves? Obviously the speed is not a factor as in full scale, but is there something I am not aware of because of banking? I have seen layouts that have been banked and liked the look of the train as it goes around a curve, it looks like it should. I don't see 5 degrees being a problem, please fill me in.