I don’t typically share my videos here, but I though some peole would find this very useful. I recently build my own work cradle for upgrading, weathering, and repairing locomotives and rolling stock. Here is a video that shows you how I did it.
Ron
[Edit: Pressed ENTER after link URL to make it clickable. ~MR user-moderator]
I’ve been tempted to just buy one of those foam cradels most people use - but in the past I wasn’t able to bring myself to pay $14+ for a piece of foam.
In the end, I’ll probably just buy a foam cradle as my hobby budget has improved since those days.
You can gety foam cradels at train shows and e-bay for alot cheaper, on recent move I discovered I had ended up with 4 of them, two were holding up unfininished projects.
Jim,I have one and will say up front its worth its weight in gold especially for today’s fragile cars and locomotives.
Coincidentally, Ken Patterson showed how he constructs a loco cradle. I was pleased to see your design and construction was totally different.
I go to shows at least 3 times a year and haven’t noticed any for real cheap but I haven’t been looking during the past year or so. But I should. Like many, I have a bazillion projects for this hobby needing done so I prefer to not add yet another by building a cradle when I can just buy one. Heck thats why I am happy to buy RTR rolling stock - fewer projects. (if all goes to fruition, I’ll have a basement to finish before starting on a layout so yeah - to-do list already plenty long).
But for those who have penty of time, maybe building a cradle is a good option.
I made my cradle using a long Athearn blue box, lined it with pieces of the soft foam, found in some Spectrum loco boxes. I have different size pieces of foam for holding/supporting a loco or freight car in various positions, and for holding couplers in place, while I remove and replace them. Saves alot of fumbling around.
Mike.
Yes, I was in the middle of this project when his video came out last week. I almost delayed the video because I didn’t want it to look like I was trying to ride on his coattails, but, as you said, mine was different enough that I figured I’d go ahead.
Ron
Once you buy/build one of those cradles, it really becomes one of those “how did I do without it?” items. I have three of them now, not unusual for all three to be in use with different projects.
I went to a furniture repair shop and asked for some thick pieces of foam. They were more than willing to give me several square feet of it. I simply cut them into small, manageable sizes. Then cut out a depression in the middle so the rolling stock would fit. I also have several “egg carton” style pieces of foam and the rolling stock lays comfortably in them.
They cost me nothing
LOL. There have been times when I had the opportunity to pick up chunks of ideal types of foam for free more times than I can count.
Of course it was “after” a number of those opportunites passed that I thought of the same thing you did - I could just cut my own for free.
Wouldn’t you know it I haven’t seen any foam that would be ideal for a cradle for several years now! Go figure. Of course I have seen foam of various types but it was usually the wrong kind or a type I didn’t think would be good for a cradle - you know, firm enough to hold a fairly heavy engine, but not so stiff it would damage or break detail parts.
I have one of the foam cradles. I cut notches on both sides to protect window shades for my diesel locomotives. I also cut a rectangular shape in the bottom of the cradle so that the horns on the diesel locomotives fit into it.
Did you cut notches in the cradle for all the grab irons on the roofs too? LOL There are so many fragile parts on detailed diesels these days!