Possible alternative for modeling pipe loads

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi gang!

Dianne and I have decided to put up a solitary bee house in our garden. What does that have to do with model trains you ask? Well, the cardboard tubes that are used in the bee house also happen to resemble culverts in HO scale. Here are the tubes:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01AM7Y9N4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They are not exactly cheap, but they are far less expensive than dedicated HO scale pipe loads. They are a bit bigger than paper straws (5/16" dia.), and they are much more substantial.

Dave

2

Sign of a dedicated model railroader; is “that” going to have a use on the layout?
Cheers, the Bear.[:D]

3

Ya, as long as the bees don’t move into the pipe loads![swg][(-D][(-D]

Dave

4

I used plastic straws, glued together and then painted grey, followed by a slight rust colored wash. I dipped the ends in flat black, which disquised the thin walls of the straws. The end result worked quite well IMO…

5

Would that be a problem, Dave? I didn’t know that you model bees on your layout. [swg]

6

Those look like they could be painted to represent good concrete piping. They have the mass to look correct.

I have been saving all sorts of odd gubbins from working on my house to use on the layout. The plastic covers that come with DeWalt wood chisels looks exactly like concrete storm culverts.

-Kevin

7

I wanted to make hexagonal cobblestones in HO scale. Nobody makes such molds that I could find, so I bought a piece of artificial plastic honeycomb and made a latex mold with it. It worked fine for hydrocal cobblestones.

I thought the experiment was kind of neat, so I bought a set of WS beekeepers and now I do model HO scale bees. It makes a nice little scene in a few square inches that can’t really be used for anything else.

8

Plastic straws work great, the thin walls are probably an exact size in scale for HO.

9

I used the barrels of Bic pens to create pipe loads…

…and the ink tubes for small diameter pipe…

I have several loads of each type, sized and labelled to fit particular cars.

Wayne

10

Hello All,

The parent company of the Buckskin & Platte Railroad (B.S.&P. R.R.) is the Consolidated Materials Group (C.M.G.).

In the charter for The C.M.G., it specifies that “found materials shall be used whenever possible or practical.”

Various tube shapes; from straws to frame spacers used when transporting bicycles, have been harvested to be used as Ho scale pipe loads.

All for free.

Thank you for sharing your find, but at that price, it is cost-prohibitive compared to other harvested materials.

Hope this helps.

11

I happen to have a surplus of the bee tubes. We bought a solitary bee house to put in the garden and the refill pack has more tubes than we need for the next few years. I’m not sure if that makes them free or not.

Personally, I like the ‘heft’ that they present in HO scale, and I like the spiral pattern. The walls may be too thick for HO scale, but IMO this is a situation where not being exactly to scale looks better than a plastic drinking straw would.

Just out of curiousity, I looked up paper drinking straws on Amazon. There are several different options that would be suitable for pipe loads. There are different sizes, both length and diameter. and they also come in black, blue and silver. The silver is a bit bright to mimic steel tubing but it could easily be toned down. Prices are all over the place but there were some that were in the $8.00 Cdn. /125 range.

Dave

12

The spiral pattern looks just like Naylor steel pipe that is used in a lot of mining applications.

Ray

13

I’d like to find a method of applying a manufacturer’s mark on the new pipe. For example:

http://www.protoloads.com/shop/ho-scale-ductile-iron-pipe-using-thin-wall-aluminum-tubing-with-prototype-flared-end-8/

I recall seeing loads going through my area with the Bethlehem Steel emblem on the pipe. I think that adds a bit of nice detail.

Perhaps a rubber stamp kit could be used or, if you could find them, dry transfers.

http://www.protoloads.com/shop/walther-proto-ho-scale-89-flat-with-line-pipe/

Thanks for sharing your idea, Dave [Y]

Cheers, Ed

14

Hello All,

The NMRA monthly print magazine has a column called “Love Those Loads” that is dedicated to modeling open, and oversized loads. Some based on actual loads and rolling stock.

In many of the prototypical photos, there are placards from the manufacturers, similar to what you are describing.

These could be easily modeled just like other signs used on model railroads with a printer and styrene.

Hope this helps.

15

Thank you, I will look into that.

I’ve made signs to accompany special loads, which were somewhat common “back in the day” when shippers knew folks would be watching trains.

IMG_9723_fix_web by Edmund, on Flickr

I’ve seen photos of promotional signs on special shipments, say steel for the Golden Gate Bridge and the like.

If not overdone it makes for an interesting visual on the layout.

MESTA_forge2 by Edmund, on Flickr

Thank you, Ed

16

It’s quite possible Mr. B You were just looking in the wrong country. A site You and others may find interesting. I personnally have used them quite a number of times before without any problem’s whatsoever:

https://www.greenstuffworld.com/en/textured-rolling-pins/132-Rolling-Pin-Hobby-Roller-Hexagons-Infinity-Bases.html

Take Care! [:D]

Frank

17

Ed: I cannot find a picture, but I have used data and markings from 1/48 scale military models for pipes and beams on flatcars. They look very good.

-Kevin

18

Thanks, Kevin. I have some sheets of data and a few other miscelaneous markings I’ll take a look at.

I bought a rubber stamp kit from Amazon with individual letters. Might give a go with that when it arrives.

The U.S.S. United States Steel emblem is pretty simple and could be done with dry transfers. There are Bethlehem decals out there, too.

Cheers, Ed

19

Well now Imgor is acting up, so I cannot post any reference pictures.

The data decals I use look similar to what is on the Proto-Load 89 foot flatcar.

There are literally thousands of 1/48 and 1/72 miltary aircraft decal sets available, and these can be harvested for all kinds of useful teeny bits.

I search eBay occassionally for big lots made up of partial decal sheets. These can be goldmines for $20.00 or less.

-Kevin

20

Those pipes are way cool! Are the pipes only used for beekeeping?

Swapping out different types of loads is great for variety in operations.