Coach 9 - Official Work Thread

[Bob Holmes]

I would think so. How about MNG and their coach restoration?

[Duncan Mackiewicz]

Thank you Benjamin for "waking me up". I wasn't thinking about using the wooden pattern to make a sand casting. My bad, should've put my thinking cap back on.

[Harold Downey]

Hey all (or should I say y'all, being from Texas), I am going to post a series of updates on what I've been doing for the Coach 9 project.  I've got a lot to cover, so this may take me a few days to post it all. 

First an update on the seat patterns.   There are eight patterns required to make each seat, and I have completed all of them.  You've seen the main aisle side frame previously.

This is the finished window side frame pattern, top view:


Here is the bottom side core box, side by side with the bottom view of the original casting:


The seat back flip mechanism is a four-bar linkage.  Three of the links are the same for aisle and window side, with the base link that attaches to the seat frame being different. 

This is the pattern for one of the long links.  I did this on a mold board in a 2-up configuration, to help with production costs.  There are 2 per seat, and 24 seats per coach.  The other reason for a mold board, is that the pattern is split in the middle and each half is only 5/32" thick.   

First the top view of the link:


Then this is the bottom of the same pattern.  It looks like two pieces, but they are really for one link.

[Harold Downey]

This is the pattern for the seat back portion of the mechanism.

Top view:


Bottom view (this is the reverse side of the same mold board):


The bottom links, that attach to the seat frames.  This is the reverse side of the links on the actual mechanisms in the picture.


And the last piece, the armrest.   I made two patterns and one corebox. 

[Harold Downey]

Now some patterns for the coach.  These are all the castings required for the base frame.

From left to right:  Three core boxes and the pattern for the bolster truss rod casting, the center plate, the body support casting, and the queen post casting.

[Mike Fox]

Very nice Harold. More show pieces for future display.

[Harold Downey]

But wait, there's more!

Now we need a few castings for the Jackson and Sharp reproduction trucks. 

From left, going clockwise:   The core boxes for the journal box, the journal box (this is a top-opening version as on coach 3), the female center plate for the truck, the bearing wedge (or shim), the bolster spring seat (locates the elliptical leaf springs top and bottom), the transom truss rod end plate, and in the middle, the transom truss rod seat.



The journal box lid (right) and its core box:


Since we are reproducing the J&S trucks, we are using J&S brake heads and shoes, thus new patterns for those are needed. 

The brake head (top side of the mold board, note the 2-up configuration):


The bottom side of the same mold board, which forms the curved bottom surface and a pocket to accept the bolt head:


The brake shoe pattern is confusing.  This top side view forms the features above the back of the brake shoe, two locating ridges and a loop for attaching it to the brake head.  There is a core required to form the hole in the loop -- that's the wing-like thing going across.



The bottom of the same pattern -- this is the actual shoe portion.



There are two more patterns I intend to do for the trucks:  the truck side bearings and a new 2-up pattern for the brass bearings. 

[Jeff Schumaker]

Truly artisanal work.

Jeff S.

[Bernie Perch]

Harold,

I am just blown away by your work.  It is difficult to imagine all the hours you have in your patterns.

Bernie

[Dave Buczkowski]

Harold;
I think Bernie's comment says it all and is very, very high praise from a master patternmaker himself. We are not worthy!
Dave

[Wayne Laepple]

I'll second Dave's and Bernie's assessment. Lovely work, Harold, just lovely. Cannot wait to see these patterns put to use.

[Carl G. Soderstrom]

This is art that should be under glass!

As Mike said I hope there will be a display of all the patterns that are used.

[Bob Holmes]

I would hope that we can market these castings to other heritage railroads replicating Jackson and Sharp coaches....

[Jason M Lamontagne]

An issue and common misconception is that these seats aren’t necessarily “Jackson and Sharp” seats, they are Hale and Kilborn seats.  Both Jackson and sharp and Laconia bought Hale and Kilborn, the problem here is that this particular model of H&K seats are very unique in that they were only produced for a few short years, which happen to include 1894.  The more common H&K seats can be found in F&M coach 2, the Bridgton coaches, and pretty much all other Maine two foot walkover seat cars.

What we have here is the ability to recreate a very rare, intricate seat design.  Unfortunately, rare also likely means the demand is very limited.

Harold, the patterns are, of course, beautiful looking.  I’m sure they’ll work as well as they look!

Thanks
Jason

[Ed Lecuyer]

Isn't there a larger-but-still narrow railroad out in Colorado doing some interesting coach rebuilds? Would the 1894 H&K seats be appropriate for those cats?