Got Grain? N Scale 43" Wilson Pacesetter Grain Trailer

What the heck is 3D printing?

It seems like I am never content without having lots of projects going at the same time in this hobby, so a couple months ago I decided to explore 3 dimensional printing.  Fast forward to now, and I have my first proof of concept model in final paint.  Knowing that I would need a fleet of grain trucks for my future grain elevator, I decided to design my own to plug the enormous void that currently exists.  "Big enough to drive a Mack truck through" pun intended.  I personally haul grain with a 43' Wilson Pacesetter that dad owns for farming, so that is where I decided to start.

My N scale grain trailer version, like the one pictured above, is a common 43' aluminum grain trailer made by Wilson.  I designed it with ag hoppers which have greater ground clearance for unloading augers and operating in fields.  It has a shur-lok rolltarp in the rolled position.  Elevators sample all grain that gets unloaded, and they usually have a remote operated probe located after the weigh scale.  Also, many truckers leave the tarp rolled open on short hauls when returning empty.  So it made sense to make my trailer with an open top.  I do have a tarped version in the works however.  I designed my own 24.5" aluminum rims and tires, Wilson logo mudflaps, DOT striping, ladder and end platform detail, tarp bows, tarp handle (brass wire), air-ride suspension detail, and finally Polly S aluminum and Reefer White paint.

Everything except the tarp handle and axles is 3D printed.  The rim/tire sets were printed as separate pieces and mounted to a short piece of piano wire for the axle.  The mudflaps are paper.

Anyway, now that I am satisfied with my initial results, I thought I would share what I came up with so far.  I see a lot of potential with 3D printing, and hopefully you will see many more models from me in the future.  3D printing is not perfect, and it seems there is quite the controversy about whether 3D print quality is suitable for N scale.  So take a look at my 43' Wilson grain trailer and let me know what you think.  Sorry for the less than ideal ford 9000 tractor, but I needed something with a 5th wheel.  I have a project in the works that should remedy that problem.  Keep in mind that this is my first model, so I am still working on perfecting the painting process.  For example, I am not completely satisfied with the paint on the red tarp.  It may require some additional attention.

Mar/Apr 2013 N Scale Railroading

Part 9 of my Marias Pass project was just printed in the latest issue of N Scale Railroading.  A shorter article this time, illustrating how I created the station at West Glacier.  Next article will show the snow shed in detail, and is one of my favorites in the series.

N Scale Trucks (a major gap in N scale)

I did not intend to go dark for this long before posting something new and exciting, however, time has certainly slipped away from me already in 2013.  In anticipation of my new layout design moving into construction soon, I have been fully aware of the need for all kinds of trucks to service the industries that I have chosen to model as part of the Council Bluffs Sub.  Some if not all are not available in N scale, or available, but not from the modern era, or needing some alterations.  At the train show earlier this year, I stumbled upon a couple Chevy truck kits that were being sold by one of the vendors.  The model is a late 70's early 80's Chevy C60/C65 truck, and they come in various configurations.  I wasn't sure if the company was still around, but I did some research, and sure enough, C in C Precision in Miniatures does still exist, and has a website.

Anyway, the multitude of trucks that I am needing for my industrial layout includes flatbeds for lumber, grain boxes, grain trailers, cement trucks, rock/sand trucks, etc., etc., etc.  Although the C60/65 chevy is a couple decades old, I figured it would make a good grain truck, as this was a common model for that use.  While most grain is hauled via tractor trailer today, there are still a lot of straight trucks used for field to local storage trips, and short hauls.  Our family farm actually has two, an International cabover, and an R model Mack.

My plan is to stretch the frame on a couple of these trucks, add a tandem axle and drop a grain box on it.  Where is the grain box coming from?  Well that is what is consuming much of my modeling time lately.  I am moving into the world of 3D printing, and I am finding a lot of potential for me personally, and N scale in general.  More to come on that in the future.

Here is an example of the C in C packaging, and the  C65 single axle tractor which I have cleaned up and is ready for paint and assembly.  This one I'll keep as a tractor, as I have specific plans for it.  The grain elevator will be a prominent structure on my new layout, so grain trucks are high on my list.

GTE 2013 - Day 1

So I guess that having a portable layout has its pros and cons.  A pro is that I can arrive at the train show the morning of, roll in the Marias Pass, plug it in, set up a train, and be running in a very short time.  A con is that by the time I arrive, everyone else has set up the night before, and even though I have a reserved space on the floor, I wind up getting squeezed out, and finally set up next to the electrical closet, in the corner of the arena.  I guess it wasn't all bad in that I was next to a few other layouts, had a fairly quite corner, isolated from the crowd, but still accessible to spectators.  I had a nice day and talked to some really nice train enthusiasts.

This will likely be the last show that I personally display the Marias Pass, so I am glad I made the effort to haul it over.  The weather was cold but dry, and the Mid America Center is still a great venue for a train show.