Dual Track Hot metal mixer. Part 4

Few more details and a coat of dull coat and a little weathering and this will be done.

Layout overlook Part 1

I have been working on the current layout for 12 years now. WOW time flies when you are having fun. I have learnt a lot and meet a lot of good people in the past 12 years. Since I have started this layout. Have you ever looked at your layout and thought WOW I created this.

Dual Track Hot metal mixer. Part 3

The mobile hot metal mixer is pretty well complete. I did change the Walthers spot out with a ST&D spot. Which I think made the car look better. The end rings are so the ends can be removed for reline of the car. I also added maintenance doors on the motor housings.

As of now I'm waiting on a break in the weather to paint the car.

Dual Track Hot metal mixer. Part 2

After I got the trucks pretty wall the way I wanted them I turned to the rest of the car. it is built out of 1" PVC couplings, end caps and adapter. The turning mechanism was made from cap that came from eggnog. In the above picture one can see where I had rebuilt the trucks with a space wide enough the cradle would fit between the ingot buggies.

   
With both cradles pretty well done I redid the spot to the car and use a Walthers hot metal spout. Really like how it looks but thing about changing it out with a ST&D spot. Changing the spot also shorten the car about 1".

Dual Track Hot metal mixer. Part 1

His has been a project I have wanted to do for year. Even when I built the BOF on the layout I put in dual tracks for this car. Over the weekend I start on building the car. The original car was proposed to the USS Conneaut plant by Pecor, but was never built. Patents for the car can be found online.

The car is a 660 ton hot metal mixer. Due to the large size of the car traction motors was in the trucks of the car and they drew their power from a separate locomotive coupled to the car.

The boxcab is only for looks. The trucks to the car was built from Rix product ingot buggies. The trucks was rebuilt many time to get the look I wanted.

The approximate length of the car.

12-15-16 4:15pm Another day of railfanning the DDMS

After leaving the yards on the KV&O we finished out the day at DDMS. A lot of activity there but sadly batteries died and had to call it a day.

The first train we catch is a loaded hot metal train making its way to the BOF. Once the train cleared in the siding a loaded slab train rolled by.

Scrap side of the BOF was really busy with 2 units working inbound and outbound scrap loads.

Next train that showed up was another hot metal train with one of the DDMS rebuilt Baldwin units.

Was able to get a shot of the ladle repair area between trains.

Last pictures before the camera died was looking down the main the train on the left is the single hit metal train that showed up and the train on the right was the hot metal train that was going by when first got there. O wow, a streamer still being used!!!

12-15-16 2:35pm Another day of railfanning the KV&O

South end of the yard waiting on a crew is a string of L&N empties waiting to go back to the EK Division to be loaded with coal. Said the crew will be here in about 3:45. On the high line, a short train went buy with a high and wide in tow. We were really surprised when we saw a Davies Steel truck pull up to the KV&O shops.

12-15-16 1:15pm Another day of railfanning the KV&O

We made our way to the car shops and locomotive rebuilding shop and there was a lot of activity there. KV&O switcher S12 #41 was switching a depressed flat that had to have a couple wheels worked on for flat spots. Sitting beside the shops is a U5B locomotive that the K&VO purchased from Brazil. The locomotive was completely rebuilt and is waiting for lettering and numbers from the paint shop. Looks like they have already been testing it due to it being coupled to the dynamometer car. With its nose stuck out of the loco, rebuild shop is a British made locomotive that has been used at DDMS. It has been sent to the shops for a rebuild and repaint.

12-15-16 12:15pm Another day of railfanning the KV&O

After getting back from eating at the local dinner we headed back to the yards. The diesel service facility was quiet, there was 2 SD40-2 with a fuel tanker coupled between them. There was also an aging set of FA units. KV&O was known to use their locomotives as long as possible. Close to the diesel shops was the steam shops with all 3 bay door wide open. Couldn't tell what other units were in there but the unlettered locomotives was a Hudson that KV&O has been rebuilding and beside it was the articulated logging locomotive use on the old P&P logging.

12-15-16 10:15am Another day of railfanning the KV&O

We hear the daily hot metal train from DDMS was on its way and they had held the ore train in the siding to clear the main for it. While was waiting sitting on the highline was 2 of the KV&O SD26 units. Both in different paint schemes. The crew was waiting for a MOW crew to get out of the way.

12-15-16 8:35am Another day of railfanning the KV&O

When we first arrived to our surprise was an L&N geep setting on the ready tracks coupled to KV&O RS11 431. These were assigned to one of the daily ore trains D&D Mining & Steel plant. The set pulled out of the ready tracks but took a while getting onto their train. Once they got back we saw why. They had gotten the 3rd unit. A recently purchased slug unit from Helix Rail Grinding Systems (HRGX) Still wearing HRGX colors too.

12-15-16 10:25am Another day of railfanning the KV&O.

12-15-16 10:25am Another day of railfanning the KV&O.

We didn't have to wait too long for the hot metal train to show up. This is a rare train to catch due to it doesn't run on any certain schedule. The power is DDMS RSD-15 #1020 The train consisted of L&N 70 ton hoppers 2 hot metal cars and a cab. This is the normal size of the train but at times an extra hot metal car is added due to customer needs.