SP Jawbone Branch (Part 40) - OwlMtModels 3d Printed Transfer Ramp

 My current project is starting on a couple of the buildings and structures for the facilities at Owenyo.  The rail transfer ramp, used to load narrow gauge cars onto standard gauge flatcars is the first structure I'm working on.

South-west corner of the ramp with Code 40 rails and wooden retaining boards installed.

The research for the structures at Owenyo has been progressing. In the mean time, I've sent the proof drawings for the Owenyo Transfer Track Ramp or OTTR over to the 3d printer as a proof of concept or test for all the trestle related projects. Can we make them? Will they be good enough?

Newly drafted Owenyo Transfer Track Ramp used to load Narrow Gauge equipment onto Standard Gauge flatcars.

One of the smaller structures at Owenyo, but still very much a signature cornerstone of the railroad facilities to support the SP Narrow Gauge operations was this little ramp for loading the narrow gauge steam engines onto the standard gauge flatcars for their annual trips to visit the Bakersfield shops for heavy servicing and regular repairs.

Prototype Photos & Research

Owenyo SG-NG ramp - Rich McCutchan  - owensvalleyhistory - slim rails63_sml

The ramp is drawn to go down into the sub-grade and after reviewing the photos of the prototype, I'll be modifying my module to fit the changes to the ground profile.  I know of no drawings for this structure, but I have managed to find five or six photos, which taken together with my research of the much larger Owenyo Transfer Trestle, at the south end of town, I believe I've worked out the dimensions of this smaller structure.

First Test Pre-production

Early test print, several minor changes to come before we get to 'production' level quality.

The new year continues the Owenyo Structure's project for OwlMtModels with the first prototype 3d print for the Owenyo Transfer Track Ramp (or abbreviated OTTR).  Note that this print still needs some minor cleanup on the bottom of the main beams, and the bents aren't in final position at this point.  Two of the support beams are doubled up at the left end of the trestle to make it more level for this photo.

There were scaling and some guesses that turned out to be wrong in this version... so I revised the drawings after this first print.  The main stringers were deepened, and the Bent 2 was also beefed up to larger size timbers.

Second Print - Revised Version 2024-01-14

The underside showing the 1/16" magnets installed in bents and caps connecting to the stringer magnets.

I want to be able to remove this ramp deck section from the Jawbone layout modules when it needs to be moved or worked on upside down.  The magnets will also allow me to make fine adjustments to the grade of the ramp as I'm installing it on the layout, while not breaking any glue joints between the stringer beams and the bents.

South-west corner of the ramp with Code 40 rails and wooden retaining boards installed.

This model needed two wooden scale 2x10 strips cut to a scale 9ft long to be installed on the dirt side of the Bent 2, which forms sort of a second abutment at the south end of the 'ski-ramp'.  The strip wood was pre-stained by wetting the wood with water, then stained with Apple Barrel Burnt Umber, followed by a wiping with a paper towel.  Then a repeat with Pavement (dark gray-off black) and wiped off.  I also pre-painted the 3d printed Bent 2 part with similar colors and darkened the end of the main stringers.

South-east corner of the ramp with rail and wooden strips for retaining boards installed.

The Code 40 rail sections are glued in place with thick ACC cement.   About 1/8" of rail extend on the abutment end, which will be fitted with half-rail joiners.  The transferring southern end extends about 1/4" past the last tie, which matches the prototype photos, allowing it to span to the deck of the flatcars.

Test Fitting!

The ramp is dry fitted on the layout, which has a 1/4" depression for SG track.

Time to check it against the layout!  Prototypically installed ramp would be partly buried in the ground at the left end and the Standard Gauge track in the pit to the right accounting for the height of Bent 2 at the right end.

Here a F-70-10 flatcar spotted against the ramp to check the relationship.

The whole OTR will need to be sunk into the layout surface another 1/8" or so, including dropping the SG pit another 1/8" as well, maintaining the spacing height of the top of the OTR and SG track.  Sinking the ramp into the layout will help me get the ski-ramp track down to ground level to meet up with the NG that goes down into the NG pit track at the north end of town.  I may also take the opportunity to cut away some of the other bits of MDF material to smooth out the shape of the ground here, possibly putting in some pieces of pink foam and carve it down to shape to match photos.

In Closing

The short test print section of the Owenyo Transfer Trestle with wooden decking and Code 40 rails.

I'm hoping to be able to start working on the layout more, but I'm being delayed by the cold weather now and another lingering injury from October.  Got to stop getting hurt!  It seems that over half the time since I started the Jawbone Branch layout in 2021, I've been down to heal up from various things keeping me from get back to having fun with the hobby and building the layout!

Jason Hill

Related Articles:

SP Jawbone Branch (Part 28) - Laying Out the NG-SG Rail Transfer Pit - Making the first steps to building the OTR area of the module.

This project is also planning to be released by OwlMtModels on a limited run, reservation basis, these blog posts are covering the R&D process developing these planned kits.

New Series of Structures from OwlMtModels Under Development - OwlMtModelsNews blog

Happy New Year 2024, Highlights of Modeling in 2023

 

Minor photoshopped picture from January 2018 LMRC 'Winter on Tehachapi' TT/TO session.

I want some of my favorite articles of 2023, and those articles which you all voted for by viewing the most.

Most Viewed in 2023

1st Place with 435 Views

Open Loads (Part 7) - Shifted Lumber Loads - This article heralded the introduction of the new OwlMtModels Modular Lumber Loads in October.

2nd Place with 429 Views

Routing & Grading Cards with OwlMtModels 1220 Decals - The kitbash of this Fowler boxcar was also one of my personal modeling highlights for 2023 as well as 2nd place in Views.  Because this model was over a year waiting for decals and finishing the model, it received multiple posts of the build, so in some ways this project should be one of the highest views.  I think the finished model matches up with the prototype photograph well.  

3rd Place with 372 Views

Lumber Load in Gondola - SP 160522 - MDC Kitbash - This has been a fun project which keeps giving.  I started the kitbash about 20 years ago, but 2023 brought a custom load for this car... with a twist.

4th Place with 348 Views

Chalk Marks - A New Method - This article was fun to break my skill set and try a new method to make chalk marks. - I expect to do an update on this topic soon, as I found some other ways to change the end result!

5th Place with 301 Views

SP Jawbone Branch (Part 39) - A Ferro-Equestrian Archaeology Field Trip - This was also one of my personal highlights for 2023, as it was a trip that I've wanted to do for several years.  It also kicked me into working more on the structures for Owenyo and by extension the Jawbone Branch project.

My Favorites of 2023

Personal 1st Place

Routing & Grading Cards with OwlMtModels 1220 Decals  The kitbash of this Fowler boxcar was also one of my personal modeling highlights for 2023 as well as 2nd place in Views.I think the finished model matches up with the prototype photograph well.

NC&StL 15337 - Fowler -TRRA photo, East St Louis, July 1948, Illinois, Joe Collias coll, Bobs Photo - Ted Culotta collection

Because this model was in the shop for over a year waiting for decals and finishing the model, it received multiple posts of the build, so in some ways this project should be one of the highest views. I actually started mocking the car up in late 2019! 

36ft Fowler Boxcar NC&StL 15337 (Part 1) Accurail Kitbash

36ft Fowler Boxcar NC&StL 15337 (Part 2) Details & Decalling

NC&StL 15337 (Part 3) - Wrapping Up & Weathering - Other articles on this Accurail 36ft Fowler kitbash are linked at the end of Part 3 article.

Bridgetown 2023 RPM Meet

I enjoyed going to Portland this year to see all the RPM crew up in the Pacific Northwest.

SPHTS 2023 Convention - Bakersfield

October 2023 was crazy for me, wrapping up the month in Bakersfield and reconnecting with old friends for the first time since my last visit to SPHTS Conventions in 2018.

What's Next on the Line-Up for 2024?

Admittedly I'm focusing most of my modeling on aspects of the Jawbone Branch project... so that will be a main focus for the upcoming year of projects and posts.

Jawbone Branch - Owenyo Modules to Sparks/Reno Convention?

SP 3203 at Owenyo with UP steel-sheathed composite gondola, circa 1951-154. Eddie Sims collection

I'm hoping to get to work more on the Jawbone Branch in 2024, specifically focusing more on the scenery, track work, and structures at Owenyo, with the possible goal of having the three modules with some 'whisker' leads able to be displayed at the upcoming SPH&TS Convention in Reno/Sparks, October 2024.  It would be great fun to play with some switching (think Operations Road-Show style) with friends at the convention.

Owenyo Buildings

If I really plan to take the Owenyo modules as a working layout to Sparks Reno... then I'm going to be pushing to get some of the big signature structures built.  Wiring will have to be moved up the priority list to get the layout working.  I'm also looking at making some new switch point bars and moving the ground throws over for more track clearances... and some basic scenery, which I've only done some testing of painting the ties so far.

UP GS Gondola

UP Steel Gondola - Owenyo Trestle - SG side - unknown calendar photo, circa 1954, possibly 1951 - Ronald Grau collection (cropped to show only foreign gondolas)

A linked project is the foreign GS gondolas showing up at Owenyo for mineral loading, so a project already in the works is my heavy kitbash of the UP ex-composite GS gondola.  So I hope to get this model wrapped up this year.  Previous posts on this model are: UP Steel Re-sheath Gondola (Part 1) and Modeling UP Gondola (Part 2) - Re-sanding & Painting.

SP B-50-28 Post-war Boxcar

The first Tangent B-50-28 that I picked up to review, which will probably get a renumber soon!

Another linked modeling project will by my hope to be doing some more modeling with the Tangent B-50-28s for Owenyo, along with some weathering on a nearly new car.

In Closing

I want to close this post with a thank you to all of you out there in the community who are supporting the NightOwlModeler blog and engage in communications to help the community grow.  As for other future posts, I'm sure that other topics and surprise topics will come up in 2024 and I'll write on those.

Jason Hill

Related Articles:

New Year 2019