Future Projects

Let the Plastic Flow!!! This is the first mold for the Morgan plastic injection press. These are the tank ends used with the small 3" tank on the 4 wheeler kit. Next up, the 3-3/4" mold for the GRAMPS tank. While this may not look like much, this is a major milestone for the PNG shops. The plastic used is a gray ABS regrind. Re-grind as in recycled plastic.

Another new product for the PNG shops is corrugated steel roofing.   I use  .003" steel shim stock, cut to size and rolled through a custom "corrugating roller".  What sets this apart from corrugated aluminum is that real steel produces real rust. The piece on the left has several "experiments" on it.  I use muriatic acid (swimming pool acid), vinegar and a commercial rusting agent on different parts of the surface. All produced the same ending, real rust. Vinegar is the most common and cheapest so therefore the agent of choice. I should have this for sale in the parts page soon.

Another improvement I am implementing, brass wire in new kits.  I have been using stainless steel wire for truss rods and brake rods. Stainless in less than half the price of brass. The stainless music wire used for the truss rods is a little difficult to bend to the correct angles. Brass wire in rolls is comparable in price to stainless rod but how do you deal with the coils. Hand straightening just doesn't get the kinks out.  So, as I continually try to improve hardware and techniques, I picked up a used wire straightener.  It uses 2 series of adjustable rollers, 90 degrees opposed to straighten rolled, kinked or otherwise "bent" wire.  With this device, I can switch to brass wire at no additional cost.  Cool machine !!!!!!!

Other Projects

I am working with Bruce Chandler, Doug Matheson and Gaetan Charette on a passenger car project. Once completed, the PNG shops will develop it's own Colorado flavor of narrow gauge passenger equipment. Please visit their site @

Also, please note that these pictures are only for "show and tell". The "Azalea" cars are not on the list of future PNG kits. While I have learned to never say never, for now just enjoy the pictures.

http://www.thejoat.com/

Part of this project has been to develop a completely lasered roof system verses casting the ends in some sort of resin. To that end, using some Don Winter passenger car bodies, I went to work in CAD to design the roof carlins, roof end ribs and a skin, flexible enough to handle the compound curves.  While the Azalea cars do not have drop corner roof ends, I wanted to test the limits on Don's car bodies for feasibility. The following pictures are of a "first cut" roof to fit a DW coach. This is NOT the Azalea car.

I used 1/8" poplar plywood for all the ribs and carlins. 1/32" birch plywood for all the roof skins. The "tar-paper" is a lightweight, embroidery backing/interface from a fabric store. It is almost like a heavy tissue paper. I cut it in 1/2" by 4" strips and glued it down with a 50/50 solution of white glue and water. Very easy to work with. It becomes almost translucent once glued down but still has a slight fuzzy look once painted. I for one, am sold on this product.  I also lasered the steps on this car. The roof and steps reduced the overall weight of this cars by 2+ pounds.  The end rails and windows are Don's castings. The trucks are LGB.

This is the Azalea car with sides and ends and a roof end

Observation end

The "roof". If it had wings, it would fly!!

Lots and lots of windows and glass

Roof skinned, windows and doors installed. This car is 30" long. A 1:20.3 scale 50'.

End Views

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