32 axle Schnabel

Designed to run beautifully with scale rolling stock, this model train car is a unique piece of art. Rather than a recreation of an actual train car, this Schnabel is an original design. Just as full sized train cars are designed with pure functionality in mind, this car was designed for heavy duty transport on O scale track.

Every piece of this train car was modeled with CAD then CNC milled.

Features:

Original and fully functional design
All 18-8 stainless steel hardware
All 18-8 stainless steel threaded inserts installed by machine
Bronze bushings for vertical pivots
Brass plates, shafts and guide block
Machined stainless steel adjustment posts
Stainless steel load binding posts
Brand new Lionel 100 ton die-cast, sprung rotating bearing cap trucks
Milled from solid white maple
Lots of unique 3D CNC machining
Features a lifting mechanism allowing great clearance of track side obstacles
Operates on 0-72 track
2 brake stands installed
4 steps installed
Brass handrails are bent by hand for end platforms
2 brass doors installed
2 brass seats installed in control rooms
A-symmetrical control room walls
Milled 1/16" clear acrylic is set into the inside of the office walls, creating window glass
Official brass nameplate
Seamless spun aluminum tank
2 milled tension beams to support the tank
4 5/8" tall to top of track while in lowered position
5 1/8" tall to top of track while in lifted position
2 3/4" wide with no load
2 7/8" wide with tank load
51 1/2" long with no load
66" long with tank load

Beautiful 3D shapes are used throughout the design

Below is pictured a rejected side frame partially milled. This is an excellent visual to see how the parts are made

Below the brass seat and acrylic windows are visible

Here the flexibility of the load arm is shown. A 0.500" precision tooling ball is used as the ball pivot and a bronze bushing milled to 0.505" with a ball endmill is pressed into the wood mid-frame. This flexible joint allows for complete freedom for the load to remain level while the track fluctuates below.

Also seen above, and to the right is a large brass block with 2 precision guide posts 0.2500" in diameter with the holes reamed to 0.2515". In between them is a 10-32 cap head screw machined with a groove and shoulder. The shoulder is captivated in the brass foot with a 1/16" diameter pin. This mechanism allows the user to adjust the 10-32 screw from above. This adjustable but rigid connection provides stability while the car runs unloaded.

This is a close up of the lift mechanism at each end of the car. Using a 3/16" socket the frame can be lifted by 1/2".

To accomplish this, a shoulder is machined onto the threaded rod. Then a hex head is milled onto one end. The brass shaft has a flat surface milled onto the underside which mates with the shoulder.

This picture shows the arm partially lifted. The spread caused by the can be seen easily here.

Below the Schnabel is loaded with a spun aluminum tank. It is supported with tension beams

Schnabel in lowest position

Schnabel in highest position

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