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Rolling Stock Craftcutter Projects
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Written by Paul D. Race for Family Garden Trains(tm) and Big Indoor TrainsTM

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Rolling Stock Craftcutter Projects

When nobody makes the rolling stock you want to run on your railroad, a good craftcutter may give you some options. While researching this topic, I came across several web forum discussions that discuss methods for using craftcutters to cut things like truck frames and passenger car sides. Most of them date back several years, when craftcutters were not as powerful as they are now, but the principles still apply.

Reading those accounts inspired me to draw my own pattern for a car I like and have yet to see properly modeled in Large Scale - the SK "Corridor" coaches that Harry Potter and his friends ride in on the Hogwarts Express. I only have the sides so far, but I've included those and two of the most helpful discussion threads on similar projects.

In addition, countless Large Scalers have used craftcutters and vinyl to relabel their trains and buildings. I've included one example of my own, albeit for a totally fictitious (ghost) railroad.

More projects are being researched and will be added as they become available. Also, if you've used your craftcutter for a rolling stock project and would like to share, please contact us.

  • JCL's steps for using a Silhouette and layered styrene to create working coach trucks.Using Inkscape and the Silhouette to Create Coach Bogies - RMWeb contributor JCL builds up a set of Barnum coach trucks from layered styrene he cut with a Silhouette.

    Note: This link takes you to the RMWeb Community discussion forum, where numerous similar projects are discussed. Though JCL's posts are eight years old, the same thing can be accomplished with current Silhouettes. (Or Cricut Explores or Makers, for that matter).

  • Mike Trice's steps for using a Silhouette and layered styrene to create and NER 6-wheel 3rd-class coach.Completing the 4mm NER 6 Wheel Coach - RMWeb contributor Mike Trice builds a 6-wheel, 3rd-class coach body from built-up layers of styrene that he scored with a Silhouette, then snapped. With today's Silhouettes, Explores, and Makers, you could probably get deeper cuts from the machine, but the principles hold.

    Like JCL's thread above, Mike used Inkscape to draw his shapes, and he takes a lot of time to show how to convert a builders' drawing into printable files.

    Note: This link also takes you to the RMWeb Community discussion forum.

  • Hogwarts-Inspired Coach Projects for Craftcutters - When I investigated what it would take to create patterns for the sorts of coaches that appear in the Harry Potter films, I learned that they are all part of the MK1 series of coaches that were developed in the 1950s and used all over England, Scotland, and Wales until they were replaced by MK2 and later coaches.

    Building on research by other hobbyists, I have made .svg patterns you can use to cut the sides for three different MK1 coaches (and one MK2 coach, which I did by accident because I had a mislabeled drawing).

    At the moment all I have is the patterns for the sides. As far as I can tell from the builder's drawings, each side is 64 feet long, so you can hopefully do the math and rescale it to whatever scale you need.

  • Using purple spray paint and orange vinyl lettering to convert a Bachmann Big Hauler set into a Halloween-themed train.Making a Ghost Train - from our FamilyGardenTrains.com site, using orange vinyl lettering cut on a Cricut Explore to relable a repainted Bachmann Big Hauler set for Halloween. It's mostly included here for tips about using craftcutters to label Large Scale rolling stock.

    Note: - This link will take you to an article on the FamilyGardenTrains.com web page.

Conclusion

We have more articles about specific projects planned, but we got so many questions from the first few things we posted, we thought establishing some context would be helpful. Consequently, this article is mostly background information for people who are just getting their feet wet, but if that describes you, I hope is helps steer you in a good direction. And maybe clears up some common misconceptions.

Watch this page: more articles are in the works.

As always, we want to hear your suggestions, criticisms, additions, etc. Enjoy your hobbies, and especially any time you can spend with your family in the coming months!

Paul

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Heartland-inspired music, history, and acoustic instrument tips.
Best-loved railroad songs and the stories behind them.
 Visit musings about music on our sister site, School of the Rock With a few tools and an hour or two of work, you can make your guitar, banjo, or mandolin much more responsive. Instruments with movable bridges can have better-than-new intonation as well. Acoustic-based, traditional, singer-songwriter, and folk music with a Western focus. Check out our article on finding good used guitars.
Carols of many countries, including music, lyrics, and the story behind the songs. X and Y-generation Christians take Contemporary Christian music, including worship, for granted, but the first generation of Contemporary Christian musicians faced strong, and often bitter resistance. Different kinds of music call for different kinds of banjos. Just trying to steer you in the right direction. New, used, or vintage - tips for whatever your needs and preferences. Wax recordings from the early 1900s, mostly collected by George Nelson. Download them all for a 'period' album. Explains the various kinds of acoustic guitar and what to look for in each.
Look to Riverboat Music buyers' guide for descriptions of musical instruments by people who play musical instruments. Learn 5-string banjo at your own speed, with many examples and user-friendly explanations. Explains the various kinds of banjos and what each is good for. Learn more about our newsletter for roots-based and acoustic music. Folks with Bb or Eb instruments can contribute to worship services, but the WAY they do depends on the way the worship leader approaches the music. A page devoted to some of Paul's own music endeavors.