Keith;
I would like to commend you on the quality and completeness of your SP
C-30 caboose plans. You have an excellent product there! I was very
impressed when I first received them, as the package was very professionally
presented in a three ring binder with section dividers.
For anyone considering building this caboose, this is what I found:
Upon opening the binder, I found 3/4 profile color photos of the front and
rear of a completed caboose. These photos were followed by a seven page
document entitled "Caboose Fabrication & Assembly Procedure" listing 65
steps describing the assembly process and order of operations. This is very
helpful as well as being a real time and material cost saver by taking much
of the guess work out of the process.
The next section contained a three page list of hardware and detail item
suppliers with all of their contact information as well as the paint
specifications.
The third and last section contained a Drawing List, indexing the
drawings by drawing number and description. All of the drawings (60 of them)
were found in numerical order behind this list, with the large sheets
correctly and professionally folded with the title bocks visible through
sheet protectors.
I have completed the frame weldment, floor, and milling the siding
material and as of yet, I have not found any drawing, dimension or
instruction discrepancies. FYI, I have selected furniture grade Beech as the
siding material as it is much denser (harder) than pine, fir, or birch, yet
has a very fine smooth grain unlike oak. This should help minimize the dings
and dents that are inevitable over time with use and handling.
So, again, Keith, thank you. Great job on those plans!
Frank Bauer
I
recently had a chance to view the drawings and construction packet for the
SP wooden caboose that has been developed by Keith Jackman, and was
impressed.! It covers every aspect of the car's construction with
individual drawings for each part, sources of the parts commercially if they
are available, and fabrication techniques if not, fasteners, siding and roof
materials, etc. The 'packaging' of the drawings was well done, put in a
one-inch thick notebook, dividers separating the major construction
components, clear plastic pouches which contained the larger, fold-out
drawings. Everything was there needed to construct a detailed,
board-by-board replica of the caboose. Since I'm in 2.5" scale narrow
gauge, I wish he would do one of these for a narrow gauge passenger car or
caboose.? Nicely done, Keith.
Dick Patton
