Description
For Sale: All Nation Line Digital Twin Whopper Hopper Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) 3D Printed Mock-Up Prototype For Brass Scratch Build PN#1929AN
In the Main Line Blog we discussed that All Nation Line is introducing a new concept of 3D printed mock-up cars to develop higher standards for scratch building in brass. This prototype concept has never before been offered to the 2 Rail O Scale hobby.
We now have available the mockup car parts/kit for 2 Rail O Scale brass scratch model builders. The mockup car parts/kit comes with all the major superstructure patterns, templates and stencils to assist in building a unique freight car from scratch. While the emphasis here is on brass, other materials could be used instead such as cards stock, wood or even styrene. My personal preference is brass for ease of soldering, strength, durability and value.
In modern day railroading, manufacturing of equipment and even the railroad right of ways are modeled at the prototype level as digital twins. For example, automated train operations can be simulated and tested before rolling out product or getting into the manufacturing process itself. So why not a digital twin for model railroading? We often see graphic renderings as a representation of a finished ready to run model products. However, that does not get the person to a level where one is looking to get the most out of the hobby by building one of kind models that have a long lasting life and high value when completed.
Scratch building models do not come with a set of plans or assembly instructions. Included with the many parts in this kit are 2D drawings taken directly from the digital twin as modeled in the 3D space of the CAD software. Digital Twins are data intensive objects hence, the scaling, dimensions and angles are defined in the twin and documented in the drawings. For the person that wants to get a quick start and introduction into scratch building, we have save them the time to research and scale from the prototype.
With this investment, the mockup car can be developed ahead of the actual assembly of the brass or in parallel. Since there is no definitive procedures to go about building from scratch, the mockup assembly allows the modeler to pre-think such things as work holding or jigs, order of assembly operations, and even the inadvertent mistakes that can be avoided when making the brass model components. An example of a simple avoidable error would be to cut the hopper bay openings in the car floor or roof hatch openings before soldering partitions or forming the roll of the roof, respectively. Or, instead of the shorter 50 degree sheet steel diagonal car end template, the modeler may prefer to make it longer so it extends through the floor all the way down to the bottom edge of the hopper bay itself. Thus, the mockup makes visible many build options when it comes to the superstructure. The perfect superstructure is the foundation for extreme detailing of the model later on. We often see brass parts on resin models. In this case the opposite maybe optimal by using resin detail parts on the brass superstructure.
It should be noted along with the unique features of this hopper car were the trucks. Manufactured by American Steel Foundries (ASF), the 3 axle trucks were a necessity for the capacity of this car. Our ASF trucks for this car now available as a separate kit available from All Nation (American Steel Foundries Basic Freight Trucks 6-Wheels KIT (1 Pair) PN#509ANK). Additional detail parts (e.g. couplers, roofwalks, etc.) are not included in this purchase; however, a detail kit is now available soon under separate cover: Whopper Hopper Comprehensive Detail Kit PN#515AN The detail kit description will describe the important replacement parts should the modeler want to build the model using many of these mock-up kit parts.
The 360 Digital Twin Viewer – Atlantic Coast Line Whopper Hopper No. 500000 CLASS L-12
[woo3dviewer product_id=”13277″ compatibility_mode=”true”]
We thank Leon Butler for sharing his stellar work in the finished photos you see! Thanks, Leon!
Watch this video to learn more about this new and unique product.
Please watch the following video to see how to use the jig to make the ACL steps.
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Part # |
Part Name/Photo
(note: Some photos still have 3D support build on part to be removed by the modeler) |
| 36 | Bolster Platform Framing (2) PN#36
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| 37 | Platform Main Channel Center Sill (1) PN#37
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| 42 | Hopper Bay Underbody (1) PN#42
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| 44 | Roof, (2 different pieces for one roof) PN#44
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| 47 | Hopper Bay Door Slide (8) PN#47
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| 100 | Partitions (3) PN#100
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| 103 | Floor (1 Pair) PN#103
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| 104 | Vertical End (2) PN#104
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| 105 | Diagonal End 50 Angle (2) PN#105
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| 106 | Car End Buttress (2) PN#106
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| 107 | Car End Buttress With T Brace (2 buttresses with 4T braces; 2 attached & 2 unattached) PN#107
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| 108 | Floor, Interface Abutment (4) PN#108
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| 109 | Rivet Panels (4) PN#109
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| 110 | T brace Short/Long (4 short & 4 long) PN#110
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| 111 | Corner Post Support Angle, 90° Angle (8) PN#111
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| 113 | Platform Grate Abutment Cut Out (2) PN#113
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| 114 | Hopper Bay Cross Mounts (6) PN#114
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| 115 | Upper Vertical End (2) PN#115
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| 116 | Rib Roof Template (4) PN#116
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| 120 | Water Tank (1) PN#120
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| 121 | Water Tank, Hardware Platform (1) PN#121
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| 215 | Car Side Rib Layout Template (2) PN#215
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| 216 | Floor with Hoppers & Openings (2) PN#216
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| 217 | Floor With Hopper Openings (2) PN#217
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| 218 | Hopper Bay Template (2) one L, one R PN#218
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| 107T | T Brace For Car End Buttress (4) PN#107T
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| 13(Left)/#15(Right) | Rib Stencil (1 Pair: 1 Left & 1 Right) PN#13(Left)/#15(Right) |
| 17(Right Side)/#18(Left Side) | Car sides with Lift Rings(2 pairs, 4 in total) PN#17(Right Side)/#18(Left Side)Printed on sides: Lift Rings PN#34 Corner Rib Channel PN#11 Left, #12 Right Channel Rivet Set PN#22 = 12 Left Channel Rivet Set PN#23 = 11 Left Channel Rivet Set PN#24 = 11 Right Channel Rivet Set PN#25 = 12 Right  |
| 46Long/46Short | Hatch Covers (2 Long, 2 Short) PN#46Long, 46Short
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| ACL 500000 Steps Template |
Steps Template |
All rights are reserved for model photographs, drawings, CAD, renderings, files, printed parts, blueprints, etc. are copyright, property of The All-Nation Line and may not be used for commercial reproduction by 3rd parties without specific license agreements.
Finished photos are for reference only. Parts are sold as is straight off the Prusa Printer build plate and some build clean up on the parts may be required. Parts may be printed (in ABS or PLA) and shipped in various colors unless otherwise specified by the customer. PLA is not dishwasher safe and may deform in a hot automobile in the summer time as it has a relatively low glass-transition temperature between 50 and 80 °C and a melting temperature between 170 and 180 °C.
