# The Fort Knox Express Coming Together



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, I finally painted the last car for my Fort Knox Express train, so now I'm ready to get the decals on it. It went out for a test run, all is well except the gold transport car has a coupler that randomly opens, and they're the "good" Lionel diecast trucks! However, they still used the cheap plastic latches, you just can't win. 










Here's the newly painted caboose.










Here's the caboose in the dark, it really does have lights.


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

Looks pretty cool.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

John,

The golden train looks fabulous. Nice creativity. I really like the contrast between the gold caboose shell and the black handrailsand end catwalks.

That said, are you sure you wouldn't consider the shell of the transport car in a flat or satin black?

Just out of curiosity, is the interior of the transport car lit on that model?

Nice work,

TJ


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## stevetil (Sep 6, 2011)

*Couplers randomly uncoupling*



gunrunnerjohn said:


> ... all is well except the gold transport car has a coupler that randomly opens...


Well of course! All that gold in there must weigh at least a ton.
What would you expect?  Of course, I want one too!

Or, maybe you have some strong stray magnetic fields around your track.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You know, the gold car isn't lit, but that's a great idea!  Wouldn't that gold look cool shining under the glow of half a dozen LED's? :laugh:

I want to get the decals on it next and see how it looks, but I may take a run at lighting the mint car.  After I get the decals and lighting right, I'll see if I want to paint the other car.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Looking nice John.:thumbsup:

Which way are you going to run the caboose? Like that?

You could install some red LED lanterns on which ever you make the rear.

The blue I like, my favorite color, :thumbsup:, but somehow it doesn't look right on your Gold Express.

A tanker next?
Liquid gold.:thumbsup:


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## stevetil (Sep 6, 2011)

big ed said:


> Looking nice John.:thumbsup:
> Which way are you going to run the caboose? Like that?


It's a big old Cab-forward.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It doesn't matter which way it runs, it has couplers on both ends.  I just stuck it on the tracks. I think it's backwards, but then the stack is in front of the cab, seems like a dumb organization to me. 

I'm thinking of the lanterns, but I'll have to find some little lanterns that I could stick LED's into.

I have a tanker that I painted yellow, I could change that to gold without too much trouble.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> It doesn't matter which way it runs, it has couplers on both ends.  I just stuck it on the tracks. I think it's backwards, but then the stack is in front of the cab, seems like a dumb organization to me.
> 
> I'm thinking of the lanterns, but I'll have to find some little lanterns that I could stick LED's into.
> 
> I have a tanker that I painted yellow, I could change that to gold without too much trouble.


There is no correct way to run it. Most of the time it was what the crew wanted.
One thing that the cupola was for, was so the crew could watch the train for trouble. Load shift,etc.

It came the standard on cabooses because of a freight conductor named TB Watson.
A little history,
He wrote in 1898
During the '60s I was a conductor on the C&NW. One day late in the summer of 1863 I received orders to give my caboose to the conductor of a construction train and take an empty boxcar to use as a caboose. This car happened to have a hole in the roof about two feet square. I stacked the lamp and tool boxes under the perforation end and sat with my head and shoulders above the roof ... (Later) I suggested putting a box around the hole with glass in, so I could have a pilot house to sit in and watch the train.


The position of the cupola varied. In most eastern railroad cabooses the cupola was in the center of the car, but most western railroads preferred to put it toward the end of the car. Some conductors preferred to have the cupola toward the front, others liked it toward the rear of the train, and some just didn't care. ATSF conductors could refuse to be assigned to a train if they didn't have their caboose turned to face the way they preferred. However this would be a rare union agreement clause that could be used but not a regular issue.

So what ever way you run it John is right.
Install lanterns at both ends with a switch to turn each side off separate.

One thing that doesn't look right is, if that what the cupola is for they wouldn't be able to see over the blue gold car to watch the train, as it sits too low.


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

big ed said:


> There is no correct way to run it. Most of the time it was what the crew wanted.


Somehow I don't see the railroads putting a caboose on a turntable or running it around a wye to get it facing one direction or another. I think it was based on whichever way it was facing when the train hooked up to it, but i could be wrong.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I don't know about lights on both ends, it's easy enough for me to pick it up and turn it around, don't need no _stinkin'_ turntable here. 

Any idea where to find some small lights that I could mount? Black would be the preferred color...


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

I think tall cars were a common problem. However, most of the time, the train is going around some sort of curve which would let the conductor see the train well enough. This would imply that the cupola should be at the rear of the caboose.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I always though they went to the rear, but I was looking at the smoke stack and thought maybe they wouldn't want smoke in their eyes.


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> but I was looking at the smoke stack and thought maybe they wouldn't want smoke in their eyes.


I think on the real deal, the smoke stacks were/are higher than the cupola so that wouldn't be a problem. And the front/rear windows don't open (that I know of), only the side ones.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, I'll orient it in the most visually pleasing manner to me, I just have to find the lanterns to hang on the side.


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I don't know about lights on both ends, it's easy enough for me to pick it up and turn it around, don't need no _stinkin'_ turntable here.
> Black would be the preferred color...


If you had "black lights" how would you know if they were on???
Haha...sorry for my sarcasm....it's a birth defect. 
-Art


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## Badwolf & Arizona RR (Jun 17, 2011)

That's a nice looking train, John.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> You know, the gold car isn't lit, but that's a great idea!  Wouldn't that gold look cool shining under the glow of half a dozen LED's? :laugh:


You da' man, John ... go to town! :thumbsup:


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

I think it looks terrific! I live within an hour's drive or so of Fort Knox, so that headline really caught my eye. Nice job!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Artieiii said:


> If you had "black lights" how would you know if they were on???
> Haha...sorry for my sarcasm....it's a birth defect.
> -Art


I have special glasses.


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

To see past the sarcasm?:laugh:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Thanks for the kind words. I'm going to see about the decals now, this is new ground for me. The only decals I've ever done are old model planes, and that was many years ago! I have paper for my laser and inkjet printers, so I just have to come up with the decal layout. I'm trying to think of something whimsical to put on the caboose. I'm figuring that the tender will have *Fort Knox Express* on the sides, and the locomotive will have it's number. I'm also looking around at other stuff that I might want to put decals on, might as well fill the sheet when I'm doing them.


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

I think it needs a slogan of some sort, like many railroads have. For example, L&N was "The Old Reliable" because of their reputation for being on time. How about:

_*Ingot We trust
*_


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Hmm... Might be a bit too corny.


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## Zeke (Feb 22, 2011)

Very nice job, John! That's quite an eye-catching consist.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Thanks, hopefully the decals will "finish" it off.


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

Gunrunner,
I really like the constrast between the black and the gold. Not a fan of the blue though . Love the lights in the caboose!!!
-Art


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I need to get the decals on and I'm also going to look to light up the bullion load, that will look cool.  The jury's still out on the blue car, though I like the contrast. Black would be better, but it's blue...


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

A black tank car with gold spills around the top and sides would look sweet!


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

NIMT said:


> A black tank car with gold spills around the top and sides would look sweet!


I agree Sean, gold "bullion" tank car LOL
-Art


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I like the idea of the tank car, and I have a candidate that I could paint for the job.  I have some gold flakes, maybe I could sprinkle them on the last coat of black?


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I like the idea of the tank car, and I have a candidate that I could paint for the job.  I have some gold flakes, maybe I could sprinkle them on the last coat of black?


I think I would paint the tank black then using a brush paint some gold freehand with drips/spill down from the tank's filling spout. Just my .02.
-Art


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

I assume your gold bars are tungsten plated with gold like the ones in Ft. Knox?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

servoguy said:


> I assume your gold bars are tungsten plated with gold like the ones in Ft. Knox?


But of course!  Actually, they're plastic, but I'm not tellin' 

I'll think on the tank car, haven't done anything for it yet.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I found these but look at the price.


















http://www.valleymodeltrains.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=&products_id=5455


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

They are a little expensive. The production rate is probably very low.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Yikes! I'm thinking about something for a few dollars maximum!


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

I think I have a caboose (either Lionel or MTH) that has some red plastic marker lights. These might be cheap. What does Jeff (Train tender) say?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I haven't checked, but that's on my list of things to do. I have a Lionel with markers, maybe I'll see if I can find a parts list for that one.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

servoguy said:


> I assume your gold bars are tungsten plated with gold like the ones in Ft. Knox?


Huh? 

Is that for real???


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

http://gold-quote.net/en/articles/fake-tungsten-gold-bars.php

Put "tungsten gold" into Google and look around. 

If it could be true, it probably is true. Bankers and govt officials have been known to lie from time to time. hwell:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I doubt it.

http://www.utterzebu.com/blog/2010/...he-bank-of-england-just-gold-plated-tungsten/


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

This is one of those things where you and I can not determine the truth. It is like the Kennedy assassination and UFOs, etc.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Gold or tungsten ...

Either way, it doesn't really matter ...

Uncles Sam is still $15 Trill in debt!


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## servoguy (Jul 10, 2010)

Yup, and I wonder how long it is before the US ends up like Europe?

The German's couldn't sell all of their bonds today. I think the govt leaders in Europe thought they could keep kicking the can down the road. The bond buyers got in the way today and said (with their pocketbooks), "we're not sure about these European bonds anymore."

The Euro is dead. I read something by a guy that lived through the 1923 hyperinflation in Germany. He said that when it happened, it happened so fast that a person could not react.

My comment is that when the stuff hits the fan, the distribution is not uniform.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I don't think I should have named my train the *Fort Knox Express*, look what happened here.


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

The movie "Goldfinger" was just on. I think gunrunnerjohn must be "the man with the Midas touch."


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

You should paint the mint car black with a gold roof in a similar way to this one listed in the for sale section of the OGR forum (which I guess isn't really black).


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

santafe158 said:


> You should paint the mint car black with a gold roof in a similar way to this one listed in the for sale section of the OGR forum (which I guess isn't really black).


I like how that looks gunrunner.:thumbsup::thumbsup: Plus you can use more of your decal sheet for decorating that. If the gold bars are really made of tungsten you should have no trouble lighting them up LOL.
-Art


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I just sent him an email to buy this shell. I'll tinker with that one and leave mine stock for now.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Hey John,

I hope that works out for you. Art is right ... that charcoal-and-gold colored shell will look GREAT on the Knox train. A perfect color theme.

Keep us posted,

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, nobody else spoke for it, and I posted and emailed, but I haven't heard anything yet.


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