# Lionel #6-6122 Shorty Ore Car



## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

Tooter cranked out another shorty... 



















http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/Train/IMG_7866_zps4823a435.jpg[/omg]

[img]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b90/compost_bin/Train/IMG_7873_zps72f66b1e.jpg










Because it was made in 1984, the trucks are shiny black plastic. But if you sandblast them they look just like metal trucks. 

Greg


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I always thought the ore cars were short enough!


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

You're right, John. It was originally the same length as the shorty flat car. I got the idea from the little HO shorty... 



















Greg


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Those are "short", no doubt about it!


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Cool, it always makes me smile when I see you shorten up a car. I don't know why but I like it!


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

sjm9911 said:


> Cool, it always makes me smile when I see you shorten up a car. I don't know why but I like it!


They make me smile too... and that's why I make them.  
My favorites are railroad oddities like this. It makes you look twice. 










And I really like the old small narrow gauge industrial railroads.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Nice shorty Ore car, now you need a Clamshell bucket for the crane to go along with it.:smilie_daumenpos:


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

big ed said:


> Nice shorty Ore car, now you need a Clamshell bucket for the crane to go along with it.:smilie_daumenpos:


Great minds think alike, Ed... 
I've already been looking for a cheap one. The O gauge ones I've seen so far are all too large because they fit much larger cranes, so I might try this HO scale clamshell for $12.










It's a pewter kit, and says that it can also be used on an S or O gauge crane as a smaller capacity bucket.

Greg


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Where did you find that? For $12, I'd be tempted to try it on a crane.


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Where did you find that? For $12, I'd be tempted to try it on a crane.


Just ordered one this morning. 

It's at: *CrowRiverProducts.com* 

They take their orders over the phone: *401-723-0065*

Same day free shipping and no sales tax.

It's only about 1" x 1/2" x 1 3/4" which won't overload the little burro crane. Gotta take good care of the machinery. 

Greg


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Better yet, they make an O-scale version as well!

http://crowriverproducts.com/AA-O63_Clam_Shell_Bucket.htm

I ordered one of each, they're a fraction of the brass one I found on eBay. I couldn't take $60 for the brass model!


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Better yet, they make an O-scale version as well!
> 
> http://crowriverproducts.com/AA-O63_Clam_Shell_Bucket.htm
> 
> I ordered one of each, they're a fraction of the brass one I found on eBay. I couldn't take $60 for the brass model!



The price is definitely right. 
And the O scale bucket will look super on a big crane.

Greg


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'm going to see about putting it on my big MTH crane car with the long boom. Ought to look pretty cool there.


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

I'm starting on another shorty ore car. 
Gotta have at least two to make a little mining train. 



















I cut the pieces long with a hacksaw and true them to each other as I hand sand them down to size. By the time they're the proper length, the contact surface between them is as smooth and true as I can get it.

Greg


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Hacksaw! I would have thought power tools. Just think in 10 years, someone will read this and say 'what's a hacksaw'. Nice cuts!


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

Yeah, just a regular 12 inch long 32 tooth to the inch fine blade hacksaw. The handle keeps a lot of tension on the blade to keep it from wandering, and being a hand powered I have total control over the cutting speed, and can immediately stop the blade when it catches so as not to crack or chip the fragile plastic. I tried a fine track saw but it wandered too much because there is no lateral tension on the blade, so I went back to the good old "hack". 

It works surprisingly well. I leave the cuts about an eighth of an inch long, and then scoot the ends around on a piece of 240 grit emery cloth until they're just the right length and true for a nice close fit. Most of the time the seam is clean enough that I can retain the original finish...










The mini caboose had black underlying plastic and the seam wasn't good enough to leave it...










...so it got shot. I wanted red anyways... 










...and only got the green one that had already been repainted because it was a cheap common car that had no collector value. I couldn't bear to destroy anything that truly had value, and instead have fun turning something common into something collectable. 

Greg


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

...and now there are two.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It looks like the two cars will carry almost as much as one ore car before the mods.


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## stevetil (Sep 6, 2011)

Yeah John, but it makes a longer train!


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

It's sure going to look long... I've got a bunch of O16 track coming soon. 


Greg


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

I can't wait to see it on the smaller track. I actually see why you use hand tools. I tryed power tools yesterday and it melted the plastic. Not good!


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