CONX 8

[Keith Hayes]

Dr. Stears' post leads me to ask, did John Maxwell prepare a similar drawing of CONX 8?

As there are something like 20 brass models out there in circulation, I am losing hope that one of them will ever find its way to Leadville. For a while I have been contemplating kitbashing CONX 8 from a PBL UTLX frame tank car kit. This will require modification of the frame, and have the benefit of resulting in a smooth running model that does not weigh as much as an entire train.

But...the question is does the tank and dome on CONX 8 generally match that of the UTLX tank and dome? I can probably forgive an inch or two.

First, I probably should build a couple of my UTLX models. A diversion from my normal C&S work.

[tonyk375]

Hey Keith.  I know I have a drawing or CONX 8 but am working in AZ and will send it to you Wednesday night.  As I remember they are pretty similar.

[tonyk375]

Here you go,

[Keith Hayes]

Thank you, Tony!

[tonyk375]

Sure thing Keith.

[Keith Hayes]

If the measurements on the drawing are to be trusted, the UTLX tank and frame are longer, but narrower. The UTLX model would be a good start, and I suppose I could build the tank and take 12"-18" out of the middle. Also, it would probably be easier to start with some styrene channel for the frame sides, drill out all those holes, and then use the shortened PBL frame in the middle. Now that I have written it all out, it sounds like a lot of work.

But less than what is required to put a BLW stock car on a diet.

[tonyk375]

Just compare.  A PSC CONX 8 and a WSM UTLX framed car in HOn3

[El Gringo Grande]

Harry Brunk described doing exactly this conversion in the 2010 HOn3 Annual. You can still get a copy from White River, and Harry's CONX 8 drawing along with the UTLX car appears in Slim Gauge Cars Second Edition.

Chris Lane

[Keith Hayes]

Sometimes you send a message out to the Universe, and the Universe responds!

Our new scholar, Mr. Pat Student contacted me and asked if I would like to buy his model of CONX 8. We set a price and I took delivery at the Symposium in Dallas.

Thanks Pat!

The Conoco folks in Denver are now pleased that 1-2 cars will be included in each train to advertise their products.

[Bill Uffelman]

I had an On3 CONX 5 on the shelf in my office at Dupont when we bought Conoco. Our rail safety guys couldn't believe that they moved product in such a primitive car.

Thanks for sharing a photo of your fleet.

Bill Uffelman

 

On Saturday, April 7, 2018, 4:30:14 PM EDT, Keith Hayes [via C&Sng Discussion Forum] <[hidden email]> wrote:

Sometimes you send a message out to the Universe, and the Universe responds!

Our new scholar, Mr. Pat Student contacted me and asked if I would like to buy his model of CONX 8. We set a price and I took delivery at the Symposium in Dallas.

Thanks Pat!

The Conoco folks in Denver are now pleased that 1-2 cars will be included in each train to advertise their products.

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NAML

[Mike Trent]

Hmmm. Good one, Keith! Allow me to 'splain (Texas lingo) since I had a hand in bringing that up. At least thanks to this group, we can lay the "advertising" thing off the board, sort of....

As you may recall, I posted in earlier days that Dick Kindig told Neal Miller that all the Conoco cars leaving Denver on the Mainline West were empty, which he thought was caused by the company paying the C&S to "advertise" their company. In reality, we learned that these cars were loaded Eastbound from Leadville, and supplied fuel oil in storage tanks along the line to Denver, where some may have been dispatched as needed up the Clear Creek Branch. The fuel oil was used instead of coal in mills along the line. So, odd as it may seem, they left empty back to Leadville where they could be refilled. And "advertised" along the way.

[Keith Hayes]

So...where were they loaded in Leadville? And this was fuel oil, not gasoline?

[Bill Uffelman]

Solid resin tank body so loaded with nothing!

Bill Uffelman

On Saturday, April 7, 2018, 8:46:58 PM EDT, Keith Hayes [via C&Sng Discussion Forum] <[hidden email]> wrote:

So...where were they loaded in Leadville? And this was fuel oil, not gasoline?

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[Keith Hayes]

Jim told me that Jimmy Booth told him that 4'-8" arch bar (short refer) trucks are correct for the CONX cars. As the PBL trucks roll well, I replaced the brass trucks on CONX 10 with good results.

Here is how I did it on CONX 8. First I remove and package the factory trucks and screws for the next owner. There was some very mild wear on this car, so I touched up the paint with black and painted the couplers a rust color.



I also assembled the trucks and inserted pre cleaned and painted wheelsets. I do these in batches. (typically I do couplers this way too).

Then I turned down some styrene rod in my drill to insert in the brass holes. I mixed some epoxy and inserted the rod.



After the epoxy sets, I will slice off tthe rod flush with the bolster and install the trucks. An easy afternoon project!

And Mike--I forgot to ask which towns was oil delivered to and where? So many questions!!!

[Mike Trent]

Keith, We'll have to go back and look it up. What I remember was that CONX had a refinery or storage tanks up in the Leadville area. There was a lot of discussion. Chris Walker found evidence that there were storage tanks in Breckenridge. This may have been one of those meandering threads that sprouted a life of its own.

Working out of town this weekend and don't have time to look anything up. Enjoy your trip!

[Mike Trent]

I searched Tank cars in Leadville and got This

http://c-sng-discussion-forum.41377.n7.nabble.com/Tank-Car-Destinations-td35.html

Looks like a lot of stuff that I remember but I don't have any time to read it now.

[Chris Walker]

Mike,

the thread you are looking for was this http://c-sng-discussion-forum.41377.n7.nabble.com/Any-oil-depots-on-the-High-Line-Denver-Leadville-tp3667.html

The Breckenridge Tank was probably a misleading diversion.  

I have never seen any Refinery at Leadville nor mention of one, Alamosa and Florence are the two narrow gauge areas that had those.

Morrison had a Tank "farm" as well, see: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.41377.n7.nabble.com/Morrison-Branch-CONOCO-Dealer-tp3549.html

The Neal Miller story related elsewhere that related the distribution by Truck most likely would have been true but only after the demise of the C&S in Platte Canon since the Baileys Tanks were way more storage capacity than could have been supplied by 1920's trucks, definitely retailed from there though.
See: http://c-sng-discussion-forum.41377.n7.nabble.com/C-S-video-footage-tp5053p5055.html  and an example at Golden, see:http://c-sng-discussion-forum.41377.n7.nabble.com/C-S-7111-tp806p908.html

There are a couple of other threads that dealt with this subject but I'm out of time here to go search.

[Mike Trent]

Thanks, Chris. My error on the word refinery. What I apparently remembered was the discussion of the D&RGW switching tanks to the C&S in Leadville.