John Maxwell drawings/plans

[Robert Stears]

Does anybody know if the John Maxwell plans are available for sale?

Specifically, I an looking for dimensional information on the "tall dome" type of narrow gauge CONOCO tank cars (Tank cars #35 and #36). I have the old NG&SLG article but not a lot of info there about this type of CONOCO tank car.

Thanks,
Bob Stears

[Rick Steele]

Hi Bob,

Since John, and then Wally and then Bruce Maxwell have all died, there has been no mention of any of the Maxwell drawings being available from anyone.

I don't know what happened to them or if any of the remaining members of the family still have them or not.

I checked all of my copies and I don't have a Conoco Tank Car drawing.

My recommendation would be to contact Dave Grandt at Grandt Line. He is a fan of tank cars and he would probably be a good source.

Rick

[Mike Trent]

Right, Rick. Dave would be a great source.

Bob, you might try searching the archives at ngdiscussion.net

There is quite a bit of information there. You might also post your question there. I sure hope they are available somewhere.

[Robert Stears]

Thanks!

RS

 

 

From: Mike Trent [via C&Sng Discussion Forum] [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2018 12:32 PM
To: Robert Stears <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: John Maxwell drawings/plans

 

Right, Rick. Dave would be a great source.

Bob, you might try searching the archives at ngdiscussion.net

There is quite a bit of information there. You might also post your question there. I sure hope they are available somewhere.

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NAML

[Ken Martin]

Bob,

I have Maxwell drawings for CONX 1, 5, & 8. Checking my 40 year old list of Maxwell drawings the only other CONX drawing he did was CONX 10 & 11. Nothing on 35 or 36

Ken Martin

[Robert Stears]

Thanks Ken.

 

 

From: Ken Martin [via C&Sng Discussion Forum] [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2018 12:42 PM
To: Robert Stears <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: John Maxwell drawings/plans

 

Bob,

I have Maxwell drawings for CONX 1, 5, & 8. Checking my 40 year old list of Maxwell drawings the only other CONX drawing he did was CONX 10 & 11. Nothing on 35 or 36

Ken Martin

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[John McCutcheon]

Maxwell plans may very well be available from the CRRM, I have bought Maxwell plans through the CRRM. I will also check my files to see if I have a copy of the plans

[tonyk375]

He did this drawing and a drawing for the 43 and 44 also.

[Robert Stears]

Fantastic. Thanks very much.

[tonyk375]

Sure thing.

[Robert Stears]

This really helps.

I have been vexed by the height of the dome on these “tall dome” CONCO tank cars.

I have been analyzing the various photos of. CONOCO # 35 and 36 and the dome “wrapper” seems taller than the 28” shown in Maxwell’s plan. The geometry and perspective analysis makes the dome wrapper just under 36” in height.

Trivia, I know. I am working on a set of drawings for the NG&SL Gazette showing #36 in it’s late 1920’s script lettering and in the 1941 CONOCO livery and want to be as close as reasonably possible.

Just to make things interesting, there were apparently three different script styles used on the various CONOCO tanks cars in the 1920’s. Check out the Dorman photos on the Friends of the C&TS web site.

It serves me right for opening this can of worms.

Thanks again everybody,

Bob

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 28, 2018, at 10:50 PM, tonyk375 [via C&Sng Discussion Forum] <[hidden email]> wrote:

Sure thing.

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[Jim Courtney]

Bob,

I don't believe that Maxwell's plans are correct for the lower numbered class of big CONOCO tank cars.

The first batch of big CONOCO tank cars (21-38) had the elevated walk way above the wide frame, but had domes that were tall and skinny.

FWIW, my Sn3 CONX 27, produced by PBL, has a dome wrapper that is 47" in diameter and 36" tall. It looks "right" (to me) compared to photos of the tall domed cars in Grandt's pictorial.

Jim

[Mike Trent]

Most builders who have used them know that Maxwell drawings have to be taken with at least one, and sometimes many more-thousands even, grains of salt. Some of his stuff is drawn from folio sheets, and those can also be notoriously wrong, as you must know. On some his drawings the two side elevations don't match. Stuff like that is not uncommon.

I built a Durango Sand House several years ago, and found that the best information I was able to use from his drawings was actually his footprint field measurements. Unfortunately his roof profile looked like something from Dr Seuss (I'm not kidding!) So, using Blazek's drawings with Maxwell's field measurements my project turned out well. Be careful with Blazek's drawings, because he doesn't usually actually measure things.

Scratchbuilding can be a real headache, but if you gather up everything you can find, and study everything, you can usually find a way to get it done by choosing what you think is best from whatever you can find. So don't ignore Maxwell as a source, just be aware that there could be some , uh, surprises in the weeds.  

[Al Pomeroy]

I find the best thing to do is use both the Maxwell and Blazek drawings, and create a physical new drawing, which I often do in 3d, combined by reviewing the available photos. this creates the best balance. if the real thing is available to measure that is an additional bonus.

Al P.

[El Gringo Grande]

Maxwell freely admitted he was terrible draftsman, so his drawings don't always make sense. I have found however, that the vast majority of the time he calls out a measurement, it is accurate, usually because he put a tape on it. Drawings I've done based on his measurements and photos, usually turn out well.

Chris Lane