GGD Powhatan Arrow cars

[NW Modeling List]

/On 3/29/2016 1:35 PM, NW Modeling List Harold Davenport wrote:
/
> /The car was difficult to dis assemble. One of the main reasons for 
> the difficulty was that the interiors did not come lose during 
> shipping. They were never installed properly. It looked like the 
> interiors were just rammed in the cars and not attached to the 
> underframe. The design provided for three screws , one on each end and 
> one in the center of the underframe to hold the interior platform  in 
> place. We found only one screw in place on the far end which lead to 
> the bulging of the interior platform when it was rammed in the car. 
> Also the coaches do not have a defined vestibule on the interior 
> layout. Each end has the door to the next car in the end casting. This 
> can be changed in the re-painting but it makes the cars appear rather 
> "tin plate" and not a scale model.  Overall there was no quality 
> control exerted over the design or assembly of these rather expensive 
> cars./

Harold,
     That is odd. I just got finished putting one of my cars back 
together and found things to be mostly opposite from what you wrote. I 
am sorry now that I didn't take some pictures that would dispute your 
claims. I will agree that quality control was lacking as we shall see, 
but, only on the interior. I don't know for sure, but, I would think 
that with all of the trouble Scott Mann was having with this particular 
builder, that may explain the interior problems.
     The reason that I took my car apart is because part of the interior 
floor had buckled to where some seats/people were sitting much higher 
than they should have been. This same thing is apparent on several cars 
of my set and the only thing that shows where design and quality control 
were lacking.
     I started with one of the P3 coaches. It was not very difficult to 
disassemble. It should be even less so now that I know how it is done. 
There were eight screws (four per side) on the side and each end had two 
screws holding the end secure. Once the end screws were removed, the 
ends will pop off with a little pressure. The cinder guards are a part 
of the end piece and the car body fits neatly into a curved channel that 
this piece makes.
     Once the ends are off, the entire frame slides out from the car 
body. Note that on one end the overhead lights have an electrical plug 
that needs to be undone. The lighting is mounted on its own channel and 
can be taken out at will once unplugged. Since the frame fits in very 
snuggly, I would suggest taking out the screws holding the truck 
mounting bolster in order for the trucks to be able to raise up enough 
to clear the skirting at the end of the car.
     Once apart, I found the interior was very secure. NOT JAMMED IN AT 
ALL. There are three cross-braces, one near each end and one close to 
the center of the car. These braces are held in place by one screw 
inserted from the bottom of the frame. The flooring was then secured to 
the braces by two screws each and one screw on either side of the brace. 
This happened to be the root of the problem causing the floor to buckle.
     What appears to have happened is this:
The floor piece may have been cut a fraction too long. The mounting 
holes were drilled, probably a set distance from the ends, but since 
there was a bit too much distance between the ends, when secured, it 
caused the floor to bow up slightly. This was apparent on only one end 
of my car.
     I took each end of the flooring loose, leaving the center secured. 
Working on the end of the car that had not buckled, I then took double 
sided foam tape and laid it on either side of the frame. Laid the floor 
back down and pressed it to the tape. Then I secured that end of the floor.
     On the end that was buckled, I found that the cross brace end were 
swept back a wee bit kind of like a swept back wing of an aircraft. I 
turned this brace 180 degrees to get the sweep headed forward and tested 
to see if the holes lined up better. They did, so, again i took the 
double sided tape and ran a strip down either side of the frame. Pressed 
the floor to it and re-secured the end with the screws. Now everything 
was fairly level inside, so, I put the car back together. Total time for 
this project was probably less than  an hour and a half. I went slow 
feeling things out as I went in order not to break anything.
     The coaches do have a defined vestibule. I don't know where Harold 
got that idea. You can see right through the end of the car. I don't 
know where Harold came up with that "Tin-plate" moniker either. They are 
very nice looking cars.
     Could things be done better? YES! BUT, you can say that for every 
model that has ever been made!!! This manufacturer will not be making 
anything for Golden Gate Depot again, so, I have no reason not to buy 
from them again.
     From everything that I saw in dealing with my own Arrow car today, 
I think Harold's review is way off base.

Sincerely yours,
Jimmy Lisle
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