jibber
I thought an 8 Rad was weird, Wayne you've done a nice job there, its so easy breaking those tie rods.
The second truck will go faster. I still haven't decided if i am going to paint before putting the top on so i can get into all the nooks. I am priming the 12 axles and the separate journal boxes. the journal boxes will be dark yellow while the wheels and axles will be German dark brown, which looks like a good old rust, maybe mixed with some gray. The reason for this is:
The journal boxes have a prong at the top which slide into a groove on the horizontal springs. After everything is painted i can attach the journal boxes to the wheels (without having to mask and paint). This way i can insure the springs are correct without gluing the wheels onto them. NOTE The journal boxes, as i was informed of when building the gondola, are those boxes at the end of the axles and are constantly lubed and therefore, always leaking and oily/greasy. that will stand out nicely against the dark yellow.
Terry -You should take a look at a Revell modern Bundeswehr FUCHS 6x6, especially in 1/72. the front 4 wheels turn so not only do you have tie rods for each axle but both axles have to be connected too.
Ray - Thank you very much. I was able to find a kabob skewer 4mm in diameter and cut 6 of them then picked the best 2. some sanding and primer and you can barely tell they are wood. given where they are going my fix will be fine. i did break a handle and an undercarriage air tank brace but both were also easy to fix.
Mike, SprueOne - It's a shame no one will see it but I am used to that with my warwheels build. I do have a cool pick of a French locomotive rolled over on its side and may do a i/72 diorama of that.
Karl - Thanks. The 2 long side pieces that go through the indie to the outside were tricky, Clamps were used gingerly because they would cause warpage if too tight but not set properly if too loose. I will have the same issue when i put the top on the bottom. Well if I was worried about needing patience I wouldn't have started.