History: In 1958
Cary Locomotive Works produced its first Steam Locomotive Conversion Body,
expanding the line to Diesel body units, Diesel detail parts, and a large
line of lost wax brass detail parts. All Cary Conversion Bodies are zinc
die castings. These are accurate models with smooth nose contours and
shapes, as well as deep sharp detail. All our bodies are designed to fit
commercially available drivers of other manufacturers in HO scale, such
as Athearn, Hobbytown, and Proto-Power West, etc. The basic body in all
our conversion kits is a one piece casting, with some parts, such as,
roof ventilators, shutters, steps, air horns, etc., cast separately where
such parts could not be accurately cast as part of the body.
Drilling: Always use a lubricant,
cutting oil is best, but any oil will do. Dip the tip in oil, just enough
to moisten the end. When drilling, back the drill out of the hole frequently
to clear the chips, re-oil the drill bit often.
Tapping: When tapping holes or
using self tapping screws in our castings, use a lubricant to dip the
end of the tap or screw in, again cutting oil is best, but any oil will
do. For every full turn that the screw is driven in, back it off 1/2 turn
to clear the chips. Keep doing this until the desired depth is reached.
Parts Attachment: We recommend
using one of the many brands of ACC cement (super glue), Goo, Ambroid,
or epoxy for attaching the detail parts. Always make sure the parts fit
into the desired mounting hole or location before applying cement. Make
sure both surfaces to be glued are clean, and free from oil and finger
prints, sanding with fine sand paper prepares the surfaces nicely. Epoxy
cements also work very well, but have longer setting times.
Preparation for Painting: Wash
the body in warm water and dishwashing detergent to remove all grease
and oil, scrubbing with a soft brush. Submerging the body in straight
vinegar (DO NOT USE FOR COOKING OR EATING AFTER USING) for several hours
will etch the metal ever so slightly to ensure the paint will adhere.
After the vinegar bath rinse the body thoroughly in water.
