I started yet another project. This time a 15500 series Blue 50' boxcar was modeled, this one a bit special, a 10' plug door that was used, of course I could not find one so, to the styrene pile I went to make a couple, tuned out not to be as bad as I thought it would be. Started with an Accurail 50' undec car. Referencing, Nick Molo's book "Frisco In Color" pg 69. The Prototype; Was made by either stretching 1, 40 ft car, or combining 2, 40 footers. These cars were re-manufactured by Chicago Freight Car, (CFC) for initial assigned service, to General Mills in Memphis Tennessee. Perhaps some of us ate a few Corn Flakes or the like, that were shipped in this car. When I see these cars whether they be Boxcars, Flatcars or whatever, I wonder how many miles it has traveled, and if it could talk, what kind of a story would it tell. The Model; The first shot should show the jig made, to make the door latching hardware. used brass .019 wire and soldiered it together. The second should show the method used to make the hinges used .040 X .010 plastic shims, with thin cut slices paper, bent around the wire using ACC cement to bond that together. The third shot should show the plug door, with hinges, rivets and the .010 clear styrene gussets on either side of the door as well as the .156 channel iron under the sill the length of the car for strengthening. The fourth shot hopefully shows the car painted with Model Masters, True Blue Glossy paint. Sporting some classy shop trucks. The fifth shot should show decaled with Microscale, and a few of my own and thin washes of Poly Scale paint airbrushed on, finished it with some chalks and a coat of Scalecoat Dullcoat. The sixth shot is just the other side of the same car. It is riding on MDC Convertible trucks, so it's OK for interchange service Used A-line stirrup steps and Details West (DW) brake rigging and a some brass wire for the piping. DW cut bars and various other details were added to make a meager attempt, at modelling this type of car. I am sure corrections could be made, and a few rivets might be missing or misplaced Tom Holley
Nice jig job, nice scratchbuilding and nice weathering! A trifecta I expected nothing less. It's also nice to educate us on the prototype.
Thanks guys Nothing like a close up picture to show all the mess-ups Those rivets turned out to be a challenge especially when you are trying to put down just one. They are on decal film and are pretty tuff. Thanks again Tom Holley|-|
Masterful job Tom! Turned out really nice - even if a rivet or two are misplaced, and who could tell, you certainly delivered the flavor of these blue beauties. Ken
Thanks Ken I don't think too much sleep will be lost over the rivets Good to hear from you! And glad to you having a good time in Florida Tom Holley
Tom - We returned home Sunday. Will be here for a while now, except for a quick trip to Olathe in September to get a needed granddaughter fix! I need to get back to work. Before all this Florida condo stuff started, I was working on an Athearn "BB" round roof coach. Need to get that done - now that my Frisco passenger service offers Pullman accomodations, it has become so popular we need another first class passenger coach! The interior is done - need to get the car decaled and finished now. The locomotive shop is also crowded - a GE 44t (#8), a VO-1000 (#224), and a U25b (#828) are all there waiting to be finished. Need to get that U-boat done so it can run with the Atlas U30b's I have on order (if they ever come!). Ken
