I've been working on this for a few days and here she is. Resin kits are great to work with and Westerfield kits are my favorite. I wanted an old coal car that was really showing hard use and this was fun to weather and beat up a bit. After applying the decals (which are excellant to work with) I lightly misted them with flat black using my airbrush to make them appear faded. I lighted airbrushed some Earth color along the bottom half for some weathering. Rust colored chalk powder provided the liberal rust found on it. The top wooden edges were carved to show the heavy wear during loading and unloading. I have several more Westerfield kits waiting to be built but these little gondolas are a joy to build.
Very nice Jim. Very nice. Now, when you get my Frisco 12 stake battleship to build, I'm curious to see what you will think. Excellent weathering. Good job!
Yes, I still need to add the stirrup steps and coupler lift bars but I'm too tired tonight. Good catch though. Thanks.
Great Work Jim, Those flat bottom Gondolas, go thru the torture test don't they? I have tried to model the sags, bent, if not punctured sides as well. You just can't hardly beat a "Flat bottom" up enough, can you? Great Modeling Jim, Tom Holley
Thanks. I've got a plan to buldge the sides out a bit when I add the coal load. I'll post pics showing how I'm going to do it.
Very nice, one of these is going to look great next to the old Scammon Depot in S.E. Kansas. Hopefully, I can get somewhere near your quality of work! P.S., is that the Westerfield model boxcar in the background?
As usual, very nice job. How about an article for The Meteor about your techniques for building this car?
Thanks, rj. Yes, both boxcars in the background are Westerfield kits. Their kits fit my era, 1915-1925. Tough era to model. Thanks, Richard. I will put something together for the Meteor. These kits would be great subjects for modeling a dilapidated car on a more modern layout as well.
Now That's really some modeling -Rah, Rah, Rah. Maybe I will even give you some of those star thingy's for this one.
Ok, don't want you guys to think I'm too lazy. Here's the cut levers and stirrup steps added. Now it's finished. Except for the coal load.
Actually Jim. It's not finished. You need the Frisco braces that are on either end of the car at the top. I can get them for you. That will make your car complete! Westerfield did not include those in the kit because, GASP, that car isn't a 100% Frisco prototype. Oooooooooh... Here is the picture of the battleship gondola Frisco prototype that I am producing. You can see the braces at the top ends specifically designed by the Frisco shops. Also note the brace spacing, which is different than the Westerfield car. Please do not take this as any insult to your work. It absolutely isn't. That car is drop dead gorgeous! I"m chicken to build resin. Great job.
I think Tichey provided the kit's steps. What braces? Maybe I have them with the spare parts as this kit also makes the Rock Island version. Send me a pic of them if you could please. Thanks.
Is this the brace you mean? The shelf-like board across the top at the B end with the grab iron on top of it? These Frisco gondolas only had them at the B end. I see no other braces in the prototype photos included with the instructions.
Why isn't it 100% Frisco prototype? It's a dead ringer according to prototype photos. By the way, that battleship gondola of yours is awesome. I need a couple when they're ready to go. Nice.
When you look at the picture of the car in my post, you can see the braces that run from side to side on each end of the car. These are like a shallow rainbow and are used to keep the ends of the car together with the sides, because the Frisco found out that without it, eventually heavy coal or rock loads would split the sides from the end and dump the load.
Jim - Dandy! I do like the TOC "billboard" lettering, and those old wooden gons do make for some fun weathering that goes well beyond simple chalks and oversprays. Best Regards,
