Some freight cars for a 1940s Pennsy layout

[Jon Grant 4472]

Now for some 50ft boxcars. These are all Proto 2000, but notice the difference in the side sill cutouts between the two Southern cars. This will be corrected now that I've spotted it. I only bought thekit of the open-door model yesterday and followed the instructions properly, this time.














Jon

[tetters]

Jeepers John. Those look sweet. Any thoughts on posting a tutorial on how you weather your rolling stock?

[Gary S]

[Charlie B]

[quote="Jon Grant 4472"]Now for some 50ft boxcars. These are all Proto 2000, but notice the difference in the side sill cutouts between the two Southern cars. This will be corrected now that I've spotted it. I only bought thekit of the open-door model yesterday and followed the instructions properly, this time.

Jon, some lines did not have the side sill cutouts, but if I remember correctly, the instructions list the roads that had them.
By the way, great looking cars, I've been in stealth mode up till now.
Charlie

[rrinker]

It's like deja vu all over again. haha, we had this same conversation on the Model Railroader forum.

--Randy

[Charlie B]

It's like deja vu all over again. haha, we had this same conversation on the Model Railroader forum.

--Randy

It might be for you Randy, but I don't visit other forums.
Charlie

[rrinker]

It's the whole slicing of the side sill thing - the one he forgot to do is one that does need it. When I built my first one of those I rather butchered it cutting the sills, my later efforts were much better. It would figure that the first one I attempt would have been oen of those that needed the sills cut.

--Randy

[Jon Grant 4472]

I've been working on weathering some coal hoppers from Accurail, Proto2000 and Tichy, and making some removable coal loads out of real crushed coal - nothing else looks the same as the real stuff.

Here are some photos of the whole train of recent additions










Next, the individual cars

Jon

[Jon Grant 4472]

Now for the individual cars











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[Jon Grant 4472]

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Jon

[Jon Grant 4472]

I also had a bit of time to add some weathering to a Proto 2000 NKP Berkshire, although I haven't had time to get the front light working yet














Jon

[Jon Grant 4472]

The tank cars are the last of the freight cars to be done before the Tyneside Show at the weekend. I haven't had to do too much work on these other than to re-fit a few couplers.

I have decided to leave the broken plastic handrails as they are, as they would take too much time to replace with brass wire and brass handrail stanchions from Precision Scale (I have 4 packs waiting in the wings)














Jon

[Jon Grant 4472]

Finally, some overall shots of the 1940s tank train








End (for now)


Jon

[Ralph]

Thanks for the treats Jon! Love that long coal train! And, coal...DOES indeed look like coal! I assume you have some sort of form inside the cars and only glue a little coal on the tops? The vantage point in front of that storage warehouse offers a nice protoypic view for photos!
Ralph

[Jon Grant 4472]

I assume you have some sort of form inside the cars and only glue a little coal on the tops?

I cut a piece of foam core board to slightly smaller than the inside of the hopper car. I attach Das modelling clay (an air-drying clay) to the top of the foam core and shape it into the rough contours of a twin peak coal load.

Once dry (it changes colour when dry) I paint the top and sides of the load with black acrylic paint - some paints eat into the foam of the base. I also bury a small magnet into the middle of the load so it protrudes slightly, to enable me to pick the load out of the car with a small steel screwdriver.

After crushing a piece of coal with a hammer - put the coal in a plastic bag before pulverising to stop the bits flying everywhere - I paint the top of the prepared load with undiluted white carpenter's glue, before sprinkling on the coal.

Leave to dry and touch up any patches, then file off and bits that overhang the sides, and Hey Presto you have a coal load which just sits on the angle between the ends and the angled hopper chute.






Although the load being lifted out is for a gondola, the principle is the same







PS I get my small magnets by breaking magnetic map pins



Jon