Upgrading MDC/Roundhouse boxcars

[sailormatlac]

Thanks both of you. This project is more challenging than my usual work, but greatly enjoyable. I feel like my modelling skills tremendously improved during the last year. I changed my attitude, striking to overcome obstacles when they come. When one takes his time to work carefully, I think he can achieve great results.

I did a few researches about this car. Found out many prototypes from different roads. I have five cars, which will represent each a different road.

Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe - #212000-
Ends: Dreadnaught 4/4
Roof: Radial Murphy (original); Murphy Raised Panels (rebuild)
Doors: Youngstown
Brake: AB Ajax (rebuild)
Trucks: Bettendorf

Boston & Maine - #71000-71974
Ends: Riveted
Roof: Lap Seam
Doors: Youngstown
Brake: KC - Ajax
Trucks: ARA Type Y

Rock Island - #140000-140999
Ends: Dreadnaught 4/4
Roof: Radial Murphy
Doors: Youngstown
Brake: K - Vertical Staff
Trucks: Dalman Two Level

Louisville & Nashville - #12000-13999
Ends: Murphy 5/5/5
Roof: Metal Clad Murphy
Doors: Wood
Brake: K - Vertical Staff
Trucks: ARA Cast Frame Side

Minneapolis & St. Louis - #24000-24998
Ends: Composite
Roof: Metal Clad Murphy
Doors: Wood
Brake: K - Vertical Staff
Trucks: ARA Cast Frame Side

The car I'm actually modelling will be the Rock Island one. I'll have to remove the brake housing, which will be better I think. I built my radial Murphy roof according to an actual picture of a car I don't know the origin. It has 2 ribs per panel instead of two on the Sunshine model. At this point, I don't care. As Doctorwayne pointed out, these cars were built with MANY different features, even among a same serie. Here's the picture. Maybe it's not Murphy radial at all! Who cares!



I started by making a template in AutoCAD to get the panels position right. I then redrawn it on .5mm styrene. I located ribs, roofwalk and battens for future reference. Parts were referenced from an Accurail single-sheated car.



Battens are made out of two pieces. The first one is a steel flat made out of thick paper (2mm wide) glued to the roof with liquid styrene cement. When doing this kind of work, I don't cut piece to length but prefer to make them longer. It is easier to trim them after they are glued than before. Also, the extra length help to handle them during the gluing process.



The paper strips are then wrapped around the edge of the roof just like the prototype. At first, I cut them flush but quickly found out it wasn't a durable assembly. I then just glued them under the roof. Their thickness shouldn't cause problem when I'll glue the roof in final position.



Once finish, you get a nice detail just like you would expect from any plastic commercial car.



Battens are made out of 2mm x .5mm styrene. Here again, I don't cut them to lenght according to this Murphy's Law corollary: "Everything cut to lenght is too short."



Next step was to add roofwalk support. I thought about skipping this step, but thought it would be worth modelling them. They are made out of 5mm x .5mm styrene. Do I like my new tweezers??? OH YES!!! Up until a week ago, I never used tweezers for my modelling, only using my fingers. Life is now easier and results better.



Panel ribs were made out of paper too. They are .5mm wide, which is hard to cut. My X-Acto blade was not in great shape and I had to cut with several light passes to get them straight.



The gluing process is quite simple and done with a needle (alène). First, I place the part and hold it with the needle and add a light touch of cement. The paper get soaked with glue which melt the styrene underneath and fusion with the paper. Once a end is done, I place the needle on the other end and stretch the rib to make it straight. Then I soak all the rib with glue, habitually 2 passes are enough to make it strongly bond to the styrene.



The completed result, ready to glue install. Roofwalks with be Tichy wooden ones, possibly slightly modified.



Matt