03-20-2012, 01:00 PM
Here's the start of the Athearn boxcar re-build for the EG&E.
The first task was to mark the car sides for the material to be removed in order to decrease the roof height:
![[Image: NewYearsChallengePhotos155-1.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Freight%20Cars%20-%20Part%20II/NewYearsChallengePhotos155-1.jpg)
Next, the lower door tracks were removed, using an X-Acto # 18 blade. The car's floor should be in place for this, as it's otherwise very easy to break the sidesill at the door opening:
![[Image: NewYearsChallengePhotos157.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Freight%20Cars%20-%20Part%20II/NewYearsChallengePhotos157.jpg)
Next, a strip of .040"x.040" styrene was cemented into the upper door track mounting grooves (it doesn't fill the groove, and needs to be located to the top edge of it - when the rivet strip/roof is removed, most of the strip will remain with those parts). I also added reinforcing plates of .060" sheet styrene at the door openings. These extend about 7' (HO) to either side of the door opening, and are necessary to keep the car sides together once the roof is removed. The tabbed side sills were removed next. I was originally planning to keep them, which would have required modifying the Central Valley underframes, as the truck-mounting bolsters wouldn't line up with the tabs. I'll create new, straight sidesills from strip styrene, which will allow me to keep the CV bolsters in their original position, which is closer to the car's ends than the Athearn bolsters. As was mentioned elsewhere, many early cars, including Pennsy's X-29s, used bolsters placed in this manner.
I used a utility knife with a new blade, making the first light pass using a straightedge aligned with the raise bottom edge of the car's sidesheets. A couple more light passes cut the tabbed sill free:
![[Image: NewYearsChallengePhotos164.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Freight%20Cars%20-%20Part%20II/NewYearsChallengePhotos164.jpg)
This will be continued later, but right now, the paint on the other cars is dry and ready for lettering.
Wayne
The first task was to mark the car sides for the material to be removed in order to decrease the roof height:
Next, the lower door tracks were removed, using an X-Acto # 18 blade. The car's floor should be in place for this, as it's otherwise very easy to break the sidesill at the door opening:
Next, a strip of .040"x.040" styrene was cemented into the upper door track mounting grooves (it doesn't fill the groove, and needs to be located to the top edge of it - when the rivet strip/roof is removed, most of the strip will remain with those parts). I also added reinforcing plates of .060" sheet styrene at the door openings. These extend about 7' (HO) to either side of the door opening, and are necessary to keep the car sides together once the roof is removed. The tabbed side sills were removed next. I was originally planning to keep them, which would have required modifying the Central Valley underframes, as the truck-mounting bolsters wouldn't line up with the tabs. I'll create new, straight sidesills from strip styrene, which will allow me to keep the CV bolsters in their original position, which is closer to the car's ends than the Athearn bolsters. As was mentioned elsewhere, many early cars, including Pennsy's X-29s, used bolsters placed in this manner.
I used a utility knife with a new blade, making the first light pass using a straightedge aligned with the raise bottom edge of the car's sidesheets. A couple more light passes cut the tabbed sill free:
This will be continued later, but right now, the paint on the other cars is dry and ready for lettering.
Wayne