01-05-2025, 07:45 AM
So back in May I joined the Bricktown Model Railroad Association in Mt Union, PA, a local museum and model railroad club modelling the East Broad Top, though doing so in the transition era instead of my own. When I told them I enjoyed building kits they turned me loose on their big kit stash of cars so I have been working on those building up skills to tackle the more complex narrow gauge kits I have. Here’s a fair amount of the work I have accomplished there in photos.
![[Image: 7tfR2qk.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/7tfR2qk.jpeg)
All of these boxcars were built from Roundhouse kits, except the 50’ UP composite car in the middle which was an Accurail kit.
![[Image: yGo2qJh.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/yGo2qJh.jpeg)
This was a purchased car but the previous owner glued the floor on and used Accurails little plastic truck pins, so I tapped the holes and replaced the pins with screws so the trucks could be more easily removed.
![[Image: qm6SfxL.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/qm6SfxL.jpeg)
These are both from my own kit stash. They were used to teach me how to put cars through the club’s standards battery for consistent operation.
![[Image: sO3g5Ew.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/sO3g5Ew.jpeg)
These are all coal loads I did. To make them I took the plastic coal loads from the car, sanded the sides a bit to make them easier to remove, and taped around the edges with masking tape. I added white glue to the load, spread it out with a brush, and then coated it in coal. I used the dried contents of expended Brita water filters for the coal. Once the glue was dry I removed the masking tape, knocked any loose coal off the top and sides, and glued a metal washer to the bottom so they can remove by magnet. This was taught to me by another club member.
![[Image: 2IlKTLy.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/2IlKTLy.jpeg)
This is an Accurail kit. On this kit I got a little ahead of myself and accidentally glued the little rib across the bottom of the hopper bays before adding the frame. I ended up having to cut the frame apart and cement it in in three pieces but it came out looking pretty good I would say.
![[Image: 4luxxCb.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/4luxxCb.jpeg)
And these are two more Roundhouse kits. These roundhouse boxcars were especially educational as I started batch-building them seeing as they are reasonably simple but missed that the door rail on several went in upside down and didn’t slow down and check that it was correct on each one before cementing. Important lesson! I went through with a hobby knife and shaved the proud rib down, cemented the doors closed, and then matched paint by eye to cover the cut plastic.
I will likely post any more of the work I do for them here, too, unless it’s something more interesting. Hoping to be a little more active in modelling through this winter as I am finding it much more difficult to model at home in the summer because I am outdoors a lot more often.
All of these boxcars were built from Roundhouse kits, except the 50’ UP composite car in the middle which was an Accurail kit.
This was a purchased car but the previous owner glued the floor on and used Accurails little plastic truck pins, so I tapped the holes and replaced the pins with screws so the trucks could be more easily removed.
These are both from my own kit stash. They were used to teach me how to put cars through the club’s standards battery for consistent operation.
These are all coal loads I did. To make them I took the plastic coal loads from the car, sanded the sides a bit to make them easier to remove, and taped around the edges with masking tape. I added white glue to the load, spread it out with a brush, and then coated it in coal. I used the dried contents of expended Brita water filters for the coal. Once the glue was dry I removed the masking tape, knocked any loose coal off the top and sides, and glued a metal washer to the bottom so they can remove by magnet. This was taught to me by another club member.
This is an Accurail kit. On this kit I got a little ahead of myself and accidentally glued the little rib across the bottom of the hopper bays before adding the frame. I ended up having to cut the frame apart and cement it in in three pieces but it came out looking pretty good I would say.
And these are two more Roundhouse kits. These roundhouse boxcars were especially educational as I started batch-building them seeing as they are reasonably simple but missed that the door rail on several went in upside down and didn’t slow down and check that it was correct on each one before cementing. Important lesson! I went through with a hobby knife and shaved the proud rib down, cemented the doors closed, and then matched paint by eye to cover the cut plastic.
I will likely post any more of the work I do for them here, too, unless it’s something more interesting. Hoping to be a little more active in modelling through this winter as I am finding it much more difficult to model at home in the summer because I am outdoors a lot more often.
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Modeling the East Broad Top as it was between 1937-1942
~Amanda
Modeling the East Broad Top as it was between 1937-1942
~Amanda
