Wood Tank Car

1917

Judges: Please judge against prototype photo. (Plans in the article too often departed from the photo).

1. Construction

General: A Prototype photo was used from Model Railroad Freight Cars (Kalmbach Books, 1971) (Tab 1)

Prototype dimensions: tank: 38 x 7.7 feet; deck: 43 x 9 feet

Planning: During construction the article Build a Pennsy Flat Car was used to guide initial construction (Tab 2). Build an AC Flat Car was used for underbody (Tab 3).

Overview: This model used 194 individual parts, 16 decals

Tank: I made the tank of scribed 1/8 wood, steamed for 30 minutes and bent around a one-inch styrene pipe.

End Trim: Prototype dimensions call for a scale 3 foot circular trim for the ends of the car. To get a prototypical width, I steamed for 30 minutes four scale pieces of 2 x 6 stripwood and bent them around a 1-inch styrene pipe, secured by rubber bands and left overnight. I cemented the two stripwood circles to the end of the staves of the tank. filling the gap with canopy glue, sanding it smooth.

Railings: I made railings out of brass wire. Scale Fasteners were made of Detail Associates eyebolts. Railings were painted, then buffed, then inserted through the eyebolts. Railings were temporarily kept away from the tank to permit brush paining of eyebolts and touch-up. Then a drop of canopy glue was placed on each eyebolt shank and the eyebolts pushed into the tank for correct prototypical clearance.

Dome with handle: the dome was made from a Shepard brand light duty pad from Home Depot. The handle was brass wire formed around a block of wood and cemented to the pad.

Grabirons: I fashioned a jig out of bass wood and bent 3 scale foot grabirons around it.

Bands: I cut strips of card stock 3 scale inches wide and brush painted them with grimy black. The bands were positioned on the tank and cemented with canopy glue to the tank support timbers. As on the prototype, extra supports were placed on the lower ends of the straps.

Underbody: I followed plans for standard flat car (Tab 1). Circular pads for bolsters were made from thin styrene and a paper punch.

· scale couplers (Accurail; gladhands were omitted to conform to prototype photo)

· Archbar trucks

· ribbed wheels

· brake beams and pads

· brake system vertical brake levers

· brake system triple valve

· 24 grabirons

· brake system compressor

· brake system reservoir

· brake system dump valve

· brake wheel and chain

· angle cocks and air hoses (mid-end sill)

· above-coupler cut levers and chain

· rivets on bolsters

· rivets on side sills

· rivets on underbody

· rivets on end plates (see photo)

· stirrups

· poling pockets

· prototypical lettering

2. Detail

· sratchbuilt, using 194 individual pieces, 16 decals

· prototype dimensions : 43 x 9

· Dome with handle

· Above-coupler cut levers with chain.

· 2 x 6-Inch wide planking

· brake gear was non-geared with chain (see tab 3)

· scale couplers (Accurail) .(Scale couplers omit gladhand to conform to photo)

· ribbed wheels

· Archbar trucks

· brake beams and pads

· brake system vertical brake levers

· brake system triple valve

· Brake system compressor

· bake system reservoir

· brake wheel and chain

· dump valve

· angle cocks and air hoses (mid-end -sill)

· above-coupler cut levers and chain

· rivets on side sills, cross beams

· rivets on end plates hand grabs

· nut-washer-bolts on channel

· stirrups

· poling pockets

· prototypical lettering

· individual boards for walkways

· Dome with handle

· Side supports

· Stake pockets (as on prototype photo)

· 24 grabirons

3. Conformity

Judges: Please judge against prototype photo. (Illustrations in article too often departed from the photo) Note: on painted versus unpainted, see Finish and Lettering.

· Prototype dimensions were followed

· Lettering on tank and underbody

· Scale couplers (Accurail); (Couplers omit gladhand to conform to prototype photo)

· Dome with handle

· Above-coupler cut levers with chain.

· Brake gear non-geared with chain (Tab 4)

· Prototype lettering

· ribbed wheels

· Archbar trucks

· brake beams and pads

· brake system triple valve

· Brake system compressor

· bake system reservoir

· dump valve

· brake wheel and chain

· angle cocks and air hoses (mid-end-sill)

· rivets on bolsters

· rivets on side sills

· rivets on underbody

· rivets on end plates

· nu-washer-bolts on channel

· hand grabs

· stirrups

· poling pockets

· reinforcements on tank bands

· Stake pockets (as on prototype photo)

· Side plates

· 24 grabirons

4. Finish and Lettering

· Although the prototype photo shows an unpainted car, the article says that the usual prototype color was Tuscan. I verified this with online research, and so painted the car.

· Floquil aerosol Tuscan on tank.

· Prototypical lettering on tank and sills of underbody.

· decals finished with Testor’s Dullcote

· Floquil rust and roof brown (70/30) used for the couplers and wheels

· Hunterline stain used for planking

· Micron archival ink pen (black and rust) weathered planking

· Black colored pencil used for weathering planking

· Polly Scale grey used for underbody overspray weathering

· Sharpie markers were used for touchup

5. Scratchbuilt

General: Canopy Glue was used throughout. (It dries sets faster than White Glue, is less adhesive and therefore easier to remove, if necessary).

· 194 individual pieces, 16 decals

· styrene used for underbody

· brass rod, styrene rod, piano wire used for underbody piping

· scribed wood for planking , tank

· strip wood used for end rings, walkways

· wood channel used for end supports

· Brass wire used for railings

· Eyebolts used for rail fasteners

· 12 grabirons

Commercial Parts Used

Dome (Shepherd light duty pad (Home Depot)

Eyebolts (Detail Associates)

Brass rod (K&S)

Styrene strips, rods, l (Evergreen)

Channel (Mt. Albert)

Scribed wood (Micromark)

Stripwood (Mt. Albert)

Couplers (Accurail)

Stake pockets (Tichy)

Brake wheel details (Tichy)

Trucks and brake pads (Kaydee)

Stirrups (Tichy)

Underbody details (Central Valley)

Air hoses (Detail Associates)

Decals (Great Decals)

Floquil and Pollyscale paint (Walthers)

Micron archival ink pens (black and rust) weathered planking

Decal rivets (Archer)

Nut-washer-bolts (Tichy)

12 grabirons (Tichy)

Note: this model ran on my laundry room layout, negotiating tight curves.