Step 1 decide what type of car to build

considerations:available timecurrent skill setpurpose (usable vs. display

model?)available prototypes (and

images to model)

Scratchbuilding HO freight carsgetting started

by Alan Saatkamp MMRMy thanks to Richard Dahl, Brad Hinton, and Matt Saatkamp

for the photos they provided

Step 2 gather information including: images, measurements, and data. Railroad Pictures Archives is a great resource for images

(note the aggregate load)

Step 3 Be sure to obtain permission if visiting a prototype site to do researchTake lots of pictures from various angles, as well as car measurements—DAIR Trainmaster Tim Smith gave Australian friend (and photographer) Brad Hinton and me permission to take pictures and measurements of an LGEX 52’ 6” gondola located in Dell Rapids in 2011

Step 3 With a set of good images and measurements, begin collecting materials for the project

Step 4 Below: tools for constructing and decorating

(plus an airbrush, tap and drill set, and a North West Short Line chopper, not

pictured)

Step 5 examples of detail parts used in construction— available by ordering from your local hobby store

•Also very helpful were the shop drawings of this particular car, which I was allowed to borrow and copy

Constructing the model Measure a scale 52’ 6” x 9’6” and cut .040” sheet styrene for the underside of the car. Cut .020” sheet styrene to the same dimensions for the car floorAdd Rite Wey thin weights (I purchased through TLR President Gerry Miller in Dubuque) sandwiching them between the layers. Add a .040” x .060” strip frame before gluing the floor and underside together with CA. This causes the interior height of the car to decrease to 4’ vs. the 5’ prototype, which I acknowledged in the narrative write-up for model judging.

For side sheets I used scale drawings and cut .040” sheet styrene with 5.5’ scale ends plus the 15” along the center where the fishbelly sides slope for 22’ Build top chords from .060 x .080” strip styrene I used “ears” of Kadee coupler pockets to create the four lift rings. Bottom sills are .020 x .040” strip styrene (abbreviated as “ss” for the rest of narrative)I used dreadnaught commercial ends The various posts are from .030” ss cut with my North West Short Line chopper. I tapered the bottom of certain posts and glued them in place

The brake system has Barber S-2 truck mounted brakes and 36” Intermountain wheels. Brass rod models the brake connections per the proto drawingPlano makes the Stanray uncoupling levers which I glued in place with CA after paint and weatheringI used strip styrene for the end platforms. The brake chain is from safety chainThe end plates are from .030” sheet styrene and decals were used for reporting marksThe center sills on the car bottom are from .060” ssCrossbearers are also from ss as are the crossties

Bolsters are from strip styrene (layers). I used a tap and drill set to accept the 2-56 screws for the trucksDetails West makes the metal cushion draft gear unique to these gondolasCommercial brake hoses and brackets were glued in place Grab irons and ladders are from brass rod and strip styrene. The prototype showed some damaged (bent) which I modeled and carefully described for judging so they didn’t think I was just careless—this has happened to numerous modelers in judging

Polly Scale New York Central jade green paint was airbrushed (thanks to Eric Carlson’s equipment). Weathering using roof brown and burnt sienna was applied with a microbrush and tip of a bent paper clip (idea courtesy Bill McKean). The interior is heavily rusted with the same mixture.Black trim film represents the paint on appropriate panels. Decals as described above were applied, with a slight slope in the lettering done intentionally per the prototype and described for judging purposes

The car bottom is spray painted fabric tan with a light dusting of tan acrylic chalks, then spray painted with a fixative to protect the chalks before Dullcoting.Highway decal strips cut to .25’ x 1.5’ scale represent the reflective safety tape. Wider tape at the car ends came from another set. Red and white reflective tape came from another decal set. No chalk marks on the cars, since the trainmaster indicated never having seen any on this type of car—noted for the judges.Route boards are heavily weathered with drybrushed brown and grimy black

Other detail parts such as ladders, wheel backs, faces, trucks, springs, end caps, brake wheel, AEI (automatic equipment identification) tags, end steps, and couplers were painted with various colors per the prototype, then Dullcoted when complete.The uncoupling levers include white, blue, and grimy black, which I also painted accordingly.The removable load came from pink Sioux quartzite (.25” chips) from the Dell Rapids quarry, glued on sheet styrene painted the interior color (jade green, which should/could have better been rust).

Here’s the finished model including a load from actual quartzite chips from Dell Rapids quarry along with an image of the prototype

From another angle—note the details including AEI tag, lift rings, stirrup steps, ladders, uncoupling lever, cushion draft gear, grab irons, platform, brake wheel, brake chain, reporting marks, air hose (barely visible), and stirrup steps

The truck-mounted brake system prototypical on this car means less brake gear on the underside of the car. Contrast this with the example on the next slide.

The CMHX 65’ gon models a prototype at Midwest Railcar Repair. It has a more typical AB brake gear set. Jeff Wilson’s “Detailing Freight Cars” by Kalmbach Publishing has lots of tips on how to build and weather freight cars of any period (ISBN 978-0-89024-691-7). Also, the Car Builders’ Cyclopedia of American Practice (on-line) has many terms.

In summary:Freight car building is an excellent learning process and can add to your freight car roster, plus a chance to work toward an Achievement Program certificateIt was difficult to “ruin” an attractive looking jade green gondola with all the necessary weathering, but it did add to the realism based on prototype imagesThe more detail the better appearance and score. This model earned 94 of a possible 125 points, a merit award, and first place for freight car models during Rails to the Rocks in May 2012Questions?