Scratchbuilding HO freight cars
getting started
by Alan Saatkamp MMR
My thanks to Richard Dahl, Brad Hinton, and Matt Saatkamp
for the photos they provided
Step 1decide what type of car to build
considerations:
available time
current skill set
purpose (usable vs. display model?)
available prototypes (and images to
model)
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 research
Take 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
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 floor
Add 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 drawing
Plano makes the Stanray uncoupling levers which I
glued in place with CA after paint and weathering
I used strip styrene for the end platforms. The brake
chain is from safety chain
The end plates are from .030” sheet styrene and
decals were used for reporting marks
The center sills on the car bottom are from .060” ss
Crossbearers 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 trucks
Details West makes the metal cushion draft gear
unique to these gondolas
Commercial 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 978-089024-691-7). 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 certificate
It 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 images
The 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 2012
Questions?