When looking into the unbuilt kit cabinet I still saw way too many unbuilt Accurail cars. Time to reduce the number by at least one. I pulled out Union Refrigerator Transit Lines (URTX) car numbered 5835. Union Refrigerator Transit Lines was a division of General American Transportation Corporation that leased Refrigerator cars to several Midwestern railroads including the Soo Line, Milwaukee, Minneapolis & St. Louis and private companies. After a little research I found the lettering on the car was accurate as was the freight car red color on the roof and ends; however, not the bright orange rather than a light orange or a yellow orange color on the sides. Not having decals to letter the car if repainted I decided I would live with the bright orange and lighten it via weathering. And, of course an upgrade to UTLX 5835 needed to be done.
URTX 5835 was built in the early 1930’s by General American and rebuilt by Union Refrigerator Transit Lines in the early 1950’s with the primary improvement being the change to an AB brake system. The rebuilt cars has a steel-framed upper structure, wood sides and ends, wood hatch covers without platforms, fish belly underframe and rode on AAR Bettendorf style trucks. URTX 5835 leased to the Soo Line was assigned in series 5800 to 5850. Like the majority of the leased cars to other roads wearing their herald (emblem, logo) , URTX 5835 had the Soo Line herald on the side. A color photo of URTX 5847 leased to the Soo LIne can be found in Soo Line Freight Equipment and Cabooses (The Soo Line Historical and Technical Society, 2014).
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| Bob Bucci photo, Ken Sooros Collection. (Click or tap on this image to enlarge) |
Onto the build and upgrade work. After the underbody had the kit weight attached with Permatex Clear Silicone RTV Adhesive Sealant and adhesive cured it was installed into the car body. Couplers, Kadee #148 and kit trucks with Intermountain 33 inch metal wheels were installed. The former were installed with kit provided brass 2-56 x 3/16 inch screws and the latter with Fastenal 2-56 x 1/4” screws.
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| Couplers and Trucks installed. |
On the car body roof the kit running board and ice hatches were installed. On the roof are molded on hatch rests. The prototype photo does not have this type of hatch rest; however, I chose to leave them rather than remove them at this time. A close look at prototype photo shows the hatch rests are a square type with two located on the hatches.
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| Hatch rest is not the type on prototype. |
Now the car was placed on a digital postal scale which showed the car weight to be 4.2 ounces. The weight was higher than the 3.8 ounces I would have preferred. On some builds I have cut the kit supplied weight shorter to get the proper weight with a hack saw; however, not this upgrade.
With URTX 5835 kit assembled, upgrade of URTX 5835 began. Using a micro scalpel with a chisel blade molded on grab irons and ladders were carved off on sides and ends. And, sill steps were cut off.
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| Molded on grab irons and ladders carved off and sill steps cut off. |
Before carving off the ladders I had found the ladders could be replaced with Plano etched ladders, #12121, 18 inch rungs with 18 inch spading or Intermountain plastic ladders. Both manufacture ladder type matched the Accurail ladders to be removed after being shortened to a six rung rather than seven ladder.
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| Ladders for upgrade. |
Next the areas showing molded on part removal were hand brush painted using Vallejo Model Color Bright Orange 70.851 on the car sides and Vallejo Model Color Black Red Black Red 70.859 on the ends and roof.
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| Side areas painted where molded parts removed. |
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| End areas painted where molded parts removed. |
While the paint was drying a study of the prototype photo for B end work needed. It showed the fascia boards were individual rather than the triangle end panel. I decided not to do the work required to correct it.
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| URTX 5847 on left with correct end. URTX 5835 on right with incorrect end. |
The prototype photo showed no brake step/platform so it was removed. And, the brake shaft step molded with no opening was drilled to make a hole to allow the use of a broach (see side bar) and file to open it. On the B end the running board bracket was made with Plastruct 3/64 inch styrene angle, #90501 and Evergreen #8102 , 1 x 2 strip styrene. Plano etched ladders #12121 were shortened to six rung ladders and installed.
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| B end upgrade work started. |
After installing the side ladders, the side grab irons were bent from .010 diameter brass wire, manufacturer unknown, and installed.
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| Plano ladders and bent grab irons installed. |
A return to the B end to install a roof resin brake shaft bracket from parts box, brake shaft, Tichy Train Group (Tichy) .015 diameter phosphor bronze wire (PBW), bent .010 diameter brass wire grab irons and kit provided brake wheel.
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| Additional B end parts installed. |
Later a Tichy retainer valve from AB Set #3013 was installed followed by a retainer line, Tichy #110, .008 diameter PBW.
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| Retainer valve and line installed. |
Next the roof grab irons were bent from .010 brass wire and installed with Yarmouth Model Works eye bolt without shoulder for corner legs. With roof complete, sill steps, A-Line #29000, were installed on the sides.
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| Roof grab irons installed. |
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| Sill steps installed. |
With car body work almost complete, onto to the underbody work. The brake components were drilled to accept piping with #79 drill and were installed with other parts as follows:
- Brake cylinder lever, cut from Evergreen #8108 strip styrene
- Floating (cut) lever, cut from Evergreen #8106 strip styrene
- Brake cylinder, kit
- Brake cylinder bracket, Tichy in kit
- Control Valve (AB), kit
- Control Valve bracket, Tichy in kit
- Air reservoir, kit
- Air reservoir mounts added with scrap plastic bits
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| Basic brake components installed. |
After setting overnight for CA to fully set, additional parts, piping and brake rods were installed as follows:
- Train line, Tichy #1114, .020 diameter PBW
- Pipes from control valve to air reservoir, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW
- Pipe from brake cylinder to control valve, Tichy #1106 .0125 diameter PBW
- Brake rods, Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter PBW
- Brake rod clevises, MEK Goop (plastic melted in MEK)
- Dirt collector, Tichy AB set #3013
- Dirt collector pipe to train line, scrap plastic rod
- Chain, A-Line black 40 links per inch
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| Underbody piping and brake rods installed. |
To finish the car body the uncoupling levers bent from Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter PBW and eye bolt brackets bent from .010 diameter brass wire were installed.
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| Uncoupling lever installed. |
And, the final detail to be installed were the ice bunker drains. The drains were cut from small diameter round kit sprue with round corners. After round corners were cut out of the sprue and glued to sill the sides were filled with MEK Goop to create a bracket.
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| Ice bunker drains installed. |
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| Ice bunker drains installed. |
With final details installed URTX 8535 was moved to the M&N paint shop. In the paint shop the underbody installed parts were hand painted Vallejo Model Air Nato Black #71.251.
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| Underbody installed parts painted. |
After the underbody was dry. The car body sides touched up with Vallejo Model Color Bright Orange 70.851 as were added detail parts. Ends and roof and added detail parts to these areas were hand painted with Vallejo Model Color Black Red Black Red 70.859. After air drying the car body was airbrushed with Model Master Acryl Flat Clear #4636 (no longer manufactured).
Now to weather URTX 5835 leased to the Soo Line before putting it into service. Pan Pastels were used to weather the car. Pan Pastels Raw Umber Tint 780.8 was applied with a small paint brush over the entire car body to lighten the bright orange sides and dark red roof and ends. A cotton Q-tip and artist paper stump were used to rub and blend applied Pan Pastels Raw Umber Tint to obtain final look.
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| Car weathered. |
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| Car weathered. |
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| Car weathered. |
URTX 5835 leased to the Soo Line was ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, The Lakeland Route, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.” A car card was made for URTX 5835, the final step to put the a car in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad knowing the URTX 5835 leased to the Soo Line had differences from the prototype that were explained above. And, some cars having the differences have lettering removed and are lettered for the home road.
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| URTX 5835 spotted at McGregor Creamery in Northfield, Minnesota |
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| URTX 5835 spotted at McGregor Creamery in Northfield, Minnesota |
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| URTX 5835 spotted at McGregor Creamery in Northfield, Minnesota |
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| URTX 5835 spotted at McGregor Creamery in Northfield, Minnesota |
I want to say, “Thank You”, to Ken Soroos for photo of URTX 5847 refrigerator car (see above) from his book Soo Line Freight Equipment and Cabooses to make upgrade of this car possible.
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Lester Breuer
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