Every time I look into my unbuilt kit cabinet I continue to see way too many unbuilt cars. Each month an attempt is made to reduce the number by at least one or two kits. The kit pulled out this month, Union Refrigerator Transit Lines (URTX) car numbered 5847. URTX 5847 is 198 of a limited run of 500 plastic kits produced for the Soo Line Historical And Technical Society (SLH&TS) by Walthers in 1991.
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. URTX 5847 was one of the refrigerator cars leased to the Soo Line.
URTX 5847 was built in the late 1920’s by American Car and Foundry (ACF) 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 5847 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 5847 had the Soo Line herald on the side. The SLH&TS data sheet regarding this car tells us “the models feature authentic, accurately reproduced lettering with the special white on black Soo Line “dollar-sign” herald used by the URTX when these cars were painted.”
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). A black and white photo of the same car was in a SLH&TS data sheet.
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| Bob Bucci photo, Ken Sooros Collection. (Click or tap on this image to enlarge) |
Since I had just built URTX refrigerator 5835, an Accurail kit, in the same car number series, I did a comparison to URTX 5847 reefer. The colors, in my opinion, of the Walthers reefer of light orange sides and lighter freight car red ends and roof are more accurate colors than the Accurail reefer. On the roof the Walthers reefer did not have the incorrect molded on hatch rests as the Accurail reefer. The Walthers reefer did have incorrect hatch covers with platforms (to be removed) which the Accurail reefer did not.
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| Color comparison of Walthers URTX 8547 vs Accurail URTX 8535 |
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| Roof comparison of Walthers URTX 8547 vs Accurail URTX 8535 |
The Walthers reefer had the correct side fascia boards that were missing on the Accurail reefer. And, the end fascia boards were done correctly on URTX 5847 reefer which on the Accurail URTX 5835 reefer they were not.
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| Fascia Walthers URTX 5847 vs Accurail URTX 5835 |
Finally, the Walthers reefer underbody was molded with some brake gear and had some brake components attached to the under frame whereas the Accurail reefer did not have the molded brake gear making it a better underbody to work with.
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| Walthers underbody in kit. |
Onto the build and upgrade work. On the underbody coupler pockets and truck bolster center plates were drilled and tapped for 2-56 screws. Kadee #148 couplers were inserted into coupler pockets and coupler pocket covers attached with brass 2-56 screws in kit. Kit trucks with Intermountain 33” metal wheels inserted were installed with kit provided brass 2-56 screws. The kit weights were attached with Permatex Clear Silicone RTV Adhesive Sealant to floor side. When adhesive had cured the underbody was installed into the car body. And, URTX 5847 was placed on a digital postal scale showing the car weight to be 3.8 ounces.
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| Couplers and Trucks installed. |
Next the ice hatches with platforms were removed from the roof since URTX 5847 had wood ice hatches without platforms.
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| Walthers ice hatches with platforms. |
Continuing to work on the roof, kit running board was milled using a Dremel Tool and Dremel #199 cutter bit and scraped with a single edge razor blade to prototype two inch thickness.
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| Running board being milled. |
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| Running board being scrapped. |
The thinned (milled) running board was installed with Testors Tube Cement. After drying, CA was added. Now missing roof ribs due to removal of ice hatches with platform, Evergreen #8204, 2 x 4 strip styrene were installed. Resin cast wood hatches using Grandt Line hatches as master were installed followed by Intermountain hatch levers.
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| Running board and new wood ice hatches without platforms installed. |
Before any other upgrade work was done, molded on grab irons, ladders, and other B end molded on details were carved off as on reefer 8535 with mini scalpel with chisel blade.
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| Molded on grab irons, ladders, etc. carved off. |
After carving was done, the roof areas and added items were hand painted Vallejo Model Color Black Red 70.859. On the sides the areas where molded items removed were hand painted Polly Scale MILW Road Orange F414152 (no longer manufactured).
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| Areas with carved off molded on details hand painted. |
Since the running board had been milled to prototype thickness I installed the end brackets on the car ends to prevent damage to the running board ends. The running board end brackets were made with Plastruct 3/64 inch styrene angle, #90501 and Evergreen #8102 , 1 x 2 strip styrene.
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| Running board end bracket installed. |
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| Running board end bracket installed. |
Next Plano etched ladders #12121 were shortened to have six rungs on sides and ends. Later after seeing prototype B end photo of URTX 10714 found in Railway Prototype Cyclopedia - Vol. 5 (RP CYC Publishing, 2000) and again looking at prototype photo of URTX 5847 the ladders on the ends were shortened to five rungs with diamond cutting disk in Dremel Motor Tool. The shortened ladders were bent to shape with UMM USA bender (on left in photo below) and installed in holes drilled on car body using templates provided with Plano ladders.
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| Tools used to cut and fold etched ladders. |
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| Plano etched ladders installed. |
Having only a short time to work on the car, it was back to the roof where ice hatch rests cut from Evergreen strip styrene in my bits box were installed.
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| Ice hatch rests installed. |
Continuing the upgrade, B end work was done. Work included adding the following details:
- Brake shaft step, bent from broken A-Line #29000, sill step
- Brake shaft roof bracket, plastic, manufacture unknown
- Brake shaft, Tichy #1102, .015 inch diameter PBW
- Retainer valve, Tichy #3013 AB brake set
- Retainer line & brackets, Tichy #1100 .008 diameter PBW
- Brake wheel, Tichy #3013 AB brake set
- Grab irons, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW
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| B end upgrade items installed. |
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| Vertical brake shaft roof brackets. |
All grab irons were bent from Tichy Train Group (Tichy) #1101, .010” diameter phosphor bronze wire (PBW). The bent grab irons were installed in holes drilled with a #80 drill. Roof grab irons have Yarmouth Model Works etched eye bolts without shoulder for corner posts.
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| Side grab irons installed. |
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| Roof grab irons installed. |
With the car body work done except for uncoupling levers and ice bunker drains, work on the underbody was done. The under frame was removed and the brake cylinder and control valve were cut off. Both parts were set aside to be installed after the under frame center sill was increased in depth to create a deep fish belly center sill needed for this reefer. Therefore, the center sill was increased in depth with Evergreen #146, .040 x .125 strip styrene. In addition, while it was pulled out the two cross members near the trucks were narrowed. And, before the under frame was reinstalled the underbody had molded on brake gear as control valve, levers, brake rods, etc. carved off.
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| Molded on parts carved off and center sill increased in depth. |
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| Deep fish belly center sill now visible.. |
Now the basic AB brake components were installed as follows:
- Brake cylinder, kit, and brake cylinder piston, Tichy AB set #3013
- Control valve, from my parts box.
- Control valve mount is carved off molded on control valve area.
- Air reservoir, kit, with mount bracket from scrap bits box.
- Brake Lever, brake cylinder, cut from Evergreen #8108, 1 x 8 strip styrene
- Brake Lever, floating (cut) cut from Evergreen #8106, 1 x 6 strip styrene
- Brake lever hangers bent from Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW
- Brake lever sill openings made with #58 drill .042, broach, and mini file
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| Molded on parts carved off and center sill increased in depth. |
At the next modeling session, other under body details installed were as follows:
- Pipping from air reservoir to control valve, Tichy #1101 .010” PBW
- Piping from brake cylinder to control valve, Tichy #1106, .0125” diameter PBW
- Brake rods, Tichy #1106 .0125” PBW
- Brake rod clevises, MEK Goop (plastic melted in MEK)
- Chain, A-Line, #29219, black 40 links per inch
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| Piping and brake rods installed. |
Once underbody upgrade was complete the sill steps, A-Line, #29000, were installed to complete car body work except for uncoupling levers.
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| Sill steps installed. |
When underbody was complete it was airbrushed with Vallejo Model Air/MicroMark Tarnished Black X29022X2.
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| Underbody painted. |
Once dry on the B end uncoupling levers bent from Tichy #1106, .0125 PBW and bent eye bolt brackets, Tichy #1101, .010 PBW were installed. The uncoupling levers were bent like the ones in the prototype B end photo of URTX 10714 found in Railway Prototype Cyclopedia - Vol. 5.
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| Uncoupling levers installed. |
Another detail to be installed were the ice bunker drains. The drains were cut from a Kadee bracket grab iron small diameter round kit sprue with round corners. After round corners were cut out of the sprue and glued to sill with tiny amount of Walthers Goo, the sides were filled with MEK Goop to create a bracket.
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| Drains installed and items used for install. |
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| Drains installed. |
With ice bunker drains installed URTX 8547 was ready for final paint touch up. The car body sides touched up with as were added detail parts with Polly Scale MILW Road Orange F414152 (no longer manufactured). Ends, roof and added detail parts to these areas were hand painted with Vallejo Model Color Black Red Black Red 70.859.
Once touch up paint was dry decals were applied. Why? The car is accurately lettered with the exception of one lube plate. The prototype photo shows two black lube plates on the left end on the sides above the trucks. A tiny patch of Future Floor Finish (since my purchase name changes have occurred) was brushed on for a gloss decal base. When dry, the lube plates from an old “The Herald King Lube-2” decal set were applied.
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| Small black lube plated decal applied. |
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| Small black lube plated decal applied. |
Now the final detail to be installed, the corner braces just above the sills. Just strips cut from Evergreen .005 sheet styrene with fasteners added.
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| Corner braces at sill corners. |
After air drying the car body was airbrushed with Model Master Acryl Flat Clear #4636 (no longer manufactured) to provide a weathering base.
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| URTX 5847 ready for weathering. |
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| URTX 5847 ready for weathering. |
Now to weather URTX 5847 leased to the Soo Line before putting it into service. Pan Pastels pencils were used to weather URTX 5847 reefer. Pan Pastels Raw Umber Tint 780.8 was applied with a small paint brush over the entire car body to lighten the orange sides, red roof and ends. Paynes Grey Extra Dark 840.1 was used on roof over Raw Umber Tint and Red Iron Oxide Extra Dark 380.1 was used on ladders and car body areas over Raw Umber Tint. A cotton Q-tip was used to rub and blend applied Pan Pastels to obtain final look.
And Prismacolor Pencil PC938, White, was used to add chalk marks and white patch. Prismacolor Pencil PC1061, Cool Grey, was used on the ends below roof hatches.
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| URTX 5847 weathered using prototype photo. |
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| URTX 5847 weathered. |
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| URTX 5847 weathered. |
URTX 5847 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 5847, the final step to put the a car in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad.
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| URTX 5847 spotted at Food Producers in Randolph, Minneosta |
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| URTX 5847 spotted at Food Producers in Randolph, Minneosta |
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| URTX 5847 spotted at Food Producers in Randolph, Minneosta |
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| URTX 5847 spotted at Food Producers in Randolph, Minneosta |
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| URTX 5847 spotted at Food Producers in Randolph, Minneosta |
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. And a “Thank You” to Ted Culotta for making me aware this URTX reefer series was built by American Car and Foundry (ACF) in the late 1920s and reminding me information regarding this type refrigerator car was available in Railway Prototype Cyclopedia - Vol. 5 (RP CYC Publishing, 2000).
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Lester Breuer
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