American Refrigerator Transit Co. 24029

From friends I obtained an Intermountain refrigerator car lettered for American Refrigerator Transit Company (ART) with number 20429.  The reefer came assembled and was missing a few parts as the brake housing and brake wheel.  I believe ART 20429 was RTR car.  Before doing any work on the reefer I decided I should do some research to see if it was worth the effort to repair and upgrade.

I found American Refrigerator Transit (ART) refrigerator data and photos in several good sources in my library.  Sources I used were American Refrigerator Transit (Signature Press, 2017), Railway Prototype Cyclopedia RP CYC 2 (RP CYC Publishing Co., 1998) and Steam Era Freight Cars Reference Manual Volume three: Refrigerator Cars (Speedwitch Media 2017).

The prototype cars were built in the St. Louis A.R.T. Company Shops with kits purchased from American Car & Foundry (AC&F) in late 1939 and assigned to class RS, series 24000-24099.  The kits included underframes, side assemblies and other steel parts.  Murphy panel roofs and square corner steel 4/4 dreadnaught ends came from Standard Railway Equipment Company.

A unique feature of these cars was the use of four horizontally placed steel sheets, two on each side of the door. The upper sheet overlapped the lower sheet where they were joined with a horizontal row of rivets.  I found the term “belt rail” used in one source to describe this unique feature.  Another unusual feature of these cars were the metal guard railings added to the edges of the roof near the ice hatches.

ART Photograph

The Intermountain American Refrigerator Car 24029 car body including lettering and trucks were a good match to prototype photos.  I only had to add or change some detail items.  Therefore, I began the upgrade of the obtained refrigerator by removing grab irons on roof, sides and ends, sill steps under doors, and on the “B” end cutting off the very oversize retainer line and brake rod between the chain and bell crank.  Rather than describe the step by step process of replacing the missing or removed parts I will provide a summary for each section of upgraded items.

On the underbody:

• Intermountain metal  33” wheels installed into trucks with missing wheel sets
• Couplers, Kadee #148 installed
• Truck kingpins drilled and tapped for 2-56 screws
• Trucks installed with Fastenal 1/4” screws
• No changes made on underbody except paint applied to brake components.   All piping and brakes rods could be replaced with appropriate size phosphor bronze wire (PBW) in the future.

Underbody with no upgrade.
(Click or tap on this or any image to enlarge)

Work done on roof:

• Repaired missing ice hatch latches with scrap styrene from bits box
• Grab irons were bent from Tichy #1101 .010” phosphor bronze wire (PBW) with Yarmouth Models eye bolts without shoulder for corner legs
• Kadee metal running board was installed on reefer when obtained.
• Other older ART reefer series did not receive metal running boards until 1951.

Roof with new wire grab irons and repaired ice hatches.
Note: guard railings on roof edges by hatches.

Roof with changes and weathering.

                                      
                                       

Work done on sides:

• Kadee bracket grab irons installed
• Sill steps under doors installed, A-Line metal #29000
• Ladders and placard boards were installed on reefer when obtained
• New 1939 build date on left side of door removed.  A reweigh date to be applied.

Bracket grab irons installed.

Build date removed.  Reweigh date to be applied.

                                      

Work done on “B” end:

• Intermountain brake housing with chain from parts box
• Brake step, Plano Models Products #11322
• Brake step brackets, Evergreen #8102 1” x 2” strip styrene
• Brake wheel, Kadee Universal #2043
• New retainer line, Tichy #1100, .008” PBW
• Brake rod between chain and bell crank, Tichy #1102, .015” PBW

Brake housing, incorrect Tichy Adjax brake wheel,
 retainer line, brake rod and uncoupling lever installed.

Brake step and brackets and 
wire bent grab irons installed.

"B" end finished including a
Kadee Universal Brake wheel.

Work done on car ends:

• Grab irons bent from Tichy #1106 .0125” diameter PBW
• Uncoupling levers bent from Tichy #1106, .0125” PBW
• Uncoupling lever brackets, eye blots from parts box

 

ART 24029 factory applied paint and lettering is the 1931-1947 scheme with the exception of the boxcar red roof.  A.R.T. Car Shops began painting roofs boxcar red in 1948.  Paint used to hand paint detail parts added to ART reefer 24029 to match factory paint were Vallejo/MicroMark #29028X2 Reefer Yellow and Vallejo/MicroMark #29015X2 Boxcar Red.  Vallejo Model Color Black Grey 70.862 was used on trucks.  Vallejo Model Color Black 70.950 was used on sill steps and touch up of black factory painted areas.

The ART reefer was weathered with a light weathering with Pan Pastels, Payne’s Grey Extra Dark 840.1 on roof, sides and ends applied with a makeup brush.  And, on the sides I used Bradgon Powders “Old Yeller” applied with a small paint brush.  I do not apply a clear coat after weathering a car.

ART 24029 lightly weathered.

ART 24029 lightly weathered.

 

American Refrigerator Transit (ART) 24029  was ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, The Lakeland Route, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.”  As for any build or upgrade, a car card was made for ART 24029,  the final step to put the a car in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad.

ART reefer 24029 at Food Producers

ART reefer 24029 at Food Producers.

A big “Thank You” to Ed Hawkins for the photo of ART 24000 and data for class RS, series 24000-24099.  The ART photo (above) shows that this series came with metal running boards when built in 1939.  And, for data to help with build of this car.  And, for permission to use photo in this blog post. 

Thank You for taking time to read my blog.  You can share a comment in the section below if you choose to do so.  Please sign your comment with your name if you choose to leave one.  Please share the blog link with other model railroaders.

Lester Breuer

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Running Board Milling

When describing the build of a freight car with a wood running board I may state I milled the running board thinner or to prototype thickness.  I have been asked why and how I do that.  Why?  A plastic or resin kit running board that is too thick, normally 4 scale inches, does not look right as it is a couple of inches thicker than the prototype.  A plastic running board may already be painted in the same color as the car body and a replacement if used may not match in color.  How I accomplish the milling task I will describe after a review of running board design standards.

The prototype freight car has one longitudinal running board that safety appliances from the 1943 Car Builders Cyclopedia tell us shall not be less than eighteen (18), preferably 20 inches in width, shall extend the full length of car at the center of roof and securely fastened to the car by saddle blocks  (roof saddles) which hold the running board at a level position.  The ends of the running board shall extend beyond the roof to not less than six (6) and not more than ten (10) inches from a vertical plane measured from the inside face of the car’s coupler.

On outside-metal roof cars there shall be two latitudinal extensions not less than twenty-four (24) inches in width from longitudinal running board to ladder locations except on refrigerator cars.

The common wood construction is of three parallel pieces separated sufficiently to allow snow and water to drain through.  The length and width of running boards may be made up of a number of pieces securely fastened to saddle blocks.  The safety standards do not give the thickness dimension for the wood pieces, however, the common size was one-one half (1 1/2) inches to two (2) inches thick.

Various wood running boards
Photo found on internet
(click or tap to enlarge)

Based on the common thickness dimension, I would like a wood running board to be between the two dimensions of 1 1/2 and 2 inches so I chose 1 3/4 inches or .020” in HO scale.  And, I chose .020” as that is an available Evergreen strip styrene size to make a jig to hold a running board during the milling process. 

The jig was made with .040” styrene for the base, mine is 1 1/4” x 7”, on which a running board could be placed and a pencil used to trace around it.  I used Evergreen .020” strip styrene to form a frame around the tracing to hold the running board when inserted.  I found the .040” styrene base to be an insufficient thickness when milling the running board so I glued the existing jig onto .105” styrene to create a thick sturdy base.

Styrene jig

Since I felt I could not justify the price of a mill, I use a Dremel tool mounted in a old style Dremel drill press stand.  The Dremel tool has a Dremel No. 199 cutter bit mounted in the chuck.  I originally found a mill setup described in the April 1982 Railroad Model Craftsman article “5 boxcar improvements” by Dennis Storzek.  I have attached a drill press stand vise into which I added a wood piece cut from a 2 x 4 to serve as my drill press stand table onto which the jig can ride during milling.  The cutter bit is set to just clear the .020” frame on the jig holding the inserted running board.

Milling setup

To start the running board milling process, I cut off the mounting pins on the back side of the running board and insert the running board into the jig with the back side up.

Running board inserted into jig of milling.

I hold the running board in the jig with two hands (not with one in photo as other holding camera), one on each side of the cutter, and push the jig under the cutter removing about a 1/3 to 1/2 of the cutter width from the running board.

Holding running board during milling.

The milling begins at one end of the running board and is repeated until the entire running board is finished.  You want to pace yourself removing the material as if done too fast you can heat up deforming or melting the running board.  I know from experience.

Running board milling started.

Running board milling complete

Once the running board milling is finished it does not have a real smooth surface so I use a single edge razor blade (SERB) as a scraper to scrape the back side of the running board to get a smooth back side.  You must hold down the running board while doing the scraping and do it carefully.  If not the SERB can catch the running board and break it due to its thinned thickness.  You could sand the back side to get the same result.

Single edged razor blade used as scraper

Running board scraped smooth.

My milling method does not always yield the exact target result.  Even after milling and scraping the running board may end up at around .025” thickness which is acceptable to me as that is a HO scale thickness of 2 1/8 inches.  

Once thinned, the running board is ready for mounting on the freight car.  The running board can be installed with various glue types: CA, Barge Cement (a contact cement) and Formula 560 Canopy glue. 

Running board milled as casting was too thick.

Running board milled for color match.

Running board milled for prototype look
and color match.

As myself I believe you too will fine a prototype thick running board makes for a better looking freight car.  And, the thin running board will provide you the satisfaction of having built a better model.

Thank You for taking time to read my blog.  You can share a comment in the section below if you choose to do so.  Please sign your comment with your name if you choose to leave one.  Please share the blog link with other model railroaders.

Lester Breuer

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Milwaukee Road Stock Car 104581

I had not built a a resin kit or stock car for some time.  After review of the to build resin kits, Westerfield Milwaukee Road (MILW) Stock Car, kit 8202, a single deck 36 foot stock car was my choice.  And, after reading and studying the car history provided in the kit and other sources and looking at the decals in the kit I decided number 104581 was the easiest car number to use to decal the car.

The prototype stock car was built by Ryan Car Company in 1927 for the MILW that assigned the car to series 104507 to 105006, Class SM.  Class SM stock cars had a solid tight floor, that is, no drop doors as Class SD.  The kit provided history of the cars tells us no photo of this design exists.  However, MILW car diagrams provide the following data:  general dimensions are the same as the Bettendorf design also built in 1927, slat openings on the sides were uniform, sides and ends were stiffened by Z braces with tapered ends and ends were further strengthened by a steel plate attached over the lower sheathing like the Bettendorf design cars.  However, unlike the Bettendorf cars the Ryan built cars had the modern X-braced door design and probably jacking pads.  A Konker hand brake, an early form of power hand brake that retained the horizontal brake wheel above the roof.  As other classes the SM class had AB brakes applied in 1945 to 1947.  The cars rode on cast side frame trucks their entire service life.

Since no photos of this design exist I used the photo of 104007 ( kit instructions incorrectly state 104507), a Bettendorf design car, that appeared in the 1928 edition of The Car Builders’ Cyclopedia, Simmons-Boardman.  And, the photo of MILW 104440, that appeared in the “Milwaukee 36’ Stock Cars” in the February 1993 issue of Mainline Modeler.  In addition to these photos I used the MILW stock car diagram of car series 104507 to 105006 in the “Official Employees’ Shop Diagrams for In-Service Freight Cars & Cabooses”, Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific Railroad, 1937 (The Milwaukee road Freight Cars).

Photo from "Milwaukee 36 ft. Stock Car"
February 1993 Mainline Modeler

1928 edition of
The Car Builders’ Cyclopedia, Simmons-Boardman

Like any stock car kit the back of the sides were sanded to remove flash.  Once flash was removed I built the car body by gluing together two “L’s” consisting of a side glued to and end which makes the end of the car 9’ 6” wide. Unlike the kit instructions, I did not file or sand a 45 degree angle on the sides and ends to assemble the car body as that gives a 9’ wide end verses the 9’ 6” wide end I found on the plan in the Car Builders’ Cyclopedia.

Basic "L" assembly.

Basic box assembled.

With the car body “L’s” assembled I installed the floor/underbody.  With the underbody in place, I used sanding sticks to do final cleanup between slats on car sides.  The sanding sticks have a pointed end like a sharpened pencil on one end and a slant on the other allowing them to easily get between the car side slats.

Floor installed.

Final cleanup of slats with sanding sticks.

The roof was assembled next; however, not glued to the car body yet.   The kit had the older style roof that requires a roof truss with ridge pole and contour boards be assembled to which the roof sides attach.  I had to add an Evergreen #153, .060” x .060” strip to the ridge pole to which the roof sides are attached to allow the roof to extend correctly over the sides of the car body due to the increased 6” width.  The addition to the ridge pole requires the resin cast roof saddles be shortened 3” on each side.  

Roof  truss assembly with ridge pole and
contour boards

Styrene strip added to ridge pole between roof sides.

Roof  with styrene strip added to roof
ridge pole to properly extend over sides.

After I shortened the roof saddles, I installed the kit provided running board.  The kit running board is too thick as cast so I later removed it, milled to proper thickness and reinstalled it.

Running board installed.

Next some underbody work.  Bolster cover plates, in kit,  were installed.  Coupler pads and truck center plates were drilled for 2-56 screws.  Kadee #262 draft gear boxes with Kadee #148 coupler with Fastenal 3/16” 2-56 screws were installed.  Accurail trucks,  ARA cast steel with spring plank, with InterMountain 33” metal wheels were installed with Fastenal 1/4” 2-56 screws.  The car was weighted to 3.6 ounces with punch-outs from electrical outlet boxes. 

Couplers, trucks and car weight installed.

Now I went back to add details to the car body.  I installed the side and end ladders.  I did not use the kit resin cast ladders.   I built the side and end ladders using Evergreen #8203 2” x 3” strip styrene for the stiles and Plastruct #90850 .010” diameter styrene round rod for the rungs.  With the ladders installed, I installed the brake step (platform) Tichy Train Group (Tichy) set # 3013 and brake shaft step (kit) on the “B” end.  On the sides the door stops (kit) were installed.  Next, all the grab irons on sides and ends, bent from Tichy #1101, .010” diameter phosphor bronze wire (PBW), were installed.

Ladders, door stop and grab irons installed.

Ladders, brake step and brake shaft step installed.

Once all side and end grab irons were installed I used a side cutter to cut off any grab iron wires extending into the inside of the car body.  Next I hand painted the interior with dirty paint thinner.

Inside brushed with dirty paint thinner.

While waiting for the interior to dry.  I hand painted the ladders and grab irons Polly Scale Milwaukee Road Gray, F414158.  With the interior dry, the roof was now glued to the car body.  Running board end bracket made with Evergreen #8102 1” x 2” strip styrene were installed.  Bracket fasteners made with MEK Goop were added.  Roof grab irons provided in the kit and a piece of wire used for the corner leg were installed.  Since I was already on the “B” end I added the retainer line and brackets, Tichy #1100 .008” diameter PBW.  The brake shaft, Detail Associates .015” brass wire, with Kadee #440 18” metal brake wheel and Tichy bracket, set #3013, followed.  I  also installed the kit sill steps to have the hanger portion remain on the car after step portion was cut off and replaced with A-Line # 29000 sill steps later.

Retainer line, brake shaft step and 
brake wheel installed.

Sill steps provided in kit installed to have
mounting portion remain on car after 
step portion cut off.

Back to the underbody to complete the details needed there.  AB brake components, Tichy set #3013, were installed.  Brake component mounting brackets used were a Sunshine Models resin bracket (parts box) for the brake cylinder, cutoff plastic grab irons for the air reservoir and a Tichy bracket from set #3013 for the AB valve.

Other underbody details installed are as follows:

• Train line, .017” floral wire with MEK Goop made couplings
• Brake cylinder lever (live lever), Evergreen #8108, 1” x 8” strip styrene
• Floating brake lever (dead lever), Evergreen  #8106, 1” x 6” strip styrene
• Slack adjuster from parts box
• Brake lever hangers, kit provided wire grab irons
• 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, .012” diameter brass wire in kit
• Brake rod clevises, Tichy turnbuckles #8021
• Chain, A-Line #29219, black 40 links per inch
• Dirt collector from Tichy set #3013 with tee to train line made with MEK Goop

Underbody details installed.

Now I added the final car body details.  The back of the doors were sanded to remove flash and installed.  The molded on door handles were carved off and replaced with door handles made with Tichy #1101 .010” diameter PBW.  The lower door guide was installed with .012” diameter brass wire provided in the kit.  Door hinges to attach door to wire door guide were made with MEK Goop.  On Kit sill steps installed earlier the lower sill step portion cut off and replaced with A-Line #29000 sill step.

Doors with wire door handles, door guides and
sill steps installed.

On the car ends, uncoupling levers bent from .012” diameter brass wire in the kit were installed with kit provided eye blot brackets.

Uncoupling levers installed.

The final assembly step was to add resin kit provided slat plugs cut to size and installed between slats to create the lettering boards needed for lettering to be applied to painted car.  It would have been easier to install the slat plugs prior to gluing the roof to the car body.  Once the slat plugs were installed all detail added parts not already painted with were hand painted with Polly Scale Milwaukee Road Gray, F414158.  My Milwaukee Road built stock car was now ready for final paint color and lettering.

Slat plugs to create lettering boards installed.

MILW Stock Car 104581 ready for final
paint color and lettering.

                                            

The underbody and car body were sprayed Vallejo/MicroMark Model Air Box Car Red X29015X2.  Once dry the car body was sprayed with a Vallejo Model Color mix of: 2 parts Mahogany Brown 70.846 and 1 part Calvary Brown 70.982.  Again when dry, the car body was sprayed with Model Master 4638 Gloss Clear Acryl to provide a gloss decal base.  Trucks were hand painted with both.

Underbody painted.

Car body painted.

After setting overnight, kit provided decals and repack decal from another MILW decal set were soaked off in distilled water and applied with Microscale Micro Set and Micro Sol and Walthers Solvaset.  Again after setting overnight, car body was sprayed with Model Master 4638 Gloss Clear Acryl to better hide the edges of decals.   Again after setting overnight, car body was sprayed with Model Master 4636 Flat Clear Acryl to provide a weathering base and protect the finished car during handling.

Car lettered and clear coats applied.

Car lettered and clear coats applied.

Once the flat clear coat was dry light weathering using Pan Pastels was applied with a small and medium makeup brush.  Pan Pastels used were as follows:  Paynes Grey Extra Dark 840.1 on the roof, sides and ends.  Neutral Grey 820.5 to aged boards.  In addition to Pan Pastels, Artmatic eye shadow makeup was applied on sides and ends with a makeup brush and micro brush applicators between ladder rungs.

MILW Stock Car 104581 weathered.

MILW Stock Car 104581 weathered.

Milwaukee Road stock car 104581 was now ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, The Lakeland Route, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.”  A car card was made for Milwaukee Road stock car 104581,  the final step to put the cars in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad.  Milwaukee Road stock car 104581 joins Milwaukee Road stock car 104392, class SD, I built from Westerfield kit #8201 and put in service in March 2010.

MILW Stock Cars 104581 and 104392 
waiting pickup on CNW Interchange.

MILW Stock Cars 104581 and 104392 
waiting pickup on CNW Interchange.

MILW Stock Cars 104581 and 104392 
waiting pickup on CNW Interchange.

Thank You for taking time to read my blog.  You can share a comment in the section below if you choose to do so.  Please sign your comment with your name if you choose to leave one.  Please share the blog link with other model railroaders.

Lester Breuer

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