When purchasing a True Line Trains Canadian Pacific (CP) box car, RTR TLT 30078, which modelers have given the name”mini” box, my friend offered a second “mini” box car at an excellent price. The initial box car to be purchased was in the CP 1951 stepped gothic lettering scheme. The second box car was lettered for The British Columbia Railway (BCOL) 993080 in a yellow 1967 maintenance of way paint scheme, RTR TLT 3007. Not a good fit for my Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company (M&N) 1955 late spring time period; however, new paint and lettering could change that. Therefore, both cars were purchased.
![]() |
True Line Trains Website page with my Notes added. (Click on this or any image to enlarge.) |
Prototype Canadian Pacific 244680 was among 7,500 steel box cars built from 1929 to 1930 by National Steel Car, Canadian Car & Foundry and Eastern Car. Specifically CP 244680 was among the 1,060 cars in series 244000 to 245059 built by Canadian Car & Foundry. These cars featured an interior height of 8 feet 7 inches. This low interior height is the reason these cars became known as “mini boxcars.” Other features of the cars included a Murphy radial steel flexible roof, Youngstown corrugated 5 foot steel doors, Dreadnaught ends with recessed corrugations and maybe the most significant feature were sill tabs at the bolsters and under the doors. In later years the cars received the second grab iron on the sides, AB brakes and Ajax hand brakes. And, in 1947 these cars received the “Spans the World” paint scheme.
CP 240007 in as delivered lettering scheme. True Line Trains Website Photo |
A black & white photo of the Canadian Pacific box car 246134 in the 1947 “Spans the World” paint scheme can be viewed in Steam Era Freight Cars Reference Manual Volume One: Box & Automobile Cars (Speedwitch Media, 2006, 2007). There you can also view a photo of car 242009 in the as delivered scheme. Another photo of the as delivered scheme of CP 240007 can be viewed on the True Line Trains website. A color photo with the 1951 stepped gothic scheme can be found in Canadian Pacific Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment (Morning Sun Books Inc., 1998).
CP 246134 in 1947 "Span the World" scheme. Ted Culotta Collection |
With prototype BCOL 993080 being a former CP box car it made sense to make True Line Trains BCOL 993080, a ready-to -run (RTR) “mini” box car, once again into a CP lettered “mini” box car with a lettering scheme right for my M&N late spring 1955 time frame. A search of my decal inventory revealed a Black Cat and an unknown decal set to letter a box car with the 1947 “Spans the World” scheme. The unknown set may have come from Funaro & Camerlengo since I did build their CP “mini box”, kit 6660, in 2013. After reviewing the decals I had, I chose number 244680 as 4680 were together in the extra numbers on a decal set.
To start the repaint and lettering of BCOL 9903080 lettering was removed with scratch brush with nylon bristles and makeup cotton swab dipped in 91% isopropyl alcohol.
![]() |
Items used to remove lettering. |
During the lettering removal the size of the retainer line and brake rod on the B end looked and measurements verified were much larger than preferred. Therefore, before painting the box car the retainer line and brake rod were changed. After removal of both, the retainer line was replaced with Tichy Train Group (Tichy) #1100, .008 diameter phosphor bronze wire (PBW) and the brake rod with Tichy #1102, .015 diameter PBW.
Retainer Valve line and Brake rod replaced. |
Was replacing the retainer line and brake rod work worth the effort? In my opinion, wire replacement of these two items was worth the effort. The wire replacements brought these items close to prototype size. The under body piping and brake rods could also be replaced with wire diameter closer to the prototype; however, I did not do that. Maybe a future project to change the piping and brake rods to a better wire size?
After, car on left has retainer line and brake rod changed. Before, car on left does not. |
And, as you see in the above photo the uncoupling lever from the factory on the B end was not installed properly; however, the A end had it properly mounted. Later the B end uncoupling lever was corrected.
With the B end work finished the car was moved to the paint shop. There mounted on a paint stand it was airbrushed with Vallejo Model Color Cavalry Brown #70.982.
![]() |
Car airbrushed Vallejo Model Color Cavalry Brown. |
The color once dry looked a little red so to darken it, it was airbrushed again with a Vallejo Model Color mix of Cavalry Brown #70.982, 50% and Rust #71.080, 50%.
![]() |
Car airbrushed Vallejo Model Color Cavalry Brown and Rust mix. |
Again when dry, the car body was airbrushed with Vallejo Gloss Medium 70.470 to provide a gloss base for decal application.
Black Cat and unknown decals were applied. Decals were soaked off in distilled water and applied to the car body where Microscale Micro Set had been applied with a brush. After the decal was applied in the Micro Set and positioned the edges had Microscale Micro Sol applied. Any excess solution was sucked away with the torn edge of a paper towel.
![]() |
Decals applied. |
![]() |
Decals applied. |
After drying overnight, car body was placed in my other car holder for airbrush work as it does not require couplers and trucks to be removed.
![]() |
Car mounted to airbrush clear coats. |
In the paint booth the car body was airbrushed twice with Vallejo Gloss Varnish #70.510 to better hide edges of decals and protect decals during handling. Again when dry, the car body was sprayed with Mig Ammo Ultra-Matt Lucky Varnish #2054, to protect decals and provide a flat finish for weathering when applied.
![]() |
CP 244680 ready for weathering. |
One more step before putting Canadian Pacific 244680 in service was to weather the car with eye shadow and Pan Pastels. A light brown eye shadow color was applied over entire car body with a large makeup brush. Also applied with a large makeup brush was Pan Pastels Paynes Grey Extra Dark 840.1 used on the roof and lightly over car body and underbody.
Weathering applied. |
Weathering applied. |
Weathering applied. |
Canadian Pacific “mini” box car 244680 was ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, The Lakeland Route, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.” A car card was made for CP 244680, the final step to put the a car in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad.
CP 244680"mini" box car spotted at Perske Bottling. |
CP 244680"mini" box car spotted at Perske Bottling. |
CP 244680"mini" box car spotted at Perske Bottling. |
I want to say, “Thank You” to Ted Culotta for providing photo of Canadian Pacific “mini” box car 246134 and permission to use it here.
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. All comments are reviewed and approved before they appear. Please share the blog link with other model railroaders.
Lester Breuer
.