Soo Line (Wisconsin Central) box car 133542

Another build has produced a single-sheathed Soo Line (Wisconsin Central) "sawtooth" box car numbered 133542, now in revenue service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company.  The Soo Line (Wisconsin Central) box car is Speedwitch Media, resin Kit 108.2, that once built can be lettered for a Soo Line box car or a Soo Line (Wisconsin Central) box car. The prototype cars were built in 1923.  Using the same design, 500 cars built in March by American Car & Foundry were assigned numbers for the Soo Line, series 39200-40198 (even numbers), and 500 cars built in April by Pullman Car Company were assigned numbers for the Soo Line (Wisconsin Central), series 133400-134398 (even numbers). When I completed my previous build of this same resin kit, I numbered the car 39826 in the Soo Line series ( the build is posted on this blog) so I numbered this build 133542 in the Wisconsin Central series. The only difference in the Soo Line cars and the Wisconsin Central cars were the number series and a small "W.C." lettered in the upper left hand corner on the car side with a trust plate under it. The Speedwitch Media kit instruction sheet history portion states these cars closely followed the Canadian Pacific Fowler design; however, with some exceptions. The most distinctive feature of the cars was the method used to tie the crossbearers and body bolsters into the side structural members. The zee bar structural members extended below the side sill and tied into the ends of the crossbearers and bolsters.  This arrangement has been called the "sawtooth" single sheathed design by freight car researchers. The Soo Line Freight Equipment and Cabooses book by Ken J. Soroos, on page 11, states these cars were the last of the 40 ft. single-sheathed cars built with five-foot doors and peaked roofs. The cars became the dominant visual standard for Soo Line box cars into the 1950's.

Click or tap on photo to enlarge

The kit has an excellent one piece body so I start by fitting the underbody into the car body.  I did use or make some parts not in the kit.  I used Kadee #262 couplers boxes rather than the resin cast kit ones. The Kadee coupler boxes being shorter than the resin kit boxes created a gap between the mounted coupler box and the truck bolster.  I filled this gap with scrap Evergreen .080x.080 styrene pieces.  Other changes I made included brake levers made from Evergreen #8108 1x8" and #8106 1x6" strip styrene, and .019" diameter soft brass wire, was used for the train line.  A tee made available due to efforts of Tom Madden and Geroge Toman and printed by Shapeways was installed on the train line to hook up the Tichy Train Group (Tichy) , set #3013, dirt collector. In addition, a half of Tichy, #8021, turnbuckle was used for a clevise on brake rodding and A-Line, #29219, black 40 links per inch was used. The Accurail Andrews trucks provided in the kit received InterMountain 33" metal wheels after molded on brake shoes were removed. The Soo Line freight car diagram found in the Freight Car Diagrams book published by the Soo Line Historical And Technical Society Archives Committee states these were 33" cast iron wheels so a ribbed back rather than the smooth back wheel might be better.

 

Look for Madden/Toman tee on train line

 

With underbody work done, I added the "B" end details. I added a bracket to the brake shaft and a two brackets to the retainer line on the "B" end.  I bent the top mounted uncoupling levers from Tichy, #1106, .0125" diameter phosphor bronze wire and installed them with the Detail Associates provided eyebolts for brackets.

 

On the sides I made only two minor changes. I carved off the cast door handles and replaced them with ones I bent from .010" diameter brass wire. I added a trust plate, cut from removed resin flash, to the upper left on the side of the car.

Next I completed the roof details.  All running boards are in the kit as is the 1x4" strip styrene you use to form the support brackets for the laterals.  I did add lateral support bracket fasteners using MEK Goop, plastic melted in MEK. I used Yarmouth Models Works etched eyebolts, #YMW 256, for the roof grab irons corner brackets rather than the supplied eyebolts. I also made the longitudinal running board extension support brackets from Evergreen, #8102, 1x2" strip styrene which can be see in the photo of the "B" end.

The Wisconsin Central box car was now moved to the paint shop. Before paint application, I washed the car body with a makeup cotton swab dipped in 91% isopropyl alcohol to remove any final traces of mold release agent and build grime.  I next sprayed the underbody Vallejo Model Air Dark Grey Blue, 71.054 (tarnished black).  The color for the box car body was based on the paint color mix of Zinc Chrome Primer with a touch of Red Oxide suggested in the kit instructions.  I used the suggested colors to create a paint mix of Polly Scale Zinc Chrome Primer, F414293, 50 drops and Model Master Oxide Red Flat, #4882, 10 drops, thinned with a custom thinner mix of distilled water, Vallejo air brush thinner and flow improver, to spray the car body. The paint mix after applied to the car, in my opinion, is a nice match for colors photos of early Soo Line box cars in The Soo Line Freight Equipment and Cabooses book by Ken Soroos.  Once the paint was dry I sprayed the car body with Model Master, #4638, Gloss Clear Acryl for a decal base.  Kit decals, with design credit to Ken Soroos of the Soo Line Historical & Technical Society, were applied using MicroScale Micro Set and Micro Sol.  Once dry the decals were cut through on board lines on the car body with a single-edged razor blade and recoated with MicroScale Micro Sol.  I like to cut the decals and recoat as it provides the model with the appearance that the lettering is really painted on the wood sides.  Again after the decals were dry the car body was sprayed with Model Master, #4636, Flat Clear Acryl for decal and handling protection. No weathering yet.

 

 

Wisconsin Central single-sheathed "sawtooth" box car 133542 is now in revenue service along with Soo Line 39826 showing light weathering.

 

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Lester Breuer