Vinegar Tank Car SBIX 1641

A food processing industry, Food Producers, a recently added Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company (M&N) customer needs concentrated vinegar to add to food products to improve taste.  Since vinegar is an acid that is corrosive, a vinegar tank car constructed of wood was chosen rather than a metal tank that required an expensive lining.  To be able meet the new service need a resin Sunshine Models, Standard Brands, Inc. wood vinegar tank car, kit 60.3, was added to the roster.  The vinegar tank car kit was given to me by my good friend Steve Steele.  Steve purchased two identical complex kits at a flea market at a very reasonable price and after building one gifted me the other.

The prototype Standard Brands, Inc. wood vinegar tank cars with reporting marks SBIX, series 1448 to 1646, AAR class TW, had an early horizontal wood tank, held together together by a series of rods under tension applied with cast clamps.  The tank rode on a set of saddles mounted on a welded fish belly underframe.  The wood tank was protected by end frames fabricated of “H” beams, channels and wood.  Two diagonal bands (“X” braces) ran from the end frame to the opposite bolster to protect against movement.  The Prototype Data Sheet (PDS) in the kit states most vinegar tank cars rode on planked cast side frame trucks.

Photo of SBIX  1617 on Sunshine Models PDS, Bob's Photo.
(Click on this or any photo to enlarge)

In addition to the above photo that can be purchased from Bob’s Photo, additional vinegar tank cars photos to aid in the build of the tank car are found in Prototype Data Sheet #60, “Fleischmann’s and Standard Brands’ Wood Horizontal Tank Vinegar  Car”, provided in the kit.  Photos are also available in Ted Culotta’s article discussing his construction of this kit in his “Essential Freight Cars” series in Railroad Model Craftsman (March 2005).

The first step in the build of the Sunshine Models resin vinegar tank car is the tank assembly.  A task that requires a resin cast rolled tank shell be glued at the bottom seam to the form tank (hollow tube) into which the ends are glued.  The tank ends require a large amount of material to be removed to fit inside the tank shell.  Therefore, you have to be very careful to keep the ends round when removing material.  Today I believe the tank would be cast as one piece making for easier car assembly.

Looking at the tank shell, I thought the hollow assembled tank shell might deform or be easily be damaged in the future unless it had an inner core - a dowel.  For the dowel I cut a broom handle several inches longer than the tank and sanded it to the inner one inch diameter of the tank.  An easier way to obtain the 1” dowel for the interior would be to purchase it at the local home improvement store.  I inserted the dowel  into the tank shell without glue for support to position one tank end and glue it in place.  With the one tank end in place, I removed the dowel and cut it to the remaining inside length of the tank less the width of the other tank end.  Now, I cut the dowel in half and cut off/out an area in the middle to hold the weights.  The electric outlets box punch outs I use worked great here to add 2 and 1/2 ounces of weight.  Of course, washers or bolt nuts would work just as well.  I glued the weights to the middle of the dowel with contact cement, inserted the dowel into the tank shell without glue and installed the other end to complete the tank with a solid interior.  The added weight brought the finished car with trucks installed to 3.6 ounces.

Tank formed.  One end installed and half of dowel inserted.
Weights to be glued to wood dowel prior to inserting.

I moved on to the tank underframe cutting out the flash which is saved as it contains various cast detail parts for the tank car.  The areas where flash was removed were sanded with an emery nail board for final finish.   A flora wire train line was installed next.

Train line installed.  Wire drill made from 
.032" piano wire below used to drill train line holes.

Next the tank saddles were installed per kit instructions.  After the tank saddles were installed I wrapped 100 grit sand paper around a section of a 1” dowel and sanded the saddles for a better tank fit.

Tank saddles installed.

With the tank saddles mounted, the end frames were installed next.   After the end frames were in place, I installed Kadee #262 coupler boxes with #148 whisker couplers and Accurail ARA cast steel with spring plank trucks with InterMountain 33” metal wheels.  Both were installed with Fastenal 2-56 x 1/4” screws in holes drilled and tapped for 2-56 screws.  Tichy Train Group (Tichy) plastic .020”, and Kadee .010” fiber washers were added to bolster center plate to gain proper coupler height.

End frames installed.

End frames installed side view.

Now the detailing could begin.   I installed the access hatch (named porthole in kit instructions) at the top of the tank offset to the “B” end followed by the resin end and side walkways.

Access hatch and walkways installed.

Back to the underframe to complete details.  I installed resin brake components brackets, plastic brake components, predrilled for piping, and plastic brake levers (both Cal-Scale) provided in kit.  I added a slack adjuster to the floating lever from the parts box.  Piping and brake rods followed:

• Piping from air reservoir to AB valve, .010” diameter brass wire.
• Pipe from brake cylinder to AB valve, Tichy Train Group, (Tichy) #1106, .0125” diameter phosphor bronze wire (PBW).
• Brake rods, Tichy #1106, .0125” diameter PBW.
• Chain, brake cylinder lever to brake rod, A-Line #29219, black 40 links per inch.

Brake components installed.

Brake piping and rods installed.

With underframe complete, the car body details were added beginning with grab irons and sill steps provided in the kit.

Sill steps and grab irons installed.

The most tedious and difficult part of the build, the tank bands were next.  Per the instructions the install of 28 to 34 wire (rod) and 4 resin strap tanks bands was required.  After studying prototype photos I laid out the position of the rod bands with tension clamps and strap tank bands in pencil on the tank.  The .015” brass wire in the kit was long enough to do two rod tank bands so before adding the rod tank bands, I cut all rod brass wires in half.  I deviated from the instructions on the tank bands install as I felt my method was more accurate and easier for me.

I drilled the two holes in a tank band tension clamp (resin cast part) with a #79 drill, mounted in the chuck of a 850 Dremel tool, to enable a tight fit of the .015” brass wire rod end into it.  If a loose fit is preferred a #78 drill could be used.  I glued the tension clamp to a location on the tank with CA.  I took one of the many  .015” brass wires and preformed a rod tank band on the PVC pipe provided in the kit for this task.  Once I had the rod tank band preformed, I inserted one end of the rod tank band into the tension clamp and glued it with CA.  I now worked the wire rod band around the tank tacking it with CA every half inch or so until I reached the other side of the tension clamp.  At this point, the wire rod is longer than needed so the rod wire is cut at the half point of the tension clamp and inserted. It still might be a little too long for the hole drilled in the tension clamp so the rod wire must be taken out and a tad cut off until a proper fit is achieved. I had to do this tedious task several times on many of the rod wires as I did not want to cut off too much to have the rod wire tacked around the tank get too short.

Rod and strap tank bands location marked on tank
 in pencil and a few bands installed.

With the wire rod tank band install being tedious due to the number required, I took a break from installing them and installed “B” ends details.  A brake gear housing (Cal-Scale in kit) was installed per photos after the molded on chain was cut off as too short to go below the end walkway.  An A-Line, #29219, black 40 links per inch section of chain was installed.  A Kadee Adjax brake wheel was installed.  I added the uncoupling lever bracket and eye bolt bent from Tichy #1101, .010” diameter wire, for the later to be added uncoupling lever.

Brake housing, Ajax brake wheel, new chain
and uncoupling lever brackets installed.

Back to finishing the tank bands. Finally, the wire rod tank bands were installed.

All rod tank bands finally completed.

The install of the strap tank bands followed.  Prior to their install, the tank saddles mounted over the bolsters had the end recess painted Vallejo Black #70.950, and the end plate with oval hole installed.  The tension bracket on the tank band was drilled with a #79 drill and a .015” brass wire, about an inch long, was inserted and glued for the mounting rod.  A strap tank band rod end was installed in a hole drilled into a underframe cross member on one side of the tank and glued.  The strap band was then carefully wrapped around the tank and the rod on the other end installed into a hole drilled into the same bolster on the other side.

Strap tank bands installed.  Note plate on
end of tank saddles mounted over bolsters.

Now to complete the remaining tank detailing.  A retainer valve with mount (cast resin kit part) was drilled for retainer line and installed near “B” end on the left side.  The brackets for the retainer line were the two supplied kit eye bolts.  And, the retainer line, .008” brass wire provided in the kit was installed.  Tichy handrail brackets from Tichy Tank Detail set #3007, were installed per photos; however, the end handrail brackets I bent from Tichy #1101, .010” PBW.  The .019” brass wire handrails were installed. The kit provided resin cast elbows I felt were too large so I replaced them with elbows made with MEK Goop (plastic melted in MEK).  Another solution for the corner elbows would be to bend them from appropriate size tubing.

Retainer line installed.  And, handrails installed.

Handrails with Tichy and end made brackets
 installed. Elbows made with MEK Goop.

"B" end with details except for
uncoupling levers installed.

Once the hand rails were installed, the diagonal (“X”) braces mounted between the top of the end frame and bolster on the other end were installed.  The resin cast braces were replaced with braces made from Evergreen # 8106, 1” x 6” strip styrene with .025” styrene rod (kit) glued to them for the brace end rods were installed.  The clamp attached where the “X” braces meet is a resin part in kit.  With “X” braces installed, side lettering boards sanded to tank shape and Tichy diamond shape tack boards (replaced resin cast ones in kit) from Tichy Tank Car Detail set #3007, were installed.  

"X" braces and side lettering boards installed.
Tension clamps, other details and trucks painted.

All that remained to do was to install the uncoupling levers, bent from Tichy #1106, .1026” PBW.  The uncoupling levers were installed after the car was painted.

Uncoupling lever installed.

In the paint shop the tension clamps for the wire rod tank bands, coupler pockets, trucks and brake components were hand painted with Model Master Aluminum (see "X" braces photo above).  Once dry, the car was sprayed with Vallejo Model Air Aluminum #71.062.  Again when dry the car was sprayed with Vallejo Gloss Varnish, 70.510, to provide a gloss base for decals.

Car painted with Vallejo Aluminum.

Car painted with Vallejo Aluminum.

Rail Graphics decals printed in black, lettering color used in the 1950s, were applied using MicroScale Micro Sol setting solution.  I chose number 1641 that had a listed capacity of 100,000 and was still in service based on a 1955 Official Railway Equipment Register (ORER).  Some of the decal car numbers on the decal sheet are for 80,000 capacity cars and one would not know that unless an ORER was used to check the numbers.  The number 1641 was two decals cut from the numbers and the date 2-54 replaced the original date on the lower side lettering board.  The car data decal for the placard board on the end of the car was not printed the correct size; however, I used it as printed.

Decals provided in kit applied.

Decals provided in kit applied.

Once decals were dry the car was sprayed with Vallejo Matt Varnish #70.520.  And, when the Matt varnish coat was dry, a weathering coat was sprayed on the car using a mix of  Vallejo Model Color #70.862 Black Grey, 2% or one drop and thinner 98% or 40 drops.  In addition, Pan Pastels Payne’s Extra Dark Grey, 840.1 was applied in various areas with a micro applicator.

Car weathered with air brush and Pan Pastels.

Car weathered with airbrush and Pan Pastels.

After weathering with air brush and Pan Pastels,  SBIX 1641  was ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.”  A car card was made for SBIX 1641, the final step to put it in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad.

Vinegar tank car SBIX 1641 spotted 
at Food Producers, Inc.

Vinegar tank car SBIX 1641 spotted 
at Food Producers, Inc.

I want say, “Thank You” to Steve Steele  for the Sunshine Models Vinegar Tank Car kit.  A challenge to build; however, I am pleased to have had the opportunity to experience and learn from.  And, like Steve I prefer not to build another.

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

C&O 1013 Covered Hopper Upgrade

I received a RTR Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) covered hopper, C&O 1013, a Kato 70 Ton 2 bay, painted black with white lettering from Ron Christensen along with a pill bottle filled with foundry sand from Michigan.   Ron was aware I used a mix of unused white and used black foundry sand for my ballast.  The large pill bottle had enough sand to make a sand load or ballast a siding on the railroad.   The upgraded hopper will be used to deliver sand to Randolph Anchor Glass Plant, a new customer in Randolph, Minn. serviced by the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company.

When I asked for information regarding C&O 1013, class LO, on website http://main@RealSTMFC.groups.io.  Ed Hawkins provided this comprehensive response:

"All C&O LO’s of the 1958 cu. ft. design built from 1937 thru 1953 were painted entirely black with white stencils. Builders included ACF, GATC, Ralston Steel Car Co., and Pullman-Standard. Data & selected builder & in-service photos were published in RP CYC Volumes 27 (ACF), 28 (GATC) and 30 (RSC, P-S). 

The model of C&O 1013 is intended to represent a prototype car from series 800-1299, 500 cars built ca. 12-48 to 2-49 by Ralston Steel Car Co. (lot 2575). A Ralston builder photo of C&O 1143 was published on p. 239 of the 1949-51 Car Builders’ Cyclopedia. It shows the car painted “builder gray” that was done by some car builders to better illustrate the car’s details, rather than the production scheme painted black that tended to make the details more difficult to discern. In-service photos of C&O 823 (original paint, 3-54 reweigh) & 1211 (6-57 repaint) were published on p. 91 of RP CYC, Volume 30.

Regarding the decoration of the model, the final three orders of C&O’s 1958 cu. ft. LO covered hopper cars built in 1948, 1952, and 1953 (the last two series from Pullman-Standard as shown on pages 36-38 of RP CYC Volume 30) came with the C and O for Progress monogram with steam trail. Whereas the model has the later straight-line version of the monogram, which would represent a repainted car circa 1955 or later. Missing on the model to the right of the Lt. Wt. line are stencils to identify the reweigh station symbol & date stencils that could reflect where & when the car was repainted - perhaps something like RA 9-55 to represent the repainted car weighed at C&O’s Raceland, Kentucky car shops. This is easily lettered with decals as well as some journal box repack stencils that the model also lacks. 

While I don’t have an exact date when the “For Progress” monogram change occurred, photos of new cars denote it was between 2-54 & 9-55. Hope this helps."

Mont Switzer Collection, Bob's Photo
(click on this or any photo to enlarge)

I began the upgrade by disassembling the hopper and adding 1/4 oz. tire weights to the interior to bring the hopper weight to 3.6 ounces.  While trucks were removed for disassembly, the bolsters were tapped for 2-56 screws.  When I assembled the car to continue upgrade I used Fastenal 1/4 inch screws to attach trucks.

I continued with two easy upgrade items.  After removing the Kato running boards, I installed Kadee hopper Apex Tri-Lok running boards after cutting off the mounting pins on the running boards and on the end support brackets.  Next the Kato Ajax brake wheel was replaced with a Kadee Ajax brake wheel.

Kadee running boards.

Kadee running boards and Adjax brake wheel installed.

C&O 1013 hopper upgrade continued with the more difficult items.  I carved off all the grab irons with a custom shaped number 17 Xacto blade in a Xacto Number five handle.  I also like to use the Micro-Mark mini scalpel blades and handles for this task. 

Xacto handle with custom ground #17 blade
and Micro-Mark mini scalpel blades and handles.
(click on this or any other photo to enlarge)

Close up of blades.

I installed straight or drop grab irons I bent from Tichy Train Group (Tichy) #1101, .010” diameter phosphor bronze wire (PBW).  All ladder rungs were removed with a side cutter, single edge razor blade and the custom shaped number 17 Xacto blade.  I replaced the ladder rungs with drop type grab rungs again bent from Tichy #1101 .010” diameter PBW.

Grab irons and ladder rungs installed on left side.

Grab irons and ladder rungs on right side and "A" end.

The Kato non-see through brake step was replaced next.   The Kato brake step was pulled off.  The brackets were cut off from the back and glued to a new see through brake step cut from a Kadee Apex running board.  The new Kadee brake step with Kato brackets was installed.

New Kadee brake step
with Kato brackets.

Another view of new brake step.

Every hopper upgrade needs to have the very visible train line on the right side added.  I installed the eye bolts brackets bent from Tichy #1101 .010” PBW to hold the train line.  A train line using .017” green flora wire for the train line was installed.  In addition, the tow loops, bent from Tichy #1101 .010” diameter PBW were installed.  

Train line and tow loops installed.

The final upgrade item on the hopper was the uncoupling levers. Uncoupling lever brackets, eye bolts bent from Tichy #1101, were installed.   The install of uncoupling levers bent from Tichy #1106, .0125” PBW followed.

Uncoupling levers have been installed.

With upgrade items completed, C&O 1013 was ready to have upgrade items painted.  All upgrade items were hand painted Vallejo Black, 70.950.  I was not happy with the way the running boards looked.  Therefore, running boards and roof as the ends were sprayed Vallejo Black, 70.950, after the sides were covered with 3M Scotch blue Painter’s Tape.  The Vallejo Black was thinned 50% with a custom mix of distilled water, Vallejo air brush thinner,71.161 and Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver,71.562.  When the Black was dry C&O 1013 was sprayed with Vallejo Matt Varnish, 70.520 since I did not apply additional decals with reweigh data or journal box repack stencils that the model lacks.  I may go back later and add them.

Roof spayed and weathered.

And, when the Matt varnish coat was dry, weathering using Pan Pastels was applied.  Pan Pastels used were as follows:  Black, 800.5 and Payne’s Extra Dark Grey, 840.1. The weathering may be too heavy for some modelers.

Side view of weathered hopper.

3/4 view of weathered C&O 1013.

After weathering with Pan Pastels  C&O 1013  was ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.”  A car card was made for C&O 1013,  the final step to put it in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad.

C&O 1013 sitting on Randolph Anchor Glass Plant
unloading track.

Another view of C&O 1013 waiting to be spotted
on unloading grate at Randolph Anchor Glass Plant.

I want say, “Thank You” to several people for their help with this build.  A “Thank You” to Ron Christensen for the hopper.   A “Thank You” to Ed Hawkins for help with the prototype and model information provided  in this blog post to help with the build of this car .  And, a “Thank You” to Mont Switzer for his photo help and information regarding this build.

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

Expansion - Randolph Industries Part II

With three of the industries in Randolph finished except for a few minor details, I began to build General Tire And Rubber, the final industry.  I decided to use a Timberline II  kit, a two story brick warehouse, kit 1004-2495, that arrived as a surprise package from my good friend George Toman.   When I asked George about the surprise package he explained the kit was left to him by a friend that had recently passed.  He now had two warehouse kits since he already had the kit.  When he read my blog post on changes to Tunnel City in which I said I was going to add the Randolph expansion, he sent the Timberline II warehouse kit guessing I might be able to use it in Randolph.  He guessed right.

When I saw the the photo of the built warehouse on the box cover with the unique exterior trusses and dock hoist, I knew I wanted to build the warehouse kit to house a customer in Randolph.  My excitement to build the warehouse kit took a hit when I opened  the kit to exam the contents.  The Timberline II warehouse kit contents are building sides and ends printed on ten ply card,  thin cardboard ( named RR board in the kit) for roof and floors, scale lumber, embossed brick paper, white metal castings of windows, doors and other detail parts, drawings of each side and an isometric drawing 1/2 HO scale with letters on the drawing to indicate the part involved and numbers to indicate the step in the instructions.

Photo of warehouse on Timberline II box cover.
( click on this on any photo to enlarge )

Drawings in kit.

Some kit contents and cardboard template to assemble warehouse.

After looking at the kit drawings of the warehouse I knew the sides were the length I needed and one end was the correct width; however, the other was not as I needed it to be shorter.  The kit drawings were for a building with a rectangle footprint and my allotted space footprint  for General Tire And Rubber was for a convex quadrilateral referred to as a trapezoid building footprint.  I would need to make a cardboard footprint of the building to assemble the warehouse in the modified shape I wanted after I positioned the dock.

Before I started the General Tire And Rubber building I started with the trackside dock.  I found the kit dock scribed decking; however, I did not want to cut all the wood posts and framing from the scale lumber to build the sub structure.  Therefore, I looked through my saved building parts from prior kits and found plastic molded dock framing with posts attached.  The plastic framing was for a longer dock then the kit dock drawing which had the dock only the length of the building.   I liked the longer length as I wanted to connect the hoist dock on end of the building with the one on trackside.  I glued the wood dock decking to the plastic framing with Testors tube cement.  Of all the glues I use, I still find Testors tube cement is the best for attaching wood to plastic.   To locate the dock, I determined the dock distance from the track with a National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) track gauge and set it in place.

Plastic dock posts and framing with kit wood decking.

With dock in place, I used cardboard to make a footprint template for General Tire And Rubber building to help with assembly.  The  square attached to the trapezoid footprint is for space to be occupied by the hoist dock on the end of the building. 

Cardboard footprint template I made to help warehouse assembly.

I began the build of the warehouse by cutting out the sides, ends and roof elevator shaft enclosure from the printed cards with a Xacto knife with a #11 blade followed by cutting out the windows and doors from the cut out sides and end.  Embossed brick paper was glued to the card sides and ends with rubber cement.   Openings for the windows and doors were made by making a vertical cut from the interior in the middle of the brick paper covering the opening and a cut across the top and bottom of the each opening with Xacto knife with #11 blade. The brick paper was now folded and glued to the inside ( interior side) of the card openings.  I changed from rubber cement to Elmers white glue for this task.   Three buildings sides, the long side blank wall, trackside wall and short hoist wall had the kit scale lumber foundation glued to them and then they were glued together with  Elmer’s white glue. 

Three walls glued together after window and
 door openings made and walls glued to foundation.

The brick paper covered sides were colored with Primsacolor pencils:  tuscan red, PC937 and dark umber, PC947.  Pan Pastel neutral grey, # 820.5, was applied over the colored brick walls with a cotton swab.   Again, the brick paper was colored with the Prismacolor pencils.  Pilasters on the building, kit lumber with brick paper covering three sides, were installed and colored as other brick described above.  

Bricks colored with Prismacolor pencils and
Pan Pastel Neutral Grey.

Interior bracing provided in the kit was cut to fit with a Northwest Shortline chopper and installed.  Floors and roof cut from heavy cardboard to replace the thin RR card provided in the kit were installed.   Since floors were tightly fitted to the building walls, a cut was made in their length to allow removal after doors and windows installed.

Interior bracing and removable bottom floor installed.

Cardboard floors installed in the interior.
Front wall with windows and doors not yet cut out sits in front.

I continued the build of the building by completing the front wall of the building even if it would face the backdrop when in place.  Wood kit parts were cut and fitted for the stone trim.  The roof was covered with 320 black wet/dry sandpaper attached with rubber cement.  The elevator shaft enclosure walls were covered with the brick paper and the roof with the same sandpaper as the main roof.   Roof trusses, a unique feature of building, were glued up from the kit wood parts modified to the new roof footprint size. 

The dock and dock hoist, a second unique feature of the kit, were built next.   I cut the scale kit lumber per drawings for the dock posts, framing and attached the scribed wood decking.  In my scale lumber supply I used matching scribed wood to complete the trackside dock decking and the connection I wanted from the hoist dock to it.  On the front of the trackside dock I installed the post bracing in a different pattern then used on the Food Producers building next door.  The kit white metal castings for the hoist frame were installed and painted with Model Master steel, # 1780.

Front wall, roof with trusses, end dock and hoist and installed.

Back wall, roof with trusses, end dock and hoist view. 

Dock bracing on the two building docks is a different pattern.

Now I sprayed the windows and doors using a Color-Place rattle can with a fast dry paint color called fire red.  While  the windows were drying I installed steps from the parts box on the end of the trackside dock and stained the docks with FloquiI Oak (S123) Flo-Stain and dirty Dio-Sol thinner.  The brick wall portions showing above the roof were covered with brick paper and colored to match the exterior brick walls.  I finished the exterior roof trusses by adding the wire to represent the truss rods and installed the kit white metal castings for the rod plate and blots.  A roof access hatch was cut from kit lumber, painted to match windows and doors and installed.

Once the windows and doors were dry I installed them in the opening from the interior with the exception of the office doors installed from the outside.  The wood lintels for windows and doors and the window sills were cut from the scale lumber with NWSL chopper and installed with Elmers white glue and painted PollyScale Depot Buff.  The diamonds at the top of the pilasters are white metal castings provided in the kit.

Docks are stained. Windows with lintels and stiles
 and doors with lintels installed in front wall. Wood
trusses have details added.

The trackside dock roof  was next.  I installed the kit provided roof brackets, white metal castings , on the building and attached the wood roof.  I decided to cover the wood roof with Campbell Scale Models corrugated aluminum roofing, #801.  I attached the Campbell corrugated roofing with barge cement.  The corrugated roofing was painted with Model Master steel #1780.

Trackside dock wood roof installed.  

After the wood trackside  roof  was installed I stained the roof trusses with Floquil Oak stain and dirty Dio-Sol paint thinner while the glue set.  It was the same method I used to stain the decks except I also used some of sediment "gunk" from the bottom of the Dio-Sol bottle to make the trusses darker than the docks.

Trackside dock roof with corrugated roofing installed.

I assembled the block and tackle for the dock hoist.  I replaced the kit piano wire to be used for the chain with 50 links of brass chain gifted me by Bill Welch. I also added the metal chimney and vent details to the roof.

Block and Tackle with chain added to pulleys installed on hoist.

Final roof details added and block and tackle painted.

With. General Tire And Rubber building now complete I wanted to get the backdrop installed.  The backdrop is 1/8 inch masonite finished on one side.  I cut masonite backdrop sections 18 1/2 inches wide from 2 x 4  feet pieces purchased at the local home improvement store.  The finished railroad side is painted sky blue and the back side to match the layout room area.  The backdrop is installed with fourteen inches above the benchwork and four and one-half inches under the benchwork fascia.  The four and one-half inches of backdrop under the benchwork fascia rest on the bottom screws attaching the fascia and are secured with the top fascia screws which also pass through it.

Backdrop painted sky blue installed behind Randolph
as viewed from the Randolph Glass Plant end.

Backdrop painted sky blue installed behind Randolph
as viewed from the Wildung Team Track end.

Backdrop is inserted resting on bottom fascia screws.  Top
fascia screws also pass through backdrop to hold it in place.

While the painted backdrop was drying I built and installed the end of road guard  on the end of the road next to the track for the road serving the Food Producers and Randolph Anchor Glass.  I  built the end of road guard using dimensions provided on drawing in NMRA data sheet, Streets And Roads, D2g, issued April 1957.

End of road guard installed at track.

My Randolph expansion is ready for the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company to begin serving the new customers gained.  And, it is ready to exchange cars with the  Chicago Great Western connection there.  With a card box, phone and drink holder installed on the Randolph fascia, all that remains is to makeup the necessary waybills to create the customer traffic for operating sessions.

Not a lot of freight cars yet as waybills
 for the Randolph industries need to be made.

Phone, card box and fold up drink up holder
 installed on Randolph fascia.

Work table and throttle holder added to fascia. 
And,  a few new cars coming to the railroad.

Another, “Thank You” to George Toman for providing the Timberline II warehouse kit to build the General Tire And Rubber building and Bill Welch for the 50 links per inch brass chain used for the block and tackle on the Timberline II hoist.  

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