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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Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern Ventilated Refrigerator 942

While watching a presentation by Eric Hansmann on ventilated boxcars the Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern (FtDDM&S or FDDM&S) appeared on a chart showing it had ten ventilated box cars.   I thought I might build one; however, it was not to be as no photos available.  After the presentation I checked the 1953 Official Railway Equipment Register (ORER) finding seven ventilated refrigerator cars, class VS, of series 932 - 946 (evens) on the roster.  In  the 1955 ORER there were still three cars on the roaster in this series.  A FtDDM&S ventilated refrigerator became the new build project.

I contacted Eric asking about the ventilated refrigerator series as I was considering building a model of one for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company (M&N).  Eric provided the information he had and referred me to Ray Breyer who might have information on the ventilated refrigerator series.  Ray not only had information, he also provided a photo of FtDDM&S ventilated refrigerator 942.   The photo made the build of the  FtDDB&S  942 ventilated refrigerator possible. 

Ray Breyer Collection
(click or tap on this or any image to enlarge)

Ray’s suggested choice as a starting point for the build was an Accurail wood refrigerator kit.   I agreed as outside dimensions compared well with those in the ORER for this series.   Therefore, I picked a 5th Avenue Car Shops ventilated wood refrigerator from my inventory.  A car manufactured by Accurail, a 4800 series wood refrigerator, lettered from Illinois Central (IC) drawings for the IC for 5th Avenue Car Shops.  The IC ventilated refrigerator was out of service by my M&N late spring 1955 time period making it available for the build.

I began the build by removing the IC lettering: name, number and reporting marks, from the car with a cotton swab dipped in 91% isopropyl alcohol and a nylon scratch brush.  The reweigh date was changed later.

Lettering removed.

Once lettering was removed molded on grab irons, ladders, and brake step (platform) were carved off and sill steps cut off.   I used the remaining ladder lines to drill #79 holes for wire grab irons and ladder rungs.  I touched up the sides with a Vallejo mix of 2/3 Model Air Gold Yellow 71.078, and 1/3 Model Color Flat Yellow 70.953.

Grab iron and grab iron ladder holes drilled.

After another review of the “B” end on the prototype photo, I knew the fascia on the end of the car body needed to be changed and a new end sill added.  I cut the fascia to the shape of the prototype with a #11 scalpel blade in a scalpel blade handle and #17 chisel blade in and Xacto handle..  I scribed the board lines with the back of #11 blade in an Xacto handle.   I used a circular saw blade mounted on a mandrel in a  Dremel tool to cut away the sill boards to install a new steel end sill cut from Evergreen #273, I-Beam .100.”  The poling pockets cut off the car prior to the new end sill install were now installed on the new end sill.

New steel end sill with poling pockets installed.

I installed a brake shaft roof/fascia bracket, Sunshine Models resin part from parts box, on the car body.  I set the car body aside and I glued a .040” x .040” styrene piece to the top of the draft gear boxes on the under body to form the draft gear casting (casting around coupler on sill).  I installed Kadee #148 whisker couplers in the draft gear boxes and Accurail ARA cast steel with spring plank trucks with InterMountain 33” metal wheels on the underbody.   The kit provided weight was installed with Formula 560 Canopy glue bringing the car weight to 4.0 ounces.  The weight had to be clamped to the underbody while the glue dried.  After glue set the underbody was installed in the car body.  

Note brake shaft roof bracket and styrene strip
added to top for draft gear to form
draft gear casting.

Now I cut three small right triangles from .010” sheet styrene and glued them to the earlier installed .040” x .040” styrene strip to complete the draft gear casting.  I also installed the brake shaft sill step that had been cut off the removed sill portion after the molded filled portion was removed by drilling a hole into the mold filled center and cleaned up with a broach.

Note draft gear casting around coupler and
 reworked brake shaft step. 

Next I milled the kit provided running board to a thickness of .020” using a jig and a Dremel #199 cutting bit installed in a Dremel Tool mounted in a Dremel drill press stand.  On the top of the running board I made cuts to represent board lengths and installed it on the car body with Testors tube cement.

Running board milled to .020" and installed.

Note board length cuts in running board.

Now the running board end brackets made with Evergreen #8102, 1” x 2” strip styrene and MEK Goop fasteners were installed.

Note running board bracket.

I continued working on the "B" end installing a resin retainer valve from parts box, retainer line and brackets, Tichy Train Group (Tichy) #1100, .008” diameter phosphor bronze wire (PBW) and brake shaft, Tichy #1102, .015” diameter PBW with kit provided brake wheel.  Next the car body corner braces, cut from Evergreen .005” sheet styrene, were installed with MEK and MEK Goop used to form fasteners.  “B” end added parts were hand painted Vallejo/MicroMark Model Air Box Car Red, #29015X2.

"B" end details installed.

Corner braces with MEK fasteners/rivets installed.

Wire grab irons and grab irons for ladders I bent from Tichy #1101, .010” diameter PBW were installed. The grab iron fasteners/rivets, cut from Tichy # 3026, 18” ladder rungs, were installed next.   Roof grab irons were bent from Tichy #1101, .010” diameter PBW and installed with Yarmouth Model Works eye bolts without shoulder for corner legs.  Sill steps, A-Line #29000, were installed. 

Grab iron fasteners using
 Tichy ladder rungs being installed.

Grab irons, grab iron ladders, grab iron fasteners/rivets
and sill steps installed and painted.

It was time to work on the underbody.  All the molded on brake component mounting brackets were cut off with a #17 Xacto chisel blade mounted in a #5 Xacto handle.  The kit provided center fish belly was installed.  Now the following underbody details installed were as follows:

• Brake cylinder (kit) on a Sunshine Models resin bracket from parts box
• Control valve (kit) on bracket form Tichy #3013 set
• Air reservoir (kit) on brackets (sill steps cut from another plastic car)
• Brake cylinder lever, Evergreen #8108, 1” x 8” strip styrene
• Brake floating lever, Evergreen #8106, 1” x 6” strip styrene
• Brake piping from air reservoir to control valve, Tichy #1101, .010” dia. PBW
• Brake pipe from brake cylinder to control valve, Tichy #1106, .0125” dia. PBW
• Brake rods, Tichy #1106, .0125” diameter PBW with clevises, MEK Goop
• Chain, A-Line #29219, black 40 links per inch
• Train line, .018" diameter flora wire
• Dirt collector, cast in M&N Shops

Underbody details installed.

With the underbody work completed the detail added parts were hand painted with Vallejo/MicroMark Model Air Box Car Red #29015X2.

Underbody painted.

Built Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern 924 ventilated refrigerator was ready for final touch up paint.  The yellow a mix: 2/3 Vallejo Model Air Gold Yellow 71.078 and 1/3 Vallejo Model Color Flat Yellow 70.953 and the red/brown Vallejo/MicroMark Model Air Box Car Red #29014X2.  Next the car body was sprayed Vallejo Gloss Medium 70.470 to provide a gloss decal base.

Car ready for lettering.  Note reweigh date has been
changed to MC for Mason City.

I made the decals, except rivets, for the car using Clove House dry transfers applied to decal paper and coated with MicroScale Liquid Decal Film.  On the ends, the FtDDM&S and number were made with Railroad Roman Medium - White #9601-11 and on the sides Railroad Roman Condensed Bold #9600-12.  I used Archer Rivet Heads, AR88026, 5/8” rivets on the sides.  I used a No. 5 lead pencil to go over the door lines to make them stand out as in the prototype photo above.

Decals and Archer rivets applied.

Decals and Archer rivets applied.

When decals were dry the car body was sprayed with Vallejo Gloss Varnish 70.510 to protect decals and better hide their their edges.  Again when dry, the car body was sprayed with Model Master 4636 Flat Clear Acryl before weathering.

The final step before putting FtDDM&S 942 ventilated refrigerator in service was to weather the car with Pan Pastels.  Pan Pastels used were: Paynes Grey Extra Dark 840.1 on car body and Burnt Sienna Shade 740.3 on trucks.  The Pan Pastels were applied with a makeup brush on the sides and roof.  And, a Pan Pastel foam pad was used to apply them along the sides sills.

Pan Pastel weathering applied.

Pan Pastel weathering applied.

Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern ventilated refrigerator 942 was now ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, The Lakeland Route, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.”  A car card was made for FtDDM&S 942,  the final step to put the cars in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad.

FtDDM&S 942 moved off GN Interchange
along the trees to Dawkins siding.

FtDDM&S 942 moved from Dawkins siding
 to Minneapolis Chestnut Street Yard.

FtDDM& Southern 924 sitting on Chestnut Street yard
 track  before being moved into "Extra West" freight train.

A  big “Thank You” to Ray Breyer for data and the photo to help with build of this car and for permission to use photo in this blog post.  A “Thank You” to Eric Hansmann for his presentation providing the inspiration for this build.  And, a "Thank You" to Jon Habegger for data help by providing a scan of the 1955 ORER page for the FtDDM&S.

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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