Soo Line “sawtooth” Box Car 39470

 After building Speedwitch Media resin kit, K108.2, in December 2007 and  Dennis Storzek Modelmaker resin kit in April of this year I did not think I would be building another Soo Line “sawtooth” box car so soon (I still have Sunshine Models, kit 78.1, in kits to build inventory).   However, after the April build my friend purchased a Speedwitch Media kit, K108.2, asking if I would build it for him.  With data help he has provided me over years for various builds I have done, I felt I could not refuse.

The Speedwitch Media kit can be used to produce the same single sheathed wood boxcar assigned to either the Soo Line or it’s subsidiary the Wisconsin Central.  The only difference in appearance was the number series and a small W.C. stenciled at the upper left corner of the car side.  The cars were built by several manufactures from 1912 to 1923.  In 1923 the Pullman Car & Manufacturing delivered cars were assigned to two series: Soo Line 39200-40198 and Wisconsin Central (W.C.) 133400-134398.

Car features include the distinctive “sawtooth” design with an inside length of forty feet, wood five-foot doors, composite post ends, peaked flexible metal roofs and fish belly center sill.  All number series built had a small lumber door on the “A” end except the last series.  Of course, to quote from the Speedwitch Media kit history, “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 bolster. This arrangement has been called the “sawtooth” single sheathed design by freight car researchers.”

Cars remained unchanged into the sixties except for removal of lumber door as ends were re-sheathed and AB brakes replaced the original K brakes.  The cars rode on Andrews trucks until the late fifties when replaced with AAR trucks.

Before beginning the build I searched for prototype photos.   Photos for the build were found in the the following four sources:  kit instructions, Soo Line Freight Equipment and Cabooses (The Soo Line Historical and Technical Society, 2014), Steam Era Freight Cars Reference Manual, Volume One: Box & Automobile Cars (Speedwitch Media, 2006, 2007) and article “Essential Freight Cars: 32 Soo Line single-sheathed boxcars”, Railroad Model Craftsman, July 2006.

Wisconsin Central "sawtooth" Box Car 133654
W. Danke photo, from William Raia in
Kenneth J. Soroos Collection
(Click or tap on this or any photo to enlarge)

The build began with fitting the underbody into the one piece body; however, not glued in at this time.  After the underbody was fitted, the coupler pad on the underbody did not line up with the coupler pad portion on the car body sill. Therefore, styrene provided in the kit was used to bring the underbody coupler pad to the same height as the coupler pad portion on the sill.   The resin bolsters, and crossbearers in the kit were added followed by a train line using .018” flora wire.  Next, kit provided brake components and brackets (Tichy AB set#3013) were installed.  Finally coupler pockets and bolster kingpins were drilled and tapped for 2-56 screws.  Install of Kadee draft gear, #262, with Kadee #148 whisker couplers (not in kit) and Accurail trucks (kit) with Intermountain 33” metal wheels with Fastenal 2-56 1/4” screws (both not in kit) followed.  The trucks required a .062 washer to gain proper height.  

Crossbearers, brake components, draft gear
and trucks installed.
(Click or tap on this or any image to enlarge)

The car was now weighted to 3.8 ounces with car tire weights and the underbody was glued to the car body with CA.

Underbody glued to car body.

Next, wire grab irons and grab irons (kit) that formed the ladders were installed.  The fascia angles around the top perimeter of the entire car, 1/4” strip styrene provided in the kit, were cut and glued in the molded in groove at the top of each side and end per kit instructions.

Fascia angles (white styrene) installed.

Since I ended the install of the last top fascia flange on the “B” end, I continued adding the “B” ends details.  A metal brake shaft step ( A-Line sill step in kit) was installed and bent outward.   A retainer valve (kit) and retainer line (kit), .008 phosphor bronze wire (PBW) were installed.  The final item installed was the brake shaft, .015 PBW in the kit.

Retainer valve & line, brake step and 
brake staff installed.

"B" end details added.

I moved on to the roof work.   The resin longitudinal and latitudinal running boards (kit) were installed with brackets from Yarmouth Model Works (YMW) #255 laser cut wood running boards and etched braces.  The YMW wood laser cut running boards my friend wanted installed were not used as the nail holes on the longitudinal running board did not line up with the roof saddles.

Running boards installed.

A brake wheel (kit) and uncoupling levers (friend provided), bent to fit in eye bolt brackets (kit and friend provided), were installed.

Brake wheel and uncoupling lever installed.

Back to the roof where roof grab irons (kit) with photo etched corner legs from YMW #255 running board kit were installed.  Back to the sides where the doors (kit) with door guide positioned and glued on fascia flange were installed.   And, the sill steps (kit) were installed.

Roof grab irons, doors and sill steps installed.

With car body details added underbody details were needed to move the build to the paint shop.  The under body details added were as follows:

• Brake cylinder and piston, Tichy set #3013 (kit)
• Control valve and bracket, Tichy #3013 set (kit)
• Air reservoir and bracket,Tichy #3013 set ( kit)
• Above brake components had holes drilled for piping
• Brake cylinder lever, made with Evergreen #8108, 1” x 8” strip styrene
• Brake floating lever, made with Evergreen #8106, 1” x 6” strip styrene
• Brake piping from air reservoir to control valve, Tichy #1101, .010” diameter PBW (kit)
• Brake pipe from brake cylinder to control valve, Tichy #1106, .0125” diameter PBW (kit)
• Brake rods, Tichy #1106, .0125” diameter PBW (kit)
• Brake rod clevises, made with MEK Goop 
• Chain, A-Line #29219, black 40 links per inch (not in kit)
• Train line, .018’ diameter flora wire (not in kit)
• Dirt collector, Tichy set #3013 ( kit)

Underbody details installed.

The car was ready for the paint shop.  Well, after final review it was not.  The molded on door handles had to go.  The molded on door handles were carved off and replaced wire door handles bent from Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW.

Molded door handles replaced with wire ones.

Off to the paint shop for paint and lettering.  In the paint shop, The underbody was sprayed Vallejo Black Grey 70.862.   Trucks and wheel sets were hand painted the same color.

Underbody painted.

The car body was sprayed with a Vallejo Model Color mix of Color Mahogany Brown 70.846, 20 drops or 66% of paint and Calvary Brown 70.982, 10 drops of paint or 33% of paint and thinned by adding  a custom mixed thinner, 30 drops or 50% of thinned paint mix.  The thinner I use is a mix of 50% distilled water with Vallejo airbrush thinner 71.161 and flow improver 71.562 added.  After drying, car body was sprayed with Vallejo Gloss Medium 70.470 for decal base. 

Car body painted.  Gloss coat not yet applied.

After drying overnight, Soo Line decals supplied in kit were applied.  Before decals could be applied a car number needed to be chosen.  During a review of the numbers in the decal set with my friend, we chose number 39470 for a Soo Line car number.  I used photos of Soo Line box car 132630 and 33228 in the instructions as a guide to apply decals.

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.  Again when dry, car body sprayed with Vallejo Gloss Varnish 70.510 to better hide edges of decals and protect decals during handling.

Decals applied and coated with gloss varnish.

Decals applied and coated with gloss varnish.

Again when dry, the car body was sprayed with Model Master Acryl, #4636, flat to protect decals and provide a flat finish for weathering when applied.

Flat finish applied.

Flat finish applied.

Flat finish applied.

Flat finish applied.

My friend asked to have the car lightly weathered.  Therefore, Artmatic eye shadow colors like a Dark Box Car Red and a light brown were applied over entire car body.  Pan Pastels Paynes Grey Extra Dark 840.1  was used on the roof and lightly over safety appliances on car body.

Soo Line 39470 weathered and sitting on Dawkins siding
waiting for delivery to the Great Northern Interchange.

Soo Line 39470 weathered and sitting on Dawkins siding
waiting for delivery to the Great Northern Interchange.

Soo Line “sawtooth” box car 39470 was ready for delivery and service on my friends railroad.  

A  big “Thank You” to Ken Soroos for the prototype photo 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

.