Soo Line Box Cars 137006 and 137190

From the to build cabinet two more plastic box cars kits selected for this build project.  This time two Branchline Trains, Blueprint Series, Soo Line Box Cars, kit 1430, numbered 137006 and 137190.  The two boxcars have the four-foot-high “SOO LINE” billboard lettering that was applied to these box cars which made them stand out.  Soo Line 137006 has the lettering as first applied high on the side of the car and close to the door.   Soo Line 137190 has the changed lettering moved down several inches and close to the ends of the car.  Why the change?   The moved “LINE” lettering would not have a portion of it covered when the box car door was open.  The Branchline  lettering was well done and the numbers correct for the Wisconsin Central (WC) built box cars in series WC 136800-137198.

Soo Line billboard lettering after and before change.
(Click or tap on this or any image to enlarge)

The prototype Soo Line Wisconsin Central box cars were built at Soo Line North du Lac Shops in 1951.  These steel cars had five panels on each side of the corrugated 5/6/6 doors, R+3/4 improved dreadnaught ends and a diagonal panel roof with metal running boards.  Draft gear on these box cars was Miner.  Trucks for these cars were ASF Ride Control A-3 or Barber S-2-B stabilized.

Photos of Soo Line 137100, 137190 and a photo showing a mix of new Soo Line and Wisconsin Central cars can be viewed in Soo Line Freight Equipment and Cabooses (Soo Line Historical and Technical Society, 2014).  A diagram for these cars can be viewed in Soo Line Freight Car Diagrams (Soo Line Historical and Technical Society, Inc., 2013).

Kansas City, MO
George Sisk photo, Jay Williams collection.

I began the build of Soo Line box cars 137006 and 137190 with the basic underbody work.   On the underbody the molded on brake components mounts were removed and the underframe was installed.  Coupler pocket pads and truck bolster king pins were drilled and tapped for 2-56 screws.   Kadee #262 coupler pockets with Kadee #148 couplers inserted were installed with Fastenal 2-56 x 3/16 inch screws.   Accurail trucks (to be changed later) with InterMountain 33 inch metal wheel sets inserted were installed with 2-56 x 1/4 inch Fastenal screws.   Brake components were installed as follows:

• air reservoir, kit
• AB valve, resin Sunshine Models
• Brake cylinder, unknown from spare parts
• Brake cylinder piston, Tichy Train Group phosphor bronze wire (PBW)
• Brake levers, kit cut from molded piping and brake rods
• Brake lever hangers, plastic grab irons
• Brake cylinder chain, kit chain attached to brake lever
• Bell crank, Tichy set #3013, added later to accept B end brake rod Clovis

Brake components installed.

One problem with Branchline Trains kit 1430 was  the ends provided in the kit were not correct for these cars. Therefore, build of Soo Line box cars 137006 and 137190 began by finding correct ends for the cars.   A correct end was found in Branchline Trains undecorated kit #1500.   Since I had only one undecorated kit I used the ends for a master to make a rubber mold.   I used the mold to make the end R+3/4 resin castings used on Soo Line 137006.   The ends from kit #1500 were used on Soo Line 137190.

Correct R+3/4 ends installed.

Once ends were installed on the the box cars with CA, the box cars were weighted to 3.8 ounces with kit weights attached with Permatex Clear Silicone Adhesive and stick on tire weights.

Car weights installed.

With the cars weighted, the diagonal panel roofs provided in the kit was installed.

Diagonal panel roofs installed.

Next the resin cast ends on Soo Line 137006 were airbrushed with a mix of Vallejo Model Color Calvary Brown, 70.892, 20 drops and Vallejo Satin Varnish, 70.522, 10 drops and 22 drops thinner.  Soo Line 137006 was set aside to dry.  Underbody work included hand painting some prior added parts as AB Valve with Calvary Brown, 70.892, adding piping and brake rods on Soo Line 137190 was done now and on Soo Line 137006 once paint was dry as follows:

• Piping from air reservoir to AB valve, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW
• Pipe from back of brake cylinder to AB valve, Tichy # 1106, .0125 diameter PBW
• Train line, Tichy #1114, .020 diameter PBW
• Brake rods, Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter PBW
• Brake rod clevises made with MEK Goop
• Dirt Collector, kit one enhanced with MEK Goop

Piping and brake rods installed.

Before starting on the B end work I installed Kadee Apex Red Oxide, #2000 running boards on the roof and kit ladders on the sides.

Running boards and ladders added.

Next B end work was done.  Work included adding the following details:

• brake step, cut from lateral Kadee running board
• Brake step brackets, kit
• Brake housing, Miner Moloco, HB-0301
• Brake rod chain, Precision Scale #48533, 34 links per inch
• Brake rod, Tichy #1102, .015 inch diameter PBW
• Brake rod Clevis, Tichy turnbuckle #8021
• Retainer valve, Precision Scale #31796
• Retainer line & brackets, Tichy #1100 .008 diameter PBW
• Brake wheel, Kadee Champion #2024
• Uncoupling lever brackets, Resin Car Works resin cast brackets
• Uncoupling levers, Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter PBW

B end parts installed.

Resin uncoupling lever bracket installed.

Resin uncoupling lever bracket installed.

Uncoupling levers installed.

Back to the sides where kit ladders had already been added.   On the sides Kadee bracket grab irons #2250, were installed in manufacturer holes enlarged with a #75 drill.  On the ends, the kit bracket grab iron was installed.   The handhold was cut off with a nipper and a wire handhold bent form Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW was installed (see photo above).  Install of A-Line #29002, sill steps followed.

Bracket grab irons and sill steps installed.

Finally, the 5/6/6 doors, kit, were added.   The doors had the molded on door handles removed and replaced with wire door handles made with Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW.   Placard boards provided in kit were also installed.

Doors with and placard boards installed.

One additional detail added to the sides was the route card box located by the lower bracket grab iron on the left end of the car.  Styrene from the bits box was used to make the route card boxes.

Route card boxes installed.

And, finally the end reporting marks and numbers were applied to the car ends.  Rather than airbrush only the ends, the entire car was airbrushed with Vallejo Satin Varnish, 70.522, to provide a decal base.  Decals purchased from the Soo Line Historical and Technical Society were used for the reporting marks.  End car number decals were made by applying Clover House Railroad Condensed Bold-White Dry Transfer lettering, 9600-11, to decal paper and coated with Microscale Liquid Decal Film.

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.  Again when dry, the car body was sprayed with Mig-Ammo Ultra-Matt Lucky Varnish, AMIG 2054,  to protect decals and provide a flat finish for weathering when applied.

End reporting marks and numbers applied.

One more step before putting Soo Line Box Cars 137006 and 137190 in service was to weather the cars with light brown and black eye shadow makeup.  An eye shadow light brown color was applied over entire car body with a makeup brush.  And, an eye shadow  black was used on the roof and lightly over safety appliances on car body.

Weathering brushes and colors.

Cars weathered.

Cars weathered.

Soo Line Box Cars 137006 and 137190 were ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, The Lakeland Route, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.”  A car card was made for each, the final step to put the a car in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad.

Soo Line cars on Dawkins siding used to hold 
Soo Line cars from Soo Line Interchange.

Soo Line cars on Dawkins siding.

Soo Line cars on Dawkins siding.

Soo Line cars on Dawkins siding.

After I  published this post on the Soo Line Box Cars here I was made aware that the end ladders in the kit should have been reduced to seven rung.   An error on my part that I did correct after reviewing prototype photos.

End kit ladders reduced to seven rungs.

 

I want to say, “Thank You” to Ken Soroos  for providing prototype photo and permission to use photo of Soo Line Box Car 137190 (see above) from his book Soo Line Freight Equipment and Cabooses for building my Soo Line Box Cars cars.  

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Lester Breuer

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