Great Northern Mather Stock Cars 55034 and 55102

In my effort to reduce the plastic freight cars in the to-build cabinet, I chose two Proto 2000, Life-Like Products Great Northern (GN) Mather 40 ft. Single Deck Stock cars kits.   One Mather car numbered 55034, kit number 21207, and the other 55102.  As the single deck Mather Northern Pacific Stock Car 80136, a Proto 2000, Life-Like kit I built and did a blog post on in February, 2019, these GN stock cars were a fairly easy build.

The prototype Mather stock single deck GN stock cars assigned to series 55000 to 55199 were leased from The Mather Stock Car Company.  The Mather Stock Car Company, a U.S. Corporation, headquartered in Chicago Ridge, Illinois, was a leasing company that built and leased  railroad freight cars.  Mather specialized in stock cars; however, built other types of cars as well, including boxcars, refrigerator, gondolas and tank cars over a 75 year period.

Ray Breyer in his presentation “The Mather Freight Car Fleet” states, “Mather bought almost all of their cars from several well-known car builders between 1880 and 1922, with most cars coming from Indiana Car & Foundry, South Baltimore Car Works, St. Charles Car Co., and Haskell & Barker.  The company did build up to 200 of their own stock cars at their plant near the Chicago Union Stockyards before 1921.  In 1922 Mather moved to a new facility in Chicago Ridge, Illinois,  as they had been buying steel-framed cars since 1913.  The Chicago Ridge plant built over 4,000 cars for the company, and continued as a NACC repair and rebuild facility after 1956, not closing until the 1970s.”

Great Northern Stock Car 55171
Internet Image
(Click on this or any image to enlarge)

The plastic kits, purchased in 2016, are accurate for the GN Mather stock car they are lettered for as you can see when you compare them to the prototype in the photo above.

Proto 200 GN Mather Stock Car 55102

When looking at the photo you also see one problem with the Proto 2000 GN models.  The one problem is the openings between the side boards on the side of the car next to the reporting marks and number are molded closed rather open.  Before addressing this problem I chose to proceed the start of these builds installing the end panels.

The kit contains end panels (in the kit called bulkheads) that can be attached to the inside of the car body to fill the openings between boards on the ends.  The panels are provided to fill the end openings for cars that did not have them.  Looking at the GN end in the photo it appears the ends of the GN stock cars did not have the opening so I installed the kit panels. 

End panels held with clamps being installed.

Once end panels were installed as on other builds I started on the underbody.  On the underbody the coupler pads and truck 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.  A coupler pocket shim cut the shape of the coupler pocket box from .030 Evergreen sheet styrene in the bits box was installed to obtain proper coupler height.  Kit trucks with InterMountain 33 inch metal wheel sets inserted were installed with 2-56 x 1/4 inch Fastenal screws.  Install of brake components continued as follows:

• Air reservoir, Tichy Train Group (Tichy)  #3013 AB set
• AB valve, resin Sunshine Models
• Brake cylinder, unknown from spare parts
• Brake cylinder piston, Tichy set #3013
• Brake levers, kit, cut from molded piping and brake rods
• Brake lever hangers, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW
• Brake cylinder chain, Precision Scale #48553, 34 links per inch
• Bell crank with chain, kit
• Brake rods, Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter PBW
• Brake rod clevises, made with MEK Goop

Underbody work done not including piping.

Wanting a break from the underbody, I did not install the piping at this time.  I moved to the sides where  I removed the molded material in the problem area between the boards.  I inserted a wood block inside the car to prevent flexing or breaking with cutting out the molded plastic with a single edge razor blade, scalpel, broach, dental pick and tooth brush to create the openings between the boards to match the prototype.

Tools used to create openings between boards.

Opening between boards made.

Now the kit car weight was installed with Permatex Clear Silicone adhesive followed by the kit car inside floor and two stick on tire weights to bring the car weight to 3.8 ounces.  Once car weights were installed the kit roof roof was installed using MEK for adhesive.  The install of kit running boards followed.

Roof installed.

Now I returned back to the underbody and installed the piping.  The piping from the air reservoir to the AB valve was done with Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW.   The pipe from the back of the brake cylinder to the AB valve was bent from Tichy #1106, .0125 PBW and installed.  A dirt collector pipe cut from a plastic brake rod in kit was bent and connected to molded on train line.   MEK Goop was used to make dirt collector parts on the plastic installed pipe.

Brake system piping installed.

With the underbody completed, the work on the B end was done.   Parts on the B end installed were as follows except for brake step (brake platform) installed later:

• Retainer valve, kit on GN 550102
• Retainer valve, Tichy set #3013, on GN 55034
• Retainer line, Tichy #1100, .008 diameter PBW
• Retainer line bracket, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW
• Brake housing, kit
• Brake rod, Tichy #1102 PBW
• Brake rod clevis to attach to bell crank, Tichy turnbuckle, #8021
• Brake wheel, kit
• Brake step (platform), Plano Model Products set  #11322 Morton Pattern
• Grab irons, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW
• Ladder rungs, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW

Work on B end started.

After install of the grab irons and ladder rungs on the ends I did the same on the sides.  On the side upper door guides provided in kit were installed.  I replaced the plastic kit lower door chain rod with one bent from Tichy #1114, .020 diameter PBW.  A chain from door to door chain rod was added later.

Grab irons, ladder rungs and door chain rod installed.

Now sill steps provided in the kit were installed.  And to finish the install of grab irons, the roof grab irons were installed.  The roof grab irons were bent from Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW with Yarmouth Model Work etched eye bolts without shoulder used for corner leg.

Sill steps and roof grab irons installed.

Next the kit doors were installed followed by the install of chain from the door to the chain rod carrier below the door.  The chain was cut off the kit brake rod.   Back to the B end to install the Plano Model Products brake step with brackets cut from Evergreen #8202, 1 x 2 strip styrene.  And, uncoupling levers bent from Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter PBW with eye bolt brackets cut from Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW were installed.

Doors, B end brake step and uncoupling levers installed.

Mather GN stock cars 55034 and 55102 were now moved to the paint shop.  All installed parts were hand painted with Vallejo Model Color Cavalry Brown 70.982  and Vallejo Satin Varnish 70.522.  After hand painted parts dried, both stock cars were airbrushed with Vallejo Matt Varnish 70.52.  Again when Matt finish dry, the cars were airbrushed with Model Master Acryl  Flat Cear 4636.

GN stock cars 55034 and 55102 were removed from the paint shop and let sit for several days before weathering.  The weathering of the GN stock cars was done with Pan Pastels applied with makeup brushes and AK Weathering pencils, Dirt & Marks set, AK10044, as follows:

• Pencil, various boards, Dust/Rainmarks AK1006
• Pencil, bottom boards and braces, Streakig Dirt AK 1003
• Pan Pastel, Raw Umber 780.5, on bottom areas over AK Streaking Dirt
• Pan Pastel, Neutral Grey Extra Dark 820.2, roof
• Pan Pastel, Paynes Grey Extra Dark 840.1, roof
• Pan Pastel, Red Iron Oxide Extra Dark 380.1, applied lightly with micro brush over lettering

GN Stock Cars 55034 and 55102 weathered.

GN Stock Car 55034 weathered.

GN Stock Car 55102 weathered.

GN Stock Cars 55034 and 55102 weathered.

GN Stock Cars 55034 and 55102 weathered.

Great Northern stock cars 55034 and 55102 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.

GN Stock Cars to be spotted at Swift stock pens.

GN Stock Cars to be spotted at Swift stock pens.

GN Stock Cars to be spotted at Swift stock pens.

GN Stock Cars to be spotted at Swift stock pens.

Not only did the GN Stock cars get built, a Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company leased Mather stock car 6018 got built as well.  One less car in the to-build cabinet.

Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company
leased Mather stock car 6018.

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.  All comments are reviewed and approved before they appear.  Please share the blog link with other model railroaders.

Lester Breuer

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