I am always looking for cars that provide new loads for my in-service freight cars on my Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company (M&N). When looking through the 1950s Freight Car Color Guide Volume 3 (Morning Sun Books Inc., 2024) I found a photo showing Chicago Great Western (CGW) flat 3973, class FC, one of 86 piggyback cars also called TOFC (trailer-on-flat-car) cars, converted circa 1947- 1948 from CGW 3900-3999 series, regular flats, class FM, built in 1944. I could use one or two TOFC flat cars on the M&N, located in Minnesota, to move trailers from Chicago Great Western (CGW) Interchange in Randolph to the Milwaukee Road (MILW) Interchange via Northfield or the Great Northern (GN) Interchange in Minneapolis. In, addition to trailers, the piggyback cars also hauled “stake” trailers. Canvas covered stake trailers were used to ship steel from Chicago to St. Paul, Minnesota. Not having a CGW piggyback flat car in service, I would build two.
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| Two builds in progress. (Click or tap on this or any image to enlarge.) |
As part of my research to build the CGW piggyback flat cars and how trailers were secured to flat cars I found information in the book, Piggyback and Containers, A History of Rail Intermodal on America’s Steel Highway, (Golden West Books, 1992) very helpful. Here I found The Chicago Great Western “service started on July 7, 1936. In the month of August 1936 the trailer business produced 870 loads for CGW.” At this time, trailers were secured to the flat cars with screw jacks and chains.
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| Screw Jacks and chains. O Gauge Railroading Online Forum Website Photo |
The screw jacks and chains remained in use until the “Kingpin grabber,” an eight-foot steel beam with pockets for screw jacks and areas to attach chains, that locked onto the trailers kingpin was invented. The “Kingpin Grabber” was soon replaced, early 1955, by collapsible screw hitch which used a power wrench to raise the hitch and again to lock the jaws of the hitch on trailer kingpin. A great fit for my Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company set in late spring 1955. Later improvements eliminated the need for power wrenches.
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| Kingpin Grabber O Gauge Railroading Online Forum Website Photo |
And my research found a photo of 3707 of CGW in series 3700-3799 in the Chicago Great Western Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment (Morning Sun Books, Inc., 1998). These cars built by Pullman in 1936 had fish belly sides, were only 52 feet long, had fifteen (15) stake pockets, AB brakes and Superior Drop shaft hand brakes. This car series resembled the later 3800 and 3900 series flats. Some of the cars in this series were converted to piggyback service and used in piggyback service by 1947. The conversion from a regular flat to piggyback service added side rails (rub rails), bridge plates and tie downs to the flat cars. Using a Reproduction of the January 1953 Official Railway Equipment Register (ORER) (National Model Railroad Association, 1996) you find two of the converted flat cars from series 3700-3799 were numbered 3730 and 3748. I chose to use these car numbers for my build.
I used the latter photo and the former one mentioned for my build. And, I used photos of flat cars in the later 3800 and 3900 series since the 3700-3799 series cars resembled the later cars.
Since I had no kits to start the build I looked through my in storage cars where I found a 50 foot Tyco flat with ATSF reporting marks; however, it had only thirteen (13) stake pockets, two short of the needed number. Having no flat car to start the build, an internet search continued until I found Chad Boas had a resin GN 65000 series, 52 foot, fish belly side sill flat car kit that could be used for the build. Two kits were purchased. The Chad Boas kit includes the body casting without stake pockets and a laser cut wood floor (deck).
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| Flat car body viewed from top and floor |
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| Flat car body viewed from underside and floor |
Since the body casting is cast without stake pockets you have to purchase them (kit instructions suggest using Tichy Train Group (Tichy) #3006 stake pockets) as trucks and couplers separately to install. Therefore, several packages of Tichy stake pockets were ordered.
I began the build of CGW 3707 with the underbody work; however, on CGW 3748 I did the underbody work last; that is, just before the piggyback flats were ready for the paint shop. On the underbody the 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 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, Tichy Train Group (Tichy) AB set #3013
- Air reservoir mount, Tichy AB set #3013
- AB valve, Tichy AB set #3013
- Brake cylinders, unknown from spare parts box
- Brake cylinder piston with clevis (car 3748), Tichy AB set #3013
- Brake levers, Tichy AB set #30103
- Brake floating lever (dead) slack adjuster plate,Tichy #3013
- Pipes air reservoir to AB valve, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW
- Pipe back of brake cylinder to AB valve,Tichy #1106, .0125 PBW
- Brake rods, Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter phosphor bronze wire (PBW)
- Brake rod clevises, made with MEK Goop
- Brake cylinder rod chain, A-Line #29000, black 40 links per inch
- Train line, Tichy #1114, .020 diameter PBW
- Dirt collector, Tichy AB set #3013
- Dirt collector pipe tee at train line, made with MEK Goop
The brake cylinder lever hole in the center sill was made by drilling holes in center sill at an angle from both sides and cutting out remaining material with Xacto handle with #11 blade and broach and shaping with tiny file. No hole was made in the center sill for the floating (dead) lever. Rather the floating lever was cut in half at the angle to mount and each side glued to the outside of the center sill with super glue. The install of the floating lever slack plate adjuster followed. Next the train line was installed. The holes for installing the train line were made with a four inch .032 diameter piano wire made drill mounted in Dremel motor tool. The brake clevises were made with MEK Goop (plastic melted in MEK) applied with fine wire and shaped with flat chisel end dental tool.
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| Brake components installed. |
Next the stake pockets, Tichy #3006, were installed. Prior to underbody work and stake pocket install, a template was made to determine the fifteen (15) stake pocket placement on the sides. The template was used to mark the stake pocket location on the model.
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| Template made for stake pocket install. |
The stake pockets have mounting dimples on the back for which you could drill holes for mounting or another way is to remove the dimples for a flat mount. Since the flat mount was chosen, the dimples were sanded off with a nail file and stake pockets were installed with Testors Tube Cement for "sticking power" followed by application of CA.
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| Stake pockets installed. |
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| Stake pockets installed. |
To add weight to the piggyback flat .040 sheet lead was cut with a scissor, 9 feet wide by 52 feet long, to attach to the deck prior to installing the laser cut floor. The sheet lead weight was attached to the deck with Formula 560 Canopy glue applied to both the deck and the sheet lead. After sheet lead was in place it was clamped and let dry for three hours. After working with sheet lead wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or wear latex gloves while working with it.
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| Sheet lead weight clamped to car. |
After three hours had passed the laser cut floor, peel and stick type, provided in the kit was installed. Once the floor was installed the piggyback flat was placed on a postal scale showing the weight was now 3.0 ounces.
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| Wood deck installed. |
Now the side rails were made and installed. The side rails were made with three pieces of styrene glued with MEK. A base piece was cut from Evergreen #126, .020 x .125 onto which an Evergreen piece, #124, .020 x .080 was glued. A top flange was cut from Evergreen #8014, 1 x 4 strip styrene and installed. After the side rails were made the Tichy stake pockets were applied.
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| Side rails made for install. |
To attach the side rails to the piggyback flat car Evergreen S scale #7203, .031 x .045 was cut to 2 HO scale feet to make stakes. The stakes were glued into the end pockets and two of the center pockets.
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The side rails were then installed to check for proper alignment.
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| Side rails installed for pocket alignment. |
And, being happy with alignment the remaining stakes were installed to complete side rail install.
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| All side rail stakes installed. |
Onto the B end work. First the prominent feature, the drop shaft brake is made up of two parts through which the brake wheel shaft passes. The lower part is from Tichy set #3013 as is the brake wheel. For the upper part, a brake shaft bracket, unknown manufacturers, from the parts box. The brake shaft on piggyback flat 3730 is round Tichy #1102, .015 diameter phosphor bronze wire (PBW) glued with CA. Of course, after I had 3730 ready for the paint shop I remembered I had square wire, .015 in diameter, as one sees in many photos of a drop type bake. The square wire was gifted to me by Bill Welch prior to his passing. Therefore, the brake shaft on piggyback 3748 is made using the square wire. Other items, the grab irons and uncoupling lever brackets (eye bolts) were bent from Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW and installed.
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| Round brake shaft used. |
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| Square brake shaft used. Grab irons and uncoupling lever bracket installed. |
And, the uncoupling levers were bent from Tichy #1106. .0125 diameter PBW.
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| Uncoupling levers installed. |
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| Underbody view of uncoupling lever install. |
Back to the sides where grab irons, bent from Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW were installed. Sill steps, A-Line #29000, install followed.
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| Grab irons and sill steps installed. |
Chicago Great Western piggyback or TOFC flats 3730 and 3748 were ready for paint and wood floor staining. The wood floors were taped with 3M blue painter tape. In the paint shop each car body and underbody were cleaned with makeup cotton swabs dipped in 91% isopropyl alcohol and mounted on a paint stand for painting with trucks removed. After couplers were taped with 3M blue painters tape, car body, side rails and underbody were airbrushed with Vallejo Model Color Saddle Brown 70940.
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| Car in paint stand after paint where it remained until gloss coat applied. |
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| Painted car removed from paint stand. |
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| Painted underbody. |
When the airbrushed car color was dry and the car still on the paint stand with the painter tape still in place the car was airbrushed with Vallejo Gloss Medium 70.470 to provide a gloss base for decals. While the airbrushed cars were drying, trucks were hand painted with Vallejo Model Color Saddle Brown 70940, as the car bodies. When car bodies and trucks were dry, the trucks were reinstalled on the cars.
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| Car after drying and trucks reinstalled. |
Now the 3M blue painter tape was removed from the decks. The decks were stained with "dirty" Dio Sol solvent paint thinner. Dirty Dio Sol is the result of cleaning brushes with solvent based paint in a Dio Sol thinner I mix.
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| Deck stained with Dirty Dio Sol. |
After drying overnight, decals were applied. Champ Decals (no longer exists) Chicago Great Western White Lettering Road Name set HN-50 was used for road name and number. Champ Decals Flat Car, 50 and 70 ton, 42 to 50 ft., Cars dimensional data set HD-7 provided dimensional data and steel wheels decal. Walthers dimensional data set 700101 provided build date. The repack date came from set in a Resin Car Works kit. I used above mentioned photos of CGW cars for decal location.
Due to the age of the decals, the Champ Decals and Walthers decals were coated with Microscale Liquid Decal Film before application. Once coating was dry, 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 decals were 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.
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| Decals applied. |
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| Decals applied. |
Each car was placed in another paint stand I made allowing a car to have mounted trucks and couplers during painting. After taping couplers, the car body was airbrushed with Vallejo Gloss Varnish, 70.510, to better hide edges of decals and protect decals during handling.
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| Car sprayed with Gloss Varnish. |
Once dry, the car body was airbrushed with Model Master Acryl Flat Clear, #4636, to protect decals and provide a flat finish for weathering when applied.
Now the deck details were added for piggyback flat 3730. Details included the kingpin grabber with chain hooks, tie downs, chains, bridge plates, bridge plate hinges and bridge plate holder, a structural member with chain at top attached to side of flat car to hold bridge plate when in vertical position. Plastic InterMountain chain was used. The Kingpin grabber was not glued. It is mounted with "The Museum Putty" to make it removable.
- Kingpin grabber was made with two Details West #235-450 Jack Stands with a piece of Evergreen #261 channel glued between the jack stands at the top to create the beam.
- Chain hooks were eye bolts bent from Tichy # 1101, .0 10 PBW inserted into the Kingpin grabber bean with chain hooks (eye blots) with chain. The chain had CA applied to keep them straight from Kingpin grabber eye bolt to deck tie down.
- Chain, Precision Scale #48237, 26 links per inch attached to the eye bolts after bending eyes on eye bolts; however, not closing eye until chain attached.
- Bridge plates, cut from Evergreen .020 thick sheet styrene 2 feet 6 inches x 6 feet long with a plastic grab iron for handle.
- Bridge plate hinges made with MEK GOOP ( plastic melted in MEK).
- Tie downs, Detail Associates Lift Rings, LR 1107.
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| Kingpin grabber, bridge plates, tie downs and other details added. |
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| Deck detail parts painted. |
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| Deck detail parts painted. |
On piggyback flat 3748 the Kingpin grabber was not installed. Instead, the early 1955 collapsible screw hitch which used a power wrench to raise the hitch and to lock the jaws of the hitch on trailer kingpin was installed. The collapsible screw hitch and bridge plates came from a Walthers 3750 series flat car kit which also has the Kingpin grabber. The collapsible screw hitch was not glued to the deck. It was mounted with "The Museum Putty" to make it removable.
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| CGW 3748 with collapsible screw hitch. |
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| CGW 3748 with collapsible screw hitch. |
With deck details finished, CGW 3730 and 3748 were ready for weathering. The cars were weathered with eye shadow makeup. Eye shadow colors were earth and black applied lightly over entire car body with brushes. In addition, to apply black a sponge applicator was used.
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| Eye shadow colors and applicators for weathering. |
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| CGW 3730 and 3748 piggyback flat cars weathered. |
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Chicago Great Western piggyback flats 3730 and 3748 were ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, The Lakeland Route, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.” A car card was made for each car, the final step to put the cars in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad.
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| GGW piggyback flats on CGW Interchange. |
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| GGW piggyback flats on CGW Interchange. |
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| CGW piggyback flat 3730 on CGW Interchange. |
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| CGW piggyback flat 3748 on CGW Interchange. |
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Lester Breuer
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