National Car Company NX 8165

I built Westerfield Models Fruit Growers Express Company, F.G.E.X. 46244, R7-class ventilated refrigerator car, kit 11661 in 2018 (see February 2018 in sidebar) and Ambroid Company Mathieson Dry Ice Car, kit No. 7 in 2002, both Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) R7-class variations.   I wanted to add another variation of the R7-class  to my freight car fleet because of the Warren truss design and Hutchins Dry Lading Roof features. The R7-class variation I added was National Car Company, NX 8165.  The kit instructions have a history of these cars built by the Pennsylvania Railroad, PRR, in their Altoona Shops or for the PRR by American Car & Foundry and later leased to F.G.E.X. and placed into the 43500-46350 car series.  In 1940 to 1942 NX 8165 was one of 268 transferred to the National Car Company, a subsidiary of Fruit Growers Express formed in 1928 to handle processed meat products from the upper Midwest.

The transferred cars acquired the NX reporting marks.   The NX cars retained the standard FGEX paint scheme with yellow on the sides and oxide red on the ends, roof, and side sill.   Underbodies were painted black.   In 1945-1950 the cars received Hutchins dry lading roofs that were now painted aluminum.  Patrick C. Wider has a detailed and very complete article with excellent photos in Railway Prototype Cyclopedia, Vol. 15 (RP CYC Publishing Company, 2007) on these cars.  After reading the Wider article and reviewing the article photos I decided to number the car, 8165, in NX  8134-8199 series.  I used a nice photo of NX 8145, which appears on page 78 and a “B” end photo on page 71, in the Wider article, as a guide to build this car.

Westerfield Models, resin kit 11662, was used to build NX 8165.  I began the build of this kit by removing the flash from the basic body, installing the roof and fitting the underbody.  The roof was a flat casting that was cut in the center prior to install on car body.  To the roof, I attached the running board with super glue, CA, as were all other added parts unless another adhesive is specified.

Car body with roof and underbody installed.
(Click or tap on this or any image to enlarge)

Roof and running board installed

On the underbody the resin cast coupler boxes were removed and Kadee #262 coupler boxes with Kadee #148 couplers inserted were installed with Walthers brass machine screws, #256 x 1/4 flat head screws, #947-1073.  For trucks Accurail ARA cast steel with spring plank trucks, #164, with InterMountain 33” metal wheels inserted were installed with Fastenal 2-56 x 1/4 inch screws.  In order to gain proper coupler height two .020 brass washers were attached to the bolster center plate prior to truck install.

Couplers and trucks installed.

The kit roof hatches were installed.  Next the install of details on the “B” end were done.   The running board brackets fabricated from Evergreen 1” x 2” strip styrene, #8102 were installed.  And, the running board brackets were added to the “A” end as well.  The brake step (platform) and brackets in kit were installed.  A retainer line  and brackets were installed using Tichy Train Group (Tichy), #1100, .008” diameter  phosphor bronze wire (PBW).  A brake shaft step was made with A-Line, #29000, sill step.  Now the brake shaft, .015” diameter brass wire in the kit with a  Kadee, No.440, 18” brake wheel was installed.  Next, grab irons, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW, on this end, sides and “A” end were installed.  The roof grab irons in kit were installed with Yarmouth Model Works eye bolts without shoulder for corner posts.  After installing the side grab the jacking pads provided in the kit were installed.

B end details installed.

Grab irons and jacking pads installed.

Roof hatches and grab irons installed.

Install of the ladders was done next.  I did not want to use or remove flash from the fragile resin cast ladders so I replaced them with Intermountain (IM) plastic 4 rung made into 5 rung ladders. These IM ladders matched the rung spacing of the resin ladders perfectly.  If I had not had these IM ladders in my parts box, I would have used Yarmouth Model Works etched ladders stiles which can be purchased with this rung spacing.

InterMountain plastic ladders installed.

InterMountain plastic ladders installed.

After looking at the rung size on the ladders for a while I decided I would replace the molded on rungs with wire rungs I bent using Tichy, #1101, .010 diameter PBW.  To install the bent wire rungs a #80 drill was used to drill the holes in the stiles before removing the plastic rungs with a PBL nipper.

Replacement of plastic ladder rungs
with wire ladder rungs started.

Wire ladder rungs installed.

With ladders finished on sides and ends, I installed the A-Line, #29000, style A, sill steps.  The sill step hanging brackets portion were made with Evergreen .005” strip styrene with rivets added using a RB Productions rivet tool.  Fascia letter boards were installed to finish the sides.  The Fascia letter boards notched out section above the door was done with a sanding drum accessory installed in a Dremel Motor Tool.

Side wire ladder rungs, sill steps and
fascia letter board installed.

Sill steps and fascia letter board installed.

I began the underbody detailing by installing the kit supplied  crossbearer cover plates.  Next the kit AB valve and brake cylinder brake components were installed.  The brake cylinder piston was added from the parts box.   The mounting brackets for the air reservoir are plastic sill steps, from the scrap box, cut-off cars that had A-Line sill steps installed. Piping from air reservoir to control valve is Tichy, #1101, .010” dia. phosphor bronze wire (PBW) and the pipe from brake cylinder is Tichy, #1106, .0125” diameter PBW as are all the brake rods.  The clevises on the brake rods were made with MEK goop.  I also added a dirt collector from Tichy, set #3013.  I used a Bruce F. Smith provided drawing of the PRR AB brake system that replaced the original K system allowing a correct and easier brake system install.

Underbody detail parts installed.

Now the completed car was moved to the paint shop. The four color paint job was more difficult and took more time due to the taping required.  Before any colors were applied the car was airbrushed with Vallejo Surface Primer 70.601.

Vallejo Surface Primer applied.

Vallejo Surface Primer applied.

After the Surface Primer was dry, the underbody was airbrushed Vallejo Model Air/MicroMark Tarnished Black, #29022X2.

Underbody painted.

With the sides taped off, the ends were airbrushed Vallejo Model Air Brown RLM 26 71.105.  I chose to do the ends before the sides in case tape removal took with it some paint.  Easier to repaint ends than sides if necessary.

Ends airbrushed Vallejo Model Air Brown RLM 26.

The sides were airbrushed Vallejo Model Color Golden Yellow, 70.948.  Finally, after decals and clear coat had been applied, the roof was hand painted Vallejo/MicroMark Flat Aluminum, #29026.  Once all paint was dry the car body was airbrushed with Vallejo Gloss Medium 70.470 for a gloss decal base.

Sides Vallejo Golden Yellow and roof
Vallejo/MicroMark Flat Aluminum.

I used photo of National Car Company NX 8145 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.

After setting overnight to air dry, car body was airbrushed with Vallejo Gloss Varnish, 70.510,  to better hide edges of decals and protect decals during handling.  Again after air drying, the car body was airbrushed with Model Master Acryl Flat Clear, #4636, to protect decals and provide a flat finish for weathering when applied.

Decals applied to sides.

Decals applied.

When the Flat Clear coat was dry the Carmer uncoupling levers were installed.  A hole was drilled with a number 79 drill into which a short piece of Tichy #1101, .010 wire was installed.  Yarmouth Model Works Carmer uncoupling levers, #401, were installed on the wire.  Once glue was set the wire was cut flush with installed levers and a bolt cap was made with MEK Goop.

Carmer uncoupling levers installed.

Carmer uncoupling levers installed.

After the Carmer levers were installed the side sills were finally painted Vallejo Model Air Brown RLM 26 71.105.  Now NX 8165 was ready for weathering.

NX 8165 ready for weathering.

NX 8165 ready for weathering.

One more step before putting NX 8165 in service was to weather the car with Pan Pastels.  Pan Pastels Paynes Grey Extra Dark 840.1  was used on the roof and lightly over car body.

NX  8165 weathered.

NX  8165 weathered.

NX  8165 weathered.

National Car Company NX 8165 was ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, The Lakeland Route, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.”  A car card was made for NX 8165, the final step to put the a car in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad.

NX  8165 being spotted at Swift.

NX  8165 being spotted at Swift.

NX  8165 being spotted at Swift.

NX  8165 being spotted at Swift.

I want to say, “Thank You”, to Bruce F. Smith for the brake car diagram of  Fruit Growers Express Refrigerator  cars he provided me in 2018 to enable me to get the AB brakes on this car correct.

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

.