Great Northern Stock Car 55009

In my effort to reduce the plastic freight cars in the to-build cabinet, I chose another Photo 2000, Life-Like Products Great Northern (GN) Mather 40 ft. Single Deck Stock car kit.   A Mather stock car numbered 55009.  Like the single deck Great Northern Mather Stock Cars numbered 55034 and 55102, in my November 7, 2024 post (see sidebar) , this GN stock car should have been a fairly easy build since it was a gifted built car; however, a needed rework due to missing and broken parts made made it more difficult than anticipated. 

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
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GN Mather stock 55009 is accurate for a GN Mather stock car with accurate lettering as you can see if you compare it to the prototype in the photo above.

Great Northern Stock Car 55009

When comparing the Proto 2000 GN models with the prototype one significant  problem can be seen.  The 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.  My gifted GN Mather stock car did not have the molded material between these boards removed as was the case with GN stock car 55102 when it was built.

GN Stock Car 55102

Therefore, I began my rework of GN Mather stock car 55009 with the removal of this material.  I chose to use a saw blade mounted in a Dremel Motor Tool to remove a majority of the material rather than only use a single edge razor blade, scalpel, broach, dental pick to create openings between boards to match the prototype as I had done on the build of GN stock cars 55034 and 55102.   The use of the motorized saw did not produce the clean results obtained on GN stock cars 55034 and 55102.  Lesson learned.

GN Mather Stock Car 55009

GN Mather Stock Car 55102

Next, after removal of all installed good and broken grab irons and ladder rungs, I turned to the rework on the B end.   Parts on the B end installed were as follows:

• Retainer valve, kit
• Retainer line, Tichy Train Group (Tichy) #1100, .008 diameter PBW
• Retainer line brackets, Tichy #1100, .008 diameter PBW
• Brake wheel housing, Tichy #3010 AB brake set
• Brake rod, unknown .015 brass wire
• Brake rod clevis to attach to bell crank, Tichy turnbuckle, #8021
• Brake wheel, Miner, Kadee #2032
• Brake step (platform), Plano Model Products set  #11322 Morton Pattern
• Brake step brackets, Evergreen #8202, 1 x 2 strip styrene
• Grab irons, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW
• Ladder rungs, Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW

B end detail parts installed.

After install of the grab irons and ladder rungs on the ends I did the same on the sides.  I replaced the plastic kit lower door chain rod with one bent from Tichy #1102, .015 diameter PBW.  A chain from door to door chain rod, Precision Scale #48553, 34 links per inch, was added.  In addition, sill steps, A-Line #29000, were installed.

Door to door chain rod, chain,
and sill steps instlled.

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.   And, the wavy installed running board was straightened.

Roof grab irons installed.

Now back to the ends where uncoupling levers were installed.  Uncoupling levers were bent from Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter PBW with eye bolt brackets bent from Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW. 

Uncoupling levers installed.

Finally the rework of the underbody was done as follows:  

• air reservoir, kit
• AB valve, kit
• Brake cylinder and piston, Tichy #3010 AB brake set
• Brake levers, kit
• Brake lever hangers, kit
• Brake cylinder chain, Presision Sclae #48553, 34 links per inch
• Bell crank with chain, kit

Underbody details install begun.

• Piping air reservoir to control valve, Tichy #1101 .010 diameter PBW 
• Pipe back of brake cylinder to control valve, Tichy #1106, .0125 PBW
• Dirt Collector, resin cast in M&N Shops

Piping installed.

• Brake rods, Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter PBW
• Brake rod clevises, made with MEK Goop

Brake rods installed.

Mather GN stock car 55009 was now ready for installed parts to be painted.  All installed parts were hand painted with Vallejo Model Color Cavalry Brown 70.982.  

Underbody painted.

After hand painted parts dried, the stock car was airbrushed with Model Master Acryl  Flat Cear #4636 to provide a good base for weathering.  The weathering of the GN stock car 55009 was done with Pan Pastels applied with makeup brushes as follows: Pan Pastel, Raw Umber Tint 780.5, over entire car body and Pan Pastel, Paynes Grey Extra Dark 840.1, over entire car body.

GN 55009 weathered.

GN 55009 weathered.

Great Northern Mather stock car 55009 was ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, The Lakeland Route, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.”  A car card was made for GN 55009 and put in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad.

GN 55009 at stock pen in Little Chicago, Minn.

GN 55009 at stock pen in Little Chicago, Minn.

GN 55009 at stock pen in Little Chicago, Minn.

GN 55009 at stock pen in Little Chicago, Minn.

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Lester Breuer

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