Minneapolis & STL USRA Box Car 51372

 A Duluth South Shore & Atlantic (DSS&A) USRA double sheathed Box Car kit produced for the  Soo Line Historical & Technical Society by Accurail had been in my unbuilt kits cabinet since November 2000.  The kit with car body assembled in 2001, sat in the unbuilt kits cabinet all these years as the the car was painted yellow with red lettering and lettered for merchandise service.   A car that I could upgrade and place in the display case; however, that is full.  Therefore, I decided I would finally finish the started build; however, paint and letter it for a USRA box car that could run on my Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company (M&N) railroad with a time period of late spring 1955.   After review of reference materials and searching decals I had available, I decided the double sheathed box car would become a Minneapolis & St Louis (M&STL) USRA double sheathed Box Car even if by my time period only one or two were left on the M&STL roster.

The prototype car I chose to model and number 51372 was from one of the USRA additional groups purchased after having received the original group, series 22000-22598.  Specifically, the additional group was one of 250 cars purchased in 1940 from Hyman-Michaels and placed in series 51000-51398.   The USRA design, USRA Specification Number 1003-B, 40 ton double sheathed composite box car features included double sheathed wood sides, six foot side door opening with wood doors, 5/5/5 steel stamped ends, metal  roof, and steel fish belly center sill underframe.  The  cars rode on Andrews trucks.

As for prototype photos, I used a photo of M&STL 25538 for my build.  The photo is one I took of the photo in  Steam Era Freight Cars Reference Manual Volume One: Box &Automobile Cars (Speedwitch Media, 2006. 2007).  M&STL 25538 built in 1940 by Hyman-Michaels was placed in series 25300-25898, the additional group of purchased cars prior to group I chose.   The photo I took is included here with permission to use obtained from Ted Culotta.

M&ST L 25538    Courtesy of Ted Culotta 
(Click on this or any image to enlarge)

In addition to M&STL 25538 photo, I used the car drawing of a USRA Double Sheathed Box Car in Mainline Modeler (March/April 1980).

USRA Double Sheathed Box Car Drawing

The build of the kit began back in 2001 when the car body was assembled.  The underbody frame coupler pockets and truck kingpins were drilled and tapped to accept 2-56 screws.  Kadee #148 couplers were inserted into coupler pockets and coupler pocket covers were installed with Walthers #947-1032, 2-56 x 3/16 inch screws.  Temporary Accurail ARA Cast Steel with spring plank trucks with InterMountain 33 inch metal wheels were installed with Athearn #99002, 2-56 x 1/4 inch screws.  A car weight was cut from .040 sheet lead and installed on the underbody floor side with Permatex Clear Silicone Adhesive.   With the sheet lead weight added the car weight was 3.8 ounces.  Kit brake components were installed.  The underbody was airbrushed in 2001 with Floquil  Black #F110013 (no longer manufactured) and installed in the car body.

Underbody installed in car body.

 

On the assembled car body lettering removal was done first.  Using a scratch brush with nylon bristles and 91% isopropyl alcohol the red lettering including DSS&A herald, reporting marks, number 10085 and words “merchandise service” were removed.

Car body lettering removed.

Once lettering was removed, all molded on grab irons and drop grab iron ladders were carved off.   On the B end the brake step, brake shaft and brake wheel installed in 2001 and painted Floquil Rail Box Yellow #R33 ( no longer manufactured) were left undisturbed.

Molded on grab irons and
 grab iron ladders removed.

New drop grab irons and drop grab irons for ladders bent from Tichy Train Group (Tichy)  #1101, .010 diameter phosphor bronze wire (PBW) were installed.  

Wire drop grab irons and 
drop grab grab iron ladders installed.

After grab iron and drop iron ladder install on the B end, the molded on longitudinal running board brackets were cut off and replaced with Yarmouth Model Works #220, etched running board braces.  Brake step brackets and a retainer valve from Tichy AB set #3013, were installed.  A retainer line and brackets, Tichy #1100, .008 diameter PBW, install followed.

B end upgrade parts installed.

B end upgrade parts installed.

Now on the roof, the removed lateral running board grab irons were replaced with wire ones bent from Tichy #1101, .010 diameter PBW.   For roof corner grab iron legs, Yarmouth Model Works etched eye bolts without shoulder were used.

Roof grab irons installed.

Next, the molded sill steps were cut off.   New sill steps were bent from Detail Associates #2524 brass flat .010 x .030 bar stock and installed in #76 drilled holes.

Brass sill steps installed. 

Brass sill steps installed. 

Brass sill steps installed. 

The install of sill steps completed the car body upgrade except for uncoupling levers so into the paint shop the car went.  In the paint shop the car body was airbrushed Vallejo/MicroMark Model Air Box Car Red X29015X2.  When paint was dry the car body was airbrushed with Vallejo Gloss Varnish 70.510 to provide a gloss decal base.

Car body airbrushed Box Car Red.

Car body airbrushed Box Car Red.

Once paint was dry the upgrade of the underbody, normally completed prior to being placed into the paint shop, was done.  On the underbody the install of detail parts was done as follows:

• Brake cylinder lever, made from Evergreen 1 x 8 strip styrene
• Floating lever, made from Evergreen 1 x 6 strip styrene
• Piping from air reservoir to control valve, Tichy #1101 .010” PBW
• Piping from brake cylinder to control valve, Tichy #1106, .0125” diameter PBW
• Brake rods, Tichy #1106 .0125” PBW
• Brake rod clevises, MEK Goop (plastic melted in MEK)
• Chain, Tichy #8334, black 40 links per inch
• Train line, Tichy #1103, .020 diameter PBW
• Dirt collector, scrap plastic rod, reworked

Under body upgrade details installed.

To finish the underbody, the underbody and all added detail parts were brush painted Vallejo/MicroMark Tarnished Black X29022X2.

Under body brush painted.

With the underbody finished it was back to the car body to apply decals.   Decals used  to letter the car came from a M&STL Mark Vaughan set made for him by Rail Graphics (no longer available).

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 Model Master Acryl, #4636, flat to protect decals and provide a flat finish for weathering when applied.

Decals applied.

Decals applied.

Once underbody detail parts install was finished, install of uncoupling levers was done.   Uncoupling levers were bent from Tichy #1106, .0125 diameter PBW.  Uncoupling lever brackets used were eye bolts bent from Tichy #1101 .010 diameter PBW.  In the photos below the uncoupling lever after initial install had too drastic angle. It was changed later.

Uncoupling lever installed.

Uncoupling lever install changed.

Before weathering was done, trucks were changed.   Accurail ARA cast steel with spring plank #164 trucks were removed and Accurail Andrews #166 trucks were installed.  Trucks prior to install were brush painted with Vallejo/MicroMark Model Air Tarnished Black X29022X2.

Andrews Trucks installed.

Before putting M&STL 51372 in service on the M&N, the car was weathered with Pan Pastels.  Paynes Grey Extra Dark 840.1  was applied with a large makeup brush on the entire car body and underbody.  Burnt Sienna Shade 740.3 was applied to the springs with sponge tip.

Car weathered with Pan Pastels.

Car weathered with Pan Pastels.

Car weathered with Pan Pastels.

Minneapolis & St Louis USRA design double sheathed box car 51372 was ready for service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company, The Lakeland Route, “Serving today, Shaping tomorrow.”  A car card was made for M&STL 51372, the final step to put the a car in service on the Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company Railroad.

M&STL 51372 spotted at Anchor Glass

M&STL 51372 spotted at Anchor Glass

M&STL 51372 spotted at Anchor Glass

M&STL 51372 spotted at Anchor Glass

 I want to say, “Thank You”, to Ted Culotta for letting me use a photo I took of photo of M&STL double sheathed USRA Box Car 25538 in Steam ERa Freight Cars Reference Manual Volume One: Box &Automobile Cars (Speedwitch Media, 2006. 2007) on this blog.

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

Plymouth, Minn.

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