Model Railroading > Freight Car Friday: More Grain Boxcars

On my 1970s era C&NW layout, I can’t have enough 40-foot boxcars with 6-foot doors.  Here are six more cars I built using Kadee kit cars.  These are all late production PS-1s, with the continuous bottom sill.  I modified the sills by adding styrene fillers.  All of them are custom painted and lettered using Microscale decals.  The weathering was done using an airbrush and oil paints.
 
Dennis

1. This is what comes in the kit. They are an easy build and no glue is required.  I chose kits because I would be disassembling them anyway to add modifications and paint.
2. Modification to one of the side sills.
3. Cars ready for loading at the elevator.

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The finished cars...

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More finished cars.

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Dennis,

Very nice job on the cars.  I really like the weathering. Do you remember what size plastic strips you used for the side sill modification.

Cheers,
Larry

 Wow, you have got some great stuff!   Your attention to detail just blows me away.  Very impressive!

Great looking models, thanks for sharing.  I really like that third shot.

Kent in CArmel Valley

Very nice modeling!  The humble 40-footers used to be lined up at grain elevators all around Nebraska so the models bring back memories.

That is just dad-burned good looking.

Fine modeling!

Regards, Bobby

Exemplary as usual!

Tom Y

 

Very nice work!

-Rick

Rick Selby
Redmond, WA
Pacific Northwest RPM

They look great.

Jim

Thats a mighty fine looking fleet.  I'm always impressed with the level of realism, this just looks right.  A question  -- so do you put the grain doors in all the car doors and run them with open doors as empties, and then close the doors at the elevator to show as loads?  Also, where does one get grain doors? I don't know any ho scale copers! 

Excellent weathering!

Excellent, but maybe get some CN's in there on lease, they were the last I believe.

Thanks to everyone for the compliments on my boxcars.  Here are some answers to the questions:

dropframe Wrote:
> Do you remember what size plastic
> strips you used for the side sill modification.
The side sills are extended using .040" styrene flat stock.  A strip was cut wider than needed, glued in place and then sanded down to match the existing sill.

DrLoco Wrote:
> A question  -- so do you put the
> grain doors in all the car doors and run them with
> open doors as empties, and then close the doors at
> the elevator to show as loads?  Also, where does
> one get grain doors?
The paper grain doors are (or were?) made by Jaeger HO Products.  My fleet of grain boxcars will total about 30 cars when they are all built. Unfortunately, the cars are built using many different model maker's products and the Kadee cars are the only ones with operating doors.  When I do operating sessions I will deliver the empties with the doors open.

Dennis

The Signode paper grain door models are currently in stock at Walthers.

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/347-2000

Another company offers them as well.

http://www.enginehouseservices.com/products/Grain-Tainer%2C-Green-Lettering-_-Signode-Grain-Doors-_-HO-Scale.html

These are also Jaeger products with green lettering. They also carry the red letter version. Only $1 per set and they will do a few cars per package. Maybe 3-5, can't remember now but what a bargain in the hobby.

I think one of the laser companies is doing the older wooden grain doors now as well. Modelers Choice has a laser cut kit for the wooden doors.


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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/15 14:50 by fbe.