Recommended Tools. Drill #80,79,78.
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50000 Boxcar series decals. Kadee No.26 /No.5 couplers. ACC thickened and thin. Sanding papers 320 grade aluminum open cut. 3/16" KS brass angle [optional] Detail Associates coupler cut bar # [optional] Note: Supplied with the detail set wit the kit there are a set door guides, these were included on the master for another project and are not correct as is.
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Go to the data page and download and print a copy of the high resolution diagram, this is a detail plan on the model and is needed to construct the model
Inspect all castings for defects and fill minor ones with modeling putty. Sand smooth with 600 wet & dry.
Tip: Cut the 600 wet & dry into 3/4 to 1" strips. Add liquid detergent to some boiling water in a bowl and allow the wet & dry to soak till soft. Using the water from the bowl polish out any imperfections.
Flash should be removed by following the edge of the casting with a single edge blade. The edges of the roof and the mating recesses in body floor should also be scraped to ensure a good fit. The urethane used in these kits is very soft so use only light strokes with multiple passes.
Check the fit of the floor and roof and adjust as described till a good fit is obtained. The roof should be a little loose to allow correct alignment on assembly while the floor should be a firm fit.
Hint: The NWSL Sander is ideal for sanding the edges of the floor castings while maintaining square.
Next, sand the boxcar body base and roof flat with 320 aluminum open cut paper. I use a piece of glass but a smooth bench top is suitable.
Hint: Place the shell on the paper and polish the base of the body shell top and bottom level. Rotate 180 degrees after each pass to ensure even material removal. Be very careful - this is only to ensure that the top and base are flat.
All drilling points are marked with small indentations in the various castings. Drill all these to a minimum depth of 3/16" with a #80 drill. Lubricate the drill with a little liquid detergent at each hole.
Important: When drilling the holes for the end grabs on the side angle the drill into the body at about 5 degrees. This prevents penetrating the end and or creating a drill mark on the end.
Fitting the Roof
Fit the roof to body shell and align one end carefully, if it looks right, it is right. Apply a drop of thickened ACC on the inside about center at one end, allow to dry before releasing pressure.
Repeat at the opposite end and inspect the alignment on both sides, align the door center with the roof and apply a drop of ACC, allow to dry, repeat on the other side.
Re-check alignment and if all is ok, apply a bead of epoxy with a toothpick along each side. This is best done with the edge tilted to 45 degrees with a 5 minute epoxy. Repeat on all four sides.
With the two kits follow the same sequence and you will find one is ready to move on while the other is drying.
Roof & Body fit out
The grabs should be trimmed to about a 5/32" on one leg with a Xuron flush cutter at 45 degrees. The short leg should on the side be placed into the blind hole on the wall side of each ladder run. Install all the grab irons on one side.
Place a piece of 0.020" styrene strip behind the grab irons, push down flush and square up by eye.
DO NOT INSTALL THE LAST GRAB AT FLOOR LEVEL ON ANY SIDE AT THIS TIME.
When satisfied with position apply a drop of ACC to each one of the legs protruding into the shell and allow to dry. To fix the short leg on the outside [if required] apply a small drop of thin ACC using a needle fitted to a pin vise, using a little care, transfer the ACC to the rung just above the body and allow gravity to do its work. The key here is control - OK!
Hint: Use thin ACC supplied in a bottle with a brush. Apply ACC to the needle with the brush, this allow good control, when applying the ACC a little get on the model, the thin ACC will soak into the hole with the grab iron, clean up is best done with a cotton bud, just mop up the excess without removing the ACC at the base of the grab.
Repeat on all four sides and remember practice will make perfect. Grabs can be twisted into alignment using small needle nose pliers.
The door guides are a length of the 0.015" brass wire cut to fit the groove in the casting for the door guides. Apply a small amount of ACC along the length of the wire then drop into groove in the body, press down with a piece of plastic or similar implement.
The roof requires only the addition of the roof walks and grabs to complete.
Trim the roof grabs as you did for the short legs of the sides and install as outlined for the sides.
Cut around the double side tape of the roof walks with a sharp #11 X-Acto blade. Cut at an angle of 30 degrees into the roof walk to reduce fuzz. Check fit, mark overhang and apply around roof center.
Floor fit out
| Assemble the arch bar trucks to diagram supplied with kit and allow to dry for 24 hours. |  |
Remove side frames from sprue along with the nylon bearing. Press fit bearings into the side frame. Remove axle cover lids from sprue then fill the recess in the axle box on the side frame with some liquid adhesive {Testor's] and fit covers. Once dry fit one side frame to its bolster , square and allow to dry, repeat for opposite side. Assemble the brakes into their spreader and set aside.
Note: Do not fit brakes till all adjustments outlined in these instructions are complete. They are very hard to remove. These castings are very delicate and extreme care is required.
Drill all holes with a #78 drill for the truss rods, these are located at the face of the bolster. [opposite side to coupler]. The brake lever supports are drilled with a #80 drill.
Hint: Use the needle beam casting to locate the holes for the truss rods Where the #78 hole penetrates the floor on the inside face, lightly counter sink with a 3/32" drill to provide a small pocket. DO NOT DRILL THRU.
Drill bolster to suit self taper, lightly de-burr hole.
Optional:
The floor casting is very flexible and we would strongly recommend fitting stiffeners to the inside face. This is important if you chose to fully install truss rods before installation of the floor. Fit KS brass 3/16" angle, two separate pieces are glued with ACC [thickened] to the floor between the outer truss rods holes and overlapping past the bolster by a ¼" minimum.Any other suitable material can be substituted.
Install the 18" grabs into the floor for the lever supports using a 0.120" to 0.130" styrene spacer, ACC as for the grab irons [refer fig 1].
Dress and install the needle beam castings in the grooves located in the center frame of the floor. Ensure that it is square and with the center pair of the queen posts on the center of the center frame. Check alignment by installing the floor into the body and if all is correct apply a drop of the thin ACC at each bearer and both sides.
Carefully remove the KC brake from the sprue, dress to remove parting lines and glue to pad provided. Remember that the clevis points to the brake end of the car.
Refer to the brake diagram if there is any doubt.
Trim brake levers #20 and #19 from the sprue [refer hint below if installing brake rigging]. Place a piece of 0.188" x 0.100" scrap in the gap on the center of the floor. Pull up about center of floor beams to trap lever between the scrap and the grab iron [refer fig 2].
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Position lever and apply a drop of ACC on face of the lever and the grab iron on all sides then repeat for the opposite side. Where the KC cylinder engages lever apply drop of Testor’s liquid cement.
Installing the brake rigging is option ional refer Fig 3 and the Titchy diagram. Repeat for other side then fit center shaft between both levers.
Hint: Clean out the groove with a pointed X-acto blade, then sharpened two piece's of the 0.015" wire to a chisel point. Press the point on edge into the groove in the clevis brake beam and lay along side the raise portion on the bolster, apply thickened ACC and allow to dry, trim wire flush with end of bolster. Though over scale the 0.012" has better presence and is stiffer in service than a more scale 0.008" wire.
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Fitting Truss Rods Nylon
Drill 6 holes at the bolster in line with the queen posts. Knot one end of the nylon then thread to the hole located on the opposite face. The nylon should lay over the queen post beam remembering to fit a turn buckle at each location, repeat 6 times and knot end.
Hint: If the outer truss rod knots foul on body, mark location and grind out a little material with a burr.
Fit weights and check for smooth operation and if all is correct place to one side. The NMRA standards are a little heavy to model steep grades required by the Hill.
I have found about 2 3/4 oz is adequate for good running.
RECHECK FIT OF FLOOR TO BODY
IF OK PROCESS THE NEXT STEP.
Apply a bead of adhesive to the recess in the car body for the floor and install floor. Ensure that the floor is fully engaged in recess and that its
flat.After glue has fully cured carefully lift the thread into the queen posts and center turnbuckle and fix with a thinned drop of PVA. This again is best applied with a needle fitted to a pin
vise.Hint: If you wish to install truss rods before installing floor glue the floor must be stiffened as described in the floor assembly details. Alternatively examine the model photos for the use of 0.015" wire.
Finishing the Body.
Re-drill all lower holes for the grab irons into floor and install as previously explained.
Note: Both legs of the grab will have to be shortened as they are all being installed into blind holes.
Determine which end is to be fitted with the handbrake. Check that the handbrake is installed at the end which the cylinder clevis is pointed out. [Refer diagram above]
Remove upper support #5 from sprue and trim to a length of 1/4" ensuring cut is at 45 deg. Count across 9 boards and on the gap between 9 & 10 transfer location to roof fascia and drill mounting hole to suit. Mark locations with reference to model data sheet 50000.
Now remove #13 from sprue and drill #80 hole thru base to allow brake shaft to slide thru. Fit 0.015" phosphor bronze wire thru mounting hole and ACC. When dry turn fit brake shaft thru upper mount located on the fascia to the lower bearing flush with the base, applying ACC at base and upper support.
Now remove retainer valve [opposite #13] from sprue and glue to fascia with ACC, using the needle as a pick, spear it, apply ACC to mounting face and fit. Form an airline with 0.008" wire. Mark locations with reference to model data sheet 50000.
Hint: The needle in the pin vice is ideal to handle this item
Position 0.008" wire into board groove and fix 4 places with a small drop of ACC applied with needle.
Remove the truss rod bolts from the sprue by cutting flush at base with a single edge blade. Mark locations with reference to model data sheet 50000.
Note. The locations do not coincide with the actual truss rods. The couplers we use are anything but scale
Remove doorstop castings flash using a sharp X-Acto #11 chisel blade. Using the needle as a pick, spear each one apply ACC to mounting face and fit.
Hint: Use a slow dry ACC for this application
Fit the coupler pocket end plate to the end on center of the body. Fit Kadee No 26 couplers if you intend to install the casting supplied on the car end.
Note: We have no information to indicate when or if the extended pockets on the 50000 were ever removed but with the limited budget of the D&SL and logic would suggest that they would have stayed as delivered unless there was a cost saving to be achieved by their removal or modification.
Install bolt castings as shown on model data sheet 50000.
Note: Bolt castings do not line correctly with the truss rods because the appliances fitted are over scale.
Finally fit the stirrups, determine their location on the car side. The horizontal leg of the inboard mount should be located in alignment with the stirrups mount cast into the car side, drill with #79.
Fit stirrups by applying thinned ACC to pin and fit to car.
All the bolts and pocket have been supplied as separate items because as at this time no reliable information exists on the end detail on the 50000 series and this approach allows the best possibility of an upgrade in the future.
The castings for the door guides can be modified to a more accurate version of the guides on the 50000. Using a X-Acto chisel blade slice off the tappered end , carefully pick up use needle and glue to underside of door, for detail refer model photos.
Finishing off.
Finally decide if the car is to be fitted with lumber doors. Available photos indicate that they were installed on some of the cars by 1910 - 1914, but appeared to have disappeared by the 1920’s as the cars were increasingly used to ship coal.
If you require them apply a pencil line for alignment place ACC on mounting face and fix into position. The doors were located on car centerline and the top of the guide just below the fascia board on both ends.
Now trim brake shaft to length and fit hand wheel. A drop of ACC will fix it. Trim to length with flush cutting pliers.
Any small amounts of excess ACC can be remove by scraping with a single edge blade and polishing with a fiberglass eraser.
Refit trucks by tightening up both screws fully [till one truck cannot rotate] and back of enough to allow one to rotate freely, back off the other to the same plus a 1/8 to a 1/4 of a turn extra.
Check the coupler height, running qualities and we are ready to paint.
Refer to Rand Hood’s article in the Denver & Salt Lake Historical Society's Corona Telegraph CT09 Vol.4, No.1, Summer 2001 & Vol.1, No.1, Winter 1998 for colors and finishing.
Study the running repairs on the 52000 boxcars and apply a little imagination to the 50000 boxcars.
Though much of the visual history of the D&SL is lost, filter your ideas thru the written history, available photos and then ask "As shop foreman what would I have done to repair this item under the same constraints?” You will be surprised where the study of the history of the RR will allow you to make some extremely accurate judgments. Be prepared to study the background in photos as these contain detail awaiting discovery.
As a final comment, resist funky narrow gauge RR’s as a filter, the D&SL was at the end of the day was a business running with limited resources.
Apply a drop of white paint to the rim of watch wheel for the run over the hill.