Modeling trailer chain gates C
hain gates were essentially nets made of chain and mounted in tracks across the top and bottom of semi
trailers. They were sized to cover the entire rear trailer opening when in the closed posi- tion. A canvas was incorporated inside the chain gates to protect the trailer contents (and the wood floor) from the elements. Chain gates performed the same functions as trailer doors. They kept freight from slid- ing out and the elements from getting in. As with other types of truck and semi-trailer closures, chain gates could be secured with a padlock. So why replace swing doors with chain
gates? They allowed the driver to avoid the time consuming function of opening and closing the trailer doors at each stop, and local pick-up and delivery trucks made a lot of stops. The chain gates remained closed while the truck was in transit, but when the truck backed up to a loading dock, the swing door had to be opened and pinned back (secured) in the open position before the truck could back in. Chain gates could remain closed during the backing process and were opened by the driver from the dock level prior to loading or unloading. If there was no danger of freight falling out, thieves getting in, or inclement weather, the chain gate could be run in the open posi-
tion, a practice best avoided with swing doors. As the trucking industry came into the forklift era, chain gates were located such that they sustained a lot of damage and became high maintenance cost com- ponents.
Chain gates were replaced by spring loaded overhead or roll doors much like those found in garages. Roll doors were stronger, tighter fitting, were more secure, cost less to maintain, and the carrier could display its name on them. The only down side was they added no strength to the rear header which had to be enlarged to accom- modate the roll door mechanism. Roll doors began appearing in trucks and semi-trailers in the late 1950’s; they proved to be superi- or to chain gates in pickup and delivery service. Some companies found roll doors to be a good investment and some carriers began to specify them on their line haul equipment and do so yet today. They were a time saver when backing a trailer up to the dock or pulling the truck out. For modeling, replacing swing doors with a canvas-backed chain gate insert goes quickly. Start by cutting a piece of .040″ sheet styrene to fit snugly inside the trailer body across the full width and height. Don’t forget to allow for the trailer floor when sizing the .040″ sheet styrene
insert. Once arriving at the final size of the insert, glue a .040″ styrene handle on the back side for ease of handling, painting and installation. Next, apply two layers of 3M brand Nex- care Gentle Paper Tape®
to the chain gate
insert to represent the canvas portion. Fel- low Monon modeler Warren Mitchell intro- duced me to this commonly available first aid tape which is available at most drug stores. It has a self-adhesive backing that does a great job of representing the texture of canvas in HO scale. Once the tape is in- stalled, cover it with a coat of Floquil Grimy Black paint. This represents the canvas backing for the chain gate so wrinkles and uneven material are good effects. Represent the chain portion of the clo- sure with screen material stretched over the canvas portion of the insert.
Again, wrin-
kles are a part of the chain gate detail. Ce- ment the screen to the insert with cyano- acrylate and trim it to fit even with the outer edges of the insert. Make sure the insert will still slide inside the trailer body. Finally, paint the rear bulkhead with Floquil UP Dark Gray, then lightly touch a dry brush loaded with Floquil Rust to the screen, sim- ulating some rust. The final step is to test-fit the insert and cement it to the trailer floor about a foot in from the rear header.
The chain gate insert (left) is made of 040″ styrene covered with paper surgical tape to simulate the texture of canvas after it is painted. The white piece is a “handle” to hold the door while it is
being assembled and painted. It is just a scrap of styrene. Win- dow screen material may be used for the chain gate. The black nylon type is easier to handle but aluminum screen also works.
X29 boxcar sides. This material was also welded around the round nose of the trailer even with the bottom sill, as on the sides.
At one time the addition of the dia- mond plate detail to the trailers might have been a project stopper. Fortunate- ly, Archer Fine Transfers comes to the rescue with another product in their line of fine surface details on clear de- cal film. Cut the tread plate to size and apply it to the sides and nose just like decal lettering. Use decal setting solu- tion on these panels to get them to ad-
RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN
here to the trailer body. Don’t worry about any clouding behind the decal film. It will disappear completely when the trailer body is painted. Like railroad equipment, these semi- trailers had brakes operated by air pressure. The air supply came from the semi-tractor pulling the trailer and was delivered through rubber hoses mounted on the rear of the power unit. These hoses connected to the trailer air lines with glad hands similar to those on railroad car air hoses. The glad hands on Detail Associates m.u. hoses
are about the right size for the glad hands found on the nose of these trail- ers. Trim two hoses off the molding sprue, and then cut each hose in half. Drill No. 75 holes on either side of the nose-mounted electrical box and insert the hose end of each of the m.u. hoses in the holes. The glad hand openings should face the left when viewed while facing the nose of the trailer. Secure the hoses from inside the trailer body with cyanoacrylate.
The Monon trailers had cast spoke wheels. The kit comes with disc-style
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