the ends and use Squadron white or green putty for filler. Glue the indented top to a depth just below the top of the valve cover when it’s added. Attach the top cover with cyanoacrylate. When it puddles and dries, it makes a welded bead look. Then cement the “beacon” as a valve cover. I made eleven tanks, ten for the flat car and one spare. After ap- plying gray primer, I sprayed all the tanks gloss black. When dry, I painted the valve covers stainless steel. I pre-painted the styrene tread plates a steel color; then attached them to the car’s floor beams. The tanks must be constructed and fitted before details such as the edge chocks, cradles and other details are added. Now back to the car, you can install the side chock “L” angles. I cut them to about eight scale feet. These will be butted against each other. You only need chocks where the tanks are posi- tioned, so they don’t shift over the side of the flat car. The flat side wall sits against the tanks. Use several tanks to gauge the location on each side before applying plastic cement. Next, cut eleven “L” angles five scale
feet. Center the ten tanks on the flat car, then start cementing each five-foot piece upside down between each tank to create a cradle to prevent the tanks from rolling. Continue until you have cradles for ten tanks. On each end cra- dle, I added two loop fittings that were large enough for the tie down strap- ping. I cut these from the sides of pas- senger seats I had in my junk box and then painted the deck, chocks and cra- dles stainless steel. After this, I cut the pipe railings to
fit each side up to the grab irons. Also, cut the end railings. Place the railings
RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN
in the stake pockets wherever you can. Cement these and the stanchions against the side as if they were welded and install the end railings. For the name and data plates, I used the computer Word program. Select a letter font and the smallest size. Type the reporting marks, car number and whatever information that’s needed. Since I wanted white letters I selected a black background. The program will au- tomatically reverse the black letters to white. After inserting glossy photo pa- per. I sent the sign to my printer; how- ever, it converted it back to black letters on white paper. I was not interested in spending time and effort to learn how to get what I wanted, so I just e-mailed myself with the attachment. After it was printed, I had to reduce the size by 60 percent before it looked right. I cut the sign and glued it to the railing. I also cut small pieces of styrene measuring a scale 2′-0″×4′-0″ and 3′- 0″×4′-0″, painted them black, to repre- sent
various information signs and
data for each side. From my decal sup- ply, I selected and applied the appro- priate labels. Then, I glued the sign plates to the railing on each side. For the tank labels, I used a comput- er software program called The Print Shop Premier Edition 5.0 (Broder- bund) that includes signs. I came up with the company abbreviation PCC in a shaded blue, and selected an electric symbol for a logo.
I abbreviated the contents to STF (Special Transformer Fluid), and in- vented a tank size 8 for a half-ton ca- pacity. Then I lettered each canister with three letters. It was fun creating the designated letters, since each has a definition that was meaningful to me. I
printed the results on adhesive backed label paper.
After cutting each label, I applied them to the tanks and weathered them with Dullcote. I also added some leaks, spills and handling and other weather- ing affects. For the car, I sprayed on Dullcote, then weathered it. This last step was done using an Aging Solution by Model Tech Studios and Kuras Design Group Rustall, however, you can use the old standby India ink and alcohol wash and rust paint mixed with alcohol to do the job. I like using wintergreen alco- hol for the pleasant odor. I also touched up the car and the tanks with weather- ing powders.
Rather than using what the proto- type used for lagging and holding dogs, I used Chartpak Black Crepe tape. First I applied some weathering on the tape to get rid of the newness. The tape is looped around the floor fittings and glued together, while another piece is installed in the other fitting alongside. This is duplicated on the other end. Half way across the tanks I attached a metal ring fitting.
this was formed
from a staple. The tape was looped through and glued in place. Again, this was repeated for the second tie down. For the other half, to secure the tie- down I used a come-along attachment. This piece can be any small item that looks like a handle. I found two parts in my junk box that did the trick. These are glued after looping them through the metal ring and tightening the tape. One more overspray of Dull- cote and my modified, special services flat
car was ready for service. Its
unique load makes for an eye catching freight car.
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