# Colorado Central RR boxcar #1700



## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi,

I have been building a model of the 24ft long boxcar built by the Union Pacific RR who had from 1879 leased the CCRR for 50 years. The boxcar was one of a series built by Omaha in 1880.

Building followed the same style at the Denver & South Park RR boxcar I built a short time previously, though this one is shorter at 24 scale feet long. The trucks are modified Bachmann ones and the bolsters for them also came from the same flatcar, ensure the truck securing screws are kept for use later. 


The body is 5mm sheet, the side doors are 3mm sheet, and the end door is 2mm thick; all are PVC foam board, which I hand scribed for the planks; the roof is 1.5mm plasticard sheet, with details from plasticard sheet and wire. For the colour I wanted a faded, worn colour; this was mixed by adding a sand colour to a brick red Masonry Paint. On the roof do not fit the walkway until the location for it has been painted a couple of times – at the same time paint the underside of the walkway – otherwise it will be difficult to get at for painting later. The roof and the trucks are slightly darker than the sides of the vehicle, so they were darkened with an overlay when the final colour was dry of very thin acrylic dark brown with a touch of black to deepen the colour, not forgetting the small amount of windscreen washer fluid to stop the surface tension.

Decals are by Stan Cedarleaf, and are to his usual very high standards, they went on perfectly – the master for them was done in Microsoft word, and used ‘Word Art’ as well. They were part of a couple of sheets for several freight cars.

The trucks have the centre detail ground off with a dental burr, and sanding drum, and the sides and fronts of the axleboxes are smoothed off as well; then the new detail is added, from scrap and they are repainted, also include the face of the wheels and when dry they are put back together and the brake shoes and their fixings added.

Here are a set of photographs of the new vehicle.










Body complete showing the brake end - not yet fitted as it would get in the way of the work still to do.










The door end - the door was used for loading long timber into the vehicle.










The (simplified) underside; the truss rods are from bicycle spokes.










The trucks being converted - the lower one is upside down to show the fixing for the brakes.

Having completed the boxcar, I decided after seeing a photo of this class of boxcars in the Sundance book on the CCRR that showed one of them in a somewhat ‘used’ condition, after about a 4 year life on the (rail) road to have a go at weathering #1700; so having made a good paint job it was time to mess it up a touch!

The roof would I surmised be the filthiest part so that was started thin layers of dark brown, and dark earth acrylic paint were applied after the plank joins had been enhanced with an HB pencil – that naturally produced a silver grey colour – that will disappear. Under the very thin and multiple layers of much water + windscreen washer fluid and paint – let each dry before adding another. The roof walk was left natural wood colour (to provide more grip it is thought) this was given an equally heavy dose of weathering but with slightly lighter colours which are also used on the roof proper where the brakemen clambered off the four rung steps and onto the roof, en route to the brake wheel.

The ironwork was painted black after the brass wire rungs and (some) lower door bracket had been primed – I have some ‘brushable’ superglue – this did the job very fast; it could be also done using the thin superglue and a cocktail (toothpick) I think.. 

The sides were finished off and varnished to protect and clamp down the transfers, (Johnson’s Klear) then after again enhancing the plank joins (take care over the transfers as the can tear otherwise) add multiple layers of the paint (as above) were applied in both light and dark shades till I had something approaching what I thought was going to be OK; the very thin layers, though time consuming, allow for some variation if you think it is becoming too dark, or light. I started off with a dark(ish) shade to dull down the white of the transfers these coats are not meant to be even so they are very like an undercoat.

Use daylight if possible as the colour is changed by artificial light. I surmised that there would be more dark on the roof than the lower parts so worked the colours accordingly; the lighter colours at the base still looked a bit bright so they had some toning down. When dark colours especially are put on the look darker than they will dry to, light colours seem to do the reverse a bit no doubt due to the darker layer they are being put onto.

Don’t forget the black rungs, and other iron/steelwork, should be included, and behind the rungs I added some lighter colours where the brakeman’s boots would have left some soil, equally the rungs have a dose at the same time; when all is complete add some silver where the paint is supposed to have been worn off.

The bogie trucks are also weathered nut more so and finish off with some tiny amount of black to replicate oil/grease deposits, and also add some ‘rust’ on the brake blocks. 

My faltering results are show in the last 4 photos taken outside for the best light. DSP boxcar #1000 is in much better condition as it is almost new though there are some small signs of weathering on that also.










the two boxcars side by side CCRR #1700 being a bit dwarfed by the much larger DSP&PRR #1000




























3 more 'close-up' photos of #1700 

Enjoy

Yours peter.


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Another exceptional job Peter. I like the idea of keeping the underside simple since no one can really see it anyway. Sure speeds up the construction process. I wish I could stay with a single prototype RR.

Doc


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## R Snyder (May 12, 2009)

Great work, Peter. Probably my favorite railroad.


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## Dennis Paulson (Jan 2, 2008)

Great model , realistic weathering , nice work .


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