New Tank Car for the Layout

Featured up at the top of the blog for the month of June is SSW 65003, one of my 86 foot long, 8 door auto parts boxcars, modified by me to have exterior ribs, which makes it a fairly distinctive model.  The boxcar started out as an undecorated Athearn model that I've picked up somewhere along the way.  The car has been modified with styrene strip, painted, and decaled with Microscale decal sets, plus the custom "Cotton Belt" decals done by my friend Sean. Also added were Details West coupler boxes.  I like this one so much that so far I've not been able to bring myself to add any weathering.

Below, I picked up this Atlas 17360 gallon tank car just recently.  I already have a few other tank cars of this type in black paint, and really like them. I wanted to get one of the grey ones mostly to add a bit of variety. These cars are a nice size for the layout here, as it is not really big, and siding and spur space is kind of limited.

The problem for me is that each of the models originally have, or had, lettering on them to indicate that they are used in chlorine service. I removed and/or decaled over that lettering easily enough, and am likely to do the same with this one so it can then run to my small oil facility. 

I think some light weathering will be in order for this tank car as well

Some Micro Sol and a cotton swab has worked well for me before when removing lettering such as this from the Atlas models

I think adding some weathering along the lines of this prototype would be a good look for the model. This prototype photo is one number off from my model.

I'll have more on here about my model tank car soon.

Don Janes and George Dutka were here back on the 15th of May for a nice visit.  It was great to see these guys, and it was really validating for me to hear them say really nice things about the buildings and freight cars that make up my layout.  While I don't model the same eras or areas of the country as they do, they both seemed to look long and hard at the weathering on my freight cars and buildings.

Don commented in particular about the size of the industrial buildings I've put together, most of which approach 4 feet in length.  He also remarked to me that he hadn't often seen the large auto-parts boxcars in use before, and and remarked about them fitting in so well here on the layout.  Thanks for visiting Guys !

George brought me a copy of his book, Model Railroading with George Dutka.  So here's my shameless plug for George's book...

This book is truly superb, one of the very best modelling books I've seen.  It's full of modelling ideas, tips, and the photos are outstanding.  I couldn't even begin to imagine the amount of time George must have spent putting it all together.  Thanks for the book George !