RBOX 31224

I recently came across this RBOX photo by Colin Reinhart.  I liked the white paint-out across the bottom portion of the boxcar, and the white spray painted reporting mark, and thought I could maybe try to do something like this with one of my RBOX's.

The car I used is clearly not the same model, but I'll just call this modelers license and plunge ahead with it.

The number of panels/ribs is different than the prototype photo, but the colouring of the car is about right.  As a first step, I painted black overtop of the red primer on the door.

I made this styrene mask to help soften the upper edge of the white paint patches.  The styrene spacers, which I've outlined in black here, fit in between the boxcar ribs and raise the edge just a bit off of the model.

In this view, I've sprayed the white on the right side of the model, and it's taped in place on the le I ft.  Also the door is masked so as to not get white paint on the black.

Some looks at the finished project...

I used a white paint pen and some patience to try to emulate the similar scribbled marks on the prototype picture.

The graffiti is decals by Blair Line.  The reporting marks are decals from the Microscale Stencil lettering set.

A look from the B-end.

To finish up, I also darkened the tack boards to show some wear, and added rust on and below the door track.

That'll be all for now.

Double-Door Boxcar

I used to see PDRR boxcars going to and from the paper plant in Port Huron, Michigan fairly often.  As I remember though, they were painted in a boxcar red or sometimes in yellow. Most of the prototype PeeDee River boxcars are now owned by UP and marked BKTY.

This one of mine is an old Roundhouse model that I weathered.  I didn't follow any prototype photo for the weathering, but I think it looks believable, so I'm more than pleased with the way it turned out.

Happened to catch this PeeDee River RailRoad boxcar this week at door #4 at Tri-State Paper.

Below are a few more photos of this boxcar from my files:

 This view shows lets us see some graffiti on the inside of the boxcar

 

It makes for kind of a nice change for the layout to have a freight car rolling around with the doors open

A view of the brake end of the boxcar as it sits at the local team track

I like this particular photo even thought the boxcar is on the other side of the chain link fence.

I'll close out with this view

The roof is certainly showing it's age

And that'll be all for this week.

A Short Train (Part 3)

Continuing on with the work along the South Industrial, JSSX 815 has grabbed the RBOX, pulled it out and then shoved the two high-cube boxcars into the customer's spur.

In this view, there's a crewman that's just uncoupled the trains two high-cube boxcars from each other.

I've often wondered just what train crews might think of having their pictures taken while they're working.  I don't know if I would have thought much of anyone taking my picture while I was doing my job.

815 starting to pull back after spotting the two boxcars at the loading doors.  The short train of 2 boxcars that we started out with is going to be even shorter now with just the one car for the trip back to the yard

On the return trip to the yard now.  Utility poles kind of got in the way of the photograph, much like they do along the prototype railways.

That RBOX is looking a little the worse for wear.

Running around the bend, passing by a couple of plastic pellet hoppers at MidWest Plastics over on the GTW.

I'll finish up this series now with this view of 815 passing by brother 813 as it switches a couple of tank cars at the transloading facility.

Thanks for following along as I've tried give a little insight into how part of the JSSX operates for these three posts.  I hope you've enjoyed them.