Building Intermountain Kits

The first thing I would do is replace all the flimsy plastic parts (like grabs, etc.) with metal ones. Next add metal wheels.

Simon

As stated above, replace flimsy grab irons with tichy phosphorous grab irons. Replace a lot of the brake parts with metal ones. you will thank yourself in the long run. building the kit "as is" out of the box means you set it on the layout and never touch it again. it's not meant to be handled unless you replace the thin plastic parts with brass or metal ones.

flanger posted:

Like most 2 Railers I've built a fair number of the ever popular Intermountain freight car kits. I seem to recall seeing an article somewhere about going a bit beyond the standard assembly...

Maybe in OST a while ago?

Simon Winter posted:

The first thing I would do is replace all the flimsy plastic parts (like grabs, etc.) with metal ones. Next add metal wheels.

Simon

Definitely I always use metal wheels.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

As stated above, replace flimsy grab irons with tichy phosphorous grab irons. Replace a lot of the brake parts with metal ones. you will thank yourself in the long run. building the kit "as is" out of the box means you set it on the layout and never touch it again. it's not meant to be handled unless you replace the thin plastic parts with brass or metal ones.

That's generally good advice I agree, but in my case I am the only one who handles my models, I do so carefully, and I have never felt the need to do a replacement of the detail items. Some of my Intermountain cars are ten years old, and still in prime condition with the original parts.

mwb posted:

flanger posted:

Like most 2 Railers I've built a fair number of the ever popular Intermountain freight car kits. I seem to recall seeing an article somewhere about going a bit beyond the standard assembly...

Maybe in OST a while ago?

I think that's a possibility, but as to exactly the particular issue, I don't know. Do you recollect seeing such an article Marty? What I'm interested in is possibly painting all the undercarriage parts in a grimy black as an example...using an air brush to do it, but the way the assembly goes parts are being cleaned and fitted and glued, and I would want to do the aforementioned paint work after that activity.  Also the floor itself seems like it could benefit from a similar shot of paint perhaps. I suppose one could do a very carful masking job and then spray away, but that looks to be a somewhat iffy approach at best...dunno. More ideas appreciated though.

Bob

flanger posted:

mwb posted:

flanger posted:

Like most 2 Railers I've built a fair number of the ever popular Intermountain freight car kits. I seem to recall seeing an article somewhere about going a bit beyond the standard assembly...

Maybe in OST a while ago?

I think that's a possibility, but as to exactly the particular issue, I don't know. Do you recollect seeing such an article Marty?

Nope!  I'll have to take a look into all the blog files that I dropped into the trash folder on the web site when I took a big broom to it a few weeks ago,

What I'm interested in is possibly painting all the undercarriage parts in a grimy black as an example...using an air brush to do it, but the way the assembly goes parts are being cleaned and fitted and glued, and I would want to do the aforementioned paint work after that activity.  Also the floor itself seems like it could benefit from a similar shot of paint perhaps. I suppose one could do a very carful masking job and then spray away, but that looks to be a somewhat iffy approach at best...dunno. More ideas appreciated though.

Bob

Oh, I generally don't sweat it anymore - I have a rattle can of a some brown color and another of flat black; painter's tape around the car sides & ends, and a few swipes of the one followed by the other with the car upside down on a bit of cardboard on a lazy susan is all I generally do now....

Download the pdf version on OST Volume 5, article by J.W.Mathews titled,"Superdetailing InterMtn & Other Boxcars". I have RTV glued steel strip #11 gauge(.120 inch thick) by 1 inch wide weight  to the floor of the Intermountain boxcars and reefers for a total weight of 15 ounces before gluing the roof assembly to the carbody, I also added weights to the tank car and 2 bay coal car kits, check Scale City Designs(Marty) for weights. The plastic brake staff rod on the coal car kit was replaced by .020 steel wire, the plastic hand brake wheel is attached to this steel wire with Gorilla glue super glue.  

Thanks John...I believe that was the article I was trying to find. Just read through it.

Bob

Bob, there is another article on adding wood grain interior to these boxcars in one of the OST monthly issues, search the web for a listing titled "All Time OST Index- Sorted by Author- Thru March/April 2013".

Regards

My modelling is on the verge of mediocrity, no where near the quality of you blokes.

I built about 10 Intermountain reefers a few years ago I did an article in OST about setting the room up to do the lot in one go.

Here is one of my photos I had to set up the space to do this I needed all the help I could get, it really stretched my patience to the limit. Roo.