Refinished a Postwar Tank Car junker

Looks good!

Great job!

I'm sitting at my desk looking at a Lionel Lines - Sunoco #6015 with rust on the frame and trucks that I am trying to clean up. Question - how did you separate the trucks from the frame without separating the tank itself from the frame. (I thought about trying to unbend the metal tabs on the frame that hold the plastic tank on but haven't determined how to do so without risking damaging the tank). Thanks

@EngineerPilot posted:

Question - how did you separate the trucks from the frame without separating the tank itself from the frame. (I thought about trying to unbend the metal tabs on the frame that hold the plastic tank on but haven't determined how to do so without risking damaging the tank). Thanks

This answer can be different depending on what trucks you actually have I think.  Some trucks are riveted, and those pretty much need the pushed-out part of the pin cut or ground off and a screw needs to be used to reassemble.  Some are screwed (that's easy).  Mine had these TINY little tabs that stuck out from the main pin just enough to "snap" over the truck frame and I assume the car frame inside as well.  But like you, I was not going to risk bending the tabs that connected the body to the frame, cause they're really hard to even see much less bend.

So I used a very thin "poker" (I have a set of hooks and pokers that I use all the time) to reach in between the truck (after spinning the truck around a few times to try to get the little tabs to line up with some part of the outside of the car / truck) and reached in and just pressed on one tab with enough force to push it all the way back even with the pin but not bend it permanently, while at the same time pulling slightly downward on the truck with a little pressure.  After some screwing around with this procedure, I heard a very faint little "pop" and one side of the truck was now over the tab.  So quickly, without pushing the truck back upward and re-locking the tab, I pushed in on the other side tab just enough and the truck popped free.

My very complicated and highly accurate sketch below highlights the little tabs.  and they are little, like almost too small to see little.  You gotta push on them far enough down so there's room for the (blue) truck frame to slide downward over the tab to keep it recessed while you go after the other side.  Otherwise, the tool you're using to push the tab back will just block the truck from dropping down and you'll never get it over the tab.

It was by far the most frustrating part of the job.  But the good thing is, the trucks literally just *snap* right back onto the pins when you're done with almost no effort.

Fantastic Rebuild. Great outcome..

Love your art work.

You should see my Rain Forest !!

Nice job.Isn't it great to make and run something that no one else has seen?

I have removed upper mold lines from a number of projects - the K-Line copy of the Marx 1829 comes to mind, as do the Marx plastic Sherman tanks (perfect for S gauge flatcars).

I agree that it makes them look a lot better.

Take a bow. You deserve around of applause.

Thanks everyone! Now just trying to figure out my next project, since the PRR loco is pretty much done... 

Nice Job.  What did you paint with? Airbrush or Spray rattle cans?

@L.I.TRAIN: I used two coats of plain flat black Rust-O-Leum primer.  Wet sanded with 1500 grit between coats.  Then sanded again, one coat of gloss black RustOLeum "2X", then decals, then finished with one coat of RustOLeum clear satin.

Honestly for my level of skill the rattle cans worked fine.  I know some people hate it, but I'm still a novice and this stuff is easy to get.

I will say this, the top coat of Gloss black (and for that matter, the semi-gloss black I used on my locomotive) did NOT spray that evenly but it was "good enough".  The Satin clear coat  I couldn't get it to do an even, fine mist.  It would "spit" and wet globs the size of grains of sand would sort of "splot" onto the car every half second or so. I tried to keep the spray as far away as I could and still get some coverage, maybe should have been closer.   It's hard to tell on the pictures, but the uneven finish of the gloss and the clear satin  coats is pretty evident, especially on the locomotive.

I guess that stuff is made to paint chairs and furniture and stuff, so a bunch of "tiny" splats don't matter.  What's a grain of sand on something the size of a coffee table?  But it's pretty large on a model railroad car.

But the car looks better than it used to, so I call it a win anyway.

Rusty tends to be thick imo. It is my last brand choice.

But it could be the spray tip or how much you shook it too. Save your best tips after a can is empty; "in case" the next needs it. Shake a can and let it sit a ½ hour/hour, shake again some, spray.  Any globs of solids grouped/settled in the can during sitting, have more time to thin out well again that way.

Beading vs blending can also be from too much distance, or too high an air temp/sun. It means the paint is partially dry before it hit the surface. Gloss's go on wet, every step towards flat should take a matching topcoat easier, without showing once fully cured. (might take a day or so to really even up.

Don't expect Red can #A to exactly match Red can #B. (match the sticker lot # and it should match better). Batch variances  side by side can often be seen so use one can for the final coat on all piece that must match perfect. The first spray of color can come from "any of the Red cans", it is the last that matters.

Very nice outcome.  Several years ago (actually many) I redid several tankers to Pennsy.  Lionel hadn't done any so I gave it a shot.

Awesome job!

I have used Acrylic Trim and Jamb Clear for several years as a topcoat.  It is from the automotive industry.  I purchase it in rattle cans at auto part stores.  The current can I have is DuPont Acrylic Clear part # A-74805. The can is several years old and have never had a problem getting a smooth clear finish if my last paint pass is good.  I have used it over wood and metal and have never had a problem with "lifting" the finish it is sprayed over.  Have also sprayed it over stain on wood.  Spray tip produces  very high quality finish that is extremely durable.

It is not cheap as I think the can I have cost me around $25.00 for a 13.2 oz can.  This is solvent based but at the time of purchase the product was also available in water borne.

Coaster,

Great job !

John, those Pennsy tankers look great. 

@Adriatic: thanks for the tips on paint. I sprayed on my back porch in the Florida sun, sounds like that might not have been the best plan. Maybe try I'm the shade next time?

@Johnsgg1: those cars are super! Question, are the little"claws" on either end of the PW tanks intended for some kind of wraparound grab rail? Did the cars originally come with rails in the 50's, or are those details just for show? (See photo)

Jeff, the end caps are glued in separate pieces.  Probably used in multiple applications.  Wraparound wire handrails would be my guess.  I know my modern era Lionel Army tanker has that combination.

I keep forgetting  to mention that a piece of hard tube slipped over the tabbed rivet's tabs is also a sharp way to safely extract those.

  It's the same principle for those round male/female plug connectors (molex etc) . Yea, they come out eventually. But the tool, a sprung tube sleeve over a sliding rod, solidly fixed to the handle; makes it easy. Slide the tube over it until you close the tabs, push harder past the spring and the rod pushes the terminal right out of the plug....3 seconds. Often good terminals can be reused if soldered vs crimped.

A homespun electrical version works way better than awls or safety pins if you have some tube kicking around