Winter 2010 - Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society

Detailing the body
At this point, all the fundamentals of the car
body are there, so you get to add whatever level of
detailing works for you.
16. Shorten roof overhang above end platform by
removing approx 0.030 in. from both ends of
roof.
17. Drill #80 holes for cupola braces, attached between
cupola ends and rooftop, made of thin
(maybe 0.008 in. dia.) copper wire threaded as
one single length.
18. Make and install curved side rails (made from
0.010 in. dia. phosphor bronze) on left and
right car body ends, supported in the middle
with etched standoffs from Gold Medal Models
(160-42 Steam Loco Details, part #9).
19. Add smokejack (from a KATO caboose) and
support rod.
20. Add cupola sun shield (0.010 in. by 0.040 in.
styrene strips) above windows.
Still more detailing work – this time the work
is on the roof.
21. Add sections of MT reefer roofwalk cut to
length supported underneath by 0.010 in. x
0.020 in. blocks.
22. Modify four etched standoffs from Gold Medal
Models (160-42 Steam Loco Details, part
#9). These standoffs start out as a lollipop
shape – modify them by sanding the tops off to
make a “Y” shape.
23. Drill #78 hole for the standoffs at the four corners.
24. Drill a pair of #80 holes at each corner to accept
the roof grab ends. B-end and add roof
grabs – this is tedious work, but is very visible
on the finished model so I think it is worth the
trouble.
25. Add cupola end marker lamp block (0.060 in.
by 0.020 in. strip with a pair of 0.020 in. dia.
holes drilled), visible on the cupola end just
above and to the right of the roofwalk.
26. Glue 0.010 in. by 0.020 in. strip as top of cupola
window frame.
27. Glue 0.010 in. by 0.040 in. strip as cupola
window bottom sill, protruding out slightly
over the end of cupola siding.
At this point, the car body is looking pretty good.
The Keystone Modeler 28 No. 72, Winter 2010