N SCALE This Christmas, �v��"1 PRECISION RAILROAD MODELS gi"e the Gift of Model Railroading • • • To Your Lo"ed Ones, "F7" Train Set with UNITRACK • Finest quality introductory Train Set available • Three different roadnames available • Contains "F7" A-Unit locomotive, three freight cars, caboose and 4-ft. x 2-ft. loop of UN/TRACK • Easy and reliable layout construction of UN/TRACK combined with the excellence of KATO models And To Yourself. F7 A-Unit & B-Unit Locomotives • Three popular roadnames, exciting paint Pre-production samples shown. schemes • Unrivaled KATO performance and craftsmanship • Updated with low-friction trucks and powerful five-pole motor with dual brass flywheels • Blackened wheelsets • Directional headlight on A-Unit • Three different A-Unit roadnumbers for Pre-production samples shown. each roadname Visit your local hobby dealer this holiday season, and throughout the year, for these new products and the complete UN/TRACK line from KATO Precision Railroad Models. Happy Holidays! "F7" A-Unit and B-Unit Locomotives "F7" Train Set with UN/TRACK ERIE-LACKAWANNA Gray al1d Maroon Item #106-0004 ERIE-LACKAWANNA Item #106-0401 A-Unit#6351 with B-Unit#6322 Grayand Maroon, A-Unit #61 14 Item#1 76-0908 A-Unit#7131 Item #106-0005 SANTA FE SANTA FE Blue alld Yellow "Cigar Balld" Freiglit Colors -U #226-( Item #106-0402 A-Unit#235 with B-Unit Blue and Yel/olll, A nit Item#176-0910 A-Unit #272 Item #106-0006 SOO LINE #214-B SOO LINE Red (llId Wr,ite Red and White, A-Unit Item #106-0403 A-Unit#214-A with B-Unit#2203-C Item#176-21 1 0 A-Unit#2227-A Expected in stores December/January Expected in stores December/January :KA-TO KATO U.S.A., Inc . I.I I I I tI 100 Remington Road· Schaumburg, IL 60173 December 1996 • Volume 8, Number 7 N SCALE: o SCALE: ALL SCALES: Locomotive Performance: Locomotive Performance: Techniques: Summary of All Previous Locomotive Summary of All Previous Locomotive Top' Tips, readers "beller ideas" 12 ............ ..... 12 ................................... 11 Performance Test Reports ......... ... .... Performance Test Reports . for modeling Techniques: Diesel Modeling: City Signs, lellering posters and signs 13 directly on brick walls ......................42 Upgrading Con-Cor's Tank Cars........... Spoiling the GE Dash 8 and 9 16 Diesel Modeling: Diesels ............................................ Spoiling the GE Dash 8 and 9 Diesels, One-Detail-At-A-Time: Layout Design: ........................... ................. 16 21 Diese/s GE AC4400CW as UP 9998 ............... Modeling an Industrial Switching Layout 29 Index of All Previous Articles on Modeling Frei ht Cars of the Fifties: with Mainline Staging ............ .......... 54 g Modeling Diesels ....... ...................... Santa Fe Steel Reefer Upgrades from Diesels, One-Detail-At-A-Time: InterMountain/Longs kits ..................26 Diesel Modeling: 21 GE AC4400CW as UP 9998 ............... Modified 1937 AAR 40-foot box cars, Index of All Previous Articles on .... ..46 54 Modeling Freight Cars of the Fifties: from old Pullman's kits, Part III . Modeling Diesels ............................. Modified 1937 AAR 40-foot box cars, from Deluxe Innovations kits, Part III.... 46 HO SCALE: Tec hniques: Spray Can Painting & Rub-On 4 Lellering ... ......................................... Modern Freight Car Modeling: Two FEC 50-foot box cars .....................4 Cars-in-Context: BN's SentinelYard, circa 1965 ............... .7 DEPARTMENTS: S SCALE: Locomotive Performance: Experience - At Your Fingertips, Locomotive Performance: Summary of All Previous Locomotive more about what's in this issue, Summary of All Previous Locomotive ................... 12 l 0 Performance Test Report From articles in previous issues ......... Performance Test Reports ....... ........ ...12 Athearn GE AC4400CW Modelin Freight Cars of the Fifties: Calendar ............................... .. ...........56 g Performance Test Report ............. ......24 Modified 1937 AAR 40-foot box cars, Diesel Modeling: What's New .................................. 58-6 1 from Pacific Rail Shops', Part III ........46 Spoiling the GE Dash 8 and 9 16 Diesels .................. ............ .............. Index of All Previous Articles on 54 - Modeling Diesels ..... ................. ... ... ON THE COVER: The Lafayette Branch of The Central Railroad of New Jersey is Diesels, One-Detail-At-A-Time: recreated, as a series of HO scale models, by Vic Roseman. Here, circa 1945 CNJ loco­ 21 GE AC4400CW as UP ............... motives perform their switching tasks before the real-life scenes. A tour of his proposed 9998 29. Modeling Freight Cars of the Fifties: layout begins on page - Vic Roseman photo Santa Fe Steel Reefer Upgrades from 26 InterMountain/Longs kits ........... ....... Modified 1937 AAR 4o-foot box cars, from Athearn, InterMountain, or RAllMODEL JOURNAL is published 12 times a year by Golden Bell Press, 2403 Champa St., Denver, CO 80205. Price per single copy is $3.95, or $28.00 per year in the U.S.A. Individual copy prices higher in Canada Sunshine kits, part III ................ .......46 . and other countries. Foreign subscriptions $36.00 for 12 issues, payable in U.S. funds. RAllMODEL JOURNAL, Layout To urs: ISSN 1043·5441, copyright 1996 by Golden Bell Press. All rights reserved. Periodicals Postage paid at Denver, Vic Roseman's CNJs Lafayelle Branch ...29 CO. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Railmadel Journal, 2403 Champa St., Denver, CO 80205. RAILMODEL JOURNAL • DECEMBER 1996 3 ------------[PAINT & DECALS]------------ �prA' �AO I'Aiotioa & IIIJII-f)N 1.. I�rrrl'I�IIINfJ By Mike Budde Build these two Florida East Coast cars from MOC kits (or any other freight cars) with these super-simple painting and lettering techniques. I had been wanting to build models of Recently, while working on another lion, set MG 72 1 provided lhe rest of the these two FEe box cars for years, project, I realized I had what I needed in lettering. but the lack of a proper decal set prevent­ my scrap box of decals. Woodland To build the red FEC box car, begin ed me from completing the projects. The Scenics/Model Graphics dry transfer set with a series 3620 FMC plug door box herald and data were easy, but the large MG 727 had numbers that I felt were car from MDC. I couldn't find an undec­ reporting marks were the problem. close enough, and with a little modi fica- orated kit when I wanted to start, so I RAILMODEL JOURNAL DECEMBER 1996 4 • used a kit decorated for MD&W that new door stops on the left to the original Draw an imaginary line from left to already had the white doors I needed. To ones on the right. Do not glue on the tack­ right through the second ladder rung from more closely match the prototype, sever­ boards until the lettering is done! the top across the lower latch bars on the al modifications need to be done to the Now you're ready to paint. If you have door to the same ladder rung on the right. car's body. The main job is the removal a decorated kit, you can strip the paint This will be the lower line of the report­ of the top rib along each car side where it fil's\. But I wanted to keep the white ing marks. The largest set of numbers, meets the roof. Carefully chisel the top doors, so, being the impatient guy I am, I 5/l6-inch, is the size you'll use. The first rib from between the vel1ical ribs, but be just masked off the doors and sprayed number to apply is the "2." Place the careful to leave the top door track in them with a single coat of red automobile number on the car side with the bottom place. When this is finished and primer to cover the MD& W lettering, fol­ edge of the "2" even with that second lad­ smoothed off, bevel the top of each verti­ lowed by two coats of Testors 1250 Flat der rung. Hold it in position firmly with cal rib to about 45 degrees. Red model car paint for the top coat. tweezers or a hemostat and rub the number The other two changes are much easier: Because of the ribs, it would be diffi­ on. This is a little tricky but it's not that first, the notch in the side sill above the cult if not impossible to position the dry bad. trucks is more abrupt on the model than transfer lettering sheet rIat on the car side, The next number to put on is the "I." on the FEC prototype. This is easily fixed between the ribs. So it is necessary to cut (This is why you want to wait to put the by filing the drop in the side sill to a more the individual numbers from the carrier tack boards on.) First apply the character shallow angle. Next, fabricate new door sheet, just as if they were decals. When on the left, then do the right. Apply the stops and tack boards from rectangles of cutting them out, leave enough of the center "0" third. You can keep checking .020-inch styrene sheet and glue the door backing sheet 10 hold down while rubbing to make sure it's level using a ruler laid stops into place on the left side of the on the numbers, but trim it narrow across the ribs through those second ladder doors. Be sure to match the height of the enough to fit flat between the ribs. rungs. If you start applying the numbers RAILMODEL JOURNAL DECEMBER 1996 • 5 1'A10t109 top waffle-side box car. Like FEC 24001, lower arm. Apply this lower arm to the & IIIJII-()N this model is not exactly like this proto­ top waffle in the third panel (refer to the type. It has the same dimensions and the model photos for lettering placement). 1�lrl"I'I� IIIN (. right number of ribs, but -the side sill is a Now add the rest of the "E," lining it lip from left to right you may end up going little deep and the tie-down pockets (or above its lower arm.