Model of the Week: Weathering a Virginian Box Car

[Sawdust]

This is my first post in a long time. I would like to see this forum grow into what it use to be. I bought seven of these box cars from a guy at a swap meet for around $20. The first thing I did was give them a good bath.




I like many other pieces of rolling stock I take all the horn hook couplers & wheel sets off.


Here I'm checking the plastic wheels compared to the metal wheels to see how much of the trucks need to be reamed out.




Nothing more than replacing the plastic wheels with metal wheels, knuckle coulplers & a little weathering. I now have a much nicer car thats worth a lot more than $2.00.




Thanks for viewing & any comments or questions are welcomed.

[COX 47]

Nice weathering..Are they old Varney cars?...Jerry

[Bill Nelson]

Good job Jim, what did you use to get the subtle rust effect on the cross braces? It is very effective. I find it is harder to be subtle with the car weathering. While we need some heavily weathered cars, for most cars, a light touch is best.

Good advise about replacing plastic wheels the best plastic wheels collect dirt, and the worst are an accident looking for a place to happen. Metal wheels,, (except for KD wheels- which are made with aluminum, and collect dirt as badly or worse than plastic ) help keep the rails clean, and they sound so much better.


Bill Nelson

[ekuth]

Beautiful!

Front page for this beauty!

[Bill Nelson]

This does look spot on like the old Varney car, if it isn't I'd bet someone else ended up with their molds.

Bill Nelson

[nachoman]

Very nice! I think I have a pair of the same cars that I could spruce up a little.

[Bill Nelson]

Another modification I like to make to these old cars is to remove the Talgo (truck mounted ) coupler, and install a body mounted coupler.


Talgo couplers work wonderfully going forward, but when you push the train backwards, the force on the coupler makes the truck want to kick to the right or left; unless the car is very heavy, and the train is very short, there will be problems.


Bill Nelson

[Sawdust]

Thanks Jerry, Bill, Calvin, & Kevin for your comments. My computer has been in my friends shop for awhile & have not been on in awhile. I'm not sure if these VGN cars are Varney or not. There are no markings on the bottom. For the rust effect I used Americana acryilics in the one ounce bottles from the craft stores & the color is Burnt Sienna. I'll try to keep up with my sons IPod touch until I get the computer back. Thanks everyone for the Model of the month win.

[curtyoung13]

dr sawdust:
when u bought multiple boxcars, were they all numbered the same? ending in 49? did u change the numbers yourself? hand painted or decals? if decals, how do u find a matching font and size???
curtyoung13

[misteree]

That is just SO impressive in its accuracy. Well done

[Big Al]

Absolutly beautiful! Bill......is that HO Scale?

[Bill Nelson]

That is Jim's work, and yes it is HO scale.


Bill

[Bill Nelson]

I had thought this was a Varney car, or made from their molds by a later manufacturer. I looked at several similar cars on my Rr, but they did not have identifying marks.

The other day at the club, I pulled a car out for maintenance (lazy coupler center springs), and low and behold it was one of my own cars form the dark ages

It is a similar outside braced car with L&N reporting marks, and it has the Varney name on the bottom.


Bill Nelson