Hoppers and Coal Loads on the RLK&T

[TomPM]

While I was out railfanning the RLK&T I caught some of the projects that I have been working on lately involving hoppers and coal loads. I have been trying to finish the pile of unbuilt hopper kits sitting on the workbench. Also I have been going back over my existing fleet and upgrading the hoppers by adding removable coal loads, painting or repainting wheels, and adding weight where needed.

Leading the train is something that I have not been working on but have not had out of the box and run lately. It is my IHC C&O 2-6-0 Motherhubbard.

 

[TomPM]

The next five hoppers are C&O hoppers.

List of Materials
Athearn 34’ CS Hopper C&O - 5pack (6104)
Kadee #5 couplers

Weathering:
Drybrushing (Rust): Americana Burnt Sienna & Folk Art Light Red Oxide (914)
Drybrushing: Folk Art Charcoal Gray (613)
Wash: Folk Art Charcoal Gray (613) 2 parts; Folk Art Licorice (938) 1 part; thinned 5:1 with blue windshield washer fluid
Sealer: Testors Dullcoat

Trucks:
Paint: Folk Art Charcoal Gray (613)
Drybrush: Americana Burnt Sienna
Sealer: Testors Dullcoat

Wheels:
Paint: Apple Barrel Terra Cotta (20845)
Sealer: Plaid Clear Acrylic Sealer-Matte (CS200306)

I also added weight to the cars so that they would track better when empty.

Here is number 1.

 

[TomPM]

Here is number 2.

 

[TomPM]

Here is number 3.

 

[TomPM]

Number 4:

 

[TomPM]

And finally number 5:

 

[TomPM]

Next came a New York Central hopper:

List of Materials
Bev-Bel/Athearn 34’ 2-Bay Flat-End Hopper Undecorated Painted Oxide Red (936R)
Kadee #5 couplers

Lettering:
Dry Transfers: CDS Lettering HO-777

Weathering:
Drybrushing (Rust): Americana Burnt Sienna & Folk Art Light Red Oxide (914)
Drybrushing: Folk Art Charcoal Gray (613)
Wash: Folk Art Charcoal Gray (613) 2 parts; Folk Art Licorice (938) 1 part; thinned 5:1 with blue windshield washer fluid
Sealer: Testors Dullcoat

Trucks:
Paint: Folk Art Charcoal Gray (613)
Drybrush: Americana Burnt Sienna
Sealer: Testors Dullcoat

Wheels:
Paint: Apple Barrel Terra Cotta (20845)
Sealer: Plaid Clear Acrylic Sealer-Matte (CS200306)

I also added weight to the cars so that they would track better when empty.

 

[TomPM]

Next was a LNE billboard hopper. This is one of the hoppers I upgraded.

List of Materials
K&D Hobby Distributors/Athearn 34’ OS Twin Hopper Lehigh New England (14518)
Kadee #5 couplers

Weathering:
Drybrushing: Polly Scale Grimy Black
Wash: Polly Scale Grimy Black thinned 5:1 with blue windshield washer fluid
Sealer: Testors Dullcoat

Trucks:
Paint: Polly Scale Grimy Black
Drybrush: Polly Scale Rust
Sealer: Testors Dullcoat

Wheels:
Paint: Apple Barrel Terra Cotta (20845)
Sealer: Plaid Clear Acrylic Sealer-Matte (CS200306)

I also added weight to the cars so that they would track better when empty.

 

[TomPM]

Then came another LNE billboard hopper and two more LNE hoppers. I finally got around to making coal loads of these hoppers.

List of Materials
Atlas 2 Bay Offset Hopper LNE (1869-3)
Atlas 2 Bay Offset Hopper LNE (1858 #15143)
Atlas 2 Bay Offset Hopper LNE (1858 #14901)

Weathering:
Drybrushing: Polly Scale Grimy Black
Wash: Polly Scale Grimy Black thinned 5:1 with blue windshield washer fluid
Sealer: Testors Dullcoat

Trucks:
Paint: Polly Scale Grimy Black
Drybrush: Polly Scale Rust
Sealer: Testors Dullcoat

Wheels:
Paint: Polly Scale Rust
Sealer: Testors Dullcoat
I still need to paint the back of the wheels and the axles.

 

[TomPM]

The next LNE hopper:

 

[TomPM]

The last LNE hopper:

 

[TomPM]

For all cars
Removable Coal Load:
Evergreen Plastic Sheet cut to fit.
Painted Folk Art Licorice (938)
Woodland Scenics Coal attached with 1:1 mixture of white glue and water.
Car bed was lined with waxed paper during the making of the load.

 

[davidstrains]

Tom,

That train is great. It is good to see some of your excellent detailing and weatheriing on a full line of cars. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[Woodie]

Tom,

Love your attempt at modeling lightning bolts. :thumb:

I'm not US based, but are those hoppers too "new" for being steam hauled?

 

[eightyeightfan1]

Nice work....
One question?...WHERE DID YOU GET THE CAMELBACK?????
Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[TomPM]

Thanks folks for the comments.

David
I finally figured I would wait until I had few cars done and throw them together in a train and see what they looked like.

BTW have you been to Virginia Beach since the hurricane? I heard Sandbridge got hit hard.

Woodie

Thanks for noticing my famous or is infamous lightning bolts. That’s what happens when someone keeps swiping my extension cords.

As far as the hoppers go the C&O hoppers have built dates of 1943, the NYC 1945, the LNE billboards 1959 and 1955, the last LNE’s 1952. All but the two LNE billboards would have been pulled by steam somewhere. The 1959 LNE probably only on the N&W and the 1955 may have been as steam would have been in its final days.

Ed G.
The Camelback came from IHC. I got it from Trainworld back in the fall of 2002. Take a look at :
http://www.ihc-hobby.com/cgi-bin/bsc.cgi?sn=030C1S540054439654B275B444CR06

Unfortunately it seems like a lot of road names are not available right now.