CV outside brace boxcar - Part 2

A Walthers 40 foot outside brace boxcar which I have upgraded to reflect the looks of the CV prototype.

 Another CV 40' outside braced boxcars

Upgrading a Train Miniatures or Walthers model

One of the aspects of this hobby that I enjoy is the challenge of converting a piece of equipment that may or may not resemble a prototype properly and change it into something that reflects the feel of that prototype. It does not have to be exact but a good stand in. One such model that works well for a Central Vermont boxcar is the Walthers or Train Miniatures outside braced wooden end car. These cars can be picked up for a song at train shows and the conversion can be completed with minimal part costs.

Before I get started with my model I would like to point out that in this post I have also added the nice looking CV model that Jack Kelly built using a CV lettered Accurail boxcar model and my CVRHS Ambassador article...also included in a past post. Jack sent me his nice photograph seen near the bottom of this post. There also is a prototype photo I took back in the 1980's of a CV outside braced boxcar used as storage near the CV St. Albans,Vermont yard.

The project begins with the ladders on the sides plus grabs and stirrups being scraped off. I removed the bottom door hardware and the brake wheel plus housing. I also removed the roof walk and built a new one using 2x8 styrene strips. I did reuse the end platforms. The platforms got Tichy corner grabs added.

The door on the car looked good but the cross bracing needed to be closer to the top of the car. So I just turned the door around. A new latch was added to the sides. With the ladders removed I used a Tichy jig to line up and drill the holes for the wire grabs. I used Tichy grabs on this model.



Styrene pieces are used to construct the end cowls and end supports. I also built up a new roof walk. The grabs are from Tichy.

On the car ends if you look closely you will note the boards run up and down and not across as on the prototype. This was left as is. I felt by the time I added the end bracing made from styrene 2x4 and the styrene cowl you would not really notice it that much. If you wish you could strip the ends smooth and add new thin styrene sheathing, The cowl is 10 inches at the ends with a 30 inch by 6 inch centre section. 

I used Kadee true scale # 58 couplers and pockets, and a Kadee brake wheel and housing. New stirrups came from my parts box. Operating levers are bent from wire along with a bleed rod. A piece of wire and chain are also added to the brake piston. The original trucks are used but at some point steel wheels will be added.

I use all Floquil paints and began by a coat of grimy black on the under body and couplers. The car body got a coat of boxcar red. The decals I used are Champ Decals - CV boxcar HB-361 if you can still find any.  The car got an overspray of flat finish and boxcar red followed by some chalk weathering...another nice piece to add to my fleet at a really low cost...George

The boxcar door was removed and turned upside down so the cross brace is near the top, The door bottom hardware was removed since it was very bulky looking.



Jack Kelly's  model using a CV lettered Accurail model and my instructions found in the CVRHS Ambassador or in a recent blog post. Jack painted out the CV noodle to back date the model. He also touched up the carved off details and added grabs with Floquil boxcar red which was a great match.

CV 40035 in St. Albans used as storage during April 1988, George Dutka photo