MoPac 70′ Mail Storage Model

[benjamintickell53]

These are “builder” photos of car 152, taken in September 1962 at DeSoto shops. You can almost smell the new paint.

Bill Pollard

[attachment=0:2f6lollj]152-Sep-1962-DeSoto_0003w.jpg[/attachment:2f6lollj]
[attachment=1:2f6lollj]152-Sep-1962-DeSoto_0006w.jpg[/attachment:2f6lollj]
[attachment=2:2f6lollj]152-Sep-1962-DeSoto_0004w.jpg[/attachment:2f6lollj]
[attachment=3:2f6lollj]152-Sep-1962-DeSoto_0002w.jpg[/attachment:2f6lollj]
[attachment=4:2f6lollj]152-Sep-1962-DeSoto_0001w.jpg[/attachment:2f6lollj]
[attachment=5:2f6lollj]152-Sep-1962-DeSoto_0005w.jpg[/attachment:2f6lollj]

[benjamintickell53]

On the underbody photos I posted, I lightened the image considerably to reveal the maximum amount of detail. On the question of how the underbody was painted, I first thought Jenks blue, but when looking at image #3, you can see a portion of the car side as well as part of the underframe. The underframe portion looks darker, thus I am assuming that it may have been painted black. The one exception may be the brake valve, which seems to be a lighter color.

In the last photo, showing the entire car, note how the steam line is mounted low and away from the carbody on the center 2/3 of the car. This would seem to have put it at risk for debris and potential damage at higher speeds. What was the reason for mounting in this obviously lower position versus more flush with the carbody? As I recall, these cars had no heat themselves, and only a few 110v light bulbs inside for illumination.

Bill Pollard

[attachment=0:lzr69f9c]135-184.pdf[/attachment:lzr69f9c]

[attachment=1:lzr69f9c]135-184a.pdf[/attachment:lzr69f9c]

[Thomas Hoback]

Makes sense to me. Chris?

@cduckworth wrote:

Pat and Chris
After the HO set is finalized would it make more sense to do a N scale Jenks era passenger set with numbers, buzz saws and the 3″ stripe?

[peggyrothschild]

@arkrail wrote:

On the underbody photos I posted, I lightened the image considerably to reveal the maximum amount of detail. On the question of how the underbody was painted, I first thought Jenks blue, but when looking at image #3, you can see a portion of the car side as well as part of the underframe. The underframe portion looks darker, thus I am assuming that it may have been painted black. The one exception may be the brake valve, which seems to be a lighter color.

In the last photo, showing the entire car, note how the steam line is mounted low and away from the carbody on the center 2/3 of the car. This would seem to have put it at risk for debris and potential damage at higher speeds. What was the reason for mounting in this obviously lower position versus more flush with the carbody? As I recall, these cars had no heat themselves, and only a few 110v light bulbs inside for illumination.

Bill Pollard

135-184.pdf

135-184a.pdf

Bill – I agree the under frame looks to be painted black.

[clemmie_doris12]

In the last photo, showing the entire car, note how the steam line is mounted low and away from the carbody on the center 2/3 of the car. This would seem to have put it at risk for debris and potential damage at higher speeds. What was the reason for mounting in this obviously lower position versus more flush with the carbody?

In looking at the photos, I would surmise that the steam line location was affected by the brake rigging. The car(s) in the photos have body mounted brake cylinders and the associated levers, rods and slack adjusters. It appears the the steam line was dropped down so as not to interfere with their movement. According to the diagram sheets the last 25 cars got truck mounted brake cylinders.

I am puzzled by the photos in that the close-ups show a dampening strut on the trucks, but the overall view of the car does not. I don’t see any mounting points for the strut, either. I wonder if there was a change in truck design somewhere along the way?

[peggyrothschild]

18″ Drop style hand grabs added and ‘L’ shaped end railings added using .012″ brass wire. I followed the instructions for the length of the two legs on
the ‘L’ shaped bracket and made one and used this as a pattern for the other three. Eyelets are from Yarmouth Models and are more scale like than wire eyelets. Photo on page 3 shows MP 30304 with the shock absorber in place and one of Bill’s new car photos also show the shock absorber- wonder if these were added to improve the riding characteristics and why not all the cars? the company photo of 152 doesn’t have them.

[attachment=1:2pdo871h]IMG_6349.JPG[/attachment:2pdo871h][attachment=0:2pdo871h]IMG_6350.JPG[/attachment:2pdo871h]

[peggyrothschild]

The resin surface is very smooth on the sides and since the doors and roof will have to be taped with masking tape I sprayed the body today with Tamiya Fine Surface Primer so the Dark Eagle Blue doesn’t pull off. Will let it dry over night and spray the faded blue tomorrow.

[kcdyltbpgxarzhiu]

I would like to see all three versions in N scale. That will give us N scalers the choice of doing any or all of the different time periods. Mike M. And Bob H. you both need several sets. I am very hopeful that Hubert can do n scale decals. Maybe we can then have a chance to get some variety, like Oddballs did. We really need some for eagle blue/gray freight locos. Chris

[peggyrothschild]

Chris
I have to order at least 20 sets of decals to make it worthwhile for Hubert to make any money. Is there enough Mopac N scale modelers that would purchase sets through the company store to make this at least a break-even venture?

[peggyrothschild]

I let the Tamiya primer dry overnight and sprayed the carbody with a mix of Tru-Color Jenks Blue, Eagle Gray and white to get a faded blue as the cars appeared in freight service in the mid1970’s. Will let this dry 24 hours and them spray the roof and doors aluminum. The Kadee No. 29 couplers arrived today so they and the trucks were added using a 1/4″ drill bit, tap and screws. Car was weighted to 6 ounces.
[attachment=2:2mb96cix]IMG_6356.JPG[/attachment:2mb96cix][attachment=1:2mb96cix]IMG_6358.JPG[/attachment:2mb96cix][attachment=0:2mb96cix]IMG_6359.JPG[/attachment:2mb96cix]

[peggyrothschild]

Sprayed Tamiya Gloss or clear over the faded blue hoping this would allow the doors to be masked off and sprayed an aluminum color. So applied the Tamiya tape on the sides and pulled up as a test. The blue stayed on the model! So I happily taped around the four doors with a mix of Tamiya Flat Aluminum and white and when finished pulled up the tape and as expected some of the blue paint came up on the right side of three of the doors. I lighted sanded these areas with a 1,000 automotive finishing pad to smooth out the edges and mixed up some Vallejo
Blue gray, light gray and black and matched the color and hand brushed the white patches of exposed resin. Then masked off the roof and shot it with Tamiya Aluminum and Light Gray.
[attachment=2:2w7r9vfy]IMG_6360.JPG[/attachment:2w7r9vfy][attachment=0:2w7r9vfy]IMG_6363.JPG[/attachment:2w7r9vfy]

[Joseph Berry]

Looks great , Charlie! Thanks for posting your build here on the “forum”. The car should fit right in in the yard at Jeff City….

You make it look like a fun car to build. In service for several years and would up in several different paint schemes.

Gary H.

[peggyrothschild]

Gary
Thanks. I’m looking forward to seeing Mask Islands decals on the car and hope to see some other modelers post their completed cars on this forum. As you know I lived in a MP bunk car my first 6-7 months as a MoW employee and was in a long low converted mail storage car. I just don’t recall if it was this type or the version with the round roof. We had 8 bunks on one end, kitchen and dining area not sure where the showers and toilets were maybe the other end. It was only 44 years ago.

[princessclyne69]

Charlie:

If I were to guess, you were probably in one of those round roof cars (200s) because I think (all) of them were converted to bunk cars. I never saw one of these, after the first couple years of freight service, that wasn’t a bunk / office car. On the other hand, I don’t think any of these 135 cars ever had any conversion except to a tool car, meaning no conversion at all except to have parts stripped off it over time.

As for the shock absorbers on the trucks, I too have noticed some cars didn’t have them. For those, the Athearn express BX truck might be better. If there are other differences that split neatly along a 25 trucks one way and 25 another way, then maybe it’s really true that 25 pair came from under the old 86100s.

RG7

[peggyrothschild]

Ron
Here’s one that was converted to a bunk car. [attachment=0:2rbgg463]IMG_6339.JPG[/attachment:2rbgg463]

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