• Kadee #1 scale couplers (820 or 920)
• Aristo Craft Roller bearing trucks (ART-29100)
• CA (Cyanoacrylate) glue. I prefer "medium" and "thin" viscosity
• K&S .020" brass wire (for grab irons)
• K&S .032" brass wire (for cut bars)
• K&S 1/16" copper tubing (for stirrup steps / brake piping)
• K&S 1/16" brass rod (for cable reels)
• #2 x ½ thread cutting screws (from microfasteners.com)
• # 6 flat washers
• Precision Scale Co. Ajax brake wheel housing (PS-9887)
• .080" styrene sheet (6" x 30")
• Evergreen styrene - .040" x .250"
• Evergreen styrene - .040" x .080"
• Evergreen styrene - .125" x .250"
• Evergreen styrene - .080" x .156"
• Grandt Line HO "6 1/2 inch iron washers" (part #5156) (for grab iron NBWs)

To get the best bond when gluing castings, they should be cleaned prior to use. I don’t normally use a release agent when casting, but the molds can sometimes leave behind a trace amount of silicone oil. Also, the natural oil from your fingers can be picked up from normal handling.

I recommend a quick scrub (don’t soak) with 91% rubbing alcohol to remove any oils.

You can also soak them in soapy water for 24 hours. Add about a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent to the water, then add the parts. After 24 hours, rinse them off with fresh water. Never use hot water, as the parts may soften & deform.

Do not expose the parts to excessive heat (such as baking after painting).

For the body sub-assembly, I recommend "tacking" all the major parts together with "spots" of CA. If something is misaligned, this will allow you to snap it apart & re-align. When you’re happy with how everything fits together, run a bead of thin CA along the inside of all the seams. Any excess can be wiped up with a Q-tip before it sets.

Working on a flat surface, tack one end casting flush with the end of the styrene, then tack the center beam castings to the styrene. Be careful to keep them on the center line.

Temporarily put the coupler box cover on the bolster (no coupler yet) and drill a 1/16" hole all the way through both parts (from the bottom of the box). Now drill a 3/32" hole all the way through the coupler box cover ONLY (not the bolster). Put the box back together with the coupler (and spring) in it and attach it with a #2 x ½ thread cutting screw.

For the side sills, using .080" styrene, cut a strip as long as the car floor and .280" wide. This is the vertical part of the side sill. For the horizontal bottom piece, you can use .080 x .156 Evergreen styrene, or just cut a .156" wide strip from your .080" sheet. Glue these to the bottom of the car floor.

Using a 1/16" bit, drill out all the cable reels. Insert 1/16" brass rod & cut to length. Now glue all the cable reels on, aligning them with the floor ribs.

Using .080" styrene, cut the squares shown in 007b. These should cover the screws mounted in 006c. You will have to drill a hole to clear the screw head. This can either be filled with putty and sanded, or just make an overlay out of .010" styrene.

Glue on the jacking pad gussests now. This is the casting with three triangular gussets, which mounts on the side sill, over the bolsters.

You may also glue on the COTS stencil plate now. Cut it out of .020" styrene, sized to the COTS stencil on the decal sheet.

The long strip down the middle of the roof is made of .040" x .250". Cut each section to the proper length & glue it in.

Now glue the other .040" x .080" strip, butting it up against the roof ribs. When the glue is dry, score & snap it to the finished width. Do any sanding/filling now.

Tack the roof on the same way you tacked the body together. Note that car ends have alignment lugs to help you center the roof. When you’re satisfied everything is in alignment, working in short sections, run a bead of thin CA into all the joints & quickly wipe up the excess with a Q tip.

I simulated the tie down anchors (on the edge of the roof) with .020" styrene rod, cut to about .200" long.

Using .032" brass wire, bend the cut bar as shown. Fishhooks are a good source for eyelets, but you could bend your own from brass. Drill a #65 hole and insert.

For the grab irons on the side sills, I measured out 22 scale inches, and glued on Grandt Line HO "6 1/2 inch iron washers" to simulate where the grabs bolt on. I then drilled out #70 holes just below them to accept the grab irons, which are bent from .020" brass rod.

Using short strips of .040" x .080" to mount them, glue on the end platforms now.

Drill out all the grab iron holes on the ladder styles with a #70 bit. Notch the end of the floor to accept them. Glue them on, then (using .020" wire) bend and insert all the grab irons. For the very bottom ladder run, you will have to drill a #70 hole in the end of the side sill (the same way you made the grab iron in 010b).

Attach the trucks with thread-cutting screws and # 6 flat washers. You may have to use fender washers as shims to get the right coupler height.

To model the cables, I used fishing line. Drill a #70 hole all the way through the cable reel & side sill. Also, drill out the vertical post on the center beam. I recommend drilling a little over half way through on one side, then drill out the rest from the other side. Thread the fishing line through the holes & while keeping it taught, put a drop of CA on the back side of the hole in the side sill.

I recommend priming the entire body first with an enamel-based paint. Krylon and Testors Model Master rattle cans have always worked well for me.

Apply the decals using the included prototype photos as a guide.

These decals were printed with an ALPS "micro-dry" printer. ALPS ink is waxed based, thus having low abrasion resistance while still on the sheet. Avoid touching the printed area with hard or sharp objects (such as tweezers or the point of a hobby knife) as the ink can be scratched off.

I recommend leaving a small margin around the decals when trimming them from the sheet. This will give you enough room to pick them up with tweezers without touching the ink.

A glossy (or semi-gloss finish) is a must for proper application. A dead flat surface will result in a "silvery" sheen on the decal.

To apply the decals, soak them in water for 15-30 seconds and then slide them into the desired position. Distilled water is preferred. A wet, soft-bristled brush is an excellent tool to position them with.

The glue on the sheet is only to hold the decal on the carrier paper – it will not hold the decal in its final position. You will need a decal setting solution to bind the decal to the model. I recommend Champ’s Decal Set. Get the decal where you want it, blot out as much water as possible, apply the decal set and let it do it’s thing (don’t touch it again till its almost dry).

Once applied, let the decals dry for at least 24 hours before clear-coating. A clear overcoat (gloss or flat both work fine) will seal and protect the applied decal. If done correctly, the clear film will disappear. For an outdoor model, I recommend Krylon #1305 UV-Resistant Clear.