Bill of materials

Resin parts - General Instructions

000 – This photo shows all the resin parts for one kit.

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).

Body

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 CA along the inside of all the seams. Any excess can be wiped up with a Q-tip before it sets.

001 – Each side consists of three pieces. Clean all the flash off the castings & lay them out, face down, to check the fit. The seams should be pretty tight. If not, check ends for flash. On each seam, one piece will have a tab & the other piece will have a channel. Apply a bead of CA to the "tab" & fit the two together.

002 – Tack the ends to one side. Take care that the top of the side is flush with the top of the end.

003 – The floor is made of .100" sheet styrene. Cut this sheet exactly as wide as the bolsters (fig 005). Slide it between the ends & tack it in place.

004 – Tack the other side of the body on.

The towing staples can now be drilled out with a 1/8" bit.

If you’re happy with the alignment, now run a bead of CA around all the inside joints. Let the CA cure thoroughly before continuing.

Underframe

005 – Glue the bolsters on. Note that the mounting lugs for the stirrup steps also act as a stop for the bolsters.

006 – Mark & drill two (2) 1/16" holes through the floor & at least ˝" into the bolsters. Holding the body up to the light makes it easier to see where these holes should be. Screw in #2 x ˝ thread cutting screws into these holes.

If you don’t care about the underframe details, skip to 014.

007 – Draw a line on the floor, using the side ribs for a guide. Glue on the 6 tapered beams.

008 – Glue on the straight beams. Note: unless you are using finescale wheelsets, the outer-most beams will rub on the flanges. I recommend omitting these beams.

009 – Glue the brake cylinder to it’s mounting pad. Drill out a 1/16" hole for the actuating rod.

010 – Glue the triple valve to it’s mounting pad.

011 – Glue the brake reservoir halves together.

012 – Glue the brake components to the underframe. Drill out a 1/16" hole (at a slight angle) in the bolster to receive the brake actuating rod.

013 – Cut two strips of .100" styrene as wide as the thickness of the bolsters. Cut them to a length to fit between the bolsters. Glue them to the underframe.

Ends

014 – Note that half of the car (fig 012) with the brake components is the A end of the car (if you have omitted the underframe details, this doesn’t matter). Glue the brake wheel housing’s mounting pad to the B (opposite) end (fig 012). Attach the Precision Scale Co. brake wheel housing to the mounting pad. Glue on the end platform and the fulcrum (the small, triangular part under the platform).

015a, 015b – Temporarily put the coupler box 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 ONLY (not the bolster). Put the box back together with the coupler in it and attach it with a #2 x ˝ thread cutting screw.

016 – Glue the corner gussets and the .100" styrene angle to the top edge of the body.

017a, 017b, 017c – Drill 1/16" holes for the stirrup steps. Take a 1/16" copper tube and flatten it out with a hammer. Bend it as shown & crimp the ends into a square (this lets them fit into the hole better). Put a dab of glue on the ends & insert them.

018a, 018b – 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.

019, – Using .032" brass wire, bend the other cut bar. Drill a #65 hole and insert. Also, glue on the ladder styles. Note that it is easier to drill out the grab iron holes in these before you glue them on (use a #70 bit)

020a, 020b – Using a #70 bit, drill out all remaining grab iron holes. Using .020" brass wire, bend and insert all the grab irons

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.

Paint

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.

Decals - General Instructions

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.