Hell Gate Models N Scale PRR B60b Baggage/Express Cars

[sixpakpop]

Add me to the list that "got mine"!
Outstanding, fellas!

Thanks!

[chicken45]

Received my car yesterday -- outstanding!! Thanks.

Now, without opening a huge can of worms --- what brand of paint has a good color for a circa 1955 car-?
Is there a reasonable version of Tuscan Red out there - ?

Thanks,
Wolf

You know, it probably doesn't matter. Tuscan changed over the years, I think, and these cars were pretty filthy.  Just make sure it isn't too purple.
Doug used Boxcar Red for a reefer and I did the same. By the time I was done with it, I could have painted it brown and nobody would have noticed.
These things were always pretty filthy so, there's a lot of wiggle room with base color.

[SP-Wolf]

You know, it probably doesn't matter. Tuscan changed over the years, I think, and these cars were pretty filthy.  Just make sure it isn't too purple.
Doug used Boxcar Red for a reefer and I did the same. By the time I was done with it, I could have painted it brown and nobody would have noticed.
These things were always pretty filthy so, there's a lot of wiggle room with base color.

Excellent --- thanks, for the guidance!!

Wolf

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Mine just showed up in the mailbox. That was quick. Thanks, Gentlemen!

Me too.

Apparently Doug uses the same wormhole for shipping that Chuck does.

[OldEastRR]

Now we need a new run of R50bs.

[chicken45]

Now we need a new run of R50bs.

For realz. Those reefers were something incredible.

[reinhardtjh]

Now we need a new run of R50bs.

I wonder if there is any chance.  Those were @thbguy and GHQ produced.  thbguy hasn't been on here since July 2017.

[cgw]

what color should the trucks be painted for the b60's.    Is it an olive drab  type of color similar to the rb50's?

[chicken45]

what color should the trucks be painted for the b60's.    Is it an olive drab  type of color similar to the rb50's?

Depends... The olive on R50b trucks lasted until January 1944.

Walthers did runs of olive trucked B60b cars. Looks to be the same kind of thing.
http://pennsyrr.com/index.php/maps/86-modeling/205-walthers-prr-passenger-car-models

...I should also add that the HGM model has the porthole door which I think started in the post war period, so it's prob safe to say that you should paint the trucks black because they likely would have been black because the kit represents a post war prototype. There prob were not a lot of porthole door olive greened B60b's, if any. But never say never with Pennsy.

[Lemosteam]

So I started my build of this model.

First and foremost, I DO NOT want this post to be construed as a criticism of a home grown project by Doug and Claus.

In all the years they have run these, I was never able to obtain any and I FINALLY have my three kits, I am both grateful to their perseverance, and their willingness to continue to make them at their pace.

I am also glad and grateful to have contributed with new trucks and vents for the kits, purchased separately.

Please also keep in mind I have never worked with a resin cast model before so the material and condition were new to me as a modeler.

So, out of the box, I noticed that the chassis was bowed in the side view quite a bit in the center, and this concerned me because I knew I would be adding my truck design when they arrived, and I wanted to make sure the bolster planes were parallel to each other. The bow would obviously have to be fixed. I also did not want the new MT bolster pins (more on that in a minute) binding no the trucks on track radii.

The new trucks are designed specifically for the MT bolster pin.  The casting material drills beautifully (nice surprise!), and a 2mm drill works perfectly with the pin, which inserted with finger pressure and stayed in nicely.

Rummaging, I found some old 1/8 brass square tubing that was stiff enough to straighten the casting. I cut them shy of the ends and filled them with #12 lead shot, tape on the end at first, soldered one end, reversed and soldered the other end to trap the shot. I made two of these and clipped them to the chassis castin on the inside surface parallel and spaced to clear the bolster pin hole in case the pin protruded into the car. Then I wicked some thin CA under them to adhere them to the chassis.





After that set up, I dammed each end inside the channel to prevent the lead shot and glue from running into the bolster pin hole, poured in some more lead and sealed it in there with thin CA.



If anyone is wondering, the casting alone is approx 0.1oz,  the brass tubing was 0.1oz before filling and 0.2oz after. The additional lead takes the the chassis to 0.75oz. This reall makes for a steady, smooth car movement and tracking, IMHO

Here is the car with some Keisel trucks under it, (which in fact are a near representation of a CR prototype out there), but I can't wait until I get the 2DP5 trucks under it and finish up the rest of the car.

[OldEastRR]

I've fixed bowed sides of shells on resin casting boxcars by putting them in moderately (not boiling) hot water for a while then gently pushing them back into shape. I'll be a while before I get to them but to keep them straight I put the chassis and shell together (just fitted) so they keep it from bowing.

[thomasjmdavis]

Depends... The olive on R50b trucks lasted until January 1944.

Walthers did runs of olive trucked B60b cars. Looks to be the same kind of thing.
http://pennsyrr.com/index.php/maps/86-modeling/205-walthers-prr-passenger-car-models

...I should also add that the HGM model has the porthole door which I think started in the post war period, so it's prob safe to say that you should paint the trucks black because they likely would have been black because the kit represents a post war prototype. There prob were not a lot of porthole door olive greened B60b's, if any. But never say never with Pennsy.

No doubt the PRR experts will find this a remarkably dumb question, but looking at the Walthers cars in the link, for both the B60b and the R50b- did PRR drop REA lettering on all its cars in 1954, or just some?  All the 1954 vintage cars in the link have no REA lettering.  Also, according to my monitor and eyeballs, there are at least 4 different colors on that page that are identified as "Tuscan" or "Tuscan red"- in some cases, 2 different shades in the same timeframe.  Is that just a lighting/graphic image choice in the images, or did PRR change "Tuscan" WWII to postwar to mid1950s, and/or use different colors within any of one of those timeframes?

[chicken45]

No doubt the PRR experts will find this a remarkably dumb question, but looking at the Walthers cars in the link, for both the B60b and the R50b- did PRR drop REA lettering on all its cars in 1954, or just some?  All the 1954 vintage cars in the link have no REA lettering.  Also, according to my monitor and eyeballs, there are at least 4 different colors on that page that are identified as "Tuscan" or "Tuscan red"- in some cases, 2 different shades in the same timeframe.  Is that just a lighting/graphic image choice in the images, or did PRR change "Tuscan" WWII to postwar to mid1950s, and/or use different colors within any of one of those timeframes?

Don't worry, us PRR experts look down upon EVERY other railroad.
Kidding aside, this is the place to ask! It's how we all learn.
As for the tuscan color, after weathering, again, it'll look fine. Just don't use anything too purple or it'll look weird. I think it's all the same color in the photos. I don't know about the PRR dropping REA lettering. No idea.

[eric220]

No doubt the PRR experts will find this a remarkably dumb question, but looking at the Walthers cars in the link, for both the B60b and the R50b- did PRR drop REA lettering on all its cars in 1954, or just some?  All the 1954 vintage cars in the link have no REA lettering.  Also, according to my monitor and eyeballs, there are at least 4 different colors on that page that are identified as "Tuscan" or "Tuscan red"- in some cases, 2 different shades in the same timeframe.  Is that just a lighting/graphic image choice in the images, or did PRR change "Tuscan" WWII to postwar to mid1950s, and/or use different colors within any of one of those timeframes?

And @chicken45 calls himself a PRR expert... 

There’s another page on Jerry’s website that talks about R50 paint schemes.

http://pennsyrr.com/index.php/passenger/148-r50b-paint-lettering

Based on those two pages, I’d say that starting in February 1954, the REA lettering came off all the head end cars. Probably came off the express X29 boxcars too. Of course, as Chicken pointed out, these cars rarely saw a wash rack, let alone a paint shop. There were likely REA marked cars wandering around for awhile after 1954, although the REA lettering may have been crossed out.

[chicken45]

And @chicken45 calls himself a PRR expert... 

There’s another page on Jerry’s website that talks about R50 paint schemes.

http://pennsyrr.com/index.php/passenger/148-r50b-paint-lettering

Based on those two pages, I’d say that starting in February 1954, the REA lettering came off all the head end cars. Probably came off the express X29 boxcars too. Of course, as Chicken pointed out, these cars rarely saw a wash rack, let alone a paint shop. There were likely REA marked cars wandering around for awhile after 1954, although the REA lettering may have been crossed out.

I actually had that R50b page open first, lol.  That’s how I came my conclusion about the olive trucks.