Micro-Trains Grain Box Cars

[CBQ Fan]

I picked up the SP and Soo box cars that were converted for grain service. I did not realize until they arrived that you have to glue hatches etc onto the cars.  What glue are you using for this application?

[southernman]

I used CA with no problems. Be sure to file down the center of the underside of the hatches first so they fit flush.

[nkalanaga]

The SP and SOO may have used those for grain, but the GN's roof-hatch boxcars were in silica sand service, for glass making.  Most grain moved in standard 40 ft boxcars, with 6-foot sliding doors, and wood or paper grain doors.

[Missaberoad]

The SP car hauled sugar and the Southern (not Soo Line) car hauled dry Kaolin.

I don't think there were many roof hatch boxcars that hauled grain. MILW, CNW and Wabash did have roof hatch cars in spent grain service from breweries.

Elevators set up to load 40' boxcars wouldn't be able to load thru roof hatches. The loading spouts had to be modified when covered hoppers came into use.

[thomasjmdavis]

I used the "tacky glue" that IIRC is recommended in the MTL instructions that come with the SP kit. The upside is that it is easy to remove if you goof up, but in truth, not a great bond. I am sure that most ACC type adhesives, per southernman above, would work fine.  These types of cars are likely to be weathered, which will hide any errant glue stains, for folks like me who seem to have issues

I proved that the tacky glue bond was not so great after assembly, when, having given it overnight to dry, I wanted to store it carefully, so put it back in its box.  Unfortunately, the "nest" provided with the kit is for the standard boxcar, not the finished model, and the roof hatches don't fit.  As a result, one of the hatches popped off, but, miraculously, fell into the box, so I can now ACC it later.

[nkalanaga]

Ryan:  Thank you.  I wondered what the other roads used these for.

The BN did have "roof hatch boxcars" in grain service, for a short while, in the 70s.  But they were a very odd case.  Due to a shortage of suitable boxcars and covered hoppers, they used old iced reefers for grain.  Remove the bunkers, seal the drain holes, and load through the ice hatches.  With the well-sealed doors, they didn't need separate grain doors, but most could only carry 40 tons, and the elevators didn't like them.  Better than no cars, though, so they got used, along with plywood-lined stock cars.