Sunday, January 2, 2022

SP Supply Train (Part 5) - SPMW 229 Supply Flat with Sideboards

This is blog post #180!  The blog has had nearly 290K views (wow!).  Rather amazing that I've written that many posts in the last 5 years, plus the blog index pages as well.  I'm clearing out some of my 2021 modeling projects that haven't made it to the blog yet.  Let's get into the post!

SPMW 229 - Supply Car with sideboards

As I've been expanding my SPMW flatcar fleet, I decided to do a side-board version of the "SUPPLY CAR" as shown in the prototype photos below.  This car will be very similar to SPMW 2452, which I covered in the last blog post (SP Supply Train - Part 4) which only has side two boards in height.

Prototype Car


These SPMW flatcars with sideboards are very commonly seen in the photos of the Stores Departments around the system, especially Sacramento and Los Angeles General Shops.  The cars often returned there to be loaded and then sent out as needed to division store department yards or specifically to meet up with the regularly scheduled supply train movements around the system.

SP Sacramento General Shops with lots of cars, F-50-series flatcars in various MW assignments. - Inad Akeb collection.

The car below the AC, in the middle of the string has 3-board sideboards and is F-50-4/5/8/9/10/12 class car.  The car to the right is an F-50-1/2/3 series car.  The car to the left is another F-50-4/5/8/9/10/12 class car.  Sadly we can't see the car numbers, but using the SPMW 1956 Roster, I can get a good idea which cars it could be.  Also skewing my modeling more the 1949-1953, I rule out modeling the 1954-55 retired and converted cars.  I selected SPMW 229 to by my example of this type of car.

SPMW Supply Car from 'Southern Pacific - This Is My Railroad - 1947 cut' SP Company Film

I've had these above-shots of the SPMW supply cars, but didn't really have a good outside shot, so combining this info, I feel now that a reasonable model can be made.

The Model


I built the SPMW 229 per OwlMtModels instructions as standard F-50-5 with T-section trucks and AB-brakes.  The SPMW 229 was retired from revenue service on 12-27-1948.  I decided to model this car with the AB-brakes, as it would be regularly moving around the SP system in Supply service in the early 1950s in regular freight trains.

AB-schedule brakes and sideboards installed.

The stakes are taken from OwlMtModels lumber loads #3011 or #3015 stakes.  The stakes are cut square at the bottoms and glued with ACC/CA super-glue on top of the stake pockets.  I left the extra length of the stakes in place until the side boards are in place.
 
The sideboards are fabricated from 10" x 2" basswood strips as on SPMW 2452.  I pre-stained them with various gray and tan colors.  I cut the sections of 2x10 boards to the correct lengths to fit between appropriate stakes.  I then applied a bit small drop of ACC/CA glue from a piece of scrap wire to the interior of the stakes.
 
SPMW 229 - Supply Car with sideboards

Center Stakes are also installed with ACC/CA glue and 2x10 boards are cut to length across the ends of the car, inboard of the end stakes.  A couple of short sections of 2x4 are glued to the interior of the sides, even with the end stakes.  These will form the stops for the end boards.

The bolt/nails are simulated with a mechanical pencil.

Bolt/nail details are added along all of the interiors of the boards at the stakes to simulate the attaching devices using a mechanical pencil lead.  Note that all the boards have lapped joints, ending on different stakes.  I also prefer the pre-stained sideboards, so that they each show up slightly different shade.  While it is possible to achieve this look with paint alone, it is more difficult in the inside of a car or between stakes.

Decals on SPMW 229, ready for a bit of weathering.

Applying the decals was pretty straight forward.  I decided to put the small 3" "SUPPLY CAR" lettering above the car number.  I selected Colton 2-45 as the tare location and date, which would be about right for the car to be retired in 1948.  Many of the SP's flatcars in SPMW service retained the stenciling of the revenue capacity and load data while in SPMW service before 1958.

Interchangeable Loads?


0.020" Styrene Sheets cut to size to make false-floor load bases.

I made two full size floor sheets from 0.020" styrene sheets and a shorter 'partial' load floor sheet.  

SPMW 229 with three sheet plastic load floors.

I scratched the surface with my deck weathering techniques using a razor saw.  The painting is done with my standard Apple Barrel paint techniques.

Another view of the interior and false-floor for load.

I plan to build unique loads on each floor sheet which can be exchanged as needed to show the various loads or empty.  Maybe I'll even make some with misc junk and second hand materials going back to the Stores Department.

While I've not made my 'high dive' into the parts bins for various 'gribblies' to fill out the supply car with, I'll be sure to make another update post when I do!

Assignment Decals!


SPMW 229 with assignment stencil applied.

I decided to use the "LA General Stores" stencil decal from the new OwlMtModels "Jumbo" set of F-50-series decals on the SPMW 229.  Operationally this means the car should be returned to LA when it makes empty anywhere in the system.  I like being able to add this extra layer of information on each model to help the operators at La Mesa Model Railroad Club in San Diego send the car on prototypical movements.

SPMW 2452 is assigned to Sac General Stores Dept.

Lastly, this is a bit of an update on my SPMW 2452 wheel car post.  I also used another line of decals from the new "Jumbo" set to assign this Ready Shop car to "SAC GENL STORES".  These assignment stencils were made from prototype photos of SP Stores Dept/Supply Cars.

In Closing


That catches up the two SPMW Stores Department/Supply Flatcars that I've been working on in 2021.  I'll probably cover more on these in 2022 as I develop some removable loads for these cars.

Jason Hill

Related Articles:


SPMW Flatcar Jan 1, 1956 Roster & Analysis - Let's look at the SPMW flatcar fleet


Super Detailing OwlMtModels F-50-Series Kits

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SP Work Trains - Maintanence-in-the-Way


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Kitbashing Mystery SPMW 215 (Part 2) F-50-series Flatcar (Extra Gang) - Update on SPMW 214/215 Lone Pine mystery car and outfit.

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SPMW 7021A (Part 4) Wrecker - Rail & Tie Car - Finishing Plastic Parts & Painting Rack


SP F-50-7 (Part 1) SP- Modeling a stand-in for WWI Emergency flatcar - SPMW 810 'Ready Flat'

Modeling SPMW cars with Musical Parts (Part 1)

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