Still Breathing: Replacing Truck-Mounted Couplers...and a Surprise!

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Taking a short break from my Sheridan Hotel...

Historical Note: All freight cars without roof-mounted hatches (e.g. covered hoppers) manufactured after October 1, 1966, were not equipped with rooftop running boards. Railroads were required to remove them from older cars by April 1, 1974, but this deadline was extended. Rooftop running boards were banned from interchange service in 1982.

Historical Note 2: The Railbox company was founded in 1974, specifically so their box cars could travel freely in interchange service without having to be returned to a home railroad. This allowed for more flexible loading and interchange travel by the various railroads.

Historical Note 3: The two-panel consolidated data stencils I have applied to this car were required starting in 1974; by 1982, the consolidated data stencils changed to a four-panel design. Microscale sells decal sets MC-5002 (early) and MC-5004 (late).

Historical Note 4: The Automatic Car Identification (ACI) system was introduced in 1967 and used through 1977. This was a vertical multi-color bar code used to track freight car locations. The system was abandoned because keeping the ACI plates clean enough to be read by the optical scanners was not commercially feasible. Microscale set MC-4280 provides ACI plate decals.

Links to items mentioned in this video. (Note: I am NOT endorsing any particular product(s), nor am I compensated by or connected to any of the companies mentioned.) I do NOT guarantee that these links will give you the best available price! Consider these links to be a starting point for your search.

Replacement Brake Wheels: http://www.kadee.com/catalogsearch/re... I use Kadee #2023.

Evergreen Tubing: https://evergreenscalemodels.com/coll... You’ll need #224 and #226.

Nibbling Cutter: https://www.micromark.com/Nibbling-Cu...

Tamiya Spray Paint: https://www.tamiyausa.com/shop/paints...

Tru-Color Spray Paint: https://trucolorpaint.com/spray-cans/

Tamiya Masking Tape: https://www.amazon.com/Tamiya-USA-TAM...

— This tape comes in a variety of widths; I use 6mm, 10mm and 18 mm, as appropriate

Dry Transfer Burnishing Tool: https://www.amazon.com/Chartpak-339-C...

— This is definitely a deluxe version. You can get a cheaper version here: https://midwestmodelrr.com/woo600/?gc...

Rail Box Decals: https://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/...

— There is a more modern version, #87-1309, which would be appropriate for cars manufactured or repainted after 1990.

Kadee Drill and Tap Set: http://www.kadee.com/shop-by-category... This set contains a #43 drill, which drills a hole large enough for a #2-56 screw to fit through, a #50 drill, which drills a hole for the screw to fasten into, and a #2-56 tap, to tap threads into the screw hole.

Kadee #148 couplers and gear boxes may be bought in bulk (Kadee #148-25 or #148-50 and gear boxes #242) or you may buy two pair of couplers with gear boxes included (Kadee #148). Buying two pair at a time will cost you about $2.50 per pair; buying in bulk will cost you about $2.10 per pair.

Kadee #5 Centering Springs: https://www.kadee.com/634-ho-scale-ce...

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This video was edited using Shotcut for Linux. Video footage and still images were recorded using a Galaxy A10e phone and a Nikon D7100 camera.