This thread is about a mini-kit provided by Sunshine Models at a Naperville meet at least ten years ago, that I discovered among other kit boxes. It provides replacement resin parts for a Branchline Postwar box car, to model one of the EJ&E 1941 box cars with 8-foot doors. My introductory work, and some prototype photos, are in the first post of the series (see it here: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2023/12/building-sunshine-mini-kit.html ).
In the preceding post, I showed attachment of resin ends and doors to the Branchline body, along with addition of car weights and the roof. I also removed the original “tabbed” side sill. Thus the next step on this project should be attachment of the new resin side sills. But to make sure it would be compatible with the kit underframe, I decided to work on that first.
Now the mini-kit provides resin parts to completely re-do the underframe, including cross-bearers to match the door width. But a little experimentation showed me that these underframe components, though permitting a correct prototype underframe, nevertheless would be all but invisible with the car on the track. Since, like most of freight cars, the primary destination of this model is on-layout operation, not contest entry, I decided I would go with the Branchline underframe.
Once the kit underframe is attached, the new resin side sills can be securely installed, using canopy glue along the seam, and to attach to the bolster ends. The view below shows whys the underframe is minimally visible from the side: the depth of the side sill under the door area completely obscures it. By the way, bolster screw holes have been tapped 2-56.
One point I should make is that these side sills are quite thin. That’s good for appearance and for fitting to their location. But I soon discovered that they flex alarmingly when handled. I decided to add some supports behind them, and chose Evergreen #8608, scale 6 x 8-inch styrene strip, installing short pieces with canopy glue. This made them substantially stiffer.
Next I could begin to add kit details. On the car sides, these are straightforward to do, but the ends have none of the holes ready for acceptance of detail parts, and in addition the usual styrene cement for adding styrene details to a styrene body won’t work. I decided to use canopy glue on the ends. But I began by adding the side ladders, because the end ladders must have rungs in line with the side ladders. The A end is shown below.
The same process was followed with the side and end grab irons, with the grab iron on the end aligned with the lower one on the car side. The handbrake shown in the prototype end photo (see previous post, link in top paragraph, above) resembles a 5-spoke Ureco, and I was able to find such a brake wheel and gearbox in my parts box.
On the B end, I made sub-assemblies of the styrene parts, such as the brake step and the handbrake mount, using styrene cement, so that the assemblies could then be attached with canopy glue. The grab irons on the end sills were made from 0.015 styrene rod, attached with canopy glue. Only the sill steps (which I usually apply last), and a running board, remain to be applied on the basic body.
With the body assembled, including Kadee coupler boxes, I gave the model a coat of primer. I used Tamiya Fine Surface Primer (Oxide Red).
I will suspend description at this point, in favor of other projects, and will return to this model in a future post.
Tony Thompson
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