HO Scale Model Railroad Freight Car Construction Tips:

Intermountain Railway Company PS-1 40 Foot Box Car





My constantly sputtering efforts at model railroading

IMHO, a very nice car, but the instructions omit a few things.  This tip sheet is intended to be used along with the Intermountain instruction sheet.

PREPARATION

Drill #73 in all of the following locations:

Ladder holes

Grab iron holes (except the dimples for the "U-shaped" grabs on the lower ends)

Roofwalk grab iron dimples

Glad hand locator holes on bottom

Brake rod and chain holes

 (It's just as easy to do all of the holes on the ends and sides of the body with the #73, then come back and do a few others with larger bits)

Drill #72 in the following locations:

Brake step mounts

Brake rod and chain (dd) on car end

The top hole for the air line and valve (ee) on car end

 Drill #65 for the bell crank locator on the bottom of the body.

CONSTRUCTION TIPS: [STEP ] refers to the same steps listed in the Intermountain instructions.

STEP 2 (b) When you cut the air tank off of the sprue, don't mistake the two thin air lines for gates and cut them off of the tank as I did the first time. I then went looking around the sprues for the what I thought were "missing" air lines and finally realized my mistake.

STEP 2 (j) Assemble the couplers and coupler boxes and mount them on the car before installing the glad hands.

STEP 4 (b) Install the Air line and Valve (ee) before you install the brake step (y) on the brackets.

STEP 6 (a) When you cut off each of the long side ladders (the ones with the stirrups at the bottom) from the sprue, cut the gate holding the stirrup last, so as not to break the stirrup.

STEP 9 Although the instructions do not mention them, placard holders are included in the kit. You will have to find prototype photos for their placement.