Yes, I’ll do that.
Nelson Moyer
Nelson,
Thanks for sharing this with the CBQ group. When you have the car complete, would you consider submitting it to our Zephyr Editors for inclusion in a Zephyr? Their email address is
ZephyrEditor@BurlingtonRoute.org.
Dave
Now that the decals for the scale car are available, I thought I’d provide modelers with some information about modifying the Bachmann car to more closely match CB&Q practice. I started by examining
the available photos, making a list of salient features, and deciding which car to model - yes, they are different, and the out of the box Bachmann doesn’t match any of them. I’ve pasted in my photo and Bachmann model analysis.
The Photos
The earliest black and white photo shows CB&Q 204739 built in 1936. It appears to be painted mineral red on all surfaces. The calibration date is 5.28.36. Lettering is white Railroad Roman. The herald is white
on a black background. This car has drop grab irons on the sides and straight grab irons on the slopes and ends.
The next black and white photo chronologically is CB&Q 204740, built in 1944, with a repack date of 3.7.48. The car appears to be painted mineral red on all surfaces when compared to CB&Q 207559 just behind
the scale car. Lettering is white Railroad Roman, and the herald is white on a black background. This car has straight grab irons on the sides and slope and drop grab irons on the ends.
The next black and white photo is CB&Q 204739 with a repack date of 5.18.52. The car body appears to be painted black, and the grab irons, brake staff, brake wheel, and railing are painted a lighter color,
probably white or yellow. Lettering is white Railroad Roman, and the herald is the three color version – red white and black. The side foot holes appear to be painted black.
Another black and white photo of CB&Q 204739 taken in 1963 appears to have black body paint, with yellow foot holes, grab irons, brake staff, brake wheel, and railing. Lettering is white railroad Gothic for
reporting marks and weight, and Railroad Roman for Scale Test Car. The herald is the three color version – red, white, and black.
CB&Q 204740 was photographed in 1964 with the black and yellow paint scheme and Railroad Roman lettering.
CB&Q 204741 color photos from 1962 and 1968 show the black and yellow paint scheme. The maintenance sign has white letters on a red background. Lettering is white Railroad Roman, and the herald is white on
a black background. Couplers and uncoupling levers are painted red. The grab iron arrangement is the same as CB&Q 204739 – drop grab irons on the sides and straight grab irons on the ends. The railing is welded in lieu of using pipe fixtures.
The only other color photo is CB&Q 204740 with a reweigh date of 4.29.69. The car body is painted black and the foot holes, grab irons and railing are painted yellow. The couplers and relief valve rod is painted
red. Lettering is white Railroad Roman for the reporting marks and Railroad Gothic stencil font for the other side lettering. The calibration sign is white Railroad Roman on a black background. The maintenance instruction sign is yellow Railroad Gothic on
a black background.
There is one additional three quarter view black and white photo of CB&Q 204739, but no repack or calibration dates are visible, so the date is unknown. The car body appears to be painted mineral red on all
surfaces, with white Railroad Roman lettering on the sides and Railroad Gothic lettering on the ends. The herald is white on a black background.
The actual color of the cars in the black and white photos cannot be definitively determined. The 1936 and 1944 builds could have been painted mineral red originally. The 1948 build may have been mineral red,
Omaha orange, or black. The 1948 photo of CB&Q 204740 appear to be mineral red or maybe Omaha orange. Black seems to be the standard color by 1952, but it is unknown when that scheme was adopted. Additional information about paint schemes and dates of application
is welcomed.
The Model
The Bachmann car requires extensive work to bring it closer to the prototype. The paint finish has granular defects, and the grab irons do not match CB&Q practice. These defects can be fixed with some effort
by filing off the molded details and adding wire grab irons, uncoupling levers, and air hoses (I drilled holes for the air hoses, and they will be installed after painting and decaling).
I attached a photo of the upgraded model before painting to illustrate the improvements. I’m modeling 204740, so the drop grab irons go on the ends and the 1952 paint and lettering scheme.
Nelson Moyer
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