If you want an accurate model of a C&S Phase 2 car, follow Russ Reinberg's drawings wherever they vary from the photos of my model. I took some liberties and, as a result, my coal car is a hybrid between Phase 1 and Phase 2 versions. For example, it rides on archbar trucks instead of the early Bettendorf trucks of the prototype.

Virtually any modeler with patience and reasonable skill could build a good looking model of a C&S coal car. I assume most beginners would be more comfortable starting with a simpler project so the article will take for granted you know the basics of wooden freight car construction.

THE BODY

Stripwood in suitable sizes is largely unavailable in the larger scales so I cut my own. I used a high quality table saw with a ten inch diameter blade for precision woodwork. Most pieces are basswood but some are redwood. The lumber yard ripped the wood into 1/2- by 6 inch planks so I trimmed those boards to the sizes I would need for the model. Use the plan as a guide.

Cut the resulting stripwood to approximate length and pre-stain each piece. I brushed the frame timbers and the outer surfaces of the sideboards with a mixture of 50-percent Floquil Boxcar Red and 50-percent Floquil Diosol thinner. That produces a faded paint effect. I stained the deck planking and inner surfaces of the sideboards with Floquil Pine. For a weathered gray appearance, use a mixture of denatured alcohol and India ink. Some modelers stain all wood parts with that mixture, dab on rubber cement here and there, then airbrush the appropriate surfaces with boxcar red. When they remove the rubber cement, it looks as though the paint had peeled off. Either way, pre-color the wood before you begin assembly.

Make a jig so you can build a square underframe. I glued scraps of wood to a plywood base. You may prefer to build up your jig from styrene since it tends to repel most wood glues. The jig will be a tremendous time-saver if you build more than one car.

Assemble the frame and floor. Cut and pre-color the twelve side stakes. Drill holes for and install Ozark Miniatures 1 1/2 inch diameter nut-bolt-washer castings. I used CA to secure the NBW castings. While the cement cures, apply aliphatic resin (yellow carpenter's glue) to the edges of the side and end boards to make up two side and two end sub-assemblies. Refer to the plans, carefully mark the location of the stakes on the each side section, and cement the stakes in place.

When the glue has dried thoroughly, dry-fit the sides on the frame, locate the position of the stakes on the side sills, and mark points for each U-bolt securing the stakes to the side sill. Fortunately, on C&S coal cars, the floor planking ends nearly flush with the side sills so only a little trimming should be necessary to provide clearance for the stakes.

Drill holes for the U-bolts through the side sills. (Use .062-inch diameter brass rod for the U-bolts.) Put a dab of glue on the spot where each stake will contact the side sill. Position the U-bolt over the stake, slip in a length of brass or styrene strip to represent the reinforcing plate between the stake and the U-bolt, and use a mallet to tap the U-bolt home. That should hold the stake in place while the glue dries. Apply a drop of CA at the spot on the underside of the car where the U-bolt protrudes through the side sill. I cut my stake reinforcements from shim brass using a paper cutter. You could also use strip styrene. See Figure 1.

THE HARDWARE

The most time consuming pieces of hardware to fabricate are the corner braces because they have so many bolt-heads. I made my braces from .030-inch thick sheet brass for strength. Styrene would look as good but might result in a less robust model. Either way, you will need a drilling jig to position holes for the nut-bolt castings. I used .030-inch thick sheet steel for my jig because the metal is tough; the holes will hold their shape even after you have run a drill bit through them several times. I used Ozark 1 1/2 inch NBW castings for all bolts on the corner braces, side stakes, and stirrup steps.

The outer corner braces and corresponding inner braces sandwich the wooden sides and ends between them. Uncle Russ' drawings have no interior elevations so you will have to figure your own dimensions using Figure 2 as a guide. Bend or otherwise form the corner braces; drill holes for the NBWs; clean, debur, sand, and paint the braces; cement the braces in place; drill through the side and end boards; and install the NBWs. I used CA to attach all corner hardware. It may insure a better bond if you moisten the wood before applying CA.

Now for the most boring part of construction: Install all remaining NBWs, both inside and out. Take your time and do a little every day until you finish.

Refer to Section A-A on the drawing and notice the truss rod extending across the car just above the floor. The car has only two such rods. They go between the two center stakes. They are about 1 scale inch in diameter.

Bend stirrup steps from strip brass; styrene is too fragile. The width between the step's uprights is 13 inches. Use duckbill pliers to twist the brass strip 90-degrees, drill holes for the NBWs, and install the steps.

The C&S attached a 2x12 board across the top of the car at the brakewheel end. It supports the rachet and pawl and a grab iron. Add it and the end hardware now. My rachet and pawl is an Ozark Miniatures casting. Hartford Products, Precision Scale, and Shortline Car & Foundry offer similar castings for 1:24 and 1:22.5 scale models. Little Railways offers one in 1:20 scale. If you model in 1:32 scale you are out of luck.

I used Precision Scale brass grab irons on my coal car. I wanted a rugged model and white metal seemed too fragile. I formed the lower brake staff support from strip brass and bent coupler release levers from .033-inch diameter brass rod. The brackets for those levers are HO scale handrail stanchions I found in my spare parts box. I drilled out the holes to accept the larger diameter brass rod. An easier and less expensive alternative would be to use 1/32-inch diameter cotter pins (available from a machinist's supply house or hardware store).

The chain roller is an Ozark casting (and, to my knowledge, the only such large scale casting available). I also used Ozark castings for the air hose hardware, brake cylinder, 6 scale inch long queen posts, and turnbuckles. The brake retainer valve is from Precision Scale. My model features complete brake rigging and I added a brake rod to extend toward the chain roller, a unique C&S feature (as on the plan). I used Hartford archbar trucks and Gary Raymond metal wheels. The trucks are utterly incorrect for any C&S coal car but no accurate truck is available in a scale larger than 1:48.

The truss rods are 1/16-inch (.060) diameter brass rod. I threaded the ends and tapped the turnbuckles to accept them. That leaves the center of each turnbuckle open, a touch I prefer for large scale models. Were I to do it again, I would use Precision Scale brass turnbuckles because white metal is more fragile and, especially, because PSC turnbuckles come threaded. I also suggest you epoxy the queenposts to the needle beams and the truss rods to the queenposts. CA can (and will) break loose. I cut the underbody brake levers from sheet brass. The brake rods attach to them by means of Ozark clevis mounts.

FINISH

Assuming you have pre-colored all wood and hardware, as soon as you apply the final piece of hardware your model should be finished. If you prefer a more traditional painted finish, spray the car boxcar red and allow it to dry for several days.

When I built my coal car, Larry Larsen's dry transfers for C&S rolling stock were still unavailable. I cut a stencil from .010 styrene and dry brushed the block lettering with Floquil Antique White. I used Microscale "Railroad Roman" alphabet decals for all the other lettering and numbering. The graphics on the sheet are in no apparent scale. I used the 6 inch size for the data on the car sides and 8 and 12 inch numbers for the sides and ends. However you decide to letter your model, protect the graphics with a clear sealant such as Testor's Dullcote. Then add any additional weathering you might think appropriate and put your car into service.