URTX 26640 Insulated Boxcar

History

While removing old paint from the A end of the car, Kirk Warner discovered what appears to be the old number of this car.  URTX 1099!

B End Ladder

Kirk Warner is putting the finishing touches on the restored ladder for the B end of the car.  He and Victor Humphreys had quite a struggle to re-mount this.

B End

So, here is the B end DONE except for lettering.  This represents a LOT of work.

Cleaning the Ribs

Victor Humphreys is cleaning the ends in preparation for priming.  Kirk Warner is working above him on the scaffold.

Priming

The ever shorter days this time of year and weather less than ideal does not stop our crew.  Victor Humphreys is applying primer before darkness falls.

A End

By day's end about 1/3 of the end had been cleaned and primed.

B End

New Freight Department volunteer Bruce Plaxton (foreground) is needle chipping years of paint and crud off of the two end ladders for the car.  Bruce is not new to volunteering at IRM since he and I shared some common duty at this year's Thomas Event.  Earlier in the day he finished bolting down the dome boards on our UTLX tank car, and helped with lettering chores.

Behind him Victor Humphreys is painting the second coat of black on the end, and that was completed by day's end.

Two Gems

I will start out this post with a shot showing progress on two projects of the Freight Department this season.  They are back together on Track 40 and this shot shows them with the sides that have been completed so far.  All you guys need to pull for some warm weather and a late start to winter!

Trucks

Victor Humphreys soldiers on in an uncomfortable position to get finished black paint on the A end truck, left side.

Shiny New

And here is that same truck glistening in the new black paint.

A End

The crew has moved on to the A end and Kirk Warner is still shaking from hours on the needle chipper.

A End

Most of the needlechipping is now done, and the ladder has been removed.  Next - sanding, wire brushing, priming, and two coats of black.

Left Side

Victor Humphreys continues to be our 'go to' guy when it comes to painting.  Here he is applying the second coat of orange to the 'A' half of the left side.

Left Side

With just some touch up and details left to paint, this side is sparkling new.  Go back a few pages to see what we started with here.

Details

They say the devil is in the details!  Here Victor Humphreys is spot priming new nailheads in preparation for the final finish coat of orange.

End Ladder

No, not a new end ladder but it certainly looks new.  Dick Cubbage seems to be enjoying himself as he tightens the bolts after he and Kirk Warner re-hung the ladder on the left side.

More Paint

It must seem like it will never end as Victor Humphreys adds the final coat of paint to the left side plug door and hardware.  That is a LOT of orange on the side of that car.

More progress this week as we race the upcoming cold weather, and this despite losing some of the crew to illness.  Get well soon, Kirk!

Plug Door

At last, the remaining lettering has been applied to the plug door.

Right Side

And the door lettering completes work on the right side of the car.  Fully restored and lettered!

Left Side

All the siding work is done on the left side and nail heads cleaned and primed.

Sanding

Victor Humphreys is sanding the right half of the left side - if that makes any sense.  Note that the right side and left side are determined when standing at the B end of the car and looking back toward the car.

Painted

And at days end, despite taking time off to enjoy the Showcase Weekend Operations, a committed Victor Humphreys had completed the final coat of orange paint on half the car.

Nailing

The siding on the left side is getting finish nailed to be ready for final coat of orange paint.

Door Painting

The left side door is getting orange paint by Victor Humphreys.

Door Painted

Everything on the left isde now has at least one coat of the orange paint.  Come out and see it next weekend for the Member Showcase event!

B End

You have seen this end along the way as work progresses.  What a difference even one coat of finish paint makes.

More milestones today in spite of shared workforce with several other projects during the day.

BL Truck

Victor Humphreys got shiny black enamel applied to the BL truck frame.  The code means LEFT truck sideframe on the B END.

B End

Speaking of the B end, Kirk Warner substantially completed needlechipping the remaning old paint from this end.

A very productive weekend on several projects, within the Freight Department and others around the property!  So here are the pics of work done on the URTX 26640 'bunkerless refrigerator' insulated boxcar.

Door Lettering

Yes, still more instructions applied working toward completing the lettering on the plug door.  Can you spot the two lines added Saturday?

Right Side

Here is the right side almost complete, needing three more lines of lettering on the plug door, and that is it.

Plug Door

By the end of the day Saturday half of the left side plug door had been cleaned and primed.

Plug Door

And by early Sunday Victor Humphreys worked to clean off remaining paint, rust, and scale from the door.

Primed!

Later in the day, the finishing touches of primer are being applied.

Trimming Siding

Kirk Warner trimmed the tails of all the new siding boards on the left side of the car.

B End

John Baletto was doing more needle chipping on the B end.

B End

And later Kirk Warner took a turn on the pneumatic chipper, high on the scaffold.

B End

Most of the B end has been chipped and over 60% in primer.  A few more days of good weather and it should all be cleaned and primed, ready for some finish black.

Trucks

Not to be outdone, Ray Pollice worked Saturday cleaning the left side trucks (a dirty job) and here, John Balletto starts prime painting after some more cleaning and touch up.

Lots of pictures to show you for this installment, all taken as usual by Kirk Warner.  Thanks Kirk!

Lettering Layout Work

I was going to say the first step is to lay out the position of the lettering on the car side.  But of course, first comes the research into what is correct for the car and era, then drafting the artwork, and handcutting a pattern to be used for transfer to the car side.

Painting

While much of the larger graphics on a railcar are 'hand' painted, the smaller stenciled information needs to be applied to look as though it WERE stenciled.  In this case what seems to work is a durable mylar stencil, cut with the same font, size of letters, and bars holding the stencil together.  Then a small pad of closed cell foam is use to apply the paint.

Touch Up

And of course, a rail car side or door has relief or texture to it.  In this case there are seams and laps in the metal skin, and rivet heads.  So, out comes the small brush and a hopefully steady hand to complete the work.

So Far

It sure seems like a LOT of work for a simple plug door, but WAIT, more is coming!  I know this may seem slow to you but put yourself in my position, doing the prep work and dodging sometimes 'iffy' weather to apply the paint.

B End

Meanwhile Victor Humphreys was wire brushing and cleaning down to bare metal on the B end of the car.

Priming

And by the end of the day a large area has been primed.

Hardware

Kirk Warner was re-installing the door stops, grab iron, and finsihing up siding.

Near the Roof

With the help of Dick Cubbage, Kirk installed the fascia or boards running under the roof eave.  These are all new as the existing was pretty much crumbled.

Lettering work continued on the door, which must have been a new development for railroads.  They covered it with instructions.

The First Two Groups

These are the first two door groups applied earlier this week.

And Next

Another stencil is measured and placed for painting.

With the Result

And paint applied.  Amazing how a few details like this bring the car to life, in this case what was a bland and plain plug door.

B End

John Baletto has contributed a lot of work on this restoration project and this weekend he returned to work the needle chipper on the B end.  Thanks John!  The paint chips are fairly flying off!

Left Side

Kirk Warner toiled all day, installing the last two long siding boards and most of the short stubby ones below the door opening.  When all the siding has been placed in position, a line will be stretched and all the tails cut off in a straight line.