Nice AC units Jerome, BLMA correct? I need to get me some of them for a few structures on my layout.
Returning to my teaser photo from Friday... People always seem to think I'm a weirdo for wanting a complete collection of back issues of the major model railroading magazines, sometimes calling it "useless dated info".
This model was inspired by a recent thumbing through Model Railroader issues I recently added. This one was not that old in perspective (June 2009), however it provided inspiration and modeling help. The article, on page 41, by Lou Sassi, described how he painted a deck of a flat car to look like weathered wood.
I purchased the called for Reefer Gray, choosing Floquil over his use of Polly Scale. I painted the deck with two coats, and also did the ends of the boards. I then picked out some boards with Union Pacific Harbor Mist Gray, some Model Master Gull Gray, and another unknown Model Master gray (medium gray color, the lettering has washed off the bottle so I do not know the color's name). I then dullcoted the deck and weathered it with tan & clay brown chalks (not weathering powders). Up to this point I had pretty much mimicked the article.
I made a load using two sizes of Evergreen Styrene "I" beam, leaving the center section of the bottom row hollow, and inserting a 1.5oz weight intended for Athearn 40' boxcars. This brings the car (when loaded) up closer to NMRA spec. I painted the completed load Floquil Weathered Black, then sprayed on a super thin layer of Oxide Red to simulate very light rusting.
The load was wrapped in black Nylon thread. I noticed that steel beam loads are not really secured to the deck of bulkhead flats, rather just banded togeather. They're blocked in place with wood. I used some scrap wood strips, stained in a vinegar-steel wool mixture, which turns them more grayish. They were then CA'd to the deck, and into every other stake pocket.
The load is removable, but remains firmly in place when on the car due to the blocking and its own weight.
How do you think I did? Turns out reading back issues can provide some inspiration!