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While reaming, proceed slowly and evenly around the hole,
occasionally testing the bolster pin for a good fit.
Be careful: while the four layers of birch ply sandwiched together
provide a solid base for the car, applying too much pressure on
the bolster pin while attempting to fit an insufficiently reamed
hole may result in slight damage to the frame.
A testament to the quality of material and design: even after
the above show of strength / learning experience, I repaired the
floor and sides with wood glue and now the damaged car is near
indistinguishable from the previous five successful builds.
5
5. Be careful that you don't press the bolster pins in
too hard or you will damage the car like I did here.
Fortunately, using wood glue I repaired the damage.
Coal Cars - 3
6
6. I added a couple cut rectangles of lead sheet to the
bottom of the car for added weight.
The frames have holes pre-drilled for the MTL 905 coupler
screws, making mounting them a simple task (though still go
easy on the applied force!).
With the first two cars I built, I attached three rectangles of 1/8”
lead weight with CA to the bottom of each car. This proved a
little too heavy, and in the other four I added only two rectangles
each. Brush the lead tops and car sides with white glue, then
spoon in coal (I use Timberline Scenery’s Fine Coal) to create
the load. I use an eyedropper to carefully apply a few drops of
70% isopropyl alcohol to wet the coal, then one or two drops of
diluted white glue to fix the load, taking care not to over-satu-
rate and soak the wood of the car itself.
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MRH-Mar 2013