Stock Car Weathering
Photo from http://nickelwiki.pbworks.com/w/page/13276519/Modeling%20NKP%20Stock%20Cars
I have been working on building up the stock car fleet for the layout. There is not much offered in the way of prototypical versions of Milwaukee Road stock cars. The best versions available in kit form are the Westerfield Models 8200 series. These are perfect versions of the 36’ cars the Milwaukee used. In later years a newer 40’ version was constructed. I have one of these kits purchased from somewhere that is waiting for a time I can begin construction. That list never seems to get any shorter!
I have considered scratch building the cars from plans I found in the February 1983 Mainline Modeler article by Al Armitage. The time required to build a decent fleet of these cars would be exhausting. So the alternative is find what else maybe out there to help speed up the process. Walthers Mainline currently offers a nice version of a standard stock in Milwaukee lettering. One of these will be purchased to add to the collection. Even though it is not prototypical.
I was lucky enough to find someone who was selling a set of three Accurail Milwaukee Road stock cars including renumbering decals on the old Yahoo HO yard sale group. I also found a set of three undecorated kits at a train show. These cars are close to the Milwaukee version, but again are based on a standard design. The three Milwaukee decorated kits have been built and decaled with different numbers.
The next challenge is weathering these cars appropriately for the time I’m modeling (1969 -1970). My research shows that the Milwaukee had dropped stock car shipments dramatically between 1966 and 1971. No new cars had been constructed for quite a few years. The cars I do recall seeing in the Harlowton area were very aged and in need of repair. Most of the paint had faded and roof walks were broken and/or missing. With this in mind, I will be giving these cars a very aged, ready for retirement look. Below is an example of my first in the series. Looks like it is ready for the scrap yard, but still able to complete its assignment.
