Plug door boxcar renovation

[Anonymous]

I have 8 athearn blue box plug door box cars. My questions is what kind of things I would need to do to make them prototypical for todays railroads. I know I have to take off the roofwalks but that leaves holes in the top of the roof. What can I use to fill those holes and what else might I need to do.
I would like to keep these cars on my layout for sentimental values but the look out of place.
Andy

Andrew Miller

[Anonymous]

Looking at a few of my Athearn 50 Foot Plug Doors, removing the Roof-walk is just about all you would have to do. Now I just noticed on mine, that one car has friction bearing trucks. Now I do not remember of this car came that way or if it is a repair I made when I was younger, but for modern times, you will definatly want to check and make sure that you are running them with Roller Bearing Trucks.

Another Item of Note, If depicting a current modern railroad, you will want these cars to be in older paint schemes. The first of these cars were first built in the late 50s and freight cars are repainted so rarely any more that if you see one of these cars it is still probably wearing the scheme of some fallen flag, or have had the road name and logo blotted out and new reporting marks stenciled in. In any event you will want to show the effects of years of use on these cars as they are now nearing the end of their revenue service lives.

I hope I have been of assistance.

James

[AntonioFP45]

George745,

I'm in a similar situation.

OPTION 1: You can remove the roofwalks off your Athearns and fill the holes in with putty. Make sure you have some masking tape underneath to prevent the putty from falling through. Sand smoothly and paint.

OPTION 2: Remove the roowalks. Using a modelers file set, CAREFULLY file the sides of the doughnut shaped openings. Be careful about hitting the ribs near the holes. When you're finished, the doughnuts should be almost compeletly gone, and you will have some small holes left. Apply small strips of masking tape around the holes and underneath the holes. Fill these in with putty or fiberglass resin. Sand smoothly and paint.

If you take either one of these steps, make sure that YOU DON'T RUSH!

Hope this helps!