MODELING N&W DINER 1017

[NW Modeling List]

Very nice work, Jim, and congratulations for finishing such a
long-dormant project!

Jim Laney
Seattle, WA

On Sat, Jul 3, 2021 at 2:02 PM NW Modeling List
<nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
>
> More than 25 years ago Jim Nichols gifted me a HO scale undecorated Athearn diner body which he had modified to more closely resemble a N&W diner. He relocated the doors while also lengthening the body. (See photos 1 and 2) At the NWHS Convention in Spencer, NC, he good naturedly prodded me about having the body, so by the following year at the Roanoke Convention I had mostly completed the model. It lacked some roof vents at that time. I was determined to finish this model!
>
> By my 1956 modeling era the prototype diners had had the small window on the blind end plated over; I cut a piece of .020 plain styrene to fit the opening and glued it in place. I elected to keep the wood sash windows per the model. (See photo 3)
>
> I removed the roof ribs on the Athearn shell with a modified chisel blade in an X-acto handle. I then removed the vents and grills on the sides of the clerestory using a sanding disc in my Dremel tool. I filled in any imperfections with Tamiya putty and sanded these areas smooth. (Photos 4 and 5)
>
> Except for N&W diners number 1023 and 1024, the other diners when air-conditioned had half-tubes which are visible on the clerestory sides. To simulate this detail I used Evergreen Scale Models (ESM) No. 243 half round laminated the half round to ESM 125, .020 x .100 strip styrene. (Photo 6)
>
> In reviewing the prototype photos I noticed the doors on the kitchen end of the car do not extend to the bottom of the side sheet. I cut a piece of ESM .020 x .080 and fit it in place; I applied some Tamiya putty, allowed it to dry and sanded the joint smooth. (Photo 7)
>
> The underframe needs to be lengthened to match the car body. I reviewed prototype photos and decided the battery box casting on the Athearn underframe needed to be on the kitchen side of the car. I cut the underframe into three pieces. (Photo 8 and 9)
>
> I used a scrap of .040 styrene to assist in reassembling the lengthened underframe. I used a longer piece of .040 styrene for the other end as there will initially be a gap in the underframe that will be filled in.
>
> I inserted the rejoined underframe in the kitchen end, and the remaining piece of the underframe in the opposite end of the body. I carefully marked my piece of .040 styrene so I could draw lines that would assist me in joining this all back together at the appropriate length. I then glued this piece of styrene to the end and allowed it to dry, using my lines as a guide as to placement. I then applied glue to the styrene piece and the longer underframe and slid the styene piece into the longer piece. I inserted the lengthened underframe into the car body and made certain both ends of the underframe were flush against the ends of the car body. I left this to dry and cure.
>
> I measured the thickness of the Athearn underframe with my dial caliper and learned it was approximately .060 thick. I measured the opening in the underframe where I had rejoined the pieces together and determined it was 4 x 9 HO scale feet. I cut a piece of scrap .060 styrene to this size and glued it to the .040 styrene that was bridging the gap between the original underframe pieces. (Photo 10)
>
> I determined the stringers on the Athearn underframe were .040 x .040 and used Evergreen Scale Models No. 142 to recreate these on the piece I used to fill the gap in the original underframe. (Photo 11)
>
> The underbody detail was my next area of concentration. In reviewing the photographs and images available to me I noted an abundance of photographs of the kitchen side of the car, but just a few of the opposite, or aisle, side of the car. As mentioned earlier the “battery box” casting on the Athearn underfame was retained, although reversed so it shows on the kitchen side of the car. I also reviewed drawings in the NWHS archives, particularly drawing F 43606. The best photographs available to me were both found in Norfolk and Western Passenger Service 1946-1971, by William E. Warden revised by Kenneth L. Miller. The photograph on page 87 is a good aisle side view. An additional benefit for me of this photograph is that it was taken of Train No. 1 on the Shenandoah Line in August 1956, which is what I model. A nice photograph of the kitchen side is shown on page 125.
>
> I had on hand a smattering of passenger car detail parts from New England Rail Supply, Precision Scale, Details Associates and Bethlehem Car Works. Jim Nichols suggested using detail parts from a Branchline Trains 8-1-2 Pullman Sleeper. This was a kit to model an Atlantic Coast Line car but Jim indicated the trucks were the correct type to use for the N&W diner. I used various detail parts and the trucks from the Branchline sleeper to further detail the car. (Photo 12)
>
> Other details included drilling holes to insert the handholds. The shell as modified by Jim lost some of the rivet detail along the top of the sides. I used rivet decals from Micro-Mark and applied these to fill in that detail.
>
> With the major construction complete it was time to paint the various components. I first gently washed the shell and underframe in warm water with detergent and allowed it to dry. After priming all components I pained the truck sideframes Scalecoat II No. 2018 Coach Olive, and the underbody Scalecoat II No. 2118 Engine Black (Satin). I painted the roof using Polly Scale Roof Brown with some Polly Scale Oily Black added; in hindsight I wish I would have added more of the Oily Black.
>
> The car body was painted using Scalecoat II paints. Jim Nichols suggested a mix of 2.5:1 of Scalecoat II N&W Red with ATSF Red. I could not find a bottle of the ATSF red so I used Scalecoat II S2089 CP Rail Bright Red. Decals are from a set produced years ago by Rail Graphics for Roanoke Rails. I believe Shell Scale now offers a similar set. (Photos 13 and 14)
>
> When everything was dry I used Evergreen Scale Models No. 9007, .015 Clear for windows, and window shades from American Model Builders Set #381. I have not added any interior detail as of now.
>
> N&W Class De Diner No. 1017 is ready for service! (Photo 15). I enjoyed this project and am happy to have an accurate model of a N&W diner to run on my railroad.
>
> Jim Brewer
>
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