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The Rail Line 3000 Series, Box Car Kit, Styrene, As Rebuilt


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Nick Gully, Denver

Note: these instructions are here to help people assemble their excellent Rail Line kits, but the instructions are in a teensy font to fit the well thought out details. Refer to the photos in the kit for locations.

    Read instructions & study parts before starting.
    Trim flash from parts before cutting off.
    Avoid loss of parts. Put inside one of small plastic bags. Reach inside and cut off.
    Remove parts from bag with tweezers.
    Parts will be replaced only in a stamped self-addressed envelope, description of part needed and 25c per part handling const.
    Deburr ends of wires.
    Gluing, for plastic to plastic use liquid. Applicator, a 00000 spotting brush is ideal. A touch to small part is enough.
    Mark off numbers as finished.
    GRABIRONS(1) 5 each side only. Make a mark with pointed tool to start holes. Drill holes with #79 wire drill. Install pre-formed grabirons using a #65 wire drill to space the rungs away from teh car side; bend ends to center and spot glue with Expoxy to hold in place.
    UNDERCARRIAGE Drill 8-#77 holes through the floor at marks (2) located inside the truck bolsters. Place end with 4 nuts (3) on center beams on your left side. Glue only the left queenpost timber (4) in place inside the center casting (5) on outside timber, with blocked up queenpost (6) and square hole towards you. AIR BRAKE CYLINDER (7) place clevis end to your left, the hanging side down. With the three nuts of LARGE HANGING PLATE (8) toward you, glue cylinder peg through hole in plate.
    SMALL PLATE (9) glues to lip on other end. Put clevis, "angled" through square hole, under blocked up queenpost and toward 4 nuts. Do not glue yet. Glue RIGHT QUEENPOST TIMBER (10) in place. With end of cylinder almost touching timber, glue cylinder in place.
    SHORT LEVER HANGER (11) Lay SMALL PLATE (12) with nut up toward you; glue nub on flat end of hanger into hole of plate. Angle hanger 90 degree to left from the plate. Rounded end glues to queenpost timber, nut on plate over second beam.
    LONG LEVER (13) End with 2 holes glues in cylinder clevis, second hole under nut, and lever angled left.
    SHORT LEVER (14) Glue end hole in hanger (11) under pivot head, angled right. LEVER SUPPORT WIRES (15) Use 3-1 1/4 inch wires; bend legs parallel, leaving 1/4 inch flat; drill 3 #79 holes, each 1 each outside timbers as shown. Put one end of wire in hole, mark other end, drill, install wire, cut off ends.
    TRUSS RODS (16) Tie knot in one end of fishline. Run other end through corner hole.
    TURNBUCKLES (17) Do not cut off. Put #78 drill into pilot hole in end, turn until turnbuckle comes off on drill; slide it of the drill onto fishline. Center turnbuckle between queenposts and run through hole in other end. Move over to adjacent hole and repeat until finished. Be sure all lines are taught. Tie through last crossover.
    ASSEMBLY - First paint car floor, side doors, and coupler pocket covers. (41) Place undercarriage in car body at an angle with projecting lip on floor in door. Place 4 nut end of undercarriage to "B" end of car.
    OFF SET GRABIRONS (18) On car sides, the left leg is up. On ends, right leg up. With legs pointed away from you, bend the one needed, up, and 1/32 inch above top edge of the rung, bend back. Cut the leg not bent to 1/8 inch long. Use a pointed tool to locate holes at Detail. Match surfaces of coupler pocket before drilling. Extend drill 3/32 inch from end of pin vise for proper depth. Install grabiron.
    BOTTOM GRABIRONS (19) Two each end. Use pointed tool to locate holes on square edges of the car at detail. With #79, drill hole at 45 degree angle, 3/32 inch deep. Cut both legs of grabirons 1/8 inch long. Install. Carefully bend up until parallel with bottom of car.
    "A" END OF CAR Glue nub on DOOR STOP (20) in hole provided. Glue on COUPLER POCKET END (21), match to inside surfaces. Repeat on "B" end.
    ROOF WALK SUPPORTS (22) Glue the abrupt angle to the small board under end of walk, other end to car. Repeat on "B" end.
    END ROOF WALKS (23) Locate with the outside strap of walkt to end of corner strap on car. Glue on. Do not add grabirons yet.
    CAR SIDES, Locate DOOR LATCHES (24) by cutting off the second bolt from the bottom of door stop timber, also third bolt on one side for the straight up latch. Put the bottom bolt of casting in place of second bolt.
    BOTTOM DOOR SLIDES (25) Four each side. Glue on, with nubs in holes provided.
    TOP DOOR STOP TIMBER CASTING (26) Locates by laying side door in place and glueing casting on timber between 3rd and 4th nuts from top of door.
    SIDE DOOR STOP (27) Glue nub on stop in hole provided.
    "B" End of car. With #79 drill make the pipe hole in AIR VALVE (29) Form 1 1/4 inch wireas shown on photo, bending lower end 5/64 inch into car. 1/16 inch above bottom of car. After wire is fomed, lay into place, mark for lower hole, #79 drill and install.
    LOWER BRAKE HANGER (30) Locates against coupler pocket plate.
    CHAIN ROLLER (31) Locates behind the lower hanger, square edge at coupler pocket.
    GRABIRONS ON END ROOF WALKS (32) Mark to start holes at detail, drill #79 and install.
    TOP BRAKE HANGER (33) Drill with #78 through hanger using pilot hole in the top.
    BRAKE WHEEL ROD (34) Stone burrs from end of 1 1/2 inch wire; put wire through hanger. Adjust to fit at roof while seated in hole of lower hanger. glue on car directly over lower hanger.
    STIRRUPS (35) The outside leg lines up with the inside edge of 2nd board from end of car. With sharp tool, mark center on four corner strap (36) ends. Drill with #80. PAINTING - Lay TOP DOOR SLIDES (37) in place; d not glue. Paint the undercarriage. Make 2 small blocks 3/4 to 1 inch high. Drill a #51 hole in each one. Set the truck mounting pegs in holes to hole the car.
    BRAKE WHEEL (38) Carefuly cut wheel from the protective ring. Lat wheel on a flat surface. Open center hole with a #78 drill. Put a small trace of Epoxy on the brake rod end. Pick up car, turn over and push the brake rod into hole in brake wheel. be sure wheel is level with top of car. Allow Epoxy to dry; set car on blocks and finish painting.
    TACK BOARDS (39) Paint black. The locate center end to outside edge of the 2nd board from door stop timber; center with the middle bolt on timber.
    SIDE DOOR INSTALLATION Remove the top door slides (37) Hook the lower ledge of slides into castings onthe top ofdoors; set door into bottom sides (25); top slides back into place.
    COUPLERS (40) The non-operating couplers provided are sharon style, made of nylon, are vailable for your other cars; cat. no 115. Straight shank for engines etc. cat. no. 116, and On3 is cat. no. 120. There are provisions for magnetic couplers; cut out pivot pint outlinde in cover and install.
    COUPLER POCKET COVERS (41) Locate in holes provided. Cover at "B" end must be notched to clear chain roller (31). Glue lightly at corners.

    TRUCK INSTALLATION Place trucks on pegs (42) and slip on RETAINING WASHERS (43) provided.