I just received a CSX Branchline Blueprint Series Berwick Box Car. I am participating in a weathering challenge on another forum, and the deadline is Jan. 1st. I have never in my life assembled a Branchline kit of any sort. I knew when I bought it that it would be quite a task. My question is are they really that hard to assemble?
Thanks in advance.
They are essentially the same as the Proto2K or Intermountain kits but I have found the plastic used seems to be easier to break. So you have to be more careful when cutting them off the sprue and handling them.
Pete
I have never assembled a P2K kit, and have only semi-assembled an Intermountain kit.
Its quite hard Matt. If you take it slow and systematicly you can get it built without breaking any of them fragile parts. Thats why building mine spread out over 2 months! To ensure the model was built totally well and with no cracking. You’re in that Rich challenge thing, so you need to move faster.
Matt,
The RIGHT tools REALLY make the dirfference! Flush-cutting nippers are a must for trimming delicate parts off of the sprue and cleaning up nibs. If you don’t already have a pair, spend the extra $$$ on a good one. I use Linstrom at work. It’ll cost you about $50, but they are WORTH it! I’ll write more later.
Tom
Yup, good tools. I used some my xacto knife with #11 blade, and fingernail clipers to get parts cut out and trimmed.
You’ll also need some CA, a #79 drillbit/pin vise, small screwdrivers, and tweezers. AND A NICE SOFT SURFACE TO LAY IT ON WHILE WORKING ON IT. Like a sponge bed that comes with most HO steam locomotive boxes.
Yow! Makes me wish I’d gotten that assembled one off eBay a few weeks ago![#oops]
Why they make kits so complicated, I don’t know.
I assembled two branchline blueprint series reefers. I lost a total of 2 corner roof grabs, and 1 connector hose (above the coupler knuckle).
They took me about 3 hours each. Several lessons learned are:
Make sure the sides press firnly into the box car
Do not glue the floorboard base on the box car body. There’s enough friction to hold it together. I had the weight/nut come loose and it’s now rattling around on the inside without any way for me to get to it.
Do not force the ribs through the running board holes. They could snap. Be sure they are missing any spurs, and ream the running board hole if you are having problems.
The connection points from the sprue to some tiny parts are extremely large compared to the part. Use a VERY sharp #11 on these. Remove them by using careful light scoring action. Nippers like Tom said work well. But with parts as tiny as the corner grab irons, you risk breaking the part before the sprue as the cutters “push” the parts apart.
All in all I love the branchline blueprint series. The detailing is excellent. Although they aren’t as functional as Atlas’s RTR reefers, I find they have excellent detailing, and assembly tollerences. Some parts fit so well they didn’t need glue! I would definitely buy more!
DG:
Thanks. Sheesh, I’m getting nervous. [swg]
AGGRO:
Did you paint your grab irons prior to installing them?
Matt,
The Branchline kits are on par with the Proto 2000 kits but more delicate. Just take your time. I’m very methodical putting together kits so a kit like this will take me 4-5 hours. (Some guys can put together much faster.) I trim all the nibs and take my time nipping the parts from the sprues.
Tools will make all the difference. Allong with the nippers I mentioned above, good tweezers (needle-nose and flat) and a pin vise (for hand drilling those #79 holes for grab irons) are a must. The make a double-ended pin vise: one end for the real tiny drill bits; the other end, larger bits.
[Addition: Magnifying visor - the kind that you can swing up above your head. Get the one with the leather band. Worth it’s weight in gold. Thanks for the reminder, Bob! [:)]]
Tom
You can wait and paint the grabs after they’re on the car. The roof is the separate part instead of the floor, so you can use Walthers 'Goo" or contact cement to place the weights in the car. Remember to follow the directions with the glue. I put a little around the post then add the weight. Twist the nut around for good contact and then pry it up on end. Wait about one or two minutes and pu***he nut back down onto the post and it will stick forever.
The frame is probably the trickiest thing. Before attaching the brake/airlines to the frame. Take the frame and sand it with a piece of flat sand paper finished side up and then do the same to the edges of the frame. I then test fit and I usually end up repeating the sanding process until it fits correctly. Getting the frame set right makes a world of difference with how the car will look and ride after you’re done… I also take a chisel blade in my Xacto knife and scrape off the paint from the bottom of the car body where the frame will be glued. These are already smooth on the car, so it’s quite easy to get the glue off. hold your knife at a 90 degree angle and then scrape right down the middle and under the bolsters. After you are satisfied with the fit and all the frame cross members fit up under the car sides, run your liquid glue with a small brush along the bolsters and down the frame sides. Let it dry and then add the air/brake lines. Be very careful when cutting the brake/air lines from the sprue. They are very easy to break.
This is a car I’m working on at the moment. The roof isn’t attached as yet, so it seem to be sticking up a little in the pictures. I haven’t put on the tack boards yet either, but I think you can get a good idea how the cars look. I use Plano etched coupler platforms and InterMountain semi-scale wheels. It takes very little work to make these cars look terrific. All it needs is coupler cut bars a little East Coast weathering and some rust…
Assembling Branchline, P2K or Intermountain freight car kits should not be all that difficult as long as you have the proper tools to remove the parts from the plastic runners. Of course I have been building plastic models (mostly aircraft and ships) for over 30 years. The underside details are the hardest to remove from the runners and trim properly. Installing the ladders, grab irons and platforms are relatively easy. If you wear bi-focal glasses I have found that having a pair made with only the close in prescription is a big help. I also have one of those hobby magnifying devices I wear too.
Bob DeWoody
Actually the Berwick cars are the easiest of the Branchline Cars to Assemble
Rick
And if you don’t have all the requisite tools at hand and still want to cut detail parts from the sprues tack them in place with small pieces of masking tape. The tape will keep them from becoming low orbit space objects when they launch off the sprue. These parts are really small so only cut off what you need at a given moment. If what you need is more than one, again use masking tape to keep them in place until needed. More than once I’ve been crawling around on all fours trying to find a part hiding in the carpet!
I’ve done a couple of 2K’s, a blueprint series and an intermountain. The magnifying headset is a must for me. I haven’t the courage yet to try a blueprint series passenger car. From write ups they seem to be quite the challenge.
It’s most gratifying when they’re finished and you can appreciate the detail of the assembled car.
I can’t conceive of building one of these kits to a deadline. When I’ve done them its been, “when its done, its done.”
Good luck,
Jon
Make sure you follow the instructions especially relating to the order of assembly…
I have built quite a few of the Blueprint kits and once you get the hang of it they are quite simple really. And they look great [:D]