My plastic freight car challenge

[modelsof1900]

It's time for continue my three pickle cars. Each week I built and built however I did not find an end with these models.
Here next pictures.

Did I show you how I prepared these Westerfield resin models to aged and sagged models? Here a few older pictures.

Dividing the side walls ...



... grinding the inner edges of center piece and glueing all parts together again.



Above and sagged wall, below an original wall.





And the models after adding the truss rods, couplers and first grab irons - standing on their trucks. (Picture was showed already in opening post.)

And last for completing the bodies - models have got their covers and roofwalks.



And now - detailing: home-made K-brake gears were built ...







... and mounted to models.
Last what I must do are adding stirrups, hand brakes, NBWs for truss rods, high handrails over roofwalks for fixing the letter boards on top of cars and last air hoses. Coloring - a friend will do it. All!
I think that you know the Heinz pickle cars with these eye-catching letter boards on their old pickle cars - and this was the reason to me to own such extraordinary cars. I think a wonderful addition to a 1900+ train. Here is a nice feature over the American pickle car industry in Dec. 2011 issue of MRC - goto pages 82-89. (Best way - open 'contents' in menu bar and choice page 82.) In center of page 89 you can find a picture with two originals of these Westerfield pickle car models and on page 87 is pictured a more modern 40' car of Heinz Co.
It was of highest interest to me reading of pickle industry in connection with railroads.