Bachmann's Fn3 Tank Car...

It's The Little Things……that count, as they say. At first glance, this may appear to be a stock-version of the new Bachmann narrow-frame tanker - albeit somewhat weathered. And that's just what it is… except I've changed a few "little things" that make it a bit different from everybody else's. As most of you know about me by now, that's always been my motivation for taking "the ordinary and making it extraordinary," as Dean Whipple says.
I picked up this model at ECLSTS and I am much impressed by B'mann's effort to provide an additional source for 1:20.3 vintage rolling stock. In fact, the reason I didn't do much to this model, other than weather it, is that I didn't need to. It's a really nice model! After the obligatory "builder's photos" and some overall shots, I'll point out the few changes and additions I did make.

First, the builder's photos:




and a couple of quarter views:



Now, for the aforementioned changes:


The most obvious change is the replacement of the Bachmann-style couplers for ones from Accucraft.


I also replaced the breaker bars with ones a bit more realistic and robust. Notice the hand writing chalk marks (upper left) the chalk was used by the RR clerks and switchman to label which cars went to each track, the RR clerks would walk up and down the tracks marking each car with the correct track number, it's a detail I learned about from the "master" Bobby Hunter. I use a white artist's pencil (available from many art supply places - I got mine from Michaels - less than a buck apiece. They come in many other useful colors. I used a rust-colored one along the seams of the tank and other places.
I also replaced the wheel sets with 26" ones from Sierra Valley, which are turned and have a more prototypical profile with a proper fillet between flange and rim, I think the B'mann ones are a bit under sized, with a very deep flange and unrealistic-looking backs.


I added a few more links to the brake chain (fortunately, B'mann provides extra chain and other detail stuff that might break/fall off) and wrapped it around the brake staff a few times in order to make it look like it would really work.


The model comes with a working filler hatch which may be fun to play with, but, IMHO, anything that's movable is breakable, so I glued it shut and filled in the gaps in the dogging straps (they are the five horizontal metal straps with bolts at the end used to "dog down" the hatch) with Squadron "green stuff." BTW, I also glued shut the hinged journal box covers on the trucks, which fall off or get knocked off rather too easily.


If you look closely, you'll notice wood grain on the sides and ends of the upper and lower foot boards. This was done by dragging a fine-toothed razor saw along the plain edges in a wavy motion. The upper foot board supports and the ladder bottoms were attached with tiny, but unrealistic looking, Phillips-head screws, so I added a toothpick tip-sized drop of JB Weld (a two-part epoxy compound) to the center of each screw to make them look like rivets.
That's about all I did, but, as I said, the little things add up.