HS 3631 Ex-Golden Triangle PS 5344cf Boxcar

Athearn "Primed for Grime" model

Project Background

I've been a fan of Athearn's 5344cf Pullman Standard boxcars for a long time. I remember when kits retailed for $10 in the local hobby shop- that was a while ago! At the time, I recall balking at the price of a "shake the box" kit- a $2 premium! While the model has been surpassed by ExactRail's awesome offering, I still think the Athearn model holds up pretty well overall.

So when I saw notice (randomly!) on Athearn's website of a contest based on these, I thought sure, I'll try to put something together in a few weeks, and see what I can do. So off to the web to buy one (Tony's Train Exchange to the rescue- these are kinda hard to find).

The Build

No build necessary- this is a "Primed for Grime" ready to run car. I've not really bought too many of these- I do like to do my own weathering. However, after this project I'm a bit more of a convert- these give a pretty good starting point for adding more effects and detail.

Painting & Weathering

Out of the box, the car looked too purple for me. So I used a craft acrylic paint fade of Brick Red to take the shine off and subtly change the look. For more info on this technique, see Gary Christensen's outline here. Then a toothpick to clean off the lettering.

I added the old graffiti which was going to get faded/worn. Then a few thin layers of water-soluble oil paints (Burnt Sienna) to add some red over the purple.

Sealed, then added the scrapes and dings and rusty patches especially on the logo. A couple of final washes, and the sides were done. The roof was a mix of an airbrushed base color, a mix of oils and then some chalk, and then sealed before adding the sealer (acrylic gray paint brushed on).


Summary

Fun project and a nice car for the layout.


Resources

Athearn car here. Now discontinued, you'll have to search for these.

Some additional detail decals from Smokebox Grphics. These are wonderful additions to the hobby.

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