Hey Roy. This is a good, easy project for any modern era modeler to improve the appearance of their cars. I did this to all of my older boxcar a few years ago.
Along with my coffee this morning this is a good history lesson. I have some roof walks to remove as I too am modernizing. It is true, we are never done. Oh well, back to the wiring and our new puppy.
Thank You for the great history lesson. Very informative and helpful too. I'm doing both eras, so don't know yet which way to go for the majority of my boxcars. I enjoy your videos a lot.
Great video, Roy. I did that back in the 1980’s and the MicroTrains collectors gave me a hard time about ‘ruining’ the value. Of course, to them, as soon as you took it out of the box it had less value! Cars look much better, great job!
@@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569 it wasn’t MicroTrains the company that complained about the modifications, it was the hard core train collectors who never weather or modify anything and barely run trains. I knew a guy who bought everything they came out with and never took it out of the box. That’s fine for him, but I RUN my trains and want them to look realistic. I agree that you can’t beat MictoTrains for quality and their contribution to N scale.
Great tips and video Roy! I like the way the not quite matching color gives a weathered look. Containers can also benefit from the same technique, giving them a "patched" look.
Well you've got me here. I'm modeling roughly 1984-84 and seeing most of my cars were bought between 1973 and now I still have cabooses and a lot of reefers and boxcars with roof walks. My reefers are iced so I'm wrong there . You always need a good story so the owner of my brewery liked billboard reefers he clad his mechanical reefers in wooden billboards. I guess I'll never get around to doing this but good video. I'm glad you gave us the dates it's good to know when your wrong as well as wright.
Roy, Dead right! I've been having a rest from modelling, while work has taken off. On leave next week midweek onwards and hope to get the flared end of the viaduct roughed out. We shall see. Keep rolling down the railroad! Regards to you and Leonor. Stephen.
Roy, as I haven't done this upgrade on my boxcars yet. But I'm glad you have reminded me to do this on my own stock. Some of the box cars in real manifest trains are still made up of quiet old stock, mixed in with the newer cars. Cheers, Chris Perry.
In the intro, I fully thought you were going to say “why? Because they make it like that!” 🤣🤣🤣 Great video! I never knew they removed the walkways, I always thought they just decommissioned the cars
Orrrr, just buy new box cars. Haha. Kidding Roy. This is great. I appreciate the history lesson because I had no idea! I’m going to check my box cars to see if they have roof walks.
Thanks for the roof walk history Roy. I model the 1970 formation of BN through to 2000 so I'll give thought to my manifests with or without the running boards. Clearly up to 1978, I can still use cars with them.
Thanks, Thomas. I've got two old 40-foot boxcars that I haven't removed the roofwalks from yet. I've been wondering what to do with them. You may have given me the answer. ...Roy
@@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569 Over the years Roy, I've learned that there is a "prototype" for everything... As an ex-railroader, I can tell you from my own experience, there is no one, right/wrong way of doing things. The "boss" just wants the job "done".
@@thomasboese3793 You make an excellent point about "right and wrong" ways to do things, Thomas. That is even more true in model railroading, where just about everything we do to is a matter of personal preference. Thanks so much for your comment. ...Roy
Kia ora, Roy.I have plenty of PAL VHS tapes from my uncle Jim Lubin and my own DVD's of different era U.S & Canada railroads which have both types of roofwalk/brake setups.Jim was a boilermaker for the B&O back in the days of steam and lived in Baltimore before moving here to N.Z in 1996. We do not have roofwalks here in N.Z due to lack of clearance in tunnels etc with our 3'6" gauge and smaller rolling stock. However I am modelling european ,there is no roofwalks,but earlier eras(pre 1930's) had small brakemans' cabs.Some of these survive on museum railways.
Nice upgrade! Yes, I have been removing running boards ("roofwalks") for many years. In my current effort at backdating my layout to 1969 I have actually had to add a few running boards :-) By the way, the UP boxcar with the "Campbell Soup" medallion is completely inappropriate for the modern era. Since you are using that one, the high brake wheel was often retained along with the ladders on that end of the car. The other end usually got the ladders trimmed down to 4 rungs. By the way, good efforts on color matching but don't forget that many boxcars had galvanized roofs or are so full of weathering that one cannot see the scars from running board removal.
Thanks, Gary. One thing I still have to do in the freight car upgrade series is re-paint and re-decal a number of my freight cars, especially the older ones that were given to me, to make them appropriate for my era and railroad. And of course, I have to weather them. I've done some work on them, but there's still a lot of work to do. I will be sharing all of that in future videos. ...Roy
What a great project Roy, I have to hank you for this history on roof(runners) as in modeling during this period were both were ok of the trains.... ;-)
Jack, it has been a real pleasure to share this project with you. It was an easy-to-do project, but it took me a long time to get around to doing it. ...Roy
Great informative video Roy. My Box cars & refrigerator box cars are both eras where some of them have roof walks & some don’t have them as my layout will cover the last quarter of the 20th. Century & the first quarter of the 21st. Century of the West Coast.
Very interesting Roy! Also keep in mind that those boxcars only have a life of 50 years there for many cars that had roof walks or running boards have most likely been scrapped. Nice how to! - Jason
Roy I use round styreen cut flush also I put scrap styreen in liquid cement after a a month it turns to a thick slurry and I use that to glue the styreen on the under side of the car. I use testers liquid cement just for this.
@@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569 Roy, yes it is. It's fun to be a part of something so great. Rails and trains are part of our history. Modeling helps us remember that. It's the best of hobbies. And look at the wonderful friends we meet who become family.
It really is. Not every hobby can be done solo and with your family and friends. This is something we can all share in. @@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569
Thanks Roy!! I think I'll leave the roof walks on the boxcars for now. Still working on the coupler issue, most of my freight car couplers are Rapidos.
I hear you, my friend. For many, roofwalks are low priority, and that's completely understandable. For me, removing the roofwalks was just part of the overall upgrading process. ...Roy
@@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569 Thanks Rob and Thank you very much for replying to my comment. I would love if you could take a quick look at my page and any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Roy, I decided to see your most recent video. I am way back in 2018 on all of your other videos. I will catch up soon enough. When do you expect to get up to central PA again? Covid is probably interfering. I live in central PA and would certainly enjoy showing you our club layout.
Hi Ray! Thanks for watching. I hope to get up to PA next May, if the pandemic finally permits. I've been missing my trips home. it would be wonderful to visit your club. I'll try to contact you before traveling. ...Roy
I actually use box cars with and without roof walks on my layout. My layout operates in 3 different eras (75-82, 83-88, 89-96). In the oldest era I include box cars with roof walks but in the more recent two eras I do not. I have not been removing roof walks from any of my box cars but my more recent purchases have all been more modern cars without them. I hang on to many older era cars to run on the Ntrak layouts.
I have found it to be tons of fun to work on the freight cars. I still have a lot of work to do on them. It's a pleasant switch from working on the layout itself. ...Roy
I'm getting back into the hobby after a long absence, and first just wanted to say thanks for an incredibly informative TH-cam channel! I did want to make something of a Devil's Advocate comment, though. Some of the cars you were working on have paint schemes that pretty much disappeared from real-world railroading many years ago, so isn't there still some incongruity there? I definitely liked the look of those 1970s Armour Yellow boxcars more than the present-day red ones, though ...
Thanks, Mark. I appreciate your comment. You are absolutely right about the paint schemes of some of the cars. Most of those cars you are referring to were a gift from a friend in the hobby. They were older cars, all requiring upgrades. I've done a lot of work on them already, but I still have to re-paint, re-decal, and weather them. Not long ago, I posted a video in which I listed all the upgrades I would be making, starting at minute 1:20 here: th-cam.com/video/L2L5TOUPPO8/w-d-xo.html ...Roy
The cars you are referring to are Penn Central covered hoppers. They were a gift from a friend in the hobby. Obviously, they are out-of-date, and I need to repaint them with the scheme of a modern-era railroad. Repainting them - along with re-decaling and weathering them - will be part of my freight car upgrades. ...Roy
Hey Roy. This is a good, easy project for any modern era modeler to improve the appearance of their cars. I did this to all of my older boxcar a few years ago.
Thanks, Ron. Absolutely! It was one of those easy-to-projects that I finally got around to doing. And it was fun! ...Roy
Along with my coffee this morning this is a good history lesson. I have some roof walks to remove as I too am modernizing. It is true, we are never done. Oh well, back to the wiring and our new puppy.
So true, Craig. We never seem to get done. There's always more that we can do, if we want to, on our layouts. ...Roy
Thank You for the great history lesson. Very informative and helpful too. I'm doing both eras, so don't know yet which way to go for the majority of my boxcars. I enjoy your videos a lot.
Thanks, Mark. I sincerely appreciate your comment. This project was one of those easy-to-do, when-you-have-time-for-it kind of projects. ...Roy
Thanks for all the info and demo of your projects Roy. I'm sure it will motivate many modelers.
Thanks, my friend. It's always a pleasure to share the hobby. ...Roy
Great info Roy! Its all about the details! I model the 50s so I'm already done without even starting. 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks, my friend. I guess modeling the transition era gives you the best of both worlds. ...Roy
Great video, Roy. I did that back in the 1980’s and the MicroTrains collectors gave me a hard time about ‘ruining’ the value. Of course, to them, as soon as you took it out of the box it had less value! Cars look much better, great job!
Well, you know, you can "never" replace "Factory Air"!
It's a good thing I buy to run, not to collect dust.
@@thomasboese3793 absolutely!
I'm not surprised by Micro-Trains' reaction, Thom. They're proud of what they produce, and well they should be. It's the best. ...Roy
@@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569 it wasn’t MicroTrains the company that complained about the modifications, it was the hard core train collectors who never weather or modify anything and barely run trains. I knew a guy who bought everything they came out with and never took it out of the box. That’s fine for him, but I RUN my trains and want them to look realistic. I agree that you can’t beat MictoTrains for quality and their contribution to N scale.
@@thomplacier677 Aha, I see, Thom. I'm not a collector either, but I know some people who are into big-time collecting. ...Roy
never fail to teach me something new from your videos , much appreciated !!
Thanks, Don. I appreciate your comment and the opportunity to share this project with you. ...Roy
Great tips and video Roy! I like the way the not quite matching color gives a weathered look. Containers can also benefit from the same technique, giving them a "patched" look.
Thanks, Dale. The "weathered" look of slightly mis-matched colors took me by surprise. ...Roy
Roy, interesting bit of railroad history. I run my trains from an earlier era, so the roof walks are staying on. Thanks, Steve.
Steven, I think you got the best of both worlds by modeling the era that you do. ...Roy
Well you've got me here. I'm modeling roughly 1984-84 and seeing most of my cars were bought between 1973 and now I still have cabooses and a lot of reefers and boxcars with roof walks. My reefers are iced so I'm wrong there . You always need a good story so the owner of my brewery liked billboard reefers he clad his mechanical reefers in wooden billboards. I guess I'll never get around to doing this but good video. I'm glad you gave us the dates it's good to know when your wrong as well as wright.
Bob, modeling the era that you do allows you to have the best of both worlds. That's always fun. ...Roy
Great project Mr. Roy looks great😁👍🌟🚂
Thanks, Kevin. It was an easy-to-do project that I was putting off for a long time. ...Roy
Roy, The results speak for themselves! Very effective. Regards Stephen.
Thanks, Stephen. it seems like there is always more we can do our layouts, if we wish to do it. ...Roy
Roy, Dead right! I've been having a rest from modelling, while work has taken off. On leave next week midweek onwards and hope to get the flared end of the viaduct roughed out. We shall see. Keep rolling down the railroad! Regards to you and Leonor. Stephen.
@@stephenriley9084 I think we all need to take a break from time to time, Stephen. Come back refreshed! ...Roy
Roy, as I haven't done this upgrade on my boxcars yet. But I'm glad you have reminded me to do this on my own stock. Some of the box cars in real manifest trains are still made up of quiet old stock, mixed in with the newer cars. Cheers, Chris Perry.
Thanks, Chris. It was one of those easy-to-do projects when you get around to it. ...Roy
Great explanation Roy and a great project. Thanks for sharing. Dave
Thanks, Dave. It was an easy project, but I've been ignoring it for a long time. It definitely helps to bring my boxcars up-to-date. ...Roy
In the intro, I fully thought you were going to say “why? Because they make it like that!” 🤣🤣🤣
Great video! I never knew they removed the walkways, I always thought they just decommissioned the cars
As they say, "That's the way it is." Thanks for your comment. ...Roy
@@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569 haha! No problem!
Hi ya Roy. Another great “ why and how “ in your freight car upgrade series. Thanks.
Thanks, Norman. It was an easy-to-do project that I was putting off for a long time. ...Roy
interesting subject. I'll keep a look out as I drive over the rail yards on my way to work.
Thanks, Tim. I'm hoping that you don't see any roofwalks in the rail yards. That would prove me wrong. LOL! ...Roy
Great “how to” video Roy! Very cool unintended weathering. They came out great!
Thanks, Randy. Yes, the "unintended weathering" came as a surprise to me. More serious weathering is yet to come. ...Roy
Looking good, Roy! My layout is set (very loosely) in the mid 50's.
Thanks, my friend. That means you get to keep your roofwalks, doesn't it? ...Roy
@@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569 Yup. I get to keep the ribbed back wheels, too!
Roy, thanks for the info. Very interesting. I model 1969 to 1975 so I don't have that issue to resolve.
Rich
Thanks, Rich. I guess modeling the era that you do gives you to best of both worlds. ...Roy
Orrrr, just buy new box cars. Haha. Kidding Roy. This is great. I appreciate the history lesson because I had no idea! I’m going to check my box cars to see if they have roof walks.
Well, Mark, you're right on! I've been trying to buy modern boxcars with no roofwalks since learning about this. LOL! ...Roy
Thanks for the roof walk history Roy. I model the 1970 formation of BN through to 2000 so I'll give thought to my manifests with or without the running boards. Clearly up to 1978, I can still use cars with them.
You may want to pick one older car, leave the roof walk, weather the heck out of it, and leave it sitting forgotten on a siding.
You've got the best of both worlds, Mark. ...Roy
Thanks, Thomas. I've got two old 40-foot boxcars that I haven't removed the roofwalks from yet. I've been wondering what to do with them. You may have given me the answer. ...Roy
@@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569 Over the years Roy, I've learned that there is a "prototype" for everything... As an ex-railroader, I can tell you from my own experience, there is no one, right/wrong way of doing things. The "boss" just wants the job "done".
@@thomasboese3793 You make an excellent point about "right and wrong" ways to do things, Thomas. That is even more true in model railroading, where just about everything we do to is a matter of personal preference. Thanks so much for your comment. ...Roy
Great tutorial! Just what I've been looking for.👍
Thanks, Gene. It's a pleasure to share the hobby with you. ...Roy
Nice how-to video. thanks for sharing, David
Thanks, David. It was an easy-to-do project that I had been putting off for a long time. ...Roy
Kia ora, Roy.I have plenty of PAL VHS tapes from my uncle Jim Lubin and my own DVD's of different era U.S & Canada railroads which have both types of roofwalk/brake setups.Jim was a boilermaker for the B&O back in the days of steam and lived in Baltimore before moving here to N.Z in 1996. We do not have roofwalks here in N.Z due to lack of clearance in tunnels etc with our 3'6" gauge and smaller rolling stock. However I am modelling european ,there is no roofwalks,but earlier eras(pre 1930's) had small brakemans' cabs.Some of these survive on museum railways.
Thanks, Simon. Those tapes are extremely valuable, aren't they? They show us what to do for the era we are modeling. ...Roy
Roy, another fine video tip, thanks. Cheers
Thanks, Don. it seems like there is always more we can do our layouts, if we wish to do it. ...Roy
Nice upgrade! Yes, I have been removing running boards ("roofwalks") for many years. In my current effort at backdating my layout to 1969 I have actually had to add a few running boards :-) By the way, the UP boxcar with the "Campbell Soup" medallion is completely inappropriate for the modern era. Since you are using that one, the high brake wheel was often retained along with the ladders on that end of the car. The other end usually got the ladders trimmed down to 4 rungs. By the way, good efforts on color matching but don't forget that many boxcars had galvanized roofs or are so full of weathering that one cannot see the scars from running board removal.
Thanks, Gary. One thing I still have to do in the freight car upgrade series is re-paint and re-decal a number of my freight cars, especially the older ones that were given to me, to make them appropriate for my era and railroad. And of course, I have to weather them. I've done some work on them, but there's still a lot of work to do. I will be sharing all of that in future videos. ...Roy
What a great project Roy, I have to hank you for this history on roof(runners) as in modeling during this period were both were ok of the trains.... ;-)
Jack, it has been a real pleasure to share this project with you. It was an easy-to-do project, but it took me a long time to get around to doing it. ...Roy
Great informative video Roy. My Box cars & refrigerator box cars are both eras where some of them have roof walks & some don’t have them as my layout will cover the last quarter of the 20th. Century & the first quarter of the 21st. Century of the West Coast.
Thanks, Chris. It sounds like you've got the best of both worlds. ...Roy
Great job Roy good idea for the future. Gary
Thanks, Gary. It's one of those projects we can do "when we get around to it." ...Roy
Very interesting Roy! Also keep in mind that those boxcars only have a life of 50 years there for many cars that had roof walks or running boards have most likely been scrapped. Nice how to! - Jason
Good point, Jason. Thanks. ...Roy
Roy I use round styreen cut flush also I put scrap styreen in liquid cement after a a month it turns to a thick slurry and I use that to glue the styreen on the under side of the car. I use testers liquid cement just for this.
Interesting technique, Will. Thanks for sharing it. ...Roy
Amazing that the Westinghouse automatic brakes were invented in the 1890s but the roofwalks were not eliminated until the 1960s.
Absolutely, that is amazing. I, too, am wondering why it took so long to get rid of the roofwalks. ...Roy
Great video my bro. Thanks for sharing video
Thanks, Dan. It was a pleasure to share this project with you. ...Roy
Hi Roy,
Thank you for the video!
It's a pleasure to share the project with you, Bartholomew. ...Roy
Awesome. I never would have thought to do that.
Thanks, Sarah. Isn't it great how we model railroaders can learn from each other when we share the hobby? ...Roy
@@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569 Roy, yes it is. It's fun to be a part of something so great. Rails and trains are part of our history.
Modeling helps us remember that.
It's the best of hobbies. And look at the wonderful friends we meet who become family.
@@SarahsAtticOfTreasures It really is "the world's best hobby." ...Roy
It really is. Not every hobby can be done solo and with your family and friends. This is something we can all share in. @@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569
Nicely done....great job and tips....
Thanks, Duane. It was an easy-to-do project that I've been putting off for a long time. ...Roy
Nice job Roy
Thanks, Steve. An easy-to-do project that I've been putting off for a long time. ...Roy
Thanks Roy!! I think I'll leave the roof walks on the boxcars for now. Still working on the coupler issue, most of my freight car couplers are Rapidos.
I hear you, my friend. For many, roofwalks are low priority, and that's completely understandable. For me, removing the roofwalks was just part of the overall upgrading process. ...Roy
Awesome video and I enjoyed the history behind the boxcars! Thanks for the sub too 😎
Thanks, my friend. I appreciate your comment. ...Roy
Thank you sir ,,,,
the start of a weathering job perhaps
Thanks, Sparky. It does give a "start," but more serious weathering is yet to come. ...Roy
Nice video like it.
Thanks, my friend. It's a pleasure to share this project with you. ...Roy
@@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569 Thanks Rob and Thank you very much for replying to my comment. I would love if you could take a quick look at my page and any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
“a picture taken by an unknown photographer, probably in the 1940s”
🤣🤣🤣 Smooth.
This had me cracking up
That car had a built date of "8-57". Pretty good photographer to also "time travel".
@@thomasboese3793 🤣🤣🤣
I've been wondering about the photographer myself, Alan, and how his photo managed to fall into my hands. LOL! ...Roy
@@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569 must’ve been an Anonymous tip 🤣
Hi Roy, I decided to see your most recent video. I am way back in 2018 on all of your other videos. I will catch up soon enough. When do you expect to get up to central PA again? Covid is probably interfering. I live in central PA and would certainly enjoy showing you our club layout.
Hi Ray! Thanks for watching. I hope to get up to PA next May, if the pandemic finally permits. I've been missing my trips home. it would be wonderful to visit your club. I'll try to contact you before traveling. ...Roy
Hmmmm, I hadn't thought about the roof walks I will have to address those on many of my old rolling stock.
NS, it seems like we always have more to do on our layouts. ...Roy
I actually use box cars with and without roof walks on my layout. My layout operates in 3 different eras (75-82, 83-88, 89-96). In the oldest era I include box cars with roof walks but in the more recent two eras I do not. I have not been removing roof walks from any of my box cars but my more recent purchases have all been more modern cars without them. I hang on to many older era cars to run on the Ntrak layouts.
I have found it to be tons of fun to work on the freight cars. I still have a lot of work to do on them. It's a pleasant switch from working on the layout itself. ...Roy
Interesting video. This is very low on my list of priorities.
Haha! Right?!
Oh well. It’s good to know random things :)
@@TheyMakeItLikeThat I am a virtual treasure trove of bits and pieces of trivial knowledge. And proud of it.
Absolutely, Ken. It's one of those easy-to-do projects that you can do "when you get around to it." ...Roy
@@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569 Hope all is well with you and your wife Roy. I do enjoy you videos and the techniques and tips I gain from them.
@@kenshores9900 Thanks, Ken. It's a real pleasure. ...Roy
Thanks roy love the video still deciding if I want to
Thanks, my friend. It was an easy-to-do project that I kept putting off, until I made it part of my freight car upgrade series. ...Roy
@@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569 ya I think I might just keep the roof walk on my box cars
I'm getting back into the hobby after a long absence, and first just wanted to say thanks for an incredibly informative TH-cam channel!
I did want to make something of a Devil's Advocate comment, though. Some of the cars you were working on have paint schemes that pretty much disappeared from real-world railroading many years ago, so isn't there still some incongruity there? I definitely liked the look of those 1970s Armour Yellow boxcars more than the present-day red ones, though ...
Thanks, Mark. I appreciate your comment. You are absolutely right about the paint schemes of some of the cars. Most of those cars you are referring to were a gift from a friend in the hobby. They were older cars, all requiring upgrades. I've done a lot of work on them already, but I still have to re-paint, re-decal, and weather them. Not long ago, I posted a video in which I listed all the upgrades I would be making, starting at minute 1:20 here: th-cam.com/video/L2L5TOUPPO8/w-d-xo.html
...Roy
Hey Roy, what are the turquoise colored cars in the first clip? About 35 secs in the video, thanks in advance and hope you can help.
The cars you are referring to are Penn Central covered hoppers. They were a gift from a friend in the hobby. Obviously, they are out-of-date, and I need to repaint them with the scheme of a modern-era railroad. Repainting them - along with re-decaling and weathering them - will be part of my freight car upgrades. ...Roy
I do that all the time, because the years I model. Bob
I've been putting it off for a long time, Bob. I'm glad I finally got around to doing it. ...Roy
"Running boards" to me are those things on the side of an automobile that gangsters rode on, shooting Tommyguns!
That's right, my friend, you're absolutely right. ...Roy
I model the mid 60's and have roofwalks on all my cars.
Thanks, Bob. Modeling the 1960's gives you the best of both worlds. ...Roy
Hey Roy do you display your layout for people to come in and see?
Train Lover, I live in Panama City, Panama, and so far as I know, I'm the only person on the whole country with an interest in model trains. ...Roy
@@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569 ok Roy thanks for the info have a good day
My model era is the 1970’s.
Thanks, Steve. Modeling the transition era saves you some work. ...Roy
I always thought running boards were on locomotives…
I think you are right, my friend. ...Roy