Kitbashing an Atlas Hopper

Kitbashing an Atlas Hopper

Introduction An Atlas HO Covered Hopper model is used to create a Blue Sun Mining 700 Series hopper car. I didn't chop the length as it is only a few scale feet too long for my layout standards. For simplicity, the hopper bays are covered with styrene to look like one huge bay--all that is necessary is a shape.
Parts List: (1) Atlas HO Trainman®ACF®3560 Covered Hopper (2) side extensions: styrene strip .030 X .188 X 5 5/8" (2) end walkways: boxcar roofwalk 1 3/8" or styrene strip .030 X .188 X 1 3/8" (1) bay bottom: styrene sheet .030 X 3/4" X 3" (2) bay sides: styrene sheet .030 X 3/8" X 3 1/4" (bottom edge), 3" (top edge) paint body color underpaint: gloss white spray can body color final: Krylon Satin Pebble spray can trucks, wheel faces: Testors Flat Sea Blue #1172 in bottle final coat: Testors Dullcote weather color: Model Master Acryl Light Sea Gray #4759 weather color: additional on bay sides--Model Master Earth Brown #2108 decals: homemade option: coupler replacement--1pr Kadee Whisker couplers
Disassembly
	Turn the car over and remove the hatches on the two outer hoppers. Then remove the Phillips screws inside. Lif off the top.
Construction
	On the inside, cut off the roof mounting posts flush with the bottom.

Cut the ends even with the slope sheet. This can be done on the car but works better if removed first.
	Scrap the top edge with a knife in order to remove thin lip the top sat on.
	Tube Styrene cement is used to glue the ends in place.

The side extensions are glued to the top of each side. This makes the sides as tall as the ends.

A piece of boxcar roof walk (get from a junk boxcar body, or you may find something available as a detail piece) or a piece of the side extension styrene strip can be used for end walkways.
	Turn the car over and remove any details that will hinder the styrene pieces from laying on the hopper bottoms and sides.
	A piece of styrene is cut to cover the flat areas of the hoppers.
	Two more pieces of styrene are cut and glued to the hopper sides. Once the car is painted and on the track, all that will be seen is the shape and possibly any surface texture.
	Construction is finished.
Painting and Decals
	This is a can of Floquil paint thinner. I don't recommend trying what I am about to tell you on any other model as this thinner melts plastic very quickly. I only used it here as the lettering on the Atlas car was thick. I put some of it on the cotton swabs and rubbed the fine lettering which immediately came off. I kept moving up the lettering sizes, using the thinner sparingly. Everything came off except for the main roadname, which I left.
	The body was lightly sprayed with gloss white spray paint, not primer. The goal is to somewhat equalize all the colors, not to paint the car white--notice that the bay is darker than the car body, and the factory lettering still shows through. Paint is on light and appears to be gray instead of white.
	I chose Krylon Satin Pebble for the car body color and sprayed several light coats.
	Read my article "Make Your Own Decals"to find out how I made these and applied them to the car body. Decals are applied and the whole car sprayed with flat clear (Testors Dullcote). This was my first attempt at making my own decals. The decal film was thick and didn't set well on the ridge. The poor lighting in this photo makes the car look gray instead of Pebble.
Final Details
	Trucks and wheel faces painted Testors Flat blue. Kadee whisker couplers added. Nothing like model photography to show all the faults of a model!
	Here is the completed car on the track. Light weathering was done by dry brushing the Light Sea Gray over the car. The bay sides received a bit of the Earth Brown. The Pebble color is weaker than I had hoped. The car is already at the proper weight. You may want to adjust the trip pins on the couplers to make sure they are at the correct height.

Kitbashing an Atlas Hopper

Introduction

Disassembly

Construction

Painting and Decals

Final Details