Port Costa Layout in Stasis for April 2022

Nothing much has happened on any layout improvement projects for the last 6 weeks.  Four of those weeks I have been fighting a combination of sinusitis and bronchitis that has left me mostly unmotivated. 

I have been pecking at a project to build a Tichy Rebuilt USRA boxcar following the closest prototype to the kit, a PMCK&Y/P&LE/NYC 50 Ton car.  

This has been a bit frustrating as the kit requires 36 separate grab irons mounted in 72 #78 drilled holes. In the process I have gone through at least 12 #78 drill bits. But I am finally done with that phase.  I have 72 3/4 " NBW castings from a Grandt Line set to cut off and mount above the grab iron holes. 

I have completed building the underframe and mounting the AB brake parts as far as I will go (I don't do the detail piping.) The trucks are Proto 2000 Andrews trucks and Kadee 158 couplers in narrow draft gear boxes. 

I have modified the Youngstown 1930's style doors to follow the Richard Hendrickson 1990's MRJ articles. The Speedwitch kit for the correct doors is no longer available. Assembly, brake end detail and other body details still to go before painting and decaling.  

That's all for now.  I am focused on this kit and then another Tichy kit for an 1943 52 Foot War Emergency gondola.  I like building car kits but for now I will in future stay away from freight cars that require grabirons instead of ladders on the ends.