Aux Water Car

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Missabe's 800-series Auxiliary Water Car 

Several years ago at an MRHS convention, we toured the Duluth docks.   While on top, I looked down to the tracks below and spotted an old auxiliary water tank car now being used as a storage tank.  I forgot about this slide, and just happened to come across it again just after acquiring three Walthers 8,000 gallon tank cars.  The tank car kit looked vary close to this unique prototype.  As near as I can make out, the tank is numbered W807.

Most of the tank assembly was just as specified in the instructions.   Look over the instructions to determine which end is the A or B end.  The B end has the brake wheel and on this prototype, the B end faced to the rear and had a headlight on it. 

There are unique features of this prototype as follows:  The dome is missing, replaced by a flat deck with a water hatch.  Fore and aft around the deck are two low metal guard rails, probably to keep feet from slipping off.  There are non-standard ladders that include a curved handrail up to the top, and being a car that was to be coupled to the back of a locomotive tender, the "back" of the tank had a headlight.  Other alterations you see in the picture above relate to the new service in which the tank now finds itself.

I began modifications by cutting the dome top off with an Xacto saw.   I filed the top as flat as possible.  It only sticks up a bit over the tank body - maybe 2 or 3 real inches.  I also carved off the side platforms and filed the sides smooth.  That was the only destruction I needed to do.

I added a new dome deck made from .010 styrene cut to match the circle of the old dome.  I made a hatch of .020 styrene, made a small hand grab from wire and hinges from two small bits of styrene and applied them all to the hatch.  I glued the hatch on to the "A" end side of the deck. (the end that doesn't have the brake wheel).  I glued two pieces of .020 x .080 styrene strips around the dome for the guard rails.  I curled the strips before applying them so they would stay in shape while the glue dried.

I assembled the rest of the tank as per Walthers instructions except for the side ladders, which I omitted.  I then added a small plastic headlight I had in the parts box to the end of the "B" end of the tank (the end with the brake wheel).  The Missabe welded a flat plate to the tank - still visible in the photo above, then attached the headlight to the plate.  I assume there was a cable running the length of the car to "plug in" the headlight from the tender.  I could see no evidence of it now.

For the new ladders, I used two Athearn stamped metal caboose handrails.  Because they are wider than the Walthers ladders, I drilled new holes in the frame for the bottom of the ladder.  I drilled one hole in the dome deck for the rearward ladder rail (closest to the brake wheel for either side).  That rail retains the curve already bent by Athearn.  The side rail closest to the tender does not curve up, but ends at the dome deck. 

From the picture above, it appears the ladder ran straight up half way up the tank, then bent at an angle toward the dome deck.  I bent the ladders to fit.  I cut the side rail closest to the tender and bent it to attach to the deck floor.  I curved the other rail sharper to fit into the hole in the dome deck.

When done I painted the whole car Polyscale Grimy Black.  In photos I've seen of these cars in steam service, they were black, dingy, and ill maintained.  Although the one shown above has the logo on it, I never saw one in steam service that did have a logo.  Please let me know if you have evidence that they did have a logo.  It would look better in my mind.