Designed and built by:

Brian A. Keay

During August of 1997, photos were taken in Helena, Montana of the "Boeing Train". Near the end of the train, quite a few flatcars were loaded with various cockpits and tail sections. At the end of the train a full Boeing 737 chasis was being shipped from Wichita Kansas, to the Boeing plant outside Seattle Washington along with the tail car. A close up of the icebreaker on the flatcar containing the 737 chasis can be seen here. The model took approximately one year to build and is comprised of three parts:

1. BNSF 800101 flatcar
2. Boeing 737 chasis
3. TTMX 80139 Tail car

All three models required significant modifications, painting and decaling. All the dimensions of the flatcar superstructures and plane were estimated from the three photos taken in Helena. Details are given below.

1. BNSF 800101 Flatcar

• Modified Walther’s 89’ flatcar.
• Outer edge channel was removed where the ice-breaker structure is attached to the flatcar.
• Ice-breaker was designed by estimating the lengths and angles from the photo, drawing them to scale using Cadrail, and printing a template.
• The printed template was taped to a piece of wood.
• Ice-breaker was made from ¼" channel.
• The angles and lengths of the channel needed were measured from the Cadrail template and the pieces were held in place using pins and glued together.
• Ice-breaker was painted Floquil dark grey to represent the colour of the steel.
• Flatcar was painted Floquil ATSF brown and decaled using Microscale lettering and flatcar decals.
• Ice-breaker was glued to the flatcar and the side braces added.
• A wooden platform was built and glued to the centre of the flatcar to hold the centre of the plane.
• The flatcar was lightly weathered using Floquil rust and grimy black.

• Modified Doyusha Model Co. Ltd. Boeing 737 kit.
• Plane scale is 1/100.
• The nose, upper tail and end were removed with a fine saw.
• Windows were painted Floquil light brown to look like they are covered with paper and glued in place.
• Two halves were glued together and holes were filled by cutting styrene to fit the shape of the gaps.
• Areas around the windows were masked off and the plane was painted the greenish-blue colour by diluting Floquil Great Northern green with white paint.
• Removal of the masking around the windows gives the impression of the white tape used to hold the paper in place (see photo).
• Doors painted Floquil black.
• Microscale UP desiel stripes are used to represent the red duct tape all over the plane (see photo).
• Front landing gear modified to allow the plane to be mounted on the flat car.
• Floquil UP yellow is used for the area where the wings will be attached.

• Modified Roundhouse 61’ flatcar.
• Superstructure was made by gluing 3 pieces of balsa wood together and using a band saw to cut the dimensions and angles.
• The superstructure is wider than the width of the car (see photos) so the bottom was hollowed out 0.75’ so it would hang over the edges of the flat car.
• Balsa wood was glued to the flat car.
• Wood putty was used to fill in any gaps.
• Balsa wood was "hardened" by treating it with Aero Gloss (10 times).
• Air brush painted using Floquil ATSF brown.
• Masked off and the excess height area was painted using Floquil white.
• Decaled using Micoscale decals.
• Lightly weathered using Floquil: rust, grimy black and earth.
• This is an excess height and width car, but unfortunately Microscale does make these decals (correspondence with Microscale via email).