Railfan Models 370350 User manual

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KASGRO 370 TON, 12 AXLE, 48’ STRAIGHT DECK FLAT CAR KIT ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
Unpacking
1. Remove the bags and parts from the box. Only discard the bubble wrap, as all other material
will be used to secure your completed model for storage and transport.
2. Do not open all of the bags of parts at once in order to minimize the chance any of the small
parts getting lost. The bags are marked alphabetically in the order the parts will be used.
Preparation
1. You will need a clean flat work area 3 to 4 square feet in size.
2. Tools required are a #1 Phillips screw driver, small file, small angled needle nose pliers, hobby
knife, toothpicks, small container to hold water for decals, “setting” solution for decals, and
optionally a magnifier and 400 grit wet/dry sand paper.
3. Spray booth or well ventilated and clean area to paint.
4. Area where parts can be set aside without getting dirty or damaged.
Wheelsets
1. Remove the wheelsets from the packaging. For the best looking
car, the wheelsets should be painted. Now is the time to paint
as the wheelsets can not be removed from the trucks later like
most other trucks you are used to.
2. We highly recommend washing the wheelsets in soapy water to
remove any residue from the manufacturing process prior to
painting. Thoroughly dry the wheelsets.
3. Paint the wheelsets. While brush painting is acceptable here,
airbrushing works and looks much better. For a newer look, use a rust color with more orange
hue. If you want an older look, use a darker rust color. There is no absolute right or wrong rust
color.
4. Set aside for use shortly.

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Span Bolster Assembly
1. Remove the six long parts from Bag A.
2. Each Span Bolster is made up of a core, left and right
side. Dry fit the sides to the cores to ensure all the
joints are tight. In the unlikelihood of a gap
somewhere along the joint, use a small file on the
center core in the area of the gap to
remove a small amount of material and dry
fit the parts again.
3. Using medium viscosity CA apply a small
bead along a side of the core. Use a
toothpick to spread the CA along to cover
the entire side.
4. Place the side on the glued core and apply
pressure to the joint for about 8 seconds.
5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the other side of the core. This completes one span bolster.
6. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for the second span bolster.
7. The Span Bolsters are now ready for paint. Set aside and paint with the Trucks when they are
ready to paint as instructed below.
Truck Pre-Assembly
1. Remove the 6 center sections of the trucks from Bag A. 4 pieces
have round centers and 2 have oval centers. The top of these
pieces (right side of the picture) is the smooth side. The bottom
will have a matte finish (left side).
2. 12 Truck Sideframes should remain in Bag A. Each plastic
Sideframe already has 3 metal springs installed.
3. Dry fit Sideframes to each of the Center pieces to make sure the
Sideframes are perpendicular to the Center pieces. If a
sideframe is not perpendicular, remove it from the center piece,
and use a small file to remove material from below the tab of
the center piece.

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4. Once satisfied with the fit of the Sideframes, remove them from the center pieces, and set 6
aside for now.
5. Glue one of the remaining Sideframes to a Center piece. Apply
CA to the back of the Sideframe, and use a toothpick to spread
into the cavity. Press the Sideframe on the Center part and hold
for 8 seconds.
6. Repeat for the remaining 5 pieces.
7. Get the 6 Sideframes that you previously set aside. Move the
glue bottle away from your work! Press the Sideframes onto the
Centers without any CA. You are doing this just to make painting
easier, which is now the next step.
Paint Trucks and Span Bolsters
1. Painting the Trucks and Span Bolsters should be done with an airbrush only.
2. Any shade or sheen of black will work. If you want a new look, use gloss black. Grimy black is
a good choice if you want a faded or heavily used look.
3. For best results and quicker painting, use a quick drying solvent based paint. We use and
recommend Tru-Color paints.
4. A small rod placed through the center of the Trucks and Span Bolsters makes handling easy
when painting. Use tape on the rod to get a snug fit.
5. This is also a great time to remove the Coupler Covers from the cardboard packing and paint
them black as well. After the paint has dried on the coupler covers, paint the tips of the
angled air line silver. Set the Coupler Covers aside in a protected place until needed at the
end of the assembly process.
6. Apply any weathering to the Trucks and Span Bolsters at this time.
7. Once the paint is dry and cured, you are ready to assemble the Trucks to the Span Bolsters.

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Final Truck Assembly
1. Loosen the un-glued Sideframes from the Centers, but do not completely remove.
IMPORTANT –You should practice Steps 3 –5 without using glue a time or two before proceeding with
Step 2.
2. Find a small piece of scrap styrene or plastic (cardboard will also work). Deposit a small
amount of CA to the material. You will use a toothpick to apply CA from here in the next
steps.
3. Insert Wheelsets into the axle bearing points on the glued
Sideframe. Move the opposite ends into the loose Sideframe.
You will have to wiggle the Sideframe slightly, but try not to
remove it completelt from the Center piece. (The sideframes in the
picture are for demonstration purposes, your parts will be painted.)
4. Hold the Wheelsets in place with one hand. With your free
hand, use a toothpick to pick up a small amount of CA. Apply
the CA inside the gap between the Sideframe and Center.
5. Press the Sideframe against the Center, making sure the
Wheelsets are seated correctly in both Sideframes as the parts
are pressed together.
6. The first Truck is now complete. Repeat for the remaining 5 Trucks.
Assembling Trucks to Span Bolsters
1. At this time set aside the Center Trucks (the ones with oval centers). These get installed at the
very end of the build.
2. Carefully remove the contents of Bag B. There should be 4 screws and 4 springs.
3. Place a screw through bottom of the Truck.
4. Place a spring over the exposed threads of the screw.
5. Align the notch in the top of the Truck to the notch near the end of the Span Boster.
6. Place the screw into the hole near the notch.
7. Turn the screw counter clockwise (loosening) while applying a little pressure to the screw until
you feel a bump. Turn the screw clockwise (tightening) until the screw bottoms out into the
Span Boster. The holes are pre-threaded, and this process is the easiest way to get the screw
aligned with the threads. When the screw is seated correctly, the Truck will move about 1/16”
between the Span Bolster and screw head. DO NOT OVER TIGHEN THE SCREWS! As shown in
the picture, the springs are pushing the
Trucks up against the screw heads, but
the Trucks will push down against the
Span Bolster leaving a gap between
the screw and Truck center.
8. Repeat for the 3 remaining Trucks.

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Center Body Finishing & Assembly
1. Un-wrap the Center Body. The magnets
and weights are installed, sides joined to
the center portion and rough sanded.
2. While the top of the body already has some finish work completed, you will want to apply a
little more work before proceeding to assembly.
3. Spray primer on the top of the body to make any imperfections more visible. Priming is best
accomplished with an airbrush, but the small hobby specific rattle cans will work too. Avoid
the large hardware store rattle cans though.
4. Wet sand with 400 grit paper to remove the primer. To keep the top of the body flat, lay the
sandpaper on a flat surface, and hold in place between thumb and middle finger. Place the
body upside down and move the body back and forth with your other hand.
5. A small bead of CA can be applied to
any gap and spread out smoothly with a
toothpick. Wet sand the CA after 5
minutes to smooth the area out. The CA
works much better than putty to fill small
gaps.
6. Ideally you will wet sand away all of the
primer. That way you know there are no
low spots. However, if you apply and CA
to fill a spot on top of the primer, you will
not be able to entirely remove the
primer color.
7. After you are satisfied with the finish on
the top of the body, remove the center
detail part from the cardboard wrap.
8. Dry fit this part in the open section on the
bottom of the body. The fit will be snug,
but you can file the sides as necessary.
Just be careful to not hit any of the
detail features.
9. Apply CA to the recessed areas of the
body and weight, then place the part
back in place as shown.

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10. Use a tool with a flat edge to push
the part flush.
11. Pull one of the long screws from Bag
E. Wrap a small piece of tape
about 7/32”from the end of the
screw.
12. Place the screw into one of the
mounting holes. Twist the screw 1/8
to ¼ turn, then back out the same
amount. Repeat this action adding
about 1/8 turn each time to slowly
advance the screw until the tape
touches the body. DO NOT FORCE
THE SCREW. USE GENTLE AND SLOW
ACTION TO ADVANCE THE SCREW.
FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE
PROCEDURES WILL RESULT IN A
DAMAGED BODY.
13. Repeat with the other end, then place the screw back in Bag E for later use.

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End Platform Assembly
1. Remove the contents of Bag C.
2. Dry fit the Sides and Ends to the
Platform Cores. The top of the Side
should be flush with the top of the
Core. The joints should be tight
without any gaps. If a gap does
exist, use a small file to remove
material from the side of the Core
only.
3. Apply CA to one side of the Core.
Use a toothpick to evenly spread
the glue over the entire surface.
4. Press the Side on the Core and hold
for 8 seconds.
5. Repeat for the End, then for the
opposite Side.

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6. Remove one of the Lower Brake
Pipes from the cardboard enclosure.
7. Dry fit the Brake Pipe into the
opening on the bottom of the Core.
You will need small needle nose or
tweezers to do this.
8. Remove the Brake Pipe, apply CA to
the Core, then press the Brake Pipe
into the core with the same tool.
9. Dry fit the Brake Stand to the top of the Platform. The hole for the Brake Wheel should face
away from the end of the Platform. It should fit into the slots. If not, use a small file to remove
material from the inside of the feet of the Brake Stand. Do not glue the Brake Stand to the
Platform yet, as it is easier to add the grab irons and brake wheel before gluing to the
Platform.
10. Repeat Step 2 through 9 for the second Platform End.
11. Carefully remove the Grab Irons and Brake Wheels from Bag D.
12. Test fit the Long Grab Irons on the Platform Sides and Medium Grab Irons on the Ends of the
Platforms. Bend to fit if necessary. If the mounting hole is not completely open, use a #78 drill
bit in a pin vice to open the holes up.
13. Apply CA to the ends of the Grab Irons and insert into the appropriate locations on both
Platforms.
14. Remove the flashing from the back of the Brake Wheels. Test fit the Short Grab Irons, Lever,
and Brake Wheel on both Brake Stands. Bend to fit if necessary.
15. Apply CA to the back of the Grab Irons and Brake wheel and insert on the Brake Stand for
each Platform.

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16. Apply CA to the bottoms of the Brake Stands and insert into the slots on the Platforms.
Painting
1. Because the plastic is somewhat translucent, we recommend that you prime the entire body
and platforms before painting.
2. For the red color, we recommend Tru-Color Chinese Red, part number TCP-012, but any dark
red color will be fine, especially if you plan to weather the car. Use the photos on our website
or the photos below as reference.

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Apply Reflectors and Decals
Use the pictures on the following pages as reference for placement. Both sides of the car are the
same, with one exception noted below. Make sure the A End is used on both sides of the same End
Platform. Ditto with the B End.
The decals are made by Microscale for Railfan Models, and go on just like any of their other decals.
Cut the decal out with enough extra paper on one side so that it can be held with small needle nose
pliers and not interfere with the decal sliding off. Dip the decal in warm water for 10 seconds and
remove. Let set for 20-30 seconds, then slid the decal off the paper into position with a toothpick.
Blot any excess water with a small piece of paper towel or small dry paint brush. Allow the decals to
dry then brush a “setting” solution over the decals and let dry. A magnifier will come in very handy
viewing, cutting, and placing the decals.
1. It is easier to place the yellow Reflectors from Bag F before placing the decals. We
recommend placing the Platform between 2 small blocks of wood to hold the Platform
vertical. Use two layers of paper towels under the blocks and Platform.
2. Place the reflectors on one side. Use a hobby knife to lift a reflector from the backing and
apply to the car body. Place into position and burnish the reflectors with a toothpick. For
more detailed instructions, go to smokeboxgraphics.com.
3. Remove the Platform, flip it to the other side, replace between the blocks, and place the
reflectors for that side.
4. Repeat for the other platform.
5. Lay the Center Body on its edge. You will have to use the small wood blocks to support the
body.
6. Apply the reflectors to this side, then flip over and repeat for the other side. Now you are
ready for the decals.
7. Apply the decals from Bag F to the Center Body sides.
8. Apply the decals to the sides and ends of the Platforms.
9. Apply the car number decals to the right side of each Truck side.
10. Apply a clear gloss coat to the sides, ends, and tops of the End Platforms and Center Body to
seal the decals and reflectors.
11. Apply any weathering and/or dull coat at this time.