Sandcars

Two HO AHM covered hoppers were the starting point for this project.
New side sills were made from Plastruct channel, end platforms then built, 
railings and ladders added.  The side skirting is strip styrene with HO brake wheels
used for the valve handles. The walkways are O scale brass walkway material.
Cars painted with eight coats of Pactra Acrylic White (the stuff wouldn't cover-
eight coats were needed to get the cars to look white), the lettering is
CDS dry transfers.

The theory of operation is that dried sand would be loaded into these cars 
and then the cars parked on a siding where a pump house is located. 
When an engine needed sand, the pump would be turned on,
the hose placed into the sand filler pipe and a valve on the hose opened. 
The pump could be placed on a flatcar so that sand could be made available wherever needed. 
Empty cars would be refilled.