I'm not on vacation - just trying to get some projects done.
NO DASHES IN PRR CAR CLASSES.

A. T. Kott wrote:
"Two things still bother me about Westerfield's website photos.
First, in the G22 section, there is a drawing from Kalmbach Pub. Co.
from 1986 (?) which shows the brake arrangement! I would have
preferred a PRR drawing!"

So would I, A.T., but I simply don't have one handy. PRR freight car
General Arrangement drawings have been cataloged and microfilmed by
the PRRT&HS; reproductions can be ordered from the society:
http://www.prrths.com/Downloads/01%20Microfilm%20Drawing%20Ordering%
20Information%20Rev.%202006-02-07.pdf

Here's the drawing catalog:
http://www.prrths.com/Downloads/02%20Frt%20Car%20Gen%20Arrt,%20Rev.%
202006-02-07.pdf

The MR drawing that you cited is actually from April 1950.


"Second, in Westerfield's GRa section, it shows the same squirrily
brake arrangement - I do not recall that GRa's ever had drop doors or
steel floors (which would have allowed enough extra strength for
mounting of a brake cylinder on a longitudinal plate between two
crossmembers). Why would the GRa's have this arrangement?"

The Class GRA cars did not have drop doors. The only good reason I
could give you is that the PRR mechanical department preferred this
arrangement for cars with fishbelly center sills. Note that the
contemporary Class X25 boxcars have the same arrangement. If you
don't believe me or the Westerfield model photos, see the files
section of the STMFPH group for a Richard Burg photo of a Class X25
boxcar being scrapped at Lancaster PA in 1980 (File name - X25
Underframe.jpg). Although the car had been converted to AB brakes,
the original brake arrangement including the cylinder mounting is
clearly visible.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/STMFPH/files/


"Do the GR's and the FM's have it too?"

Yes. See the October 2003 issue of The Keystone Modeler for a
corrected copy of the Class GRA drawings from the February 1990 issue
of Mainline Modeler. (The Mainline Modeler drawings are incorrectly
labeled, with a drawing of an as-built car with KD brakes
labled "Modified with AB Brakes". It's no longer posted on the
Society website, but is available (along with the first 36 issues of
TKM) from Al Buchan on CD.


Ben Hom