You'll need 1 - 1 1/2 foot extensions added to the top of the "standard" car.
Al Kresse
Which "standard" car?
Frank Valoczy Vancouver, BC
-------------- Original message -------------- From: destron@...
First off a question: they aren't in the Revenue Freight cars book, but do Atlas' 70-ton ore cars in Pere Marquette lettering (#39990A, road #CF1512; #39991A, road #CF1523) have a prototype?
Beyond that, I've started poking through what's available in N scale to determine what could be used as basis models for modelling PM freight cars... here's the list I've made so far. If anyone has tips for others, or better solutions to the ones I've listed, I'd love to hear it!
13000-13999 14000-14499 - Microtrains twin hopper: The picture on the website is small, but looks right at a quick inspection.
16000-16099 - Red Caboose USRA flatcar: overall a good basis I think, only would have to rearrange the stake pockets and the brake staff to make an accurate model.
17000-17249 17250-17649 - Intermountain USRA drop-bottom gon: I think this will need a little bit of tweaking, but the general appearance looks right. I picked one of these kits up today, so will be attempting to build one of these cars first.
20000-20024 20025-20049 20050-20149 - Deluxe Innovations ACF 2-Bay covered hopper: The pictures on the website are small, but overall look right enough to use as a basis for these PM cars
72200-72399 - Intermountain 50' AAR double-door boxcar: this would I think be a standin at best, judging from the photos of the model (which are here, too, almost uselessly small on the website, so it may be better than I think, or conversely worse than I think).
80000-81999 - Atlas USRA double-sheath car: pretty much as-is, I think, apart from detailing.
82000-83499 - Red Caboose X29 with Dreadnaught ends and Youngstown doors: the handbrake and roof are wrong, but this is probably fixable. The dimensions of the X29 and the 82000srs cars are pretty close (in the April 1942 ORER), and appearance-wise, it looks like this model could serve (with modification) to represent the first PM all-steel boxcars.
83500-83649 83650-83799 83800-83999 84100-84399 - Intermountain 40' 1937 AAR boxcar. With IM's interchangeable parts, the differences in ends and doors shouldn't be an issue, I don't think, if they have a 4/5 W end and both 7-panel Superior and 5-7-5 Youngstown doors.
85000-85999 86000-87499 - Atlas USRA double-sheath car: for the single-door versions the Atlas car could serve as a starting point for a kitbash. The Vulcan and Hutchins ends would of course have to be scratchbuilt, and steel-door versions would need the doors changed... even the door-and-a-half versions could be done, I think, with the Atlas model as a basis. I'm planning to do several of these over the next while (as I can get my hands on the models!)
That's it for now, still need to look at available steel gondola models. If there's one or two available that could serve as basis models, I think with a bit of effort a good representation of the PM's freight car fleet can be made in 1:160. :)
