Paul,

Can you give a bit more info on the D&LW cars? I have 2 C&BT Shops riveted
12-panel/rect. panel roof/8' door undec kits with "rolling pin" ends, 4-4
and 4-3-1. Removing/replacing the roof or ends wouldn't be too difficult.

I don't have any resource material here at work, so I will have to get back to you on this, but
the D&LW had several classes of post-war boxcars with 12-panel sides and 8' doors. The old Front Range
welded side car with R-3/4 late improved Dreadnaught ends is pretty much correct as-is. There were also
several riveted classes with other ends and roofs. I will dig out out some numbers and characteristics
tonight.

I don't know about mixing replacement ends or roofs. The C&BT Shops cars were considerably narrower than
McKean, Intermountain or Branchline kits. End castings from any of these manufacturers will not fit well.
You might try just saving the sides, and using new ends, roof and floor (that's what I plan to do).

I also have a C&BT Shops 12-panel/rect. panel roof/rolling pin 4-4 end/6'
door kit lettered D&RGW #60026 in the white Cookie Box scheme, reweigh date
6-54. Collector's Edition with snubber/coupler/wheel data end lettering.
Labeled "Return to Denver Colo. when empty".

AFAIK, all the D&RGW 12-panel cars had solid side sills. In addition, the "Cookie Box" cars had small end
doors, similar to lumber doors. AFAIK, the were used only to haul Keebler cookies between Denver and Salt
Lake City, and there were only about 40. Because they were specially equipped with heavy insulation for
this service, they (probably) never went off line. Similar cars without the end doors were painted in the
standard freight car red, flying Rio Grande scheme, and saw service nationwide. Most, if not all, had
Duryea cushion underframes. The D&RGW cars used a variety of ends over the years, including 4/5 early
Dreadnaught and later 4/4 improved Dreadnaught. The C&BT shops car is with 4/4 ends is a good start on at
least some of the D&RGW cars. By the way, a few of these cars are still in D&RGW/UP maintenance service.
One of the Cookie Boxes was at Glenwood Springs in April of this year, with the original lettering
showing through the MW paint.

I have always wondered how accurate it is. How far would these Rio Grande
insulated Cookie Box (bakery goods) cars have wandered? I model the east
coast, which would probably be a stretch. Could be stripped and used for
the Santa Fe Bx-48, Bx-50 or Bx-51s.

Yes, you would be better off to do it as a Santa Fe car, or do a new sill from styrene strip and paint it
boxcar red with white D&RGW lettering.

Kind regards,


Garth G. Groff