Jim,
Thank God - I was beginning to doubt my sanity or my memory (or both), since I thought the TC boxcar had been built with the Pullman riveted roof (smooth, with overlapping sections above internal carlines) instead of the even-less-common Murphy flat-panel roof (flat, no raised rectangular or diagonal panels, between external carlines, as on some late '30s Canadian boxcars). I hadn't thought the TC as-built roof had "ribs" - but that web photo sure seemed to have 'em. Not that I was worried about my model since the rebuilds had a replacement roof. I was going to email you to ask about that, but the web photo made me hesitate; I'm glad someone else mentioned to you, though; this posting greatly eased my mind.
Then again, I might mention that you (like most everyone) missed a minor identifying characteristic of Pullman-Standard's boxcars of the '40s, seen on both their AAR standard boxcars and the very earliest PS-1s: stepped bolster tabs. Take a real close look at the prototype photos and you'll see an inch/inch-and-a-half squared-off section at both the bottom and the top of each bolster tab. Ted Culotta noted this in his Essential Freight Cars article on the early PS-1s; once you first see it, you start noticing it on Pullman-Standard boxcars built from the very late '30s through about 1949 or so (but not cars built by ACF, Magor, or anyone else). It's one of those tiny oddities that make prototype modeling fun or maddening, or both in various proportions at different times.
Gotta' have a little fun with it,
Dave Sieber
Reno NV
To: STMFC@...
From: jimking3@...
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:52:28 -0400
Subject: [STMFC] TC boxcar nomenclature correction
It was pointed out to me yesterday that terminology I used (as provided to
me during the design phase) on the 1941-built Tennessee Central boxcar was
incorrect. The design IS correct and, therefore, so is the model, so those
of you who purchased the kit have nothing to worry about.
The comments made to me indicated that the web image, a low rez image
required for fast loading for folks still using dial-up connections, seemed
to show roof ribs. Weathering with oils along the rivet rows, photo angle,
combined with the low resolution image, caused the visual problem. The
Pullman riveted roof does, indeed, have ONLY rows of rivets, no ribs. My
web page description has been corrected to reflect proper Pullman
terminology for the roof and ends.
Jim King
Smoky Mountain Model Works, Inc.
Ph. (828) 777-5619
<www.smokymountainmodelworks.com>
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