Ah, so! My decision to use up the ancient Champ decal set (with CDS larger extended Roman alphabet set and hand-ruled lining) is an even better choice than I had known, both for the SV and the Rutland. I shall remember to couple it into a train with my SV #3 often...
Jace Kahn, General Manager
Ceres and Canisteo RR Co.

Tim Gilbert <tgilbert@s...> wrote:

I am surprised that the hoppers at Alburgh VT Trestle included no
Cambria & Indiana Hoppers - so far. They certainly were not captive

to

Bethlehem as one appeared on B&M's March 2nd, 1936 XB-2 and another

was

among the last nine hoppers on the Suncook Valley RR before it folded

in

December 1952.

Tim, I've got 13 of them on Rutland's trian #9 west out of Alburgh in
the last quarter of 1942. All empties as would be expected.

Jeff English
Troy, New York

_________________________________________________________________
On the road to retirement? Check out MSN Life Events for advice on how to get there! http://lifeevents.msn.com/category.aspx?cid=Retirement

Yup, that's what I figured these were, too. The MoPac had a few very similar cars as well that were built specifically for hauling coke. I'm not sure, but I think these were sometimes used to haul hay also.

Brad Bourbina

The NYC wooden bodied box cars converted to coke cars had the roof removed
and had approximately 8 wooden beams fastened to both sides of the car. The
top of these square beams were approximately flush with the top edges of the
car sides. There is a picture of one of these cars in Wayner's Freight Car
book.

Max
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
email: m_robin@...

smail: Max S. Robin, P.E.
Cheat River Engineering Inc.
23 Richwood Place / P. O. Box 289
Denville, NJ 07834 - 0289

voice: 973-627-5895 (Home : 7:30AM - 10:30PM EDT)
973-627-5460 (Business: 8:00AM - 10:30PM EDT)
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Phil;
I have always wondered how they maintained structural integrity on these
cars that had their roofs cut off, and you seem to have hit on at least
one potential solution.

There is a photo of a similar PRR X26 de-roofed as class GTC26, that
Paul Dunn took, but the only evidence I can find on that car is a big
angle welded above the door opening. Given the light weight of the
coke, maybe this was all it required in this service.

I have not seen drawings of this conversion (and suspect that the PRR
ones do not exist), but I would suspect that it would give you the
answer.

Elden

What's REALLY interesting about this car (OK, maybe it's just
interesting to a structures dweeb. still...) is that the diagonal
truss seems to be on the inside of the side sheathing as well as the
outside.
I thought that on single sheathed (wood, as opposed to the
Frisco's rebuilt steel) box cars, the wood that is seen from the
outside of the car also serves as the car's interior lining. When the
Frisco rebuilt these cars with steel sides, did they add extra trusses
inside the walls to support some sort of interior lining? Seems like
that would have reduced the interior volume a bunch. I'll go look at
my RPCyc again, however I don't recall seeing anything about a major
volume reduction. Conversely, was extra interior structure added when
they cut the roof off and added the extra side doors?

Best Regards,
Phil Buchwald


--- In STMFC@..., Michael O'Brien <mikeobrien@c...> wrote:

Hi all...

I found a photo of an unusual box car at:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=118625

It is Frisco 1001 and has 3 doors, two to the sides that are lower

than

the center door, plus the whole car looks pretty low in height--it
might be roofless.

Any ideas what it is? Doesn't seem to be MOW. Photo location is
Dallas, TX.

Cheers,
Mike O'Brien
Pasadena, CA

From the referenced site:
http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/reference/rc15237.jpg

Note the Wabash box car with half of its side sheathing removed for use
as a stock car.


How come they don't have to go through a metal detector? ;-)


regards,

Andy Miller

I note a query regarding the STMFPH. This group was formed in order to provide additional room for members of the STMFC to store photos. Unlike the STMFC, this group does not require approval for membership but that requirement is essentially satisfied by the fact that it is not listed in the directory. Hence, only STMFC members have access to the address. We'll continue with that concept until spam and/or porn peddlers manage to find access to it.

Here's the addresses:

Post message: STMFPH@...
Subscribe: STMFPH-subscribe@...
Unsubscribe: STMFPH-unsubscribe@...
List owner: STMFPH-owner@...


Mike Brock
STMFC/STMFPH Owner

Paul,
I ordered (3) sets of the late Swift set (for the red cars) from Champion as a special run. The earlier version is still around.
John Cizmar

behillman <chris_hillman@...> wrote:
I found it!!! I KNEW I had it packed away,....the August 1987, Model
Railroader with the John Nehrich article on kitbashing Life Like Swift
wood reefers, and still in good condition too!! I remember buying
several decal sets for building/rebuilding these cars, Cudahy,
Dubuque, etc., back then, but I didn't get to get too far in the
process'. As of today, I shall recommence. I have my X-acto knife in-
hand as I write.

One question though, are accurate Swift decals (and the others) still
available for these cars, in case my old ones are defunct?

Thanks Ben Hom for your re-referring to this article.

Also in the same issue is Jack Burgess' Yosemite Valley Railroad.
Wasn't that our first real viewing of Jack's fine railroad?

Paul Hillman




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---------------------------------
Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page

Gary Ray asked:
"...but when I did a search of Yahoo groups, I could not
find "STMFPH". Could someone post a link or share how to find and join
this group?"

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/STMFPH/


Ben Hom

--- In STMFC@..., "sevanwinter" <SEvanWint@a...>
referenced the following photo collection:

http://www.floridamemory.com/PhotographicCollection/

Wow! This is the nicest link I've seen in a long time. Thanks!

Try - refrigerator, Seaboard & "Atlantic Coast Line" for searches.
It's ventilator car heaven with the nicest SAL ventilator shot I've
ever seen. Seaboard "cattle" cars too.

Ed

Hi Gene,



Thanks for posting the diagrams, however I cannot seem to find them. By
other group "STMFPH", I assume this means Steam Freight Photos but when I
did a search of Yahoo groups, I could not find "STMFPH". Could someone post
a link or share how to find and join this group.



Thank you,

Gary Ray

I have added a photo album entitled "K brake diagrams" to the
photo section of STMFPH, not this group but the other group.

_____

I too would love to find these, but I suspect you won't have much luck.
In order to do ribbed back wheels the wheels must be cast (like the
prototype). All the .088 wheels I know of are metal wheels, turned on a
lathe.


regards,

Andy Miller

Rob Manley wrote

This has nothing to do with Swift reefers but I've found that if you let a
project age long enough somebody will come out with a better model. Like the
17 Golden Spike mechanical reefers I've acquired. I am going to replace the
ladders with better components from Branchline. But wait, I don't have to, a
better 21st century version is being produced.

That 21st century version will set you back 40 or 50 bucks. If you're like
me you have a bunch of extra 50 foot ZU eave roofs from Branchline, plus
extra R+3/4 ends (just remove the R rib at the top). Add an Accurail 50 ft
box car underframe, and you get a pretty spectacular looking car for a
much smaller investment!

As for the PS 2893 hoppers, those Robins Rails PS 2893's had excellent paint
and lettering -- should fetch a good value on Ebay!

Tim O'Connor

If the tank car is twice as big as the 2-6-2, then you may have
found the first known sighting of a J&L tank car off line... If
not then it's probably one of many thousands of high-walkway tank
cars with 1, 2, 3 or 4 domes built by ACF and others in the second
and third decades of the 20th century.

Denny, the problem is at the corners; the sides are just a shade too
long, so the beveled corners don't fit quite right. Just taking a
little material evenly off the bevel at each end of the sides cures it.

Richard Hendrickson

On my kits the door rod is off center, a few inches from where it
should be located. Easy to fix; consult photos for correct location.

I found a photo of an unusual box car at:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=118625
Any ideas what it is?

A box car rebuilt for coke service. Four are listed in the 1959
ORER, numbers 1000-1003.

The pix contained in the website contained in the posting below has got
me wondering about one thing - on the longer-wheelbase 4-wheel European
freight cars, don't they cause excessive rail wear on curves, besides
experiencing excessive flange wear themselves?

John Kernan

--- In STMFC@..., "Manfred Lorenz" <germanfred55@y...>
wrote:

I found this site about prototype tank cars built for European use.

Is

this the brother of the famed Kaminski Tank Car historian?

Beware, many builder's pics, no US content!
http://www.kaminski-hameln.de/Gallery/index.htm

Manfred

I expect you are referring to Gary Wright's (Wright Trak)new FGE
mechanical car. The photos from NMRA in Cincinnati look good. I sent
him a Naperville flyer and hope he will come. I too have a small
group of the Golden Spike - Silver Streak - Walthers cars that are
now out of a job. Any one interested please contact me off line.

Bill McCoy
Jax

--- In STMFC@..., <robev1630@s...> wrote:

This has nothing to do with Swift reefers but I've found that if

you let a project age long enough somebody will come out with a
better model.

Like the 17 Golden Spike mechanical reefers I've acquired. I am

going to replace the ladders with better components from Branchline.
But wait, I don't have to, a better 21st century version is being
produced. Same with the AHM / Robins Rail PS- 3-bay covered hopper.
I can throw those out with the reefers and my Nickle Plate Pioneer
Zephyr.

Actually I have an outlet for my C list equipment. At my church we

have a boys youth group and a few years ago built a medium sized
railroad in one of our classrooms. It is double track main with 28"
min radius and thanks to the guys from Mod-U-Trak has 5 cabs and
provisions for an upgrade to DCC. Most of my older Athearn cars and
engines are "on loan". Work permitting, I hold work sessions with
the kids, try to give them some basic knowledge and fuel the
potential of the more train wise boys. Most of them have never
railfanned and woldn't recognize the difference between the Athearn
40 ft rolling stock on the layout and a Plate C car on the EJ&E.
Thats a good thing because they also won't complain about how
difficult a Branchline car is to build or how hard it is to drill
for grabs on a Walthers caboose like the "adult" modelers I've
heard. These young men appreciate the fact that an adult cares
enough to spend some time and share his talents with them. It keps
the hobby alive and lets you share information that you would
normally take for granted.

Sincerely,
Rob Manley
Midwest Mod-U-Trak

"When building kits is a lost art,
Only lost artists will be building kits !!"
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul Hillman
To: STMFC@...
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 5:28 PM
Subject: Re: [STMFC] Re: Wood Swift Reefers


Gene Green wrote;

Ah, "analysis-paralysis", eh? I knew I had a problem but I

didn't

know it had a name. Are there any self-help groups?

*********************************************************************
**************

Well, I have a whole "pack" of projects like that in boxes, et

al, that I still have to do myself. It is not that I have
procrastinated nor suffered paralysis, per se, it is instead that
circumstance has lent it's misfortune to prevent me from continuing
through with my intended endeavors. But, I have "Set my face like
Flint", that SOME day I WILL finish them!!!

When I was 10 years old I made the decision that model

railroading would be my life-long hobby, in the face of others
asking me, "Are you still 'playing' with those trains?" I suffered
this response to a long-haired beauty whom I greatly admired in my
youth, to the same question; to wit) "Model railroading is
NOT 'playing with trains'! It is three dimensional, animated art,
understandable only by the truly gifted in perceiving of such
deeper, creative things." After that I believe she became a Nun.

It is true though, that one wisely tends to seek out the most

proficient way to approach a project, until it becomes sometimes a
self-made, MAJOR project. I have done that often myself, seeking the
highest perfection that I could attain, to the point that I've
become almost dysfunctional with the project.

The "self-help" would be, like I've done,.....put the project

aside for about 20 years, and then tackle it once again. The hiatus
will provide a sufficient regrouping of intent about the project,
and eventually one might even finish the damned thing!! Never give
up!!

Paul Hillman








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The L&N had a fair sized fleet of these box car converts in coke
service in Birmingham, AL too.

Bill McCoy
Jax

--- In STMFC@..., Brian Paul Ehni <behni@c...> wrote:

More like coke.
--

Brian Ehni

From: dehusman <dehusman@c...>
Reply-To: <STMFC@...>
Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 00:01:06 -0000
To: <STMFC@...>
Subject: [STMFC] Re: Frisco 1001 unusual box car

--- In STMFC@..., Michael O'Brien <mikeobrien@c...>

wrote:

Any ideas what it is? Doesn't seem to be MOW. Photo location

is

Dallas, TX.

=================================
Either pulpwood or ties (or possibly pulpwood and then relegated

to

ties). Note the black staining inside the car, I'm thinking

creosote.

Dave H.

On Sunday, July 24, 2005, at 05:09 PM, Denny Anspach wrote:

I am about to wade into a backlog of Branchlne URTX wood sheathed
reefer kits. These are from the earlier batch, and as I recall there
is a fundamental design flaw with the side thickness (?) that has to
be corrected before assembly. Does anyone recall, and if so, would
you kindly give me a heads up as to what is required-, i.e. the
fastest, easiest way to do it?

Denny,
The side inserts were actually not the cause of the problem. The side
inserts are of a reasonably consistent thickness, which they should be.
The problem occurred in the early kits released in 2001 because the
outer surfaces of the "dummy sides" of the car body aren't completely
plumb (at exactly 90 degrees) with respect to the ends. When viewing
the car body from the side, the left edge is properly made but the
right edge (the ladder-end of the side) isn't as deep as the left edge.
This results in a visible gap where the side meets the end at the
beveled edge on the right side (both sides are affected in the same
manner). The problem can be remedied by sanding the back of the side
(removing the locator pins helps make this job much easier) such that
the car sides are no longer of consistent thickness from one end to the
other. More material must be removed at the ladder end. BT fixed the
problem by shimming the car body "dummy sides" so that they are plumb.
Their later reruns of these cars have a better fit.
Regards,
Ed Hawkins