In a message dated 9/22/2007 6:52:54 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
mile179kingston@... writes:

I understand the Athearn prototype is of a limited 1937 production run,
but I'd like to keep the ones I have running and looking more
prototypical.


Hi Eric,
The old Athearn boxcars are a scale 10' 4" in height. I'm thinking of using
some of mine to model a few Delaware & Hudson 10' 4' cars. I'm not that far
along in the project to know what ends, doors or roofs I will need, but if
you're interested in D&H let me know and I'll check. Walt



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Temporary interchange rules for box cars were adapted during WWII
because of shortages caused by the war.

These temporary rules were extended for several years after the war.
Exactly when were the old rules restored?

Were any PS1 box cars in service when these temporary rules were in
force?

Ed Mines

I am new to the list and an interesting question has come up in the process
of replacing some plastic wheelsets on my CN AAR box cars . Is there any way
to determine if any new cars were built with steel wheels, or to what extent
steel wheels may have been used to replace worn out iron wheels, prior to the
1958 ban on cast iron wheels in interchange service for new car construction
?A related question, especially if steel was widely used for replacement
purposes pre 1958, is how long on average would the original cast iron wheels
have lasted before requiring replacement ?
Does anyone have any ideas on how widespread the use of steel wheels was
prior to 1958 (both on the CN and on US roads). It would seem that steel
wheels would have had to prove to be substantially superior before the AAR would
mandate their use exclusively.
Thanks in advance, Walt




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Greg Martin wrote:
"There has been several good resources articles for this kit and one
that comes to mind was Kris Kollar's article in Mainline Modeler."

Kris' article was "Haulin' Steel - PRR Style", published in the
February 2006 issue of Mainline Modeler.
http://index.mrmag.com

Kris does excellent work as always and does a great job on writing up
how to do a large girder load and to correct the problems with the
kit; however, the article is only four pages long and contains zero
prototype photos, an unfortunate editorial habit of Mainline
Modeler. Elden's article in the April 2004 issue of TKM is 8 pages
long, and he also goes step-by-step in correcting the problems with
the kit, but also includes photos identifying the work to be done
along with four prototype photos and an equipment diagram. It's well
worth getting a copy of the TKM article, and it's available on CD
(along with the first 48 issues of TKM) from the PRRT&HS. See the
last page of the current issue for ordering information


Ben Hom

Rob Kirkham wrote

The long centre beam/frame piece in my kit leaves a lot to
be desired. Its curved a bit like a bow.

Once the body is together, it should all straighten out. Just
glue everything together straight and true.

When I build the ECW gondolas, I am careful to lower the body
height so the top of the trucks just clear the side of the car
(like a 3"-4" gap). The biggest flaw in the kits is how high
they ride.

Then I mount the coupler into the end sill, not below it, and
use a Kadee offset-shank coupler to match the normal coupler
height of other cars. This results in a far better appearance.

I've used ECW kits for National Type B and Dalmans, but now we
have Proto and Tahoe trucks (resp) for those, so I don't think
I'll build any more of those types.

The ECW kits (make sure you paint & weather before assembly as
you won't get them apart later) hold up. I glue with Tenax and
then use 2-part epoxy as reinforcement.

Tim O'Connor

Eldon, thanks for walking me through the process. I need two cars, so especially appreciate your pointing out the difference with the centre side rib.

The long centre beam/frame piece in my kit leaves a lot to be desired. Its curved a bit like a bow. Worse, it doesn't look like anything structural I've ever seen. What was built up from on the prototype? A casting, or pair of "C" channels, or Z section pieces or an "I" beam, etc? I'll look up the MM and Keystone articles mentioned thus far, but does anyone have the correct dimension for the rail height to height at some prominent point (such as the top cord)? I think I'd like to work backward from that.

Trucks - I've never used the ECW brand before. Do these ride about the right height? Do they hold together over time or eventually just fall apart? I'm also wondering about trying to insert some bearings inside the side frames to protect the styrene from friction with the axle. Has anyone given that a try?

Decals - well, at least I'm in the Circle Keystone era.

I'm sure I'll have more questions once the model gets underway.....

Rob

Armand

All three roads had 10'6" AAR box cars w/ 5/5 ends. You
can use the Intermountain, Athearn (IC only), or Sunshine
kits. CNW & RI had 3-bay offset hoppers, represented by
Stewart or Accurail kits. CNW had 53'6" AAR flat cars,
like the Proto 2000 kit. CNW leased Mather stock cars, also
Proto 2000. Accurail single sheathed Howe truss box car
is an IC car. Branchline: 1217 (NWX reefer), 1407 (box),
1416 (box).

There are dozens more. You should peruse the Sunshine kits
list, the Branchline web site, the Walthers web site, the
Athearn web site, etc. Resin RI kits are available from Ron
VanWerder.

Tim O'Connor

Guys;

I was looking at another partially-completed G26 a few days ago, and was
thinking about that particular kit, and I still like that kit. Yeah, the
rivets are softball-sized, but then the G26 looked like that.



Granted, you have to do a few things to it to make it nice. Greg is right,
you have to shave down the bolster to a reasonable height (the G26/26A still
did ride high), but you can use the supplied one. Fill the mold push-outs on
the interior sides and sand clean. You can file down the top chord angle,
which is fat, and replace it with a thinner strip styrene, but I will leave
that up to you. I think I will do it on this one. Cut off all the molded
rungs, and replace them with wire. You can use the ladder stiles. Drill
for, and insert end grabs in the end sill. Add a nice brake actuator rod and
chain, under the left side ahead of the brake wheel, with a retaining brass
strip support. Retainer valve pipe from .010" wire. You can see both in the
photos.



For the G26A you have to do that center rib replacement, but it is dead easy.
Shave the center rib off; sand. Create the flange out of .05" sheet and
emboss the rivets. CA in place. Create a rib from, I think .06 x .03"
strip. You can eyeball the size to match the other two long ones, and sand
to shape. Wow, was that easy.



Decals are the biggest problem. You can cobble them up from various Champ CK
sets, but if you want to do a Shadow Key version (much rarer), you will have
to cobble from the MD G31E set.



Elden

Elden Gatwood covered this class in Part 7 of his series on PRR

gondolas in The Keystone Modeler #9 (Apr 04)

Jerry Glow

Hi - my efforts to model Vancouver in the mid 40's have me learning

more

about the PRR all the time. Now its about the PRR G26 and G26a

gondolas -

nothing like any CPR car I have studied, and something that will

make a nice

contrast! But I have little in the way of PRR resources, so....

I had a look at Robert Schoenberg's PRR Frreight Car Page - very

helpful for

getting started, and noticed the reference to an article by Tom

Gloger on

how to model these from the Eastern Car Works kit. Unfortuneately,

the link

is broken. I wonder if anyone on this list might have downloaded

the web

page and could send a copy or post it to the list files? I've

looked

through the Eastern Car Works kit this evening, and even if I

assumed the

basics were sound it still looks like a lot of finnishing work

will be

required to remove the knock out marks on the side and floor

castings.

replace coarse steps, etc.

Similarities to the Athearn 65' mill gon are enticing, but I see

the ribs

extend further down the sides on that car.

Rob Kirkham
Rob,
There has been several good resources articles for this kit and

one that

comes to mind was Kris Kollar's article in Mainline Modeler. The

major issue

with the kit seems to be the bolster or the lack thereof. There

are many fixes

for it but one I am planning on using is to replace it with a

bolster from

sacrificed kit, in my case likely an Athearn or a Train Miniature.

I believe it

was done as well in TKM some time back. If you have any specific

questions

like do I have cyc palns for the car contact me offline.

Greg Martin

Elden Gatwood covered this class in Part 7 of his series on PRR
gondolas in The Keystone Modeler #9 (Apr 04)

Jerry Glow

--- In STMFC@..., tgregmrtn@... wrote:

Rob you wrote:




Hi - my efforts to model Vancouver in the mid 40's have me learning

more

about the PRR all the time. Now its about the PRR G26 and G26a

gondolas -

nothing like any CPR car I have studied, and something that will

make a nice

contrast! But I have little in the way of PRR resources, so....

I had a look at Robert Schoenberg's PRR Frreight Car Page - very

helpful for

getting started, and noticed the reference to an article by Tom

Gloger on

how to model these from the Eastern Car Works kit. Unfortuneately,

the link

is broken. I wonder if anyone on this list might have downloaded

the web

page and could send a copy or post it to the list files? I've

looked

through the Eastern Car Works kit this evening, and even if I

assumed the

basics were sound it still looks like a lot of finnishing work

will be

required to remove the knock out marks on the side and floor

castings.

replace coarse steps, etc.

Similarities to the Athearn 65' mill gon are enticing, but I see

the ribs

extend further down the sides on that car.

Rob Kirkham
Rob,
There has been several good resources articles for this kit and

one that

comes to mind was Kris Kollar's article in Mainline Modeler. The

major issue

with the kit seems to be the bolster or the lack thereof. There

are many fixes

for it but one I am planning on using is to replace it with a

bolster from

sacrificed kit, in my case likely an Athearn or a Train Miniature.

I believe it

was done as well in TKM some time back. If you have any specific

questions

like do I have cyc palns for the car contact me offline.

Greg Martin

I quess I was really too vague.Sorry.HO ,1946 to 1950.Plastic or resin and prototypically accurate.Armand Premo

My specific area of interest is 1946/1950.Armand Premo

Hi - my efforts to model Vancouver in the mid 40's have me learning more about the PRR all the time. Now its about the PRR G26 and G26a gondolas - nothing like any CPR car I have studied, and something that will make a nice contrast! But I have little in the way of PRR resources, so....

I had a look at Robert Schoenberg's PRR Frreight Car Page - very helpful for getting started, and noticed the reference to an article by Tom Gloger on how to model these from the Eastern Car Works kit. Unfortuneately, the link is broken. I wonder if anyone on this list might have downloaded the web page and could send a copy or post it to the list files? I've looked through the Eastern Car Works kit this evening, and even if I assumed the basics were sound it still looks like a lot of finnishing work will be required to remove the knock out marks on the side and floor castings. replace coarse steps, etc.

Similarities to the Athearn 65' mill gon are enticing, but I see the ribs extend further down the sides on that car.

Rob Kirkham

We need to know prototype era and scale.

What is the theme of the car fleet you are trying to balance? Home
road? Locale? Traffic?

What modeling skill level are you comfotable with? Traditional
Athearn plastic? Resin?






--- In STMFC@..., "Armand Premo" <armprem@...> wrote:

I am striving to achieve some balance for my freight car

roster.Can

someone provide information as to the box car models available for

the

following roads:Rock Island,CNW,and IC ? Armand Premo

Mix the dust with human sweat and you are pasted up. It was a dirty job and usually the labor was done at the least pay grades. If you would wish for the "good old days," you have forgotten jobs like these.
Lindsay Smith


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Michael Bishop wrote:
"Atlas has released a USRA double-sheathed box car rebuilt with steel
sides. Two of the paint schemes are for the Santa Fe. I know the
paint scheme is correct, but is the car itself correct for the Santa
Fe. I have bought one and the model nicely done, just not sure if it
is a Santa Fe prototype. Thanks for any help."

Unfortunately, Michael, this model matches no known prototype rebuilt
boxcar.

http://www.atlasrr.com/NFreight/nsteelrebuilt.htm

Like the Atlas O scale model, it is a copy of the S Helper
Service "Rebuilt" boxcar, and shares many of its faults. Overall,
this model is a mishmash of details that doesn't match any prototype
rebuilt boxcar.

It's closest to SL-SF, ACL, and C&WC rebuilds; however, it will needs
to have the sidesills inset further and new sidesill brackets to
match these cars.

None of the roadnames offered are correct due to variations in roofs
(CNW, EJ&E, PRR/VTR, ATSF, T&P, UP), ends (CNW, PRR/VTR, ATSF, T&P,
UP), number of side panels (EJ&E, PRR/VTR, ATSF, UP), and underframes
(PRR/VTR, T&P, UP).

Unfortunately, it's the only game in town for a rebuilt boxcar in N
scale - there are simply no resin kits for these rebuilds to fall
back upon for correct models of these cars. A credible model can be
built using this car as a base - Larry Kline modified the sidesills
on one of the O scale models, and the in-progress results were a vast
improvement over the stock model.


Ben Hom

What time period?

Rob you wrote:




Hi - my efforts to model Vancouver in the mid 40's have me learning more
about the PRR all the time. Now its about the PRR G26 and G26a gondolas -
nothing like any CPR car I have studied, and something that will make a nice
contrast! But I have little in the way of PRR resources, so....

I had a look at Robert Schoenberg's PRR Frreight Car Page - very helpful for
getting started, and noticed the reference to an article by Tom Gloger on
how to model these from the Eastern Car Works kit. Unfortuneately, the link
is broken. I wonder if anyone on this list might have downloaded the web
page and could send a copy or post it to the list files? I've looked
through the Eastern Car Works kit this evening, and even if I assumed the
basics were sound it still looks like a lot of finnishing work will be
required to remove the knock out marks on the side and floor castings.
replace coarse steps, etc.

Similarities to the Athearn 65' mill gon are enticing, but I see the ribs
extend further down the sides on that car.

Rob Kirkham
Rob,
There has been several good resources articles for this kit and one that
comes to mind was Kris Kollar's article in Mainline Modeler. The major issue
with the kit seems to be the bolster or the lack thereof. There are many fixes
for it but one I am planning on using is to replace it with a bolster from
sacrificed kit, in my case likely an Athearn or a Train Miniature. I believe it
was done as well in TKM some time back. If you have any specific questions
like do I have cyc palns for the car contact me offline.

Greg Martin








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--- In STMFC@..., "Michael Bishop" <goldrod_1@...> wrote:

Atlas has released a USRA double-sheathed box car rebuilt with

steel

sides. Two of the paint schemes are for the Santa Fe. I know the

paint

scheme is correct, but is the car itself correct for the Santa Fe.

Michael Bishop

Hi Michael

To supplement what George Hollwedel said...

The road numbers I have seen for the Atlas cars are 148850, 148888,
149005, and 149014. In 1949 and 1950 they were part of the series
148200-149933, USRA double-sheathed rebuilds. The April 1949 ORER
lists 1,718 of them, and the July 1950 ORER lists 1,714. They were
rebuilt ca. 1940-42, I believe.

The series appears in the table "Steel Rebuilt Boxcars" (top half),
in the spreadsheet "USRA DS Boxcars.xls", available as a STMFC
download, posted by Ben Hom. Ben's spreadsheet contains additional
useful information about the cars, so you will probably want to check
it out.

Best wishes,
Larry Ostresh
Laramie, Wyoming

No, close but no cigar. Santa Fe were 10 panel sides, the model is 8 panel. That being siad, I had to buy all four because Atlas did a nice job. Come see them and see how close you have to get to count the side panels!

Michael Bishop <goldrod_1@...> wrote: Atlas has released a USRA double-sheathed box car rebuilt with steel
sides. Two of the paint schemes are for the Santa Fe. I know the paint
scheme is correct, but is the car itself correct for the Santa Fe. I
have bought one and the model nicely done, just not sure if it is a
Santa Fe prototype. Thanks for any help.

Michael Bishop




Yahoo! Groups Links






Prototype N Scale Models
by George Hollwedel
proto.nscale@...
310 Loma Verde Street
Buda, TX 78610-9785
512-796-6883

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--- In STMFC@..., Ljack70117@... wrote:

The liners has nothing to do with the car. It is old paper and etc
that the flour mill put in to the car for their load. It will be
removed when the car is unloaded and cleaned out.

During WW 2, when I was in high school in north Louisiana, empty
boxcars were spotted on the team track in our little town for cotton
bale loading. They were usually lined with Kraft paper. Some
prankster conceived the idea of using this paper to wrap an old worn
out tire (new tires, almost nonexistent in those days, came that way).
At night some of the adventurous kids would tie a rope to the tire,
lay it on the shoulder of US 80, and hide in the bushes. When some
motorist spotted it and screeched to a stop from his "35 mph war
speed", the tire would be yanked back out of sight. I don't think
this happened too often before the local authorities stepped in
though. The railroad, in general, was one of our few sources of
entertainment and we made the most of it.

Fred Mitchell, Dallas