Paul Catapano asked:
"In keeping with Mike Brock's encouragement to ask dumb questions, How
many cars did a 40' Auto Box hold?
Four? Two up and Two Down?"

Early automobile boxcars held only two finished automobiles. There's
a great two-page photo spread in Jack Amerine & Jeff Freeman's
"Pennsylvania's X-29 [sic] And Other X's In The Family" in the October
1978 issue of Prototype Modeler showing the loading of automobiles c.
1920.

This was obviously extremely inefficient; the development of the
Evans Auto Loader doubled the carrying capacity of a 40 ft car from
two to four cars ("two up and two down"). The catch was that this
required a taller car to accomodate loaded automobiles and provide
headroom to stow the empty racks. The following photos show an Evans
Auto Loader installed in a N&W Class B-2 automobile boxcar:
http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/NS2904.jpeg
http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/NS2905.jpeg


"Auto parts? When shipping auto parts did they tend to ship parts in
one size of car and finished auto's in another?"

Generally, auto parts were initially shipped in dedicated 40 ft
boxcars. As time went on, auto parts traffic shifted to larger cars,
first to 50 ft boxcars, then to today's 60- and 86-ft cars.

As for finished automobiles, truck transport drastically cut into the
railroads' share of traffic during the late 1940s and 1950s. The
railroads wouldn't recapture this traffic until the introduction of
the large automobile rack-equipped flatcars in the 1960s.


Ben Hom

Hi Paul,

With Evans Auto-Loader racks, a 40-foot auto car could carry four standard-size sedans of
the 1930s and 1940s. We showed an illustration of this in the June 2007 "Model Railroader,"
page 26, which was based on an Evans ad in a Car Builders Cyc. A 50-foot car could carry
five.

Auto parts such as body stampings were shipped in specially made wooden racks installed in
cars assigned to that service. Generally these racks were customized for a particular auto
model or model series, and had to be replaced when the designs changed. There are good
photos of several varieties of parts racks in Richard Hendrickson's book on Santa Fe furniture
and automobile cars, available from atsfrr.net.

So long,

Andy

On Jun 18, 2008, at 8:58 AM, Paul Catapano wrote:

In keeping with Mike Brock's encouragement to ask dumb questions, How many cars did a 40' Auto Box hold?
Four? Two up and Two Down?
Auto parts? When shipping auto parts did they tend to ship parts in one size of car and finished auto's in another?

It depends <G>.

In cars equipped with auto-loaders (eg Evans), it would usually be 4, two, two down. Autos could also be loaded in non-loader equipped cars, and they would either have to be jacked up and cribbed (3-4 per car) or just rolled in (2 per car), with I think the latter being more common. In the case of autoparts, these cars were often equipped with special racks and would, of course, not be equipped with auto-loaders and would likely not be used for shipping completed autos.

Regards
Bruce

Bruce F. Smith
Auburn, AL
http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/index.pl/bruce_f._smith2

"Some days you are the bug, some days you are the windshield."
__
/ &#92;
__<+--+>________________&#92;__/___ ________________________________
|- ______/ O O &#92;_______ -| | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ |
| / 4999 PENNSYLVANIA 4999 &#92; | ||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||
|/_____________________________&#92;|_|________________________________|
| O--O &#92;0 0 0 0/ O--O | 0-0-0 0-0-0

In keeping with Mike Brock's encouragement to ask dumb questions, How many cars did a 40' Auto Box hold?
Four? Two up and Two Down?
Auto parts? When shipping auto parts did they tend to ship parts in one size of car and finished auto's in another?


Paul Catapano
Littlerock Subdivision
Atlantic Inland Railway Co.

"All it takes to start an insane asylum
is a big room and the right kind of people"

Agreed in both cases but with Armand being a Rutland/CV/CNR
modeler he can acquire a car seen more often in such use by using an
Accurail #4000 series and our Standard Car Co. #5000 1/2 Door Add-On
Kit. This item was based on Richard Hendrickson's article on such a
conversion to acquire a GTW 1 & 1/2 door auto car in RMJ how many
years ago? These cars were used in auto service into New England,
mostly by Ford it appears, and some were later converted for the
shipment of engine blocks to various Ford assembly plants. In the era
in question that also would have included the Somerville, Mass. plant
with a GTW-CV-B&M car routing.

Those interested can view the results by going to
www.newenglandrail.com, clicking on "products" and scrolling to the
bottom of the page. Anyone on this list should have little or no
trouble making good use of the kit. It should also be noted that I am
still looking for a potential steel sheathed prototype to offer such
a kit for a steel 1/2 door add-on. Any suggestions?

Don Valentine


--- In STMFC@..., "Bill Schneider" <branchline@...> wrote:

I would also put in a plug for one of Ted's own kits -

http://www.speedwitch.com/Models/kc104.htm

Of course, I might be biased - he started with a pretty nice set of

plastic parts... :>)

Bill Schneider

----- Original Message -----
From: al_brown03
To: STMFC@...
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 11:04 AM
Subject: [STMFC] Re: 40 ' Auto Boxcars


Accurail 3600 series, too.

Ted Culotta has an article on these cars in PRM 2.

Al Brown, Melbourne, Fla.

--- In STMFC@..., "Jim & Lisa Hayes"
<jimandlisa97225@> wrote:
>
> Sunshine makes a bunch of 40' autocars, both wood side and

steel

sided. Go
> to www.sunshinekits.com <http://www.sunshinekits.com/> , click

on

Flyers by
> RR, then scroll down the page looking for the word autocar.
>
> Jim Hayes
>
> Portland Oregon
>
> __
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG.
> Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 270.3.0/1505 - Release Date:
6/16/2008
> 7:20 AM
>
>
>
>
>
>

Thank you for all your responses and Ben for narrowing the
focus.Actually I was looking for a more or less generic 40 footer that
could be easily kit bashed for several roads.While I have some resin
cars none are of those I had in mind.So Ben from wheel reports ,how
about these for starters? NYC 69000 , 70026 ,IC 37000 ,TNO 58000 ,SF
15400 ,UP 475300 ,LV 5500 ,ACL 52600 ,NP 8036 ,NKP 24700 ,Milw
597000.The former Intermountain and Red caboose Kits are difficult to
find and most resin cars are for less common cars.I had in mind adding
some Twenty cars to my roster.While on the subject of cars, any ideas
for an ERDX reefer?Thanks for all your help.Armand Premo

On Jun 17, 2008, at 8:49 AM, ed_mines wrote:

The pictures of 2 CN single sheathed box cars lead me to this
question.

Was it common to find wood sided cars with much of the paint
missing in
revenue service when the car had years of service remaining?

We see pictures of wood sided cars with a lot of paint missing - in
museums, MOW service, last years of service .......

Yes, but not in revenue service, though it depended somewhat on the
owners. In general, the photos I have show that railroads having
wood sheathed cars in revenue service in the 1950s (and later) gave
them decent maintenance, including repainting as needed.

Richard Hendrickson

tchenoweth@... wrote:

I've been using 2/56 screws with all of my trucks with no problem. I've never heard of sanding the pads off the bottom of the car and putting a cut up KD box in it's place.
Tom Chenoweth

Slice the boss off the KD lid and insert it in the truck bolster hole. It imitates the boss on an Athearn, et al body bolster and keeps the truck centered on the much smaller screw.

--

Frank Greene
Memphis, TN

Thanks Jim, Sure is easier than looking through my folder.
Clark Propst
Model Railroading...Dreamers Welcome

The PRRPro group just finished up on what might have been their best
subject car as far as participation and interest - the Bowser X31 cars.
There are several variation offered by Bowser plus the fact that there
were a few other owners.

Jerry Glow

--- In STMFC@..., "armprem1" <armprem@...> wrote:

I am looking for a kit for a 40'steel Autobox.Something to use as a
starting place for several different roads.Any suggestions?Armand

Premo

The pictures of 2 CN single sheathed box cars lead me to this question.

Was it common to find wood sided cars with much of the paint missing in
revenue service when the car had years of service remaining?

We see pictures of wood sided cars with a lot of paint missing - in
museums, MOW service, last years of service .......

Ed

I would also put in a plug for one of Ted's own kits - http://www.speedwitch.com/Models/kc104.htm

Of course, I might be biased - he started with a pretty nice set of plastic parts... :>)

Bill Schneider

Well...might as well take a few minutes this morning to review some of the STMFC rules that sometimes are overlooked.

Note the rule:

"Members must sign messages with their full names. If the member's address IS
their full name exactly [ to the left of an @ sign ] or simply their full
name, that is acceptable as a signature."

The above rule seems to be ignored by some and that is a mistake because eventually by so doing, you'll end up in Moderate Jail and I never seem to be able to find the key to let folks out. Clang!!! Ooops. Just had to admit another. Hmmm. Getting a bit crowded in there.

Note the rule:

A primary objective of the group is "....the study of the prototype with
a goal of producing models of them with as great a degree of accuracy as
possible. However, it
should also be noted that the group is not to be considered necessarily as a library with its members prepared to respond to questions or acting as sources for information. Such responses are entirely voluntary and at no time is any group member obligated to respond to a request for information. In fact, the group is not a good vehicle to transmit large amounts of information. The group is a good vehicle, however, to provide guidance as to where a member might find information."

With this in mind, however, note the last rule...one I put in to...well...let's call it the "Brock rule".

"The study of
frt cars and the modeling of them are ongoing processes and while pursuing
them remember that no question or observation is unimportant or "dumb"."

So, while members are encouraged to do their own research, no question is to be considered too "dumb", too general or beneath an assumed level of knowledge to be brought to the group for discussion. Note that members are not obliged to respond...if they so wish.

Thanks...now back to frt cars...

Mike Brock
STMFC Owner

Accurail 3600 series, too.

Ted Culotta has an article on these cars in PRM 2.

Al Brown, Melbourne, Fla.


--- In STMFC@..., "Jim & Lisa Hayes"
<jimandlisa97225@...> wrote:

Sunshine makes a bunch of 40' autocars, both wood side and steel

sided. Go

to www.sunshinekits.com <http://www.sunshinekits.com/> , click on

Flyers by

RR, then scroll down the page looking for the word autocar.

Jim Hayes

Portland Oregon

__

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 270.3.0/1505 - Release Date:

6/16/2008

7:20 AM

Jack Burgess writes:

"The coupler pad is the "rectangular shaped, very thin "base" cast to the
bottom of the floor at the coupler box location" that you mention.

Orienting the box car as it would be on the rails, the top of the coupler
pad should align with the bottom of the "indention cut out for the coupler
box" that you mention."

I came to the same conclusion. Unfortunately, I followed the erroneous instructions and had to take the bottom out when I realized the error. No problem but I wish the instructions had been accurate.

Mike Brock

Sunshine makes a bunch of 40' autocars, both wood side and steel sided. Go
to www.sunshinekits.com <http://www.sunshinekits.com/> , click on Flyers by
RR, then scroll down the page looking for the word autocar.

Jim Hayes

Portland Oregon

__

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 8.0.100 / Virus Database: 270.3.0/1505 - Release Date: 6/16/2008
7:20 AM

I've never been to anything like this before but would be interested in learning more and see if this would be interesting to attend.
 =======================
My Model Railroad Site:
http://rbdhd.t35.com/
Dave

As Tom C said, I use a 2-56 set screw.

If the centre raised collar is damaged/missing or the thread has pulled
out/been stripped, I remove the existing collar and drill the bolster with a
1/8 drill and use a short length of Evergreen 1/8 tubing to recreate the
collar. The internal diameter of the tube takes a 2/56 tap nicely.



Lately, I've been using 2-56 nylon set screws with a binder head from
MicroFasteners.com

The binder head is 10% larger in diameter than a pan head.

I actually use an 8BA tap instead of 2-56 tap and get just enough thread
bind that the nylon screw acts like a Nyloc - locking the screw where you
tighten it to.

If you use a 2-56 tap gently squeeze the nylon screw and oval it slightly
for the same locking effect.

That way I can shorten the raised collar on one end of the car so it is
redundant, and run the screw in until just before the truck binds.

The other end I leave looser. This gives me a three point suspension.

Steel screws that don't have the head seated tend to unscrew due to truck
swivel and vibration. Hence the nylon.



Back to the original topic. I'd like a #50 size hole in the bolster.

Cheers

Dave

Red Caboose 8500/8501, with W or square corner posts respectively. Both
available from RC as kits last time I checked (1/08 price list).

Al Brown, Melbourne, Fla.


--- In STMFC@..., "armprem1" <armprem@...> wrote:

I am looking for a kit for a 40'steel Autobox.Something to use as a
starting place for several different roads.Any suggestions?Armand

Premo

Armand Premo asked:
"I am looking for a kit for a 40' steel Autobox. Something to use as a
starting place for several different roads. Any suggestions?"

How about letting us know which roads you want to model instead of
forcing us to pull a Carnac the Magnificent to give you an answer?


Ben Hom