The use of "blacksmith car" is my own. I don't remember where I heard the term, but it seemed descriptive- my apologies for the confusion.

 

Here's the story. I'm thinking about modeling this, but I need a better understanding of the type of MOW cars that might be used:

 

Cal Sexsmith wrote-

 The father of a friend of mine was a road repair foreman in the 1950s. He was assigned a road repair car which was an old boxcar with a bunkhouse/kitchen at one end and tools and parts at the other. The car, along with the road repair crew, would be moved from town to town by way freights so that they could repair cars where they sat. This might also be an interesting variation to add.

 

Scott Haycock

Modeling Tarheel country in the Land of Enchantment

On 06/13/2021 2:39 PM Dennis Storzek wrote:

 

 

Scott,
Where is this reference to a "blacksmith car" coming from?

Dennis Storzek

It appears that the "Blacksmith Car" is a myth created by the movie Union Pacific, which included such a car in their railroad equipment, that car having been built by the studio from a former Virginia and Truckee box car.   

That car was later offered as a HO model by Trains Miniature, now under control of Walthers.  The car as modeled carried a brick blacksmith's forge, with a large bellows, as well as a small hand cranked derick.  The blacksmith's work area took up almost half the car, leaving the rest for barrels and such. The reality was much more likely a portable iron forge with a Champion hand cranked blower, which would have been commercially available, and easily set up next to the repair car.  Such a forge (large enough to straighten a truss rod) and associated tools and equipment will fit in the back of a small pick-up truck (I did for a car repair/restoration at Railfair 99 in Sacramento).  The forge can be carried by two men.  We have a photo of such a forge on the SP in Oregon, being used for car repair.

The description of a "one man crew" would suggest that the repairs in place would more likely be light work, replacing a journal bearing, repairing a brake beam or rod, but with one man would not include a wheel set.  A wheel set is too heavy for one man to handle, and if an axle failed on the road, would likely call for a wreck train with a heavier derrick, with multiple men and supply of trucks and wheel sets.

The concept of a Blacksmith car makes the most sense if  the car and crew was responsible for tool maintenance during construction, not car repair.  But  it is more likely that a railroad under construction would just send light tools (shovels, rock drills, pinch bars) back to the first division point and shop where they could do the work in a better equipped permanent facility.

With all that being said I have one of the model blacksmith cars... 

Randy Hees

Folks,

I recently read a narrative by a professional railroader about a car used to repair bad order cars in place. This car, and its crew? one guy?, would be hauled  by a freight train to repair a car on-site. Would this car be the same as a blacksmith car? The description was of a car with a living space on one end, and tool storage on the other.


Scott Haycock

Andy,

You wrote:

 "along with cross-ties and cross member which the originals did not have any of either. I have started adding these structural additions to my stretched frame."

It sounds as if you say the original cars did not have cross-ties and cross members. That would be most unusual. That they had cross members is shown by the stringers which were fitted between  the cross members. Do you have access to the Jan 2016 RMC drawing? The 29000 series underframe was also a little different from the Westerfield 42000 series u-frame. I,ll try and attach a u-frame photo showing stringers.

Staffan

On Thu, Jun 10, 2021 at 6:50 PM Andy Carlson <midcentury@...> wrote:

I have the 10 cars reserved. Thanks for those folks. My plans don't have me making more than these 10 cars.

Thanks,

-Andy

On Wednesday, June 9, 2021, 5:53:19 PM PDT, Andy Carlson <midcentury@...> wrote:

The Great Northern had 1000s of early 1920s wood side box cars which had fishbelly structured underframes and early style of steel ends. In 1952 the GN initiated a rebuild of these cars into more useful all steel 8' single door box cars. The wood siding, flooring doors and roof were jettisoned to the trash heap. New riveted sides with post war Youngstown steel doors and a diagonal panel steel roof were placed onto the existing fish belly under frame and 6/5/5 Murphy corrugated ends. The cars were not heightened and remained at pre-rebuilt 10'0" IH.

Bill Welch's  HO model from years ago.

The initial rebuilds were painted into the then standard GN Mineral Red scheme with a side ways facing goat. Early on quite a few were equipped with load dividers and were painted into at least 3 Orange and Green "loader" schemes. Even later, many received Vermillian red in slant serif and EB lettering plus Big Sky Blue and many Glacier Green schemes were done as well.

My work on this series of rebuilds was done years ago. At the time I was making these molds Bill Welch asked for a pair of sides as he had a Westerfield 1925 50' SS autocar, which were the types used for the rebuilding. I eventually tried an experimental technique to have the roof integrate the inclusion of the top gable shaped portion of the 6/5/5 corrugated ends. The end just needed to be horizontally flat across the top. While making the fit of the roof to the sides critically exact, the difficult-at-times of fitting roofs, sides and ends together with no gaps was made much easier.

I had made  a longer wheelbase fish belly under frame back then getting the striker distance to bolster center to 5'0".  I was to learn years later that GN did lots of modifications to the under frame for the rebuildings. Floor stringers which were not on the 1925 floors were added, along with cross-ties and cross member which the originals did not have any of either. I have started adding these structural additions to my stretched frame.

After some other current works which are placed ahead of this project are done I will complete the molds for this GN 50' rebuild box car. I am planning on making 10 casting sets which will be offered to the STMFC list at that time. If anyone wishes to have me reserve a non-obligated one of these cars for later purchase, feel free to ask. I am not accepting any up front money for these. Please note that these are not one-piece bodies.

-Andy Carlson

Ojai CA

<midcentury@...>

I have the 10 cars reserved. Thanks for those folks. My plans don't have me making more than these 10 cars.

Thanks,

-Andy

On Wednesday, June 9, 2021, 5:53:19 PM PDT, Andy Carlson <midcentury@...> wrote:

The Great Northern had 1000s of early 1920s wood side box cars which had fishbelly structured underframes and early style of steel ends. In 1952 the GN initiated a rebuild of these cars into more useful all steel 8' single door box cars. The wood siding, flooring doors and roof were jettisoned to the trash heap. New riveted sides with post war Youngstown steel doors and a diagonal panel steel roof were placed onto the existing fish belly under frame and 6/5/5 Murphy corrugated ends. The cars were not heightened and remained at pre-rebuilt 10'0" IH.

Bill Welch's  HO model from years ago.

The initial rebuilds were painted into the then standard GN Mineral Red scheme with a side ways facing goat. Early on quite a few were equipped with load dividers and were painted into at least 3 Orange and Green "loader" schemes. Even later, many received Vermillian red in slant serif and EB lettering plus Big Sky Blue and many Glacier Green schemes were done as well.

My work on this series of rebuilds was done years ago. At the time I was making these molds Bill Welch asked for a pair of sides as he had a Westerfield 1925 50' SS autocar, which were the types used for the rebuilding. I eventually tried an experimental technique to have the roof integrate the inclusion of the top gable shaped portion of the 6/5/5 corrugated ends. The end just needed to be horizontally flat across the top. While making the fit of the roof to the sides critically exact, the difficult-at-times of fitting roofs, sides and ends together with no gaps was made much easier.

I had made  a longer wheelbase fish belly under frame back then getting the striker distance to bolster center to 5'0".  I was to learn years later that GN did lots of modifications to the under frame for the rebuildings. Floor stringers which were not on the 1925 floors were added, along with cross-ties and cross member which the originals did not have any of either. I have started adding these structural additions to my stretched frame.

After some other current works which are placed ahead of this project are done I will complete the molds for this GN 50' rebuild box car. I am planning on making 10 casting sets which will be offered to the STMFC list at that time. If anyone wishes to have me reserve a non-obligated one of these cars for later purchase, feel free to ask. I am not accepting any up front money for these. Please note that these are not one-piece bodies.

-Andy Carlson

Ojai CA

<midcentury@...>