Guys;

My West Shore X31A with hatches does not have patch panels, but I do not have
their other X31's. I have contemplating adding patches, but probably through
creative use of tromp-l'oeil (sp?), not direct methods. It was a specific
kit, as it had both hatches and the posts on which one would mount them,
provided. West Shore also offered numerous other kits I could not afford to
take full advantage of, back when offered. I once had the actual plan for
the hatch conversion, for at least some of these cars, but it has been lost.



A variety of X31A were equipped with hatches and as Ben noted, not
reclassified from class X31A, as it seemed to vary depending on immediate
need. At least 67488, 67838, 67890, 76415, 76675, 77306, 77382, 77773,
78083, 78401, 78739, 78803, 78956, and 79209, were lined with steel for coal
tar pitch loading (as per ORER), but X31A 68143 on page 78 of Color Guide 1
is not within this series. It has 4 hatches, and no evidence of flour on its
exterior. It is captioned as a top-loading grain car, but I do not know how
correct that is. It is more likely one of the coal tar chip cars, as there
are other incorrect captions in Vol. 1. I have also seen other cars fitted
for this service, but not noted as such in the ORER. 77742, classified as
Ben noted as X31G, is not contained in that list, either, but strangely,
listed at 1" taller IH than a regular X31A.



X29K 93687, stenciled for Gibsonburg OH is clearly a flour car, but has only
two hatches on diagonal corners, as well as ample evidence of its assigned
service. Many regular PRR box cars were also used in non-assigned flour
service, presumably with kraft paper liners stapled to the interior. Check
out all volumes to see how many box cars were used this way.



I can't say I am that concerned with the number of stringers or other things
that are unable to be seen while sitting on a track, but I do want my cars to
look realistic in that upright position, as well as being representative of
what the prototype also did in real life. I would like to have a more
definitive picture of all these unusual cars, but those records may have
succumbed to the ravages of time and loss of the records in dumpster heaven.



The coal tar pitch cars were not, apparently, loaded with liquid pitch, but
chips, for use in the roofing industry, according to a gent I once talked to,
and the open door on 68143 does not give any evidence of any ability to
transport liquids, as there was, at least on this car, no attempt top line
and seal the door, or provide gravity outlets. Unless we can find someone
directly familiar with these cars, we may never get a definitive answer. All
the same, what we have to go on from various sources gives us some ideas.



Take care,



Elden Gatwood



________________________________

From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...] On Behalf Of
SUVCWORR@...
Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2007 9:55 PM
To: STMFC@...
Subject: Re: [STMFC] Re: West Shore Line (F&C) X31 Kits (was Sunshine SAL
round roof k...

In a message dated 6/24/2007 7:29:12 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
b.hom@... writes:

Rich, thanks again. Does the West Shore Line kit have roof hatches? I
remember that Elden's model had them, and that might be the "late '50s
rebuild" that the refer to. As Greg Martin mentioned earlier, these
cars received changes to the underframe stringer arrangement during
their service lives. Other known changes to X31 and subclasses:
- 690 cars rebuilt to Class X31F extended roof boxcars.
- One car (PRR 77742) rebuilt with roof hatches to Class X31G.
- At least one car (PRR 68143) rebuilt with roof hatches, retaining its
Class X31A designation.
- Evans auto racks were removed from some automobile cars; the chain
tubes remained in place.
- Full length patch panels were applied to the cars in the late 1950s
and 1960s. These cars shared the same design flaw as the X29s and
suffered from side sill corrosion. The patch panels appear to be
taller than those applied to Class X29 boxcars.
- Coil-Elliptic spring trucks were gradually replaced with all-coil
spring packages.



Ben,

The West Shore kits do have the patch panel on the sides while the Sunshine
kit does not. There are no roof hatches. As I recall there were several
X31x cars with hatches in addition to the one X31g. These were not given a
separate subclass but they were designated for flour service. There was a note
in the Jan. 1951 or 52 ORER which identified these cars by number. I will try
to remember to check the ORER in the WPMRM Library the next time I am there.

Rich



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