Fellow Listers,
                     While starting work on the underframes of my three Sunshine ATSF Fe class "Whale Belly" rebuilds, the instructions make no mention of chain storage tubes in the floor. I am building the auto rack equipped cars. My question is how many tubes should there be and where would they be spaced on a fifty foot car of this type? I have the SF Rolling stock vol. 3 but the closest reference is of an Fe-5, a forty foot car, on page 51.
Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Joe Jacques 




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In STMFC@..., Joseph Jacques <bowie1793@...> wrote:

My question is how many tubes should there be and where would they

be spaced on a fifty foot car of this type? I have the SF Rolling
stock vol. 3 but the closest reference is of an Fe-5, a forty foot
car, on page 51.













Joe,

Auto rack equipped cars typically displayed (in addition to the
horizontal white stripe) a number and letter on the door. For
examples, see p. 67 & 78 of your SF Book for some Fe-20 examples,
showing "12 D" on the door. The "12" represents the number of floor
tubes, and the "D" is the type of rack.

If I find anything definite regarding placement of the tubes I will
post that as well.


Hope this is helpful,

John Hile
Blacksburg, VA

On Aug 27, 2008, at 8:35 PM, Joseph Jacques wrote:

Fellow Listers,
While starting work on the underframes of my
three Sunshine ATSF Fe class "Whale Belly" rebuilds, the
instructions make no mention of chain storage tubes in the floor. I
am building the auto rack equipped cars. My question is how many
tubes should there be and where would they be spaced on a fifty
foot car of this type? I have the SF Rolling stock vol. 3 but the
closest reference is of an Fe-5, a forty foot car, on page 51.
Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

Joe, the problem with the Santa Fe whalebelly cars is that the deep
fishbelly sills conceal the tubes. However, you can assume that they
were located in the same places as on other 50' cars with 12 tubes.
I'm sending you off-list a scan of an M-K-T 50' auto car with Evans
racks and 12 tubes which should answer your question. Note that
there was a pair of tubes at each end of the car which were concealed
by the trucks.

Richard Hendrickson