MP Box car
|
I picked up an MP 50' boxcar of an unknown origin at a train show.I suspect
|
|
|
|
hubert mask
Afternoon Mike. I didn't find the 86200 series cars, however if you need decals to upgrade the car I provide a variety of MP decals. Check out my site maskislanddecals.com under freight. Hopefully you can fill in the gaps. Most of the time on those models I just start over.
Hope this helps.
Hubert Mask Mask Island Decals Inc. From: STMFC@...
Sent: Monday, December 19, 2016 4:56 PM To: STMFC@... Subject: [STMFC] RE: MP Box car
I picked up an MP 50' boxcar of an unknown origin at a train show.I suspect
|
|
|
|
Benjamin Hom
Armand Premo asked (via Mike Brock): "I picked up an MP 50' boxcar of an unknown origin at a train show. I suspect it might be a Front Range model. The detail is not up to today's standard. Not being familiar with the MP or its rolling stock I am seeking help as I would like to upgrade this model. The car is lettered for the 86200 series. The information I am seeking, if it is not a "Fooby", is: roof type, running boards and truck type." Any more specific details about the model other than it's a 50 ft steel boxcar? Ends, roof type, riveted/welded sides, door width, etc.? Ben Hom |
|
|
|
Tom Madden
Mike Brock (apparently) asked about a MoPac boxcar model but then ended with this curious statement: > Any help would be appreciated before I plunge > into an attempt to upgrade.Armand Premo I'd be leery of putting much time and expense into upgrading your Armand. He's considered a classic, and I fear that any new parts might be more than the body could handle. Hope this helps. Tom Madden
|
|
|
|
Garth Groff <sarahsan@...>
Armand and Mike, AFAIK, all the Front Range 50' cars had a moderately detailed floor that was part of the body casting. The separate underframe casting terminated just short of the coupler boxes, which themselves were separate parts that attached to the floor. The ends were the late "banana taper" type and the roof was diagonal panel. Does this help? Richard Hendrickson mentioned MP 86200-86399
in an article in the March 1996 RMJ on prototypes for the Proto-2000
boxcars, although he only showed a photo of similar I-GN 14335.
The MP cars were 50', 10 6" cars with staggered Superior 7-panel
double-doors over a 15' 1" opening, 5/5 ends, steel running
boards, and ASF-3 trucks. He doesn't mention the roof, but
should have been a raised panel type. Yours Aye,
Garth Groff On 12/19/16 11:56 AM, 'Mike Brock'
brockm@... [STMFC] wrote:
|
|
|
|
Another thing about Front Range 40 foot and 50 foot box cars is that if you are willing to do a little extra work, the floor can be cut out and replaced with the outstanding floor/underframe castings from Accurail. They look 10x better and are more accurate than the awful FR u/f. Also the Front Range models have separate roofs. The ends are indeed R+3/4 and in my opinion are the best feature of the models, better than any other rendition of those ends in HO scale. Accurail of course acquired the tooling for the 50 foot cars (Red Caboose got the 40 foot cars) and released them with cast-on details. The ZU eave roof Accurail cut is also the best such roof in HO scale, far superior to Branchline's. If only it were available as a separate part! Tim O'Connor AFAIK, all the Front Range 50' cars had a moderately detailed floor that was part of the body casting. The separate underframe casting terminated just short of the coupler boxes, which themselves were separate parts that attached to the floor. The ends were the late "banana taper" type and the roof was diagonal panel. Does this help? Garth Groff |
|
|
|
I agree. Although Armand's underframe is not in the best shape, it would be hard to improve on the excellent weathering. --------------------------- Mike Brock (apparently) asked about a MoPac boxcar model but then ended with this curious statement: Any help would be appreciated before I plungeinto an attempt to upgrade.Armand Premo I'd be leery of putting much time and expense into upgrading your Armand. He's considered a classic, and I fear that any new parts might be more than the body could handle. Hope this helps. Tom Madden
|
|
|
|
mopacfirst
Here's the data on the MP 86200 series:
MP 86200-86399, and I-GN 14300-14399, and StLB&M 20600-20649, built by ACF in 1945, lot 2762. The builders photos show 5-5 early dreadnought ends, 8-rung ladders, and presumably a Murphy roof. Doors are 15' (8' main + 7' auxiliary), 7-panel Superior, all panels same width, with tackboard straddling the second and third panels. Sidesill has a gentle taper on left end and sharper taper on right end, with one short sidesill tab to the right plus the two bolster tabs. Appears to be Ajax brake. Trucks are ASF A-3. Roofwalk is steel, not obvious but could be Apex. In other words, sort of halfway between a Proto and a Branchline. Cars were boxcar red with 30" buzzsaw and no slogan when built. Cars repainted in the 50s got 42" buzzsaw and Route of the Eagles slogan. Cars repainted after 1961 got 60" buzzsaw and no slogan. These cars were renumbered from the different series shown above to MP 350800-351085 in 1965 and after. Attrition accounts for the smaller number of cars. I no longer remember what the Front Range cars were like, but if they have a banana taper end then a closer match might be MP 89500-89949 which would have had Youngstown doors. Some other series of cars built in MP shops had riveted sides but P-S roof and/or ends. Hope this helps. Ron Merrick |
|
|