Getting into the weeds here but should be appreciated by the list I think: 

Were striker castings proprietary to a vendor or the car builder? I have found a couple of styles used on USRA gons, though most of the builder photos look to be a consistent style, and a bit different from the general arrangement drawings. 

If they were proprietary, are there any resources or articles covering different designs? I've been browsing CBCs and hobby press online with no luck. 

I'm working on a USRA 50-ton composite gon in proto:48 and trying to figure out the striker casting. The best photo I could find is attached (a detail of an image of a W&LE car pulled from Ted Culotta's 2018 St. Louis RPM presentation on his build of an L&M gon). I'm modelling an SP version (ex. El Paso & Southwestern). 

If I can find drawings, the plan is to build a master and cast the assemblies I need, then incorporate them into scratch-built draft gear to house the Protocraft scale couplers... Needless to say, the entire project has ground to halt trying to figure this part out!

--
Brian Stokes
https://northpoint48.blogspot.com/

Brian:

Unfortunately, Ike's Southern design is about ten years too new; it has the drawbar carry iron cast integral. The USRA design used a separate cast carry iron attached with a large bolt, and indeed, the huge nut shows in Brian's photo. The striker casting kind of shows in some general arrangement drawings in the 1922 CBC, but not in enough detail to do it justice in 1:48 scale. The 1919 CBC had more extensive coverage of the "Government cars", but I don't have a copy, although I know there is a scanned copy available on the web somewhere. Best bet would be to have Bob Webber pull the drawings at the Pullman Library, but I believe they are closed for the duration.

Dennis Storzek

Usually - at least in Standard Steel cars, they had their own patterns for cast strikers.  We haven't yet scanned H&B strikers, as we've scanned very few of the H&B small drawings.  The Pullman strikers had a place to put pattern and material (MS, CS, etc.) - but it wasn't always filled.   Aside from one person, interested mostly in specific railroad's strikers, we've not had much call for them.  But...we have thousands.   The other aspect is that there are combined front lug / striker, draft arm, etc. that may have the striker casting integral or on the drawing (without a separate drawing). 

For the USRA Gondolas we have these drawings:
HB-7901-41-136.tif   Patt. No. 3424 - 4 1/4 x 8 Journal Box Lid - USRA Lots - Flats, Refrigerator, Gondola  
HB-7965-41-148.tif   Patt. No. 41527-M - Side Door Hinge Butt - Lots 5176, 5180. 5183, USRA Gondola    
HB-7967-41-149.tif   Patt. No. 41517-M - Side Door Bolt Staple - Lot 5176, 5180, 5183 1918 USRA Gondola  
HB-7969-41-150.tif   Patt. No. 25377--M - Side Door Bolt Staple - Lots 5176, 5180, 5183 USRA Gondola   
HB-7974-41-151.tif   Patt. No. 6499 - Signal Bracket  -Lots 5176, 5180, 5183 USRA Gondola              
HB-7978-41-153.tif   Side Door Pin & Chain - Lots 5176, 5180, 5183 USRA Gondola                        
HB-7979-41-154.tif   End Door Pin & Chain - Lots 5176, 5180, 5183 USRA Gondola                         
HB-7990-41-155.tif   Double Strap Bolt - Lots 5176, 5180, 5183 USRA Gondola                            
HB-7995-41-156.tif   Brake Steel Details - Lots 5176, 5180, 5183 USRA Gondola                          
HB-8264-41-199.tif   Standard Marking for USRA Journal Bearing - Lot 5178 1918 US Standard Gondola, Box  
HB-9687-14-49.tif    Link Operation Arrangement for toggle gear to USRA Gond                           
SS-50132.tif         Murphy steel end alt. construction USRA 50 ton Comp Gond car                      
SS-50132.tif         Murphy steel end alt. construction USRA 50 ton Comp Gond car                      
UMP-6705.TIF         USRA Panels for 50-Ton Composite Gondola - 1932                                   
UMP-6705.TIF         USRA Panels for 50-Ton Composite Gondola - 1932                                   
UMP-6705.TIF         USRA Panels for 50-Ton Composite Gondola - 1932   

Note that this is likely not ALL USRA Gondola drawings.  But also note, the first several have pattern numbers.  HB=Haskell & Barker, SS = Standard Steel Car, UMP = Union Metal Products. 

But...if it isn't on this list, it may take time (closed for the duration) to access.  

If it was an ACF built car, St. Louis would have the drawings. 

If this is a USRA copy and you have builder & year, we can likely find drawings.  There are holes and overlaps (due to where the drawings went, what were saved, etc.) 


At 10:46 AM 4/14/2020, Brian Stokes wrote:

Getting into the weeds here but should be appreciated by the list I think:

Were striker castings proprietary to a vendor or the car builder? I have found a couple of styles used on USRA gons, though most of the builder photos look to be a consistent style, and a bit different from the general arrangement drawings.

If they were proprietary, are there any resources or articles covering different designs? I've been browsing CBCs and hobby press online with no luck.

I'm working on a USRA 50-ton composite gon in proto:48 and trying to figure out the striker casting. The best photo I could find is attached (a detail of an image of a W&LE car pulled from Ted Culotta's 2018 St. Louis RPM presentation on his build of an L&M gon). I'm modelling an SP version (ex. El Paso & Southwestern).

If I can find drawings, the plan is to build a master and cast the assemblies I need, then incorporate them into scratch-built draft gear to house the Protocraft scale couplers... Needless to say, the entire project has ground to halt trying to figure this part out!

--
Brian Stokes
https://northpoint48.blogspot.com/

Bob Webber

Southern Card Record (Drawing List) F-67 for “USDDB gond" 198000-199999 (1918) and M&O USDDB gond M&O 11400-11599 (ACF 1925) does not include a striker drawing. The drawing I did find, SF-2217, is labeled “Draft Sill Construction for Westinghouse and Session Gears” includes “End Elevation”, top and side views. There is no striker casting on the draft gear although the Southern appears to have received other draft gears on different groups of cars.

This is the striker of a USRA gon copy built for Cincinnati Indianapolis & Western in 1923:

https://imgur.com/a/yi08mMU

David Thompson

On Tue, Apr 14, 2020 at 03:42 PM, George Eichelberger wrote:

The Google Drive link for SF-2217 (another big file!) is:

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LB63E_E57b2ev1hkaxMszDxYNIhM7T9Q/view?usp=sharing

 

Ike

That looks better. Note on the partial end view the nuts show at the bottom left corner of the casting, along with a call out for the bolt, which I just can't quite read, but looks like 1-3/8" diameter.

Dennis Storzek

The Southern document does look very much like what is in the 1919 CBC drawing but in much better and more legible detail. 

Sounds like it really depends on the builder and road - and unfortunately, I haven't found any info on who built the El Paso & Southwestern gons yet. 
This gives me a good place to start though, between the drawing and the opposite side detail photos that David linked to. 

Bob, I'd love to get some of those drawings so I can detail the doors once they are available.

Thanks all! 

--
Brian Stokes
https://northpoint48.blogspot.com/

Striker casting drawings…and many more!