Boxcar Interior Door Color
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rmink
I'm working on an interior for a ribside boxcar and I'm wondering is someone can tell me if the inside of the doors were painted or bare metal? I have not been able to find any pictures in my collection of ribside pictures that show this.
Thanks for your help. Regards, Rick Rick Mink Burleson, TX
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David
Don't know about Milwaukee specifically, but general practice was to paint the inside of the door and sometimes put the car number on it also.
David Thompson
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spsalso
The smart folks painted the whole interior a very light color--light beige or light grey--white looks dirty too quickly.
Ed Edward Sutorik
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Todd Sullivan
When I was clerking in Portland in 1961-62, all the un-insulated boxcar doors I saw were painted on the inside the same color as the car's exterior. RBLs (insulated boxcars) had plug doors that were insulated and lined with wood.
On some Intermountain, Kadee and Branchline boxcars with sliding doors that I built, I have painted the interior of the sides to look like wood or plywood, and the floors a dirtier similar color. The interiors are visible with the doors open. Todd Sullivan
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John Larkin
This is the type of issue that really points out how unaware we can be of our surroundings. I've been around railroads since the Roman days and inside boxcars numerous times and I never paid attention to the inside of the doors... It does make sense though that they were very likely painted if no other reason than to prevent corrosion and to present a more favorable look to shippers. Good idea to paint the floors a wood color. John Larkin
On Thursday, April 16, 2020, 8:59:37 PM CDT, Todd Sullivan via groups.io <sullivant41@...> wrote:
When I was clerking in Portland in 1961-62, all the un-insulated boxcar doors I saw were painted on the inside the same color as the car's exterior. RBLs (insulated boxcars) had plug doors that were insulated and lined with wood. On some Intermountain, Kadee and Branchline boxcars with sliding doors that I built, I have painted the interior of the sides to look like wood or plywood, and the floors a dirtier similar color. The interiors are visible with the doors open. Todd Sullivan
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The reporting mark and number of a box car was usually stenciled on the inside wall, about 6' up to the left of the door opening on both sides.
This was important in terminals where a car's road and number might not be readily visible on the outside.
Especially so, in places where box cars were lined up side by side with their doors open on both sides with ramps put across to the next car, so all could be loaded at the same time regardless of which track they were on.
It was important to have a car's ID plainly positioned so it could be identified by crews loading the cars based on the information and destination for the items being loaded.
Each car's waybill also carried information as to what had been loaded into it.
Important to know for accurate delivery, also settlement in the event of any damage or losses to loads along the way.
Ed Bommer
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Donald B. Valentine <riverman_vt@...>
I have worked around, in or for railroads for well over fifty years and have never seen a boxcar in which the inside of the door was painted in any color other than that with which the exterior of the car was painted, almost always a shade of brown. As far as the wood lining is concerned other than the inside of a milk car I've never seen a car in which the wood lining was painted at all. Cordially, Don Valentine
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David
Here's a UP car with the marks and number stenciled high on the left side of the door opening:
https://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/image_viewer.php?q=ns493 N&W car with the marks and number stenciled high on the right side: https://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/image_viewer.php?q=ns2888 N&W car with the marks and number on the (Superior) door: https://imagebase.lib.vt.edu/image_viewer.php?q=ns2912 David Thompson
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Craig Wilson
Good point . . . and I've found this very useful when determining the heritage of a "repurposed" car. Attached photo shows what was probably the last surviving Ann Arbor 74000-series boxcar. It was being used as a storage shed in the city DPW yard in Cadillac Michigan. The original car number was stenciled on the inside above the door opening. STMFC trivia: this car was THE prototype for the Speedwitch resin kit. Ted Culotta borrowed the drawings that Arnt Gerritsen made from our measurements and photos taken that day. Craig Wilson
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Todd Sullivan
Great information!!
However, I don't think I'm going to start decalling the reporting marks on the inside of my model boxcars! I don't decal the trucks and underframe and insides of doors, either! Todd (there are limits!) Sullivan.
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Schuyler Larrabee
You’re partly off the hook, Todd. Most resin kits don’t end up with operating doors so no interior decals required, but we need to speak to you about those trucks and the markings on the air reservoirs . . .
Schuyler
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Todd Sullivan via groups.io
Sent: Friday, April 17, 2020 2:04 PM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Boxcar Interior Door Color
Great information!!
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Tony Thompson
Schuyler Larrabee wrote:
I only do the reservoir lettering when the reservoir is pretty visible, and not always even then -- on the foundation that prototype photos usually show reservoirs VERY dirty and all but impossible to discern lettering. Tony Thompson
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John Larkin
I'm assuming the car is now history....
On Friday, April 17, 2020, 1:02:03 PM CDT, Craig Wilson <agecompanyphotog@...> wrote:
Good point . . . and I've found this very useful when determining the heritage of a "repurposed" car. Attached photo shows what was probably the last surviving Ann Arbor 74000-series boxcar. It was being used as a storage shed in the city DPW yard in Cadillac Michigan. The original car number was stenciled on the inside above the door opening. STMFC trivia: this car was THE prototype for the Speedwitch resin kit. Ted Culotta borrowed the drawings that Arnt Gerritsen made from our measurements and photos taken that day. Craig Wilson Attachments:
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william darnaby
A looong time ago, when I was still working, EMD used old box cars as mobile warehouses and these kind of floated around the plant as needed. I do not remember the exterior reporting marks…some secondhand outfit or other…but inside the doors they were marked in the L&N 96xxx series IIRC. I did not have the freight knowledge I have now but I now recognize them as double sheathed rebuilds. They caught my attention because I thought them neat and unusual. I was very pleased when Sunshine offered them many years later.
Bill Darnaby
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Aley, Jeff A
Schuyler,
You’ll have to re-send your message to Todd off-list because he’s been banned from RealSTMFC for his blasphemy (not decalling the inside of his box cars)!!
Regards,
-Jeff
P.S. Just kidding!!!!
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io>
On Behalf Of Schuyler Larrabee via groups.io
Sent: Friday, April 17, 2020 12:19 PM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Boxcar Interior Door Color
You’re partly off the hook, Todd. Most resin kits don’t end up with operating doors so no interior decals required, but we need to speak to you about those trucks and the markings on the air reservoirs . . .
Schuyler
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io>
On Behalf Of Todd Sullivan via groups.io
Great information!!
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Bob Webber
Even on otw clean cars too. For obvious reasons. In the fwiw department, the standard steel car stenciling drawings show all those areas... Inside eaves, doors, reservoirs, trucks, etc.
Sent from BlueMail
On Apr 17, 2020, at 4:25 PM, Tony Thompson <tony@...> wrote:
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Jim Gates
I would say that if, on a moderately to bright sunny day, you were looking at a boxcar with one open door from 87 feet away (12 inches in HO), the the color of the interior would be .. dark. Jim Gates
On Friday, April 17, 2020, 09:54:29 AM CDT, Donald B. Valentine via groups.io <riverman_vt@...> wrote: I have worked around, in or for railroads for well over fifty years and have never seen a boxcar in which the inside of the door was painted in any color other than that with which the exterior of the car was painted, almost always a shade of brown. As far as the wood lining is concerned other than the inside of a milk car I've never seen a car in which the wood lining was painted at all. Cordially, Don Valentine
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Jim,
"dark"... yep... works for me. Quite funny but very valid. In the end... does anyone really care? Who among the nit pickers would challenge you... let them provide proof. Just sayin'... Wow... I need to get out and smell fresh air. Gordon Spalty
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Todd Sullivan
Well, I never imagined that my droll post about lettering the inside of boxcars, truck sideframes, etc., would result in so many posts. They kept me laughing all day - thanks!!
It seems that a lot more humor has been posted here and in other Web haunts over the past 2-3 weeks. Do you suppose we are rediscovering humor and finding that being a bit goofy now and then is OK? I mean, we don't always have to be politically correct and 100% accurate, do we? Todd Sullivan (with fingers in ears)
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