I just looked again, and did find a Red Caboose 8700 series kit unbuilt.  Maybe this says something about having too many unbuilt kits. 

 

Attached are photos of the Branchline doors with the Red Caboose car.  I don’t like this option.  This option results in very narrow side panels on each side of the door.  It looks like Red Caboose took the tooling for a side with a 6’ door and simply widened the door opening.  The panels on each side of the door are much narrower than the remaining panels on the sides.  The kit does include a nice diagonal panel roof a much nicer parts.  However, this particular version looks like the ends are the same as the Front Range ends.  I think I will use the roof and detail parts from this kit with the Front Range body to make one of the cars and the Branchline kit to make another car.

 

Sincerely,

Rich Remiarz

Tim and Andy,

This has been an interesting discussion.  Thanks for reminding me about the RC-8700 series kits.  I thought I had a good use for some old Front Range cars I had on the shelf, but looks like there may be better alternatives.

I went through my stash of boxcar kits to see what I could find.  I don’t have a RC-8700 series kit to compare.  I did compare the panels on the Front Range boxcar with the Branchline 8’ door car that Andy Carlson recommended.  The panel lines on the Branchline car match up better with the prototype car.  The Branchline car will require more work on the side sill.  The 8’ and 7’ Branchline doors work ( I happened to find one kit with 7’ doors still unbuilt).

It is easy to add a Branchline diagonal panel roof to the Front Range car to upgrade the look, much more work to change the ends.  The side sills only need to be extended to the ends of the car. 

I like either of these options over the McKean/Accurail car for the 3000 series.

Attached are photos comparing the Branchline and Front Range cars with the prototype.  In the end, I think I will build one car each way and share the results.

Sincerely,

Rich Remiarz

Sent from Mail for Windows

Another way of building the 3000-3499 series is using the Front Range 4070 boxcar kits.  These also had an 8’ door, resulting in narrower panels.  As Andy said, putting an 8’ and 7’ door on the McKean/Accurail car results in narrow side panels on either side of the doors.

 

Rich Remiarz

 

--
Tim O'Connor
Sterling, Massachusetts

Another way of building the 3000-3499 series is using the Front Range 4070 boxcar kits.  These also had an 8’ door, resulting in narrower panels.  As Andy said, putting an 8’ and 7’ door on the McKean/Accurail car results in narrow side panels on either side of the doors.

 

Rich Remiarz

 

--
Tim O'Connor
Sterling, Massachusetts

Check out this Plate C hobbies, never heard of them but they are doing a 2 bay WM hopper

[From Tim O]
https://platecmp.com/index.php/product/4008-01/

Another way of building the 3000-3499 series is using the Front Range 4070 boxcar kits.  These also had an 8’ door, resulting in narrower panels.  As Andy said, putting an 8’ and 7’ door on the McKean/Accurail car results in narrow side panels on either side of the doors.

 

Rich Remiarz

The model is a combination of two prototype cars.  The roof, ends, and side sill match the GN 3000-3499 series built in 1955, while the sides, ends, and doors match the 3500-3999 series built in 1956.  To correctly model the 3500-3599 series the roof needs to be changed to an overhanging diagonal panel roof and the side sills modified.  The 3000-3499 series had a 15’ door opening with a 7’ and 8’ door and different rivet pattern on the sides.

 

There will be an article on kit-bashing the 3000-3499 series cars by Ted Fandel in an upcoming issue of the GNRHS Modelers’ Pages.  Being the editor for the Modelers’ Pages I get to see the articles ahead of time, and am in the process of building one of these cars myself.  I just finished the master of the left hand door yesterday.  The door is pieced together from three pieces from two different Kadee 7’ Youngstown doors.  The door on the right is a Kadee 8’ door.  Joe Binish will make a mold of the door next week.  I need to build several of these cars for my layout so additional doors will be cast.

 

I am also working on one of the 3500 series cars.  I shortened a Branchline 50’ overhanging diagonal panel roof and cut down the side sills.  I am currently detailing the underframe.

 

Sincerely,

Rich Remiarz

Vadnais Heights, MN

 

 

 

Sent from Mail for Windows

 

From: Andy Carlson
Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2022 3:01 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Subject: [RealSTMFC] UP 40' Double door automobile car

 

This car is the Mckeen Models 40' DD box car. Diagonal panel roof, "banana taper" Dreadnaught end and twin 6' IYSD with a door post centered between the L & R doors. Those ends indicate at least a 1955 build date. This car has been discussed many times to this group. To me, it seems close to a 1955 built Great Northern car though the side sill is wrong and the roof should be an overhanging eave design.

The model is a combination of two prototype cars.  The roof, ends, and side sill match the GN 3000-3499 series built in 1955, while the sides, ends, and doors match the 3500-3999 series built in 1956.  To correctly model the 3500-3599 series the roof needs to be changed to an overhanging diagonal panel roof and the side sills modified.  The 3000-3499 series had a 15’ door opening with a 7’ and 8’ door and different rivet pattern on the sides.

 

There will be an article on kit-bashing the 3000-3499 series cars by Ted Fandel in an upcoming issue of the GNRHS Modelers’ Pages.  Being the editor for the Modelers’ Pages I get to see the articles ahead of time, and am in the process of building one of these cars myself.  I just finished the master of the left hand door yesterday.  The door is pieced together from three pieces from two different Kadee 7’ Youngstown doors.  The door on the right is a Kadee 8’ door.  Joe Binish will make a mold of the door next week.  I need to build several of these cars for my layout so additional doors will be cast.

 

I am also working on one of the 3500 series cars.  I shortened a Branchline 50’ overhanging diagonal panel roof and cut down the side sills.  I am currently detailing the underframe.

 

Sincerely,

Rich Remiarz

Vadnais Heights, MN

 

 

 

Sent from Mail for Windows

 

From: Andy Carlson
Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2022 3:01 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Subject: [RealSTMFC] UP 40' Double door automobile car

 

This car is the Mckeen Models 40' DD box car. Diagonal panel roof, "banana taper" Dreadnaught end and twin 6' IYSD with a door post centered between the L & R doors. Those ends indicate at least a 1955 build date. This car has been discussed many times to this group. To me, it seems close to a 1955 built Great Northern car though the side sill is wrong and the roof should be an overhanging eave design.