MoPac 50' AAR boxcar


Mike Huddleston
 

I've attached an image of a Missouri Pacific AC&F 50' auto car with superior doors.  I'm hoping to use a Proto 2000 50' auto box car as a base to model this style car.  Some differences from the MoPac car are the roof walk, ladders and brake gear.  I'm having some trouble with the doors.  The Proto 2000 car has Youngstown doors. 

Wondering if anyone has a better image of the superior doors?  The remaining details are easy enough to replace but I plan to draw and 3D print the doors.  The door hardware is difficult to make out in the only image I have. 

Thanks,

Mike H. 


O Fenton Wells
 

Mike get a hold of Chad Boas and I think he can supply the doors.
Chad is at <chadboas@...>

On Wed, Oct 19, 2022 at 5:41 PM Mike Huddleston via groups.io <mah2506=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:
I've attached an image of a Missouri Pacific AC&F 50' auto car with superior doors.  I'm hoping to use a Proto 2000 50' auto box car as a base to model this style car.  Some differences from the MoPac car are the roof walk, ladders and brake gear.  I'm having some trouble with the doors.  The Proto 2000 car has Youngstown doors. 

Wondering if anyone has a better image of the superior doors?  The remaining details are easy enough to replace but I plan to draw and 3D print the doors.  The door hardware is difficult to make out in the only image I have. 

Thanks,

Mike H. 



--
Fenton Wells
250 Frye Rd
Pinehurst NC 28374
910-420-8106
srrfan1401@...


golden1014
 

Hi Mike, if that MoPac car has two eight-foot doors, you can get them from Chad Boas at chadboas@....  If it has one eight-foot and one seven-foot doors, you can get the seven foot door from Southwest (I believe there's a link to Southwest on the Resin Car Works site).  John Golden


mopacfirst
 

Some further information on the prototype.  These cars were built by ACF in 1945, in three different number series.

This car is from I-GN 14300-14349, later MP 350800-350849 (after the system renumbering of 1963-65).  There were also StLB&M 20600-20649 later MP 350850-350898, and MP 86200-86399, later MP 350900-351085.  This car is stenciled as an XA automobile car, but they later were mostly stenciled XM or XP.  All three series of cars were on the same MP diagram.  Cars repainted after 1949, which most were, would have received the Eagles slogan.

Further info from the diagram, that might be useful for modeling purposes.  Running boards and brake step are Apex.  I've used a Kadee roofwalk for these.  Door openings are shown as 8'-0" and 7'-5-3/4".  Useful info on the diagram for lettering purposes -- LT. WT 84100, CAPY 4860 cuft.  Roof would have been Murphy type.

I think I used a Sunshine mini-kit for the doors, which were intended for a Wabash car but I had found a photo of a similar Wabash car with Youngstown doors.  I don't remember how accurate the auxiliary door width on the model is, but if I can find the car on the layout I'll look.

Note the straight-cut end to the sidesill reinforcement under the doors, common on late 40s double door cars.  I haven't looked to see if there are photos online. 

These cars are broadly similar to the famous 'express' cars of 1942,  except without the fishbelly underframe.  Those cars had actually been built as auto or auto parts cars, but quickly were pressed into express service, and ended their days in hide service by early 70s.

Ron Merrick


Bill Vaughn
 


Door openings are shown as 8'-0" and 7'-5-3/4"  Don't forget this is the clear door opening onto the car not the size of the doors.

Bill Vaughn




golden1014
 

Hi Ron, could you send those diagrams?  I'd like to see them.  Did any of the cars have end doors?  Thanks, John Golden


mopacfirst
 

I'm posting the diagram here.  This is the one from the MPHS 1951 diagram book.  There's a later one, from when MP redrew all the diagrams, after the renumbering, also.

No MP steel 50' boxcar had end doors.  There were some on earlier composite single sheathed 50' cars.

Ron Merrick


Tim O'Connor
 


A LONG time ago the MP Historical Society had the Athearn 50 foot double door (~ Fe-24) decorated for
these cars with decals included for the car numbers. Obviously the Proto is a better model. Was there possibly
a Sunshine mini-kit for these with the correct doors?


On 10/14/2022 9:42 AM, Mike Huddleston via groups.io wrote:

I've attached an image of a Missouri Pacific AC&F 50' auto car with superior doors.  I'm hoping to use a Proto 2000 50' auto box car as a base to model this style car.  Some differences from the MoPac car are the roof walk, ladders and brake gear.  I'm having some trouble with the doors.  The Proto 2000 car has Youngstown doors. 

Wondering if anyone has a better image of the superior doors?  The remaining details are easy enough to replace but I plan to draw and 3D print the doors.  The door hardware is difficult to make out in the only image I have. 

Thanks,

Mike H. 

Attachments:



--
Tim O'Connor
Sterling, Massachusetts


Mike Huddleston
 

Thanks everyone for the additional info.  Ron - the drawing is especially helpful.  

After some research, the Proto 2000 car may not be the best candidate.  There are fewer side panels than the MoPac car.  I'm looking into the Branchline 50' double door car.  It looks like the side panels and sill are correct.  However, it doesn't have the Murphy roof.  At least the roof is not cast into the car body so easier to replace.  Once I get in hand I'll know more.

Mike H.


 

Upon further review, the Branchline body is incorrect. It gas a 5-8 pattern. The Proto 2000 is the correct 4-6. If you want to get to a rivet counter mode, you would need Archer Rivets AR88030 to correct the rivet pattern.

Rich Christie 


Tony Thompson
 

Exactly what I did to make a post-war SP A-50-15.
Tony Thompson 


On Oct 24, 2022, at 2:44 PM, Rich C via groups.io <rhcdmc@...> wrote:

Upon further review, the Branchline body is incorrect. It gas a 5-8 pattern. The Proto 2000 is the correct 4-6. If you want to get to a rivet counter mode, you would need Archer Rivets AR88030 to correct the rivet pattern.

Rich Christie 


Tim O'Connor
 


Does anyone make a 5/5 Dreadnaught end that fits the Branchline 10-6 car bodies? I would think
that might be a useful part to have for other projects too. Hard to understand if there is no cast resin
50 foot Z-eave rectangular panel roof out there, since the master could be made easily enough from
a couple of IMWX/RC roofs. :-\


On 10/21/2022 9:06 PM, Mike Huddleston via groups.io wrote:

Thanks everyone for the additional info.  Ron - the drawing is especially helpful.  

After some research, the Proto 2000 car may not be the best candidate.  There are fewer side panels than the MoPac car.  I'm looking into the Branchline 50' double door car.  It looks like the side panels and sill are correct.  However, it doesn't have the Murphy roof.  At least the roof is not cast into the car body so easier to replace.  Once I get in hand I'll know more.

Mike H.

--
Tim O'Connor
Sterling, Massachusetts


O Fenton Wells
 

Try Chad Boas.  He may have that I don't remember 
fenton

On Tue, Oct 25, 2022 at 1:03 PM Tim O'Connor <timboconnor@...> wrote:

Does anyone make a 5/5 Dreadnaught end that fits the Branchline 10-6 car bodies? I would think
that might be a useful part to have for other projects too. Hard to understand if there is no cast resin
50 foot Z-eave rectangular panel roof out there, since the master could be made easily enough from
a couple of IMWX/RC roofs. :-\


On 10/21/2022 9:06 PM, Mike Huddleston via groups.io wrote:
Thanks everyone for the additional info.  Ron - the drawing is especially helpful.  

After some research, the Proto 2000 car may not be the best candidate.  There are fewer side panels than the MoPac car.  I'm looking into the Branchline 50' double door car.  It looks like the side panels and sill are correct.  However, it doesn't have the Murphy roof.  At least the roof is not cast into the car body so easier to replace.  Once I get in hand I'll know more.

Mike H.

--
Tim O'Connor
Sterling, Massachusetts



--
Fenton Wells
250 Frye Rd
Pinehurst NC 28374
910-420-8106
srrfan1401@...


Mike Huddleston
 

I can confirm the original IGN image from 1945 does have a 5-8 side panel pattern thanks to Ed Hawkins.  There were other cars built in 1941 with a fishbelly underframe that had a 4-6 pattern.  Resin car works did a limited run kit for these. 

Mike H.


Tim O'Connor
 


What number series was that ? RCW did a specific MP car built for express service, with tons of rivets !


On 10/25/2022 8:50 PM, Mike Huddleston via groups.io wrote:

I can confirm the original IGN image from 1945 does have a 5-8 side panel pattern thanks to Ed Hawkins.  There were other cars built in 1941 with a fishbelly underframe that had a 4-6 pattern.  Resin car works did a limited run kit for these. 

Mike H.

--
Tim O'Connor
Sterling, Massachusetts


Mike Huddleston
 

Attached is the data sheet from Resin car works website.  It's available along with some prototype images of the 1941 builds.  

The later version I'm trying to build is from 1945.  There is info on both versions in the 10/95 and 3/96 issues of Railmodel Journal.

Mike H.