An SP Boxcar


CharlesH.

CharlesH.

Member
Several weeks ago, I asked for a few facts and figures from a somewhat obscure SP automobile boxcar... and here's what I did with them.
I got the notion to build one of these because I found a nice set of plans that came with the Ambroid kit (HOseeker.org, gotta love it) and I had a spare frame from an anachronistic car... not to mention the fact that I need freight cars. I retraced the plans, added the appropriate colouring and data, printed them, and from then it was all about cutting and pasting on heavy cardstock. I also took some cues from the F&C kit to build the end doors.

The entire construction is cardstock, paper strips with embossed rivets (do not count!!) and bent wire, mostly staples. A few heavy pastel chalk dustings took care of the weathering, and the chalk marks were inked on... moslty random scribblings, a few initials and my hat size hehehe.

There are still a few bits and pieces missing on the underbody, and I'll be adding the correct trucks (T-section) later on, but for now, it looks pretty good in a consist. Not too shabby for my first prototypical build, if I say so myself.
 
First rate work, Charles. I remember those old Ambroid kits and they were mostly a pile of cardstock and stripwood in a box. Ambroid liked making those unusual car kits and you've captured the look very nicely.
 
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Amazing - how many times did you change exacto blades ? :eek:)
Truly beautiful - how and what did you use for lettering?
 
Thanks for the comments fellas! Glad you liked it.
Now, concerning the blades... I must have used about 5 or 6. At some point I forgot to change one, and marred one of the end doors badly. Fortunately, with the added parts and a bit of paint it's barely noticeable.
As for the lettering, I simply printed the fully coloured and lettered sides from the start.... and by the time I had already weathered them, I realised I had the wrong number for that particular car class. But a quick cut and paste job took care of that.

P.S.
Anyone got drawings and data for a Pacific Fruit Express all wood reefer?
 
CharlesH. said:
...

The entire construction is cardstock, paper strips with embossed rivets (do not count!!) and bent wire, mostly staples. A few heavy pastel chalk dustings took care of the weathering, and the chalk marks were inked on... moslty random scribblings, a few initials and my hat size hehehe.
Click to expand...

Shades of Megow!!! Cardstock and a few crude castings, (that's an understatement!),and you built a car out of that! This type of construction is going back the the real early days of HO scale! Great work! :D
 
Thanks.... I actually took cues from older kits I've seen. One look at the pieces that came with them and I thought "why not try?".
 
That's terrific work....!!
Have you thought of doing a "How To..." tutorial for those of us technically challenged..?? :confused:
 
Yep, believe it or not, most automobiles were delivered by boxcars until the late 50's. They had the double doors so forklifts could load the autos on pallets into the boxcar. The later 50' steel auto boxcars could handle up to six average automobiles by stacking one above the other on special ramps. The last automobile boxcars introduced end doors so the cars could be driven in. Some bright engineer though it would be even better if you just added an extra rack to a flat car and, thus, the autorack was born. During the 60's, when open auto racks were the norm, the autos carried were subject to damage from flying debris and vandalism. I understand that really expensive models, like Cadillacs and Lincolns, were still shipped by boxcar until the introduction of closed autoracks.
 
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You're welcome, Rust. If you want some more interesting information, check out grain box cars and how grain got delivered before the era of covered hoppers.
 
Oh you know I will. Im boucen all over these forums. Theres so much cool stuff I can learn and see on here. Its almost overwhelming.
 
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