Help identifying this U.P. 40 foot box car!


deanej

Member
I would like to detail this car for my Union Pacific MOW collection. I'm having trouble figuring out what model car to use for a basis.

http://www.pbase.com/deanej/image/137106872

I want to retain the individual grab irons instead of a ladder, and note the little door in the end. Is anyone familiar enough with box cars to have a suggestion as to what to look at for a model.

Thanks

Deane
 
The only ones where I've seen a bunch of grabs instead of a ladder is in wooden box cars.

The Intermountain 40' PS-1 box car (undecorated) is a good place to start from since it has grabs on the left side, and the ladders on the right side can be removed. The mounting holes for the ladders are straight so depending on the grab spacing, you can either reuse the holes, or fill them and redrill for grabs. The Intermountain model also comes with either a 6 foot, 7 foot, or 8 foot door to match your prototype.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm sure I'll have to make some compromises. That car looks a bit modified from original. I don't see any brake wheel on it unless it's hidden in the shadow. I suppose there could be something on the other end.

I shot that 40+ years ago and as always, wish I'd done a better job.

Deane
 
Is that one of the old-style boxcars made for hauling dimensional lumber? I see that door in the end of the car.
 
I flipped through my copy of Terry Metcalfe's book, Union Pacific Freight Cars, 1936-51. This car does not appear in the book. I can safely assume, by the end corrugations (5/5/5/1), that this is a Pre-1936 or post 1951 USRA rebuild. The inset sill, showing a shadow of the sides, appears to me to be an USRA wood side 40' car that has been rebuilt with steel sides.

A PS-1, 40' steel boxcar will not work here, w/o major sill re-work. Best bet would be the Tichy model:
http://www.tichytraingroup.com/index.php?page=view_product.php&id=48&category=Freight+Car+Kits

You would have the closest correct ends, minus the small dimensional lumber door, and single top rib (Tichy car has 5/5/5 ends). Tichy does mention it comes with two ends, so MAYBE it also has the 5/5/5/1, but I'd think the other was a more common 4/5 or 5/5 with larger ribs. Tichy sells the 5/5/5/1 ends separately:
http://www.tichytraingroup.com/index.php?page=view_product.php&id=260&category=Freight+Car+Parts

Grab irons would have to be done by you, as the kit comes with a ladder. The brake wheel in your photo is on the other end of the car.

Add an etched metal roofwalk from Plano, and you'd have a near contest quality model on your hands.

You can opt for the Atlas Master version, with 5/5/5 ends, but the side sheet to end sheet joint is modeled differently then the prototype. However, combine the Atlas Fishbelly underframe with the Tichy sides and roof, and it would be even better.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/150-64005

Last option would be a resin kit from Funaro & Camerlengo, still a large amount of kitbashing though.
 
Josh, thanks for all of your work on my behalf. It seems that a lot of the work train equipment was often rebuilt and modified from retired equipment. I think I have enough to go on now. Again, thanks.

Deane
 
The Intermountain 40' PS-1 box car (undecorated) is a good place to start

No, it isn't. The Intermountain car is a late 1940s to early 1950s car with a by then standard 10'6" inside height.

This car looks much shorter than that. Also look at the side sill below the side sheets, and you can see the bottom ends of the car ribs sticking out. Based on that feature and the low height of the car this is very likely originally a steel-braced wood boxcar that has been rebuilt with steel sides, a relatively common type of rebuild in the late 1930s and 40s.

What you're looking for is this:
http://www.atlasrr.com/HOFreight/hosteelrebuilt2.htm

Although it doesn't have the specific ends that the prototype car does, with the little end doors for loading lumber piece-by-piece, you're not going to get anything closer off-the-shelf.
 
No, it isn't. The Intermountain car is a late 1940s to early 1950s car with a by then standard 10'6" inside height.

This car looks much shorter than that. Also look at the side sill below the side sheets, and you can see the bottom ends of the car ribs sticking out. Based on that feature and the low height of the car this is very likely originally a steel-braced wood boxcar that has been rebuilt with steel sides, a relatively common type of rebuild in the late 1930s and 40s.

What you're looking for is this:
http://www.atlasrr.com/HOFreight/hosteelrebuilt2.htm

Although it doesn't have the specific ends that the prototype car does, with the little end doors for loading lumber piece-by-piece, you're not going to get anything closer off-the-shelf.

Sorry, I didn't take that into account. I was looking at the shape.
 
Just ordered the Atlas car. No turning back now.

I appreciate all of the discussion. When I took that photo 40 years ago, I wasn't sensitive to needing a couple of more angles. As I recall, I was tramping around on UP property, walking past the No Trespassing signs rather freely. Luckily, they weren't too tense in those days. Darn, where did the good old days go.

Here's some more I shot during the same era:

http://www.pbase.com/deanej/trains

Deane
 



Back
Top