Questions regarding Walthers 50' outside-braced wood auto boxcar

[bbussey]

Got some questions in regard to the long-discontinued Walthers 50' outside-braced wood auto boxcar.  I like the body on this model and would like to kitbash a Wabash 40' end-doors version as well as keep one of the stock 50' versions once I research the prototype to find which (if any) of the Walthers schemes are valid.  Slightly annoying is that only the Northern Pacific cars have the end doors.  I must have at least ten of these that I picked up on the cheap at various venues, and all of them have warped doors regardless of how much glue was used to secure them to the body.  Any theories on why that is?  Do the now-almost-impossible-to-find undecorated versions also have warped doors?  Are there 6½x10-foot doors from other N scale models that could be substituted in?  And what would be the best method of unwarping the doors once they are removed from the body?  I've already disassembled some of the cars with the bodies remaining intact, but I'm curious at this point if there is anyway to salvage the doors.  Thanks.
 

[Chris333]

Can't help with the prototype, but I had to brace the doors from the inside to push them out flush. I'm guessing whatever glue they used melted the plastic.

[pjm20]

I found these magazine articles to be helpful : http://www.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/3/192/july-1989-page-44 http://www.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/5/350/october-1989-page-41 http://www.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/6/424/november-1989-page-44

[wazzou]

I know what you mean Brian, it's almost as though the doors shrunk after being attached or something.  I've got a couple and both are afflicted with this, as is every other example I have seen... though some much more severe than others.

[bbussey]

I found these magazine articles to be helpful :  http://www.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/6/424/november-1989-page-44

Looks like the T&P car is the closest match on the sides and it had end-doors.  AC&F cars built in the late 1920s.  The single-door rebuild looks interesting.  The ends don't match though.  I'm wondering if the Walthers car had a prototype.

The Missouri Pacific car matches on page 45, with correct sides and Dreadnaught ends, but the roof is radial.  A radial roof wouldn't be difficult to add though.

[pjm20]

Spookshow's website has the descriptions from Walthers that say it was based off a western prototype.

[JMaurer1]

The NP car has the right side bracing but the wrong ends. SP and UP had 1 1/2 wood door. ATSF has less cross bracing. Only thing that looks close is the T&P (as bbussey already pointed out) but T&P is not a western road.

I still have several of these cars and all of them had warped doors, even the undecs. I believe I just replaced the doors with MT doors (?). The doors may have been warped, but the glue still didn't hold the doors on very good and it was possible to just pop them off.

[highway70]

The Western Pacific had similar cars.  Some had end doors (numbers 40xxx) and others had limber doors (numbers 12xxx)


I have 11 of the Walthers cars (2 with end doors)   None have warped doors.

[bbussey]

I just finished checking the Focus on Freight Cars Series, Volume 1 from Speedwitch Media, which covers single-sheathed boxcars including the 50' automobile boxcars.  GTW had the 40' version, 575000-575999, with the dreadnaught ends and Hutchins roof, so I have an eastern prototype I can model fairly easily.  Removing ten feet from the middle of the car eliminates the problem of removing the doors without damaging the body.  The prototype had a brake ratchet instead of a brakewheel, so that will be interesting.  The Wabash cars (48000-49699 and 148001-148035) also had the ratchet as well as radial roofs.  Might have to etch the side doors.

MoPac did have a series of 50' cars with steel doors (89070-89169) built the year after the series featured in the RMJ article, so I can use that as the deco scheme for the 50' model modified with a radial roof.  Also T&P 70750-70799, I-GN 14251-14265, and StLB&M 20551-20565.  Dalman trucks on these.    WP is close (13001-13100), but also had radial roofs.

The Walthers model does not match the prototypes for ATSF, MILW, NP, SP or UP, not even close.  I don't have pics of the GN prototype, but I'm guessing the model would be a match for that road.  Maybe.

 

[bbussey]

... I have 11 of the Walthers cars (2 with end doors)   None have warped doors.

You're one of the fortunate few.

[OldEastRR]

Possibly put the doors in water warm enough to soften them, then set out flat with weights on them?

[Chris333]

I'm pretty sure I made a rubber mold of these doors.

[Cajonpassfan]

While we're on the topic of outside braced furniture and outomobile cars, the  old ConCor fifty foot single sheathed  cars were based on the NP 5000 series with one and a half wooden doors noted above. At least the sides were; the model came with a raised panel roof, standard non fish belly underframe, and those "unique" ends with a ladder and a half... Still, replacing the underframe and ends may not be that hard and the car provides a for a nice  contrast and variety. And, as a bonus, the wood doors aren't all bowed in 
I have a couple of the Walthers cars also and recall inserting a piece of high density foam cut and filed to fit precisely between the doors on the inside to keep them straight.
Regards, Otto K.

[nkalanaga]

The only GN 50 ft double door single sheathed cars I can find in my books are the 43500 - 43899 series, which look nothing like the Walthers car.  Fewer side panels, no end doors, at least by the 60s, and a different roof.

And, yes, my NP car also has warped doors.

[bbussey]

While we're on the topic of outside braced furniture and outomobile cars, the  old ConCor fifty foot single sheathed  cars were based on the NP 5000 series with one and a half wooden doors noted above. At least the sides were; the model came with a raised panel roof, standard non fish belly underframe, and those "unique" ends with a ladder and a half... Still, replacing the underframe and ends may not be that hard and the car provides a for a nice  contrast and variety. And, as a bonus, the wood doors aren't all bowed in 
I have a couple of the Walthers cars also and recall inserting a piece of high density foam cut and filed to fit precisely between the doors on the inside to keep them straight.
Regards, Otto K.

Too early an era for me.  But yes, the Con-Cor sides could be matched with roof, end and underframe parts from the MTL or Atlas USRA wood boxcars to create a more-prototypical model.

I received a PM informing me that the July 2000 issue of MR had an article on making the cars more prototypical that included taking the warp out of the doors, so I'll have to track down a copy.