Questions regarding Walthers 50' outside-braced wood auto boxcar

[CVSNE]

I used an Intermountain auto end door on my car - they were included in the IRC 50-foot AAR boxcar kits Part 60699 - listed for $9.99.

I don't know if all the kits include the auto door, but it doesn't hurt to look.

Marty

[up1950s]

N scale need more 50' o/s braced ( SS ) boxcars . Maybe just sides to face a generic sideless 50 foot boxcar . MOW and yard shack with windows version would be welcome too .

[bbussey]

I found a good article on the CV 41000-series 1½-door cars in the the August 2001 issue of MR.  It appears I'll have to use the milling machine to cut four bodies up to get the necessary configuration so that the doors are the right widths and the appearance is good.  I'm really not motivated to design new RP sides,  which is the other option.  I'm getting burned out on design work and I still have a number of things to do before the year is out.

[CVSNE]

N scale need more 50' o/s braced ( SS ) boxcars . Maybe just sides to face a generic sideless 50 foot boxcar . MOW and yard shack with windows version would be welcome too .

I agree - N scale needs more single sheathed cars but ~40-footers would be far more useful and numerous.

Problem with single sheathed cars once you get away from things like the USRA boxcars and the "standard" and "alternate" single sheathed cars, the number of roadnames per tool set drops way, way, down.
Marty

Note: Edited to clarify reference to "standard" and "alternate"

[bbussey]

Marty,

I don't think there ever has been a Howe truss model of any type in N — not a good one anyway.  So that remains a viable option.

[CVSNE]

Bryan,

If you're toying with a Howe truss car, suggest you do the so-called "alternate ARA" cars before the "standard" ARA cars - like the CV's 40000-series
http://centralvermontrailway.blogspot.com/2012/10/cv-40000-series-howe-truss-boxcars.html

There were a lot more "alternate" ARA design cars constructed, in more roadnames, than the standard version.

Marty

[Sokramiketes]

Marty,

I don't think there ever has been a Howe truss model of any type in N — not a good one anyway.  So that remains a viable option.

There is the old Roco car with Howe truss sides... but you did say "good".

What are the spotting features between the standard and alternate ARA cars?

[CVSNE]

There is the old Roco car with Howe truss sides... but you did say "good".

What are the spotting features between the standard and alternate ARA cars?

Hah! I remember trying to make a silk purse out of one of those Roco things....

Main spotting feature is the "standard" ARA design (it's also called the "XM-1" design) had a Pratt truss arrangement, the "alternate" ARA car had a Howe truss arrangement. The alternate cars were built by AC&F as an alternative to those roads not wanting what was basically a PRR design.  The alternate was also called the "de-facto" standard - talk about making this confusing!

The largest quantities of the XM-1 ""standard" ARA design went to SAL, BAR, B&M, L&N, and CRI&P. Other roads, like the CGW, and M&StL had relatively small fleets of the XM-1.

The alternate design car was used by a bunch of smaller railroads, some of which had interesting lettering for single-sheathed cars. These included the CV, C&EI, C&G, L&A, Ga&Fl, M&A. Frisco had by far the largest single fleet - 6500 cars - of any of the ARA cars - either Howe or Pratt truss. MoPac, and it's various subs had them as well (IGN), T&P had some. Even the AT&SF had these - a total of 20 cars (not a typo.) Of course, they had two different style roofs spread among those 20 cars. But hey, if you're a manufacturer you get to letter is ATSF!

Marty
 
 

So if you're a manufacturer wanting to make a single sheathed car that's not a USRA car

[Sokramiketes]

I get what you're saying now.  I thought there was a "standard" and "alternate" *Howe* truss car, and was confused. 

A Howe truss car would be a great addition to the fleet.  Milwaukee Road built more single sheathed cars than even ribsides.  Add in a few roof and end combos and you could cover a great set of Midwest roadnames.

[bbussey]

It would be a good candidate for a new model.  It's not a good fit for ESM currently due to models currently in development, but it could be something to look at down the road if someone else doesn't produce the model before then.

[pjm20]

If you make these, you got a customer here.

[bbussey]

Unless I hit the lottery, I wouldn't be able to get to these anytime soon.  The 2014/2015 schedule already is mapped out and in motion, with little if any opportunity for deviation.

[sirenwerks]

Don't we have both the standard and alternate 40-footers in N scale now?  The new Atlas car is a Howe truss and the announced IMRC car a Pratt, right?  Or am I missing something?

[Sokramiketes]

Don't we have both the standard and alternate 40-footers in N scale now?  The new Atlas car is a Howe truss and the announced IMRC car a Pratt, right?  Or am I missing something?

You're thinking of the USRA design, with more bracing: http://www.whatcheerlines.com/prototype/standard-car-designs/usra-ss-box-car/

Check out Marty's CV article for the ARA design with less bracing.

[CVSNE]

Don't we have both the standard and alternate 40-footers in N scale now?  The new Atlas car is a Howe truss and the announced IMRC car a Pratt, right?  Or am I missing something?

You're right, the Atlas USRA car is a Howe truss, and the Intermountain "War Emergency" boxcar is a Pratt truss design. Both have three diagonals on either side of the door - the ARA cars had two diagonals so they look completely different.

Also, the Intermountain car is an interesting prototype, but it's a bit of an oddball - they were basically 1937 AAR boxcars with the steel sides replaced with wood due to wartime demand for sheet steel. Many of these cars were rebuilt quite soon after the war ended with steel sides and looked just like every other 1937 AAR boxcar.

That said, the HO scale IMRC model is one of the nicest models Intermountain has made - almost as good as the Caswell gon or 1957 covered hopper  I don't think I've seen an N scale one, but I'm sure they'll be fine models.

Marty