Next Kit Bash Idea?

[daniel_leavitt2000]

The FGE 5145/5237 project is wrapping up. With about 20 of 24 castings passing QC and major wear of mold, I'm to say this project a success.

So, what should I tackle next?

The rules:
Car must be able to be built with components available from cars produced in N (corrugated ends from an ER boxcar for example).
Car must have been in service in the north east in the late 90's.
Cars must have the correct decals available.
Providing assistance with parts, labor, drawings other info will net you some samples of the castings.

[bnsfdash8]

NS BS-32B boxcar?

http://freight.railfan.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=ns453674&o=ns

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Oh... I do like this. What am I looking at? A PS2 5150 with a roof job?

[bnsfdash8]

I think that would be a good start. I see these quite often, but never came up with a good way to model one.

[cjm413]

Ex-PC X75?

MDC Berwick may be a good starting point as it has the correct number of side panels and a PS roof, but off the top of my head, I don't know if the spacing of the panels matches up, or is relatively close enough to leave them as-is.

Other than that, the main changes would be to remove the extra height at the top of the car, reattach the PS roof, remove the rivets on the end panels, reshape the sills, and replace the doors.

[cjm413]

Oh... I do like this. What am I looking at? A PS2 5150 with a roof job?

The prototype was rebuilt from an ex-Southern PS box, but there aren't any models of PS cars that I'm aware of that would give you the correct number of X-posts/side panels.

This car appears to have a 10' plug door (don't quote me on it!), so you may be able to splice a pair of car sides from the Microtrains FMC plug door car (vs MDC w/12' plug door) to the appropriate height, replace the ends and roof, reshape the sills, etc.

CJM

[cjm413]

Ex-PC X75?

MDC Berwick may be a good starting point...(snip)
...replace the doors.

http://thecrhs.org/ConrailEquipment/FreightCars/Boxcars/50Ft/X75

Looks like most of them would use a shortened MDC PS door (which Athearn now uses on the Berwick car instead of a Youngstown door)

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ok, don't know what you'd make them out of, but the Holidaysburg rebuilt 60' cars are pure sex on wheels:
http://thecrhs.org/ConrailEquipment/FreightCars/Boxcars/60Ft/B62Rebuilds

[cjm413]

Ok, don't know what you'd make them out of, but the Holidaysburg rebuilt 60' cars are pure sex on wheels:
http://thecrhs.org/ConrailEquipment/FreightCars/Boxcars/60Ft/B62Rebuilds

No pics of B62B or B62E - no idea of what they'd need for ends, roofs, etc.
B62C and B62G would need Despatch ends - off the top of my head, I can't think of any (at least in N)
B62D and B62F appear to have ends that could be borrowed from existing models.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I'm going to put a pin in the CR auto parts box. These were not seen up here in MA. The NS box has me very interested though. The exterior posts are different than what I have  seen... Something between a fist gen PS1, and what they made in the per diem era.

No boxcar in N has those sides, but the rib count and spacing seem to line up with the PCF R70 refers. Now these are obviously 57', but lob a few feet off the ends and add PS end corrugations, and the numbers may add up.

If building this car, is there a demand for the pre-rebuilt version as well? I can probably do both with minimal effort.

Also, anyone know the door dimensions? Any scale drawings of either the original or rebuild cars?

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Update: I hada hunch and just measured the PCF beer car. Using the 12' door model, the ribs seem to line up well - if cut down to 7 ribs per side and the door replaced with a 10' version the car should scale out to be 50'6" give or take. That sounds right.

The PCF beer car: The gift that keeps giving!

[cjm413]

Also, anyone know the door dimensions? Any scale drawings of either the original or rebuild cars?

RMC recently published a 3 part series covering Southern's early PS X-post cars, I'd have to check to see which drawings they did or didn't include.

Another potential source of parts you may want to check out is the Athearn 60' auto parts car.

CJM

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Any chance you can send me a copy? A few of the castings will be in it for you.

[cjm413]

Any chance you can send me a copy? A few of the castings will be in it for you.

Original cars were Southern 18500-18999
http://freight.railfan.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=sou18646&o=sou

Part 1 (September 2015) had drawing of the sliding door cars
Part 2 (October 2015) and Part 3 (November 2015) covered cars with different plug doors...d'oh!

[cjm413]

Before you start hacking up those PCF beer cars, here's a picture of an unassembled Athearn kit:

http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH10761