PRR X32A Build part one

Late last year, the PRR Projects group announced the X32/X33 as the subject of their first half of '25 group build project (after a poll of members.) I'd been wanting to model and X32A, so I jumped at the chance. Based upon my research, I knew there were some things I wanted to address with the Bowser undecorated model that I had. The Bowser Pennsy wagon roof (or "round roof") design cars are exceptionally well-tooled HO scale models. However, they have cast-on details like the ladders, grabs, placard boards, and end brake details.

The underframe also has some issues. The bottom cover plate is incorrect; it should only have one row of rivets with the rivet row centered over bottom flange of crossbearer. The top cover plate is the same shape but offset and is centered over two rows of rivets, as it is riveted through to the flange of the crossbearer as well as the flange of the angle that stiffens the crossbearer. Put another way the bottom and top cover plates are the same size and shape, but if looking straight down, they do not align, as the top cover plate is centered over the main portion of the crossbearer while the bottom cover plate is centered under the flange of the crossbearer (see drawing snippet.) This also ignores that fact that the Bowser underframe members are all "blobs" with no undercut detail.

Notice that the two crossbearer cover plates are not aligned, but are rather offset to be centered based upon what they are riveted to

The cast-on detail of the ends was the other main consideration. The plan was to remove the portion of the Bowser end that has corrugations, ladders, other details, etc. (there is a "ghost" trace line visible that can be used as a guide - see photo below.) and add a Detail Associates 4/5 end section, suitably modified. On the DA end, I’m not wild about the end portion of the ribs adjacent to the corners and rivets also need to be removed, but it is a sufficiently “easy” starting point compared to removing and adding a Red Caboose end (which has weak rib shape anyway) or cutting and splicing Details West ends to arrive at a wider 4/5 end starting with a “narrow” 4/4 end.) Note that the Dreadnaught end on the Bowser X32A has a shorter top rib, similar to the X31, but the prototype X32A had a full-width top rib, like the other eight ribs on the end. While my model shown here used the Detail Associates end, I did go through the exercise of cutting and splicing a Details West end to include in the parts offering (shameless plug alert.)

The end of the Bowser model contains a "ghost" trace line that can be used as a reference for where to scribe a line to be used for snapping out the end section

Removal of the end sections would seem to represent a high hurdle to this kitbash. However, I have a way that I believe makes it a much easier task. By gluing small pieces of strip to the corners, I created "stops" that the steel ruler could rest against, allowing me to scribe straight lines in the precise location needed to facilitate the scribe and snap method. 

Bits of styrene strip, glued on the side of the end that is to be removed, can be used to lay a ruler against for scribing a "snap" line in the styrene. Ruler not shown, but it would rest to the right of the strip bits when used to scribe the line

This image illustrates the end with everything in place to begin to remove the material. A steel ruler placed against the stops (from the top of the end) allows for a straight scribe line

The center portion of the end was removed by cutting in two places from the bottom of the end to the upper horizontal scribe lines, using a Dremel tool with a cutoff disc. The center section was then "snapped" off by pushing it into the carbody along the scribe line and then moving back and forth along the scribe line until it broke free

Cuts were made along the top of the end section using a razor saw. With these cuts completed, the end section is only connected along the adjacent edge shared with the side. Again using a scribe line, the two end sections were gently pushed "into" the carbody along the scribe line and then moved back and forth to free the sections.

This is the end view of the car after removal of most of the end

This is a side view after removal of the end

This illustrates the replacement end panel using a Detail Associates Dreadnaught end, plus many of the various etched metal detail additions

This is the pattern for the end section included in the parts set; this will yield a far nicer outcome than the path I followed with my model 

The new underframe, minus brake levers and rods

The X31/X32 and X33 family used two heavy steel sections for the underframes, with two flanges on top (like an "I" beam and one on the bottom, riveted together on top with a cover plate. This was at a time when industry practice was moving to zee-bar center sills welded along a flange, like the 1932 ARA design box car.

This is a closeup of the brake gear components and some of the underframe detail. 

The underframe is the other major upgrade I made. Due to restrictions of a single piece tooled underframe, the nuances of channels, flanges, etc., cannot be rendered. I wanted to replicate these features, as well as to add a complete set of brake equipment. I scratchbuilt the basic underframe from styrene and then augmented with etchings, as shown. 

I will show more of the detailing and finishing in part two and also point out some fo the things I did not get perfectly correct. Until then...

Santa Fe Bx-34 Modified 1937 AAR Box Car

 

August 5, 1947, PRR siding, Division St., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Bob Charles Collection, Kalmbach Memorial Library

I thought a fitting addendum to my previous post would be one highlighting the prototype that was announced, the Santa Fe's Class Bx-34 Modified 1937 AAR box cars. The Santa Fe was the largest owner of Modified 1937 AAR box cars (10'4" to 10'6" inside height and 5/5 Dreadnaught ends, almost exclusively round corner.) The first 1,801 cars, delivered in 1940, were equipped with the Duryea Cushion underframe, like the vast majority of new Santa Fe box and refrigerator cars built in the mid-30s to 1940. The cars were assigned to number series 139500-141300.

Illinois Digital Archives, Pullman History site

The cars received the map scheme, with the first group of cars carrying the "curved" map and the remainder painted with the "straight" map (ATSF 140793 at top sports the curved map while ATSF 140377 directly above carries the straight map*; I could likely be more specific, but my copies of Dobyne's Santa Fe box cars and Hendrickson's Santa Fe freight car painting and lettering books are in boxes somewhere in the house - if you have that info and can post a comment, I will update in the body of the text here. thank you.) The first 1,200 cars received American Steel Foundries spring plankless trucks while the remainder used National Type B-1 trucks. Youngstown doors with Camel fixtures, Ajax power hand brakes, Apex Tri-Lok brake steps, and wood running boards rounded out the main specialties. The roofs were treated with slate granules while the paint was still wet, giving them a pronounced dark grey to black appearance.

This later repaint circa 1959 displays lowered placard and route card boards of a different style than as built, as well as a more modern scheme

These cars (and many other Santa Fe AAR-design cars) featured other unusual details that collectively resulted in distinctive cars. The placard and route card boards on these cars had beveled (or perhaps rounded) top and bottom edges and used brackets with mounts that incorporated "ears" or tabs with holes for rivets to attach to the doors or ends. The top of the right stile on the side ladders was shorter than the left, presumably as a safety feature when a carman swung his foot/leg around when at the top of the car. While these cars had push pole pockets on the ends at the lower corners, they did not have short angle sections below the ladders, as most cars with push pole pockets did; rather, the sill steps mounted to the bottom of the side sill and corners. These cars did not use bracket-type grab irons either, unusual by 1940. Likely due to the four pairs of crossbearers of the Duryea (as opposed to the typical AAR underframe) they used a shorter side sill support section under the door. In the aggregate, the underframe plus these other features make for distinctive prototypes worthy of detailed models.

*images I have of ATSF 140185, 140177, 140809, and 141106 all carry the curved map

New Product and Speedwitch Goings On

Santa Fe Bx-34, Otto Perry photo, Denver Public Library

It's been awhile since I have posted anything about the state of affairs at Speedwitch (or posted much about other things, as well.) Since late last autumn and continuing as I type this, there has been no shortage of things that have limited my ability to do much of anything. The house in Brooklyn has been sold after a ton of work to get it ready (I relinquished my workspace there back in late November.) There has been a steady back and forth between there and the upstate house with a full carload each time. I have been spending most of my weeks upstate, but weekends have been back and forth to Brooklyn. My workspace upstate is what I would call nomadic at best since it is temporary and occupied on and off by a neverending stream of plumbers, electricians, builders, etc., doing work on the house. I spend my days dodging them and trying my best to work on patterns and become adept (enough) at resin casting. My better half still works in NYC, so we had to move her to an apartment over the past few weeks. Oddly (for me) I had several illnesses over the past six months that have sidelined me for the better part of three weeks. I have been frustrated at times, but persistence overcomes resistance...

Santa Fe Bx-34 Duryea Cushion underframe

All that said, there are things coming. I am starting slowly on the resin casting front, with a few parts sets to get my casting chops established. They include the most detailed Duryea underframe I am aware of (regardless of scale) for the Santa Fe's Bx-34 modified 1937 AAR box cars (details via this link) and a significant upgrade for the Intermountain/Amarillo PFE R-40-25, including correct ends and enhancements for details including the ladders, underframe, side sill supports, hatch cover rests, bunker drains, and other details. The last set is upgrade parts for the Bowser Pennsy X32 50' "round roof" cars. While these parts sets include plenty of "extreme" detail, in the parlance of Bill Welch, there are some suggested shortcuts to make them quicker and easier to build, if that is your desire.

Santa Fe Bx-34 end

On the full kit front, I will share a separate post in a few weeks detailing those plans. Much is dependent upon how quickly I feel comfortable with the casting process. While I am thoroughly enjoying the resin casting process I don't want to get too far ahead of myself lest I have to eat a giant helping of crow, but I am having fun (it is much like being in the darkroom... you do a few things that seem to involve process as well as voodoo and magic and end up with really cool results!)

Branchline Trains Yardmaster 1937 AAR Box Car Anomaly

I have been at work on a pilot model for an upcoming Speedwitch kitbash parts set. I had an undecorated Branchline Trains Yardmaster 1937 AAR box car kit in the stash and decided to use it as the foundation for the project instead of the Intermountain car. The BLT YM kit has separate ends (which are being replaced in the kitbash,) the correct single stringer on each side of the underframe and one of the best renditions of the Youngstown door that's been done in HO, albeit with the placard and route card boards integral to the door. It's an attractive base to start with, even knowing I would have to carve off the ladders and grabs on the sides.

However, as things progressed, I discovered an anomaly that I thought worth sharing. One side of the car is "higher" than the other! It is as if one entire side has been raised approximately 0.015" relative to the other. It is a very strange tooling error, but left me scratching my head until I realized what it was. The first underframe image with no "lip" is correct (right side on the model when viewed from the B end,) while the second with the "lip" is incorrect (left side on the model when viewed from the B end.) I am working around it, but it is definitely good to know it's there if you are planning to use one of these cars as fodder for a future effort. I will share a post very soon about the Speedwitch offering as I am almost ready to announce it.

Clearing Up a Misperception

Santa Fe Caswell design GS gondola ATSF 171033 from class Ga- 5, Reading Yards, Rutherford, Pennsylvania,  June 19. 1947, Bob Charles Collection, Kalmbach Memorial Library 

There is a perception that GS gondolas (GS = "An Open Top Car, having fixed sides and ends and drop bottom, consisting of doors hinged at center sills to dump outside of rails," per the Official Railway Equipment Register) were West Coast cars and if you model the Northeast, Southeast, mid-Atlantic, etc., you don't have need for these on your layout*. I understand that notion. However, it is not correct. Granted, if you model western Massachusetts, for example, you should not have a gondola fleet comprised of 50% GS gons. That said, in a roster of solid bottom ("GB") gondolas, you could and would see GS gondolas from a variety of roads and should have a few in your fleet to mix into operating sessions. I have included some photos of GS gons in locales that support my contention (one shared by Richard Hendrickson and that I discussed with him on more than one occasion.)

C&EI 90108 was also of Caswell design, although it had received steel sheathing in place of the wood by the time it was photographed on February 10, 1952 in Columbus, Ohio, by Col. Chet McCoid. The doors were held in the "up" position using Wine door locks. Bob's Photo

Numerous fine models of GS gons have been offered over the years in both styrene and resin. The reason for and timing of this post is that I am working on a new pilot model for a styrene offering that one, is a GS-type gon like described in the previous paragraph, e.g. "western" GS gon, and two, is a fine example of contemporary HO scale technology, with fine tooling and separate details. Stay tuned for more about this model in the coming days...

Chicago & Illinois Western 1247 (ex-IC gon) was photographed in Aberdeen, North Carolina on October 30, 1951 by Col. Chet McCoid. Bob's Photo

The Burlington had a large fleet of composite GS gons that employed composite, Murphy or Dreadnaught ends. They also used Wine door locks. Note that there were not doors in all locations; from left, panels 2 and 4 had doors in the corresponding floor locations. Reading Yards, Rutherford, Pennsylvania, August 24, 1947, Bob Charles Collection, Kalmbach Memorial Library

*one caveat is that I am referring to and advocating for GS gons of the upper Midwest, Northwest, Mountain West, Southwest and West Coast; if you model western Massachusetts as the example I cited, you would quite likely see GS gons from the B&M, MEC or CN, as well, as they (and not too many other Eastern roads) did have modest fleets of GS gons 

Interesting Armour Refrigerator Line Car Detail

ca. 1936, San Francisco, courtesy Bill Welch

Armour had a sizable fleet of refrigerator cars for the transportation of meat (in different stages of processing.) There were many cars like the one shown above, with steel center sill underframes with truss rods or pressed steel crossmembers. Armour also leased cars from Mather to augment the fleet and in the late 1940s, Armour added 2,000 all steel cars from AC&F to begin the shift to more contemporary design standards.

However, the purpose of this post is to highlight an unusual detail of these 11000-series cars. All of the other Armour wood reefers were equipped with typical sill steps that were attached to the bottom of the side and extended straight down from there although the right step usually had two rungs, like that shown here.) The rather interesting detail on the cars in the 11000 series is that they had two sharp 90 degree bends to nest around the bottom of the lower corner strap angle and side sheathing, as well as the common half twist, as can be seen. Crops of both sill steps are shown below to illustrate this feature. Yet another nuance to add to your Sunshine Models kit when you build it... 

Something a Little (maybe not so little) Different

 

Al Armitage photo, Ron Morse Collection

One of the nice things about Springfield is catching up with friends.  I had a chance to see Scott Kritzky and Terry Van Winkle. Awhile back, I had offered mostly encouragement, but also a bit of prototype reference material to Scott for one of his projects. He shared the fruits of his labor with me at Springfield. He and Terry have produced a beautiful set of O scale ends for the Southern's 'SU' thirty-six foot truss rod box cars. Having them eliminates the most difficult obstacle to modeling one of these numerous cars. Well done and I can't wait to see what they conjure up next, perhaps even in a smaller size... maybe 1:87.1?!

Some of these cars also enjoyed a renaissance on the Lancaster & Chester in the postwar years

All blemishes, smudges, scratches, etc., are my fault entirely and not a reflection of the quality of these parts!