Pennsylvania Railroad G28 Gondola in HO

 

I recently completed the pilot model for my latest kit, the Pennsylvania Railroad G28 gondola (prototype details can be found via this link.) I am biased, but I think it is one of my finest yet.

Plate C produced some exceptional 70-ton National Malleable Type B trucks to match the prototype's.

I finished it to represent a one year old repaint circa 1952, so the weathering was minimal. I added sparing amounts of Tamiya Brown Panel Line Accent Color at all of the structural members on the side. It is hard to capture photographically, but the effect is convincing. I am especially happy with the Universal lever-type hand brake, the underframe and brake arrangement, and the board-by-board floor inside the car. I did mess up one thing: I installed the drop end doors reversed (the outside should be inside) and don't have the heart to tear things apart, so cut me a little slack on that.

 

The chalkmark decals are from National Scale Car, set D135.

70-ton National Type B and B-1 Trucks from Plate C

Plate C National Malleable Type B 70-ton Truck

Plate C Model Prototypes is set to release 70-ton versions of the National Malleable Type B and B-1 trucks in HO scale. This is (to my knowledge) the first time these have been available in HO and perhaps, any scale. The fact that we will have both of these available is fantastic. The visual differences in HO are quite small. The B-1 incorporated updated trunnions that modified the arrangement (and appearance) of the spring package. The easiest way to discern the Type B from the Type B-1 is that the spring in the Type B "filled" the area below the bolster while on the B-1 you could "see" around the front spring and the B-1 also had a raised area around the small circles at the bottom of the sideframe casting, presumably for added strength. Again, subtle, but noticeable. IYKYK. These will be available from 3D Central

Plate C National Malleable Type B-1 70-ton Truck (directly above and below)

National Malleable Type B 70-ton trucks, known applications

Road	Series Start	Series End	Class	Type	Notes
ACL	739200	739299	U-7	Covered Hopper	Phosphate
ACY	515	539		Covered Hopper	equipped with Timken roller bearings
ATSF	170925	170974	GA-55	Gondola	AAR 65'
ATSF	86200	86499	GA-56	Hopper	Hart Ballast
ATSF	86500	86799	GA-59	Hopper	Hart Ballast
ATSF	77000	77399	GA-64	Hopper	Hart Ballast
ATSF	91142	91191	FT-U	Flat	60'
DMIR	4950	4959		Covered Hopper
DOWX	38123C			Tank
CB&Q	180000	180099	HC-1	Covered Hopper
C&IM	7350	7449		Gondola	Offset sides
CN	118000	118999		Hopper
CN	142050	142749		Gondola	48'
PRR			G26	Gondola	65'
PRR			G26A	Gondola	65'
PRR	344815	345182	G27	Gondola
PRR	342600	343549	G28	Gondola
PRR	357854	358653	G29	Gondola
PRR	see link	see link	G30	Gondola	Emergency; http://prr.railfan.net/freight/classpage.html?class=G30
PRR	254451	254550	H30	Covered Hopper	slightly different sideframe
PRR	254951	255026	H30	Covered Hopper

Santa Fe GA-55 AAR 65'6" mill gondola (Athearn)

Canadian National 48-foot mill gondola (Westerfield)

PRR H30 covered hopper; note that the left truck has the "early" teardrop shaped openings in the sideframe. It was not uncommon for cars and their trucks to become "separated" during shoppings of like cars. There are many examples of PFE reefers with two different prototypes of trucks under the same car. (Bowser, Funaro & Camerlengo, Rail Shop)

PRR G26 65'6" mill gondola (E&B Valley/Eastern Car Works - accuracy issues!)

Dow Chemical insulated tank car (no known kit although a Resin Car Works kit could likely be modified)

PRR G28 52'6" mill gondola (Speedwitch, F&C)

National Malleable Type B-1 70-ton trucks, known applications

Road	Series Start	Series End	Class	Type	Notes
ATSF	169700	169899	GA-63	Gondola	Emergency
CB&Q	180200	180249	HC-1	Covered Hopper
D&TS	2028	2077		Covered Hopper
Erie	11150	11249		Gondola	Greenville design
NKP	91000	91049		Covered Hopper
NSS	1300			Gondola
PRR	see link	see link	G30	Gondola	Emergency; http://prr.railfan.net/freight/classpage.html?class=G30
T&NO	4200	4449		Hopper
WP	6501	6600		Gondola	Greenville design
CB&Q	221500	221749		Hopper	Ballast; Emergency

Santa Fe GA-63 Emergency mill gondola (Tichy)

Burlington Hart ballast hopper (no known models)

Western Pacific Greenville-design 52'6" mill gondola (Proto 2000/Walthers, Sunshine Models)

All additions and edits are welcome. Please submitvia the comment form below!

PS - I apologize again for the watermarks in the images but I am tired of the pirates

Norfolk & Western S-1a 0-8-0 number 231

 

Portsmouth, Ohio, November 15, 1958, Charles Judy photo

This post is not really related to anything in particular except my love of small-drivered steam. This is an original slide that I snagged on ebay for a very reasonable price. It also scratched my itch for these types of steamers. The S-1a class was the last group of steam locomotives built at N&W's famed Roanoke shops, with 45 constructed between 1951 and 1953 (nos. 200-244.) They were short-lived, being retired between 1958 and 1960. Enjoy!

Frisco USRA-design Composite Gondolas

 

There are certain freight car prototypes that just appeal to me, whatever the reason. The Frisco's USRA-design composite gondolas are one such car. When they were built, composite gondolas were commonplace, but by the early 50s, all steel gons were by far the majority. Perhaps that whiff of obsolescence is what draws me. Regardless, I find them interesting and have wanted to model one for years. 

Before discussing modeling options, I will provide what I know about the prototypes. The Frisco had a large number of these cars and seemed to refurbish and rebuild them into an incalculable number of flavors. There was a group of true USRA composite gondolas, built in 1919 by Standard Steel Car Co., in series 85000-85999 (782 cars in the Official Railway Equipment Register, October, 1951.) These were rebuilt into a number of different configurations:

• largely as built, but with wood floors and no drop doors and either original Perfection lever-type hand brake or Ajax power hand brake and AB brakes with 1712 cu. ft. capacity, like 85825 shown below (389 cars, Official Railway Equipment Register, October, 1951)
• rebuilt in 1934, 1935 and 1937 with paneled steel sides, wood floors and no drop doors, new side steel structural members, and either 1842 or 1862 cu. ft. capacity (4 and 138 cars, respectively)
• rebuilt in 1936, 1937 and 1938 with paneled steel sides including three side doors per side, wood floors and no drop doors, Dreadnaught ends, new side steel structural members, and 1856 cu. ft. capacity, like 85012 shown below (151 cars)
• rebuilt in 1940, retaining composite sides, but adding three doors per side, Dreadnaught ends, wood floors and no drop doors, Ajax power hand brakes, and 1726 cu. ft. capacity, like 85885 shown below (100 cars)

There was also a large group of cars in the series 50000-50398 (359 cars,) 50399-51927 (838,) 52000-52499 (495,) 52500-53099 (533,) 53100-53647 (491) and 53650-54349 (682) for a total of 3,398 cars. All had solid wood floors and (like the USRA cars) 1712 cu. ft. capacity. They were built by Pullman Car Manufacturing Co. in 1925 and 1930 and refurbished as needed, most notably with Dreadnaught ends. These were like 53395 shown directly above. The number series and data are from the Official Railway Equipment Register, October, 1951 issue.

Modeling the cars was relatively easy as Sunshine offered several different versions of them. Sadly, I did not ever manage to pick up a kit and now they do not appear on the secondhand market as much as other Sunshine kits seem to. However, I believe my modeling skills to be sharp enough to find a way to scratch the itch by modifying an Intermountain USRA composite gondola. 

Martin Lofton wrote "Frisco's rebuilt USRA gondolas," Railroad Model Craftsman, October 1990. This article covered many of the variations, as well as how Martin modeled them in HO scale. His article predated the Intermountain and Walthers (ex-Proto1000) USRA-design composite gondolas

The image above is of the side of Sunshine kit 92.6. These were part of the re-release of Frisco USRA-design gons. I assume that the patterns were Martin's work as no one is credited for them in the Sunshine PDS (Prototype Data Sheet) and Martin did do occasional pattern work, especially for his "pet" roads, of which the Frisco was one. The cars included detail on the interior, as well, including "cutouts" for the side discharge doors, wood boards, and detail on the inside of the Dreadnaught ends.

NOTE: Where I have info on the prototype images, I have begun to embed/watermark that in the image, along with my last name rather prominently in the car body. I hate to take this step, but I have grown increasingly angry at the proliferation of internet and social media "experts" downloading images and then reposting them elsewhere with no information about the date, location or photographer or where they pirated the images from in the first place. Yes, it detracts from the images, but it also deters the pirates from wanton theft without attribution.

The "Murphy" "XLA" "Flexible" "Outside Metal" Roof

Murphy XLA on a Minneapolis & St. Louis USRA design 40-ton double sheathed box car. Jack Delano photo, Chicago and North Western Proviso Yard, FSA-OWI Collection, Library of Congress

 During the 'teens and into the early 20s, the most common roof design on house cars was the "Murphy" roof. The roof went by many names, including Murphy and Murphy XLA as used commonly by hobbyists, as well as Outside Metal and Flexible Outside Metal. Standard Railway Equipment Co. was the primary purveyor, although it seems likely that it would have been licensed as needed. 

Car Builders' Cyclopedia page illustrating the Murphy XLA roof design

Seemingly everyone with even a casual interest in freight cars is aware of this roof design and could easily point it out on models. What is less well known and is the reason for this post, is how the roof actually worked. But first, modelers who replicated this design, especially scratchbuilders, typically took sheet styrene and added strips at the correct (or incorrect!) spacing to simulate the battens. What is frequently overlooked, yet is easily modeled, is the lip at the eaves that was part of the design's effort to mitigate water seepage.

Detail from an L&N box car drawing illustrating some of the details of the "Murphy Improved Pivoted Outside Metal Roof"

Back to the prototype... the edges of the roof sheets, batten coverings, peak coverings, etc., incorporated pressed, rolled edges that interlocked in such a way that it would be difficult for water to enter the seams and joints. In a static setting, this was probably quite a good solution. However, the forces imparted on railroad cars over years of service could result in areas of leakage. Likely by design, the roof seemed to be quite serviceable, meaning any issues could be resolved in the shops.

The arrows in the image above highlight the "lip" as described in the text. One other note is that the leftmost panel with an arrow (second from car end) is narrower than the other panels. This was not uncommon and is something to watch for in your modeling efforts. Klamath Falls, Oregon, FSA-OWI Collection, Library of Congress

Returning to modeling... the overlap of interlocking roof sheet and flexible eave can easily be simulated by making the roof slightly "short" at the edge and adding an abutting strip. The battens over the roof sheets can continue over the strip, simulating this detail. It is something I have added to such efforts once I became aware of it. A roof without this detail could be fixed also, by making an angle of an appropriate depth piece of styrene that "sits" in the appropriate distance, allowing you to lightly scribe lines between the battens. One interesting detail is that the batten strips do not seem to be uniformly designed. Some appear to extend almost to the edge of the roof eave while others terminate more midway between the lip of the roof sheets/flexible eave and the angle of the eaves. Happy modeling!

This car, a Milwaukee Road prototype, also illustrates different width panels on the roof. Jack Delano photo, Milwaukee Road Galewood, Illinois Yard, FSA-OWI Collection, Library of Congress

The image shown above is my creation of the XLA roof with the flexible eave added using a styrene strip. It is discernible at the outer roof edge, at the eaves. This is from a resin part from a styrene pattern that I created for another project, but was easy to add here once I separated the one-piece Tichy sides and roof into their component pieces by carefully scribing and snapping.