Photos of the completed ATSF Bx-34

 

Here are some photos of my completed Santa Fe Bx-34 Modified 1937 AAR box car with Duryea Cushion underframe. The model was built using a Sunshine kit combined with Speedwitch parts (1959+ lettering.) I finished the model using Polly Scale mineral red for the majority of the car body plus Tamiya black for the roof.

The intention was to keep the weathering fairly modest. I applied some streaks using artists' oils dabbed on and brushed down the side using mineral spirits. I also added some light washes, again with thinned artists' oils. These were sealed with flat coats. I then added some sparing and selective applications of PanPastels and Bragdon powders, mostly to the roof, underframe, and trucks. The chalkmarks are from National Scale Car and the routing cards are from Owl Mountain. Excessive "unremoved" dust on the photo above courtesy of myself!

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!)

Universal 5700XL Hand Brake with M2049 Hand Wheel

In my recent post on the Kadee early version of the 40' PS-1 box car decorated for New Haven, I noted the new Universal 5700XL power hand brake with M2049 hand wheel (and NOT the significantly more common M1704 hand wheel) on the model. Although it is incorrect for this particular New Haven PS-1 (or any New Haven car to my knowledge) it does have several applications. Here is a list of prototypes I have assembled (with photos in some instances) that I am sure is by no means exhaustive:

• CNW Emergency box car (photo below)
• CNW Modified 1937 AAR box car

CNW Emergency box car at left. Note top operated coupler

EJ&E Modified 1937 AAR box car at right. Note Barber S-1 trucks and Wine ladders

• DICX 218 dry ice car (Mainline Modeler, March 1986)
• EJ&E Modified 1937 AAR box car (photo above)
• IHB 1937 AAR box car Lot 729-B
• IHB Modified 1937 AAR box car Lot 730-B
• MDT 500-series/8000-series refrigerator cars (Mainline Modeler, March 1986)
• NRC 17000-series refrigerator cars (Mainline Modeler, March 1986)
• NYC 50' AAR box car with end door Lot 693-B
• NYC 10'0" inside height Postwar AAR box car Lot 737-B (many reassigned to Pacemaker service, photo below)

 

At left, the old way to simulate this style of Universal hand wheel, using a Detail Associates Ureco part, on a kitbashed model of an NYC Lot 693-B end door box car

Right, a postwar 10'0" inside height AAR box car from Lot 737-B transitioned to Pacemaker service

• P&LE 50' AAR box car Lot 698-B
• PRR X38A automobile car (photo below)
• PRR X38B Emergency box car
• SP and T&NO B-50-25 10'0" inside height 12-panel box car (car nos. SP 21500-21749; T&NO 54850-55199)

At left, a PRR X38A automobile car with Universal power hand brake and, at right, a closeup of the same hand brake on the lone X38B Emergency box car (note M2049 cast into the wheel at roughly 5 o'clock)

• UP HK-50-5 Emergency ballast hopper (photo below)
• some of the UP (and sister line) B-50-24 and -27 alternate center rivet (ACR) lightweight box cars may have used this version of the Universal hand wheel. Photos needed for verification

Union Pacific HK-50-5 Emergency ballast hopper