AC&Y - Litchfield to Spencer OH

[Chris333]

I've got a boxcar boner.  Where can I get one?

[wcfn100]

http://www.rocketexpress.biz/rocketexpress9-7-12updatealb_009.htm


Jason

[SAH]

Thanks fellas.  My copy of the NP car Bryan posted in W/E Update ran in the ops session on Friday.  I'm a sucker for NP's monad and GN's Rocky logos.  Fortunately I've seen lots of both roads in photos along the AC&Y.  (I read the piece on the monad in the NP historical society website.  I knew about the Korean flag part but the rest was quite interesting)  So after Bryan's post I had to go look at my model to see what he did to the sill.  Sheesh, a freight car fan's work is never done.     I might let this one go though.  There's enough work in the AC&Y fleet to keep me busy for awhile.

Was there a specific lading for these combo door box cars Bryan?

[wazzou]

Was there a specific lading for these combo door box cars Bryan?

Steve -
In the mid-1950's, Northern Pacific Railway found they needed more specialized boxcars than the ubiquitous 40 foot long, 6 foot wide door boxcars that had been the mainstay of the car fleet since the mid 1930's. 

In 1958, NP began building boxcars that could be used to load grain but also be loaded by forklift with shipments such as lumber or paper.  The result was a 40 foot combination door car, that included a 6 foot sliding door and a 8 foot plug door.  With the plug door closed, the car could be easily fitted with a grain door for grain loading.  With the plug door open, the 14 foot opening would make loading lumber by forklift possible. 

[SAH]

Thanks for the info Bryan.  So that settles it:  It will haul lumber on my AC&Y.

[SAH]

Here's how the mystery shanty scene turned out.  The shack came with my very first N scale train layout 40+ years ago.  The old Atlas (I think) lineside building set with water tank, crossing tower, shanty & such.  The details came from multiple sources, Detail Associates mostly.  Thanks for looking.
Steve

[MVW]

Man, those are a couple of beautiful shots.

Jim

[sirenwerks]

Any chance one or two of those RI boxcars were still rolling in interchange service post-1965.  I want one but I gotta be 'realistic', plus there's a six-dome wine tank car kit I got my eye on at Shapeways.

[SAH]

The 1967 ORER has none of this class listed.  I can't find the paperwork that came with the kit but I think I remember the chart showing them rapidly decreasing in number after 1960.

[SAH]

How does one mothball a layout?  Here's one way should there be a closet to spare.







On the plus side:  I'm not paying two mortgages any longer.  It was like getting a nice raise.  And my wife and I are living in the same city for the first time in 3+ years.

On the minus side:  Obvious I think.  But life is a series of choices is it not?

On the plus side again:  I'll get to spend some time catching up with the freight car fleet and scratch build all those buildings needed for Spencer and Litchfield. You can see my workbench in the last photo.

I've installed the Spencer and Litchfield sections and lighting valences back-to-back in the spare bedroom for testing and photo props.  I'm sure glad (once again) I've built the layout in sections.

Steve

[wazzou]

Steve -
Glad to see the update.  I had really enjoyed all of your progress and modeling to this point. 

[packers#1]

modularity shows its benefits; nice storage job; plus, I'm guessing there's still a way to run trains with the set-up in the bedroom?

[GaryHinshaw]

A bit of a curve ball here, but it sounds like this is mostly good news.  What are the prospects for the layout going forward?

-gfh

[SAH]

There are many things I like about the plan from an operation and esthetic standpoint, especially the Spencer sections.  So, if all goes well it will rise again but probably not in the current residence.  I didn't do anything for about 2 months (kind of bummed over taking it down) but have recently been bringing some partially finished projects back to life and looking through the planned project list.  Fortunately there is a very active group of operating layouts here in central NC so I can keep my operating chops up.   

Thanks for your interest.

Steve

[SAH]

If you're 50+ years of age or had a family member who saved old MR mags, you might remember the Eric Stevens "Dollar Car" series in MR through the 1950's.  My Dad saved his and so it became a favorite 3H (hot, humid & hazy) Ohio summer afternoon pastime during the my grade school years hiding out in the cool basement pouring through the old issues.  The Chlorine car in particular captured my imagination.
   


Since no one bothered to tell it couldn't be done in N scale, much less by a lad of 12 years, I gave it and a number of the other models of the series a try.  Now, to my 12 yr old eyes, the result was pretty cool.  Scale rule?  What's a scale rule?
 

So I was really pleased when TrainCat announced the chlorine car brass kit.  It has taken awhile (like most of my other projects these days) but it's finally done.  Except for some light weathering of course.
 


This is a really fine kit.  I built it mostly per stock, the exceptions being lead weight crammed into every spot that wouldn't be visible, wire handrails instead of the brass etching provided and modified canister ends.
 
Thanks for looking

Steve