Even More New Tooling from Bluford Shops!

[Mark5]

The Virginian car looks very similar to the Bluford car, except for the diagonal braces on the ends (see the VGN logo) - here's one in 1952:

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=40923

The cars were rebuilt with Cor-Ten steel starting in September 1954. I am guessing the rebuilds were completed within two years.

So I should be good to have a few of these for 1955.

948 transferred to N&W at the time of the merger (December 1959), and cars from this class (VGN H8a, H28a on the N&W) persisted until 1974, though most were gone by 1970. I quickly looked through my resources and could find no pics of the cars rebuilt with steel, but this is what they should have looked like:

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=14882

EDIT 10/16/2016: According to N&W equipment listing as of 1/1/1969, 184 of this (rebuilt) class remained active on the N&W (gone by the end of 1974).

Mark

[Bluford Craig]

The Virginian car looks very similar to the Bluford car, except for the diagonal braces on the ends (see the VGN logo) - here's one in 1952:

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=40923

The cars were rebuilt with Cor-Ten steel starting in September 1954. I am guessing the rebuilds were completed within two years.

So I should be good to have a few of these for 1955.

948 transferred to N&W at the time of the merger (December 1959), and cars from this class (VGN H8a, H28a on the N&W) persisted until 1974, though most were gone by 1970. I quickly looked through my resources and could find no pics of the cars rebuilt with steel, but this is what they should have looked like:

http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=14882

Mark

Good catch on the VGN rebuilds. GM&O did something similar on their cars.
Craig
www.bluford-shops.com

[CBQ Fan]

I noticed on some of mine that there is not enough clearance between the outboard axle and the coupler screw:



Note the witness marks on the axle.  You can hear a squeaking noise as the axle rubs on the screw.

I couldn't tighten the screw enough to give some clearance in this area so I substituted some plastic wheels from my parts box that use a smaller diameter axle.  The hopper seems heavy enough without the metal wheels.  You may be able to use a fastener with a smaller head that won't stick out so far as well.

I will have to take a look at that.  Your symptoms sound the same as what I am experiencing. Thanks for the picture!