40' M53 Boxcars in the 70s

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I finally picked up one of the Allegheny Midland FVM wagon top cars over the weekend and I've decided I want to do it up as a 70's car.

I'm looking for some reference pics for what fun things to do to it (ACI label, etc...).

I've found a few, but if you have any good pics of B&O M53s or NKP 40' cars in the 70s, I'd love to see them.

[Point353]

Were you considering removing the roofwalk, cutting down the ladders and lowering the brakewheel - or not quite that much change?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Were you considering removing the roofwalk, cutting down the ladders and lowering the brakewheel - or not quite that much change?

I don't think I'd go that far. I don't think anyone would've invested that much effort into a car that far into its lifecycle.

[Point353]

Perhaps a patch job to replace the "Midland Road" lettering with the newer large "AM" and "appalachian lines" logo.

You might be able to use this decal set:
https://modernrails.com/products/allegheny-midland-n-scale-diesel-loco-decal-set

[nscalbitz]

I don't think I'd go that far. I don't think anyone would've invested that much effort into a car that far into its lifecycle.

Given it was mandated:
1948; running boards were required to be made of steel.
1966   Oct 1; federal ban on running boards for new cars delivered
1974   Jan 1; running boards to be removed from all cars (extended)
1983   Dec. 31, running boards outlawed on all  boxcars/reefers

Running boards, non-compliant appliances and brakes, unsafe underframes, truck types etc. all lead to a gradual drop off of pre-and mid-war cars by then.

FWIW, cheers
davew

[nkalanaga]

"1948; running boards were required to be made of steel."

Wood running boards were NOT banned in 1948.  They may have been banned in new construction, but a lot of older cars were still running with them in the 70s.  The 1977 AAR Interchange Rules included the note that "metal parts must not be substituted for wood", or the other way around.

So, if your car was built before 1948, it could certainly still have a wood roofwalk.  Of course, as your car, you could have installed a metal one at any time, if you wanted to.

It probably wouldn't apply to an eastern car, but part of the reason for extending the deadline for removing roofwalks was that a lot of western 40 ft boxcars kept theirs for grain service.  The folks at the elevators liked to be able to get on the roof while loading the cars. By the early 80s covered hoppers had almost completely replaced boxcars in grain service in the US, and most of those old boxcars were retire, many still having their roofwalks.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Given it was mandated:
1948; running boards were required to be made of steel.
1966   Oct 1; federal ban on running boards for new cars delivered
1974   Jan 1; running boards to be removed from all cars (extended)
1983   Dec. 31, running boards outlawed on all  boxcars/reefers

Running boards, non-compliant appliances and brakes, unsafe underframes, truck types etc. all lead to a gradual drop off of pre-and mid-war cars by then.

FWIW, cheers
davew

Crap. So this car has a wooden roofwalk.

That leads me to another question... is there a metal version for these cars?
That might be a fun upgrade.

Also, has anyone seen pics of one of these wagon tops without a roofwalk?

[Mark5]

Also, has anyone seen pics of one of these wagon tops without a roofwalk?

Not I. These were at the end of their service life I can't imagine a road going to the trouble to remove them if they were half a step away from the scrapyard ...

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Not I. These were at the end of their service life I can't imagine a road going to the trouble to remove them if they were half a step away from the scrapyard ...

That was my thought too.

[OldEastRR]

Just paint it ConRail and rusty it up a lot; it'll fit right in.

[nscalbitz]

"1948; running boards were required to be made of steel."

Wood running boards were NOT banned in 1948.  They may have been banned in new construction,

1. Dont argue the point with me. Go to the Source- experts at STMFC. It is in several of their "database" files.
2. The word 'banned' doesnt appear in the statement.
3. "...hey may have been banned in new construction.." - WERE, not MAY- see the reference.

thanks, sorry I bothered to answer,
d

[atsf3751]

I remember when this car came out as a kit from Fine N-Scale Products decades ago. I bought 12 kits and liked the car well enough to almost change the prototype I followed. But Santa Fe won out in the end, but I still like the cars a lot and have more of them than probably made it to the West coast especially since Fox Valley has such a large assortment for sale.

[nscalbitz]

Crap. So this car has a wooden roofwalk.

That leads me to another question... is there a metal version for these cars?
That might be a fun upgrade.

Also, has anyone seen pics of one of these wagon tops without a roofwalk?

Edited off ___

[nkalanaga]

Nscalbitz:  I'm sorry I offended you, but, who is "STMFC"?

[AlbertSpor]

NKalanaga STMFC is the steam era  freight car list on yahoo groups.

Albert Spor