Rapido newsletter #165, a survey for N scalers

[DirtyD79]

In my travels through pictures of CN boxcars I find some combination door lumber service boxcars that'd be pretty nice to see in N scale (to me at least). Looks like three groups totaling 740 cars. I suspect they may have been well travelled in the US given their use in lumber service. CP had some similar 202*** series cars but definitely not matching cars built by CC&F (similar to my untrained eyes at least... they have combination doors, smooth sides, similar side sills).
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn557466&o=cn

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One of the things I always wondered about combo door boxcars is why do they have two different styles of doors? I can see wanting two doors on each side to make it easier for forklifts hauling stacks of lumber or plywood to get in and out, but I've noticed there are also cars with double sliding doors or double plug doors on each side. What would be the advantage of both a plug door and a sliding door?

[lock4244]

I remember cars like that quite a bit down in Texas in the late 80's into the mid 90's but not much after the big mergers.

Were the BCOL combo doors for lumber too? I remember seeing them regularly on the UP line to Brownsville TX, in ones or twos.

I think the ease of loading / unloading centerbeam lumber flats, and their higher load capacity made them superior to boxcars for lumber loading and they pushed boxcars out of the bulk of that service. Wrapping lumber in protective plastic probably aided in this switch.

I assume lumber service, but the write up on PWRS website about the PGE/BCR cars they did in HO & N repeatedly refers to 'forest products'. That could mean lumber and paper service... but I'm thinking lumber was what they were purchased for. Some were later modified for baled pulp service.

[lock4244]

One of the things I always wondered about combo door boxcars is why do they have two different styles of doors? I can see wanting two doors on each side to make it easier for forklifts hauling stacks of lumber or plywood to get in and out, but I've noticed there are also cars with double sliding doors or double plug doors on each side. What would be the advantage of both a plug door and a sliding door?

No idea, but the PWRS writeup on the PGE/BCR cars NARC did refer to the plug as an 'auxiliary' door. Speculating here, if the sliding door is lighter and / or cheaper then a pair makes most sense. I recall reading a long time ago that a plug door makes the car stronger when closed as it fills the opening in the car side, the plug door essentially becoming part of the side (are boxcar sides part of the cars structure?). If the auxiliary plug door is only used when a larger opening is needed and the sliding door gets the majority of use, likely this combo is used to make the car a little stronger than a double sliding door car?

But I'm merely speculating here.

[cv_acr]

One of the things I always wondered about combo door boxcars is why do they have two different styles of doors? I can see wanting two doors on each side to make it easier for forklifts hauling stacks of lumber or plywood to get in and out, but I've noticed there are also cars with double sliding doors or double plug doors on each side. What would be the advantage of both a plug door and a sliding door?

Because the plug door is flush with the interior wall of the car.

So it allows the car to be used as a 10' single-door car with load placed against the plug doors like extra car wall. With a 16' clear sliding door opening it changes how stuff can be placed inside the car, especially when the openings are staggered on either side.

[cv_acr]

I think the ease of loading / unloading centerbeam lumber flats, and their higher load capacity made them superior to boxcars for lumber loading and they pushed boxcars out of the bulk of that service. Wrapping lumber in protective plastic probably aided in this switch.

I assume lumber service, but the write up on PWRS website about the PGE/BCR cars they did in HO & N repeatedly refers to 'forest products'. That could mean lumber and paper service... but I'm thinking lumber was what they were purchased for. Some were later modified for baled pulp service.

Don't forget that plywood, veneers, MDF/particleboard, high grade millwork, etc. need to be protected from the elements and yes, even packaged lumber (depending on how the mill/receiver is set up to handle it) is still shipped in boxcars in some cases.

[Scottl]

This is all very interesting.  So in modern trains where wrapped lumber on bulkheads is the norm, box cars are used for paper only?  Or are there cases where lumber still goes in box cars?

[cv_acr]

So in modern trains where wrapped lumber on bulkheads is the norm, box cars are used for paper only?

Absolutely not. Lots of things go in boxcars, including other forest products mentioned in my reply above.

[dem34]

This is all very interesting.  So in modern trains where wrapped lumber on bulkheads is the norm, box cars are used for paper only?  Or are there cases where lumber still goes in box cars?

As said above, a good amount of lumber products of higher grade still goes in Boxcars. The only freight local to me is exclusively lumber products most of the time, and the Distributor still receives some of its stock in 2-3 Old SP/BCRail lumber configed boxcars.

[cv_acr]

Also containers for overseas export:

[lock4244]

Absolutely not. Lots of things go in boxcars, including other forest products mentioned in my reply above.

Still have trains of boxcars pass by without a bulkhead in sight and the smell of freshcut lumber fills the air.

[JoeD]

  https://www.google.com/maps/place/Roseburg+Forest+Products/@43.0876558,-123.4166696,14a,31.9y/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPpl9EnvjBzzcieN9FAmeuqBhHtiQk5r2dsIEQ3!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPpl9EnvjBzzcieN9FAmeuqBhHtiQk5r2dsIEQ3%3Dw203-h152-k-no!7i4032!8i3024!4m6!3m5!1s0x54c422df4df743b1:0xe4bc0fe810b921bb!8m2!3d43.0923872!4d-123.4133931!16s%2Fg%2F1tffcy12   If you are in Southern Oregon and cruise over by Winston off I5 you'll see a huge Roseburg Forrest Products facility with nothing but T-Boxes and the like being loaded under cover with finished wood.  Thats not to say there are no Bulkheads or Centerbeams...plenty of those too.  But its not uncommon to see a string of 30 or so yellow outside braced boxes of all sorts waiting. 
Joe

[Scottl]

Thanks for the responses.  This is all even more interesting and I have to admit I had not thought about it much before. 

[wazzou]

If you are in Southern Oregon and cruise over by Winston off I5 you'll see a huge Roseburg Forrest Products facility with nothing but T-Boxes and the like being loaded under cover with finished wood.  Thats not to say there are no Bulkheads or Centerbeams...plenty of those too.  But its not uncommon to see a string of 30 or so yellow outside braced boxes of all sorts waiting. 
Joe

To be fair, that is Plywood though.

[lock4244]

Also containers for overseas export:

Watching a good forklift driver work gives one appreciation for how much skill is required to do that job... especially in such close confines. The dexterity required is impressive to me.

[ridinshotgun]

  https://www.google.com/maps/place/Roseburg+Forest+Products/@43.0876558,-123.4166696,14a,31.9y/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPpl9EnvjBzzcieN9FAmeuqBhHtiQk5r2dsIEQ3!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com% 2Fp%2FAF1QipPpl9EnvjBzzcieN9FAmeuqBhHtiQk5r2dsIEQ3%3Dw203-h152-k-no!7i4032!8i3024!4m6!3m5!1s0x54c422df4df743b1:0xe4bc0fe810b921bb!8m2!3d43.0923872!4d-123.4133931!16s%2Fg%2F1tffcy12   If you are in Southern Oregon and cruise over by Winston off I5 you'll see a huge Roseburg Forrest Products facility with nothing but T-Boxes and the like being loaded under cover with finished wood.  Thats not to say there are no Bulkheads or Centerbeams...plenty of those too.  But its not uncommon to see a string of 30 or so yellow outside braced boxes of all sorts waiting. 
Joe

Does this mean you’re going to run more and more Tboxes!?  We need moooooaaar!