Waiting for warmer weather so that I can paint my NY&NE boxcar in my garage, I've decided to start another rolling stock project. This time I will bash a B.T.S. 32' radial roof boxcar kit to build a 29' Merchants Despatch Transportation car. I have a photo of the prototype as well as decals.
I started by cutting down the kit components that make up the core of this laser kit. The width and height were correct for the MDT car but the length had to be reduced. Progress so far:
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1660-020325185947.jpeg)
It's a bit fragile at this point, but the floor and sheathing will stabilize everything.
Mike
Interesting. I brought Roger Hinman's MDT book home from the BigE, I'll see how much content there is on pre-1900 MDT.
Quote from: jbvb on March 02, 2025, 07:12:04 PMInteresting. I brought Roger Hinman's MDT book home from the BigE, I'll see how much content there is on pre-1900 MDT.
I'd be interested in knowing.
So this is a "fruit car"? Is it insulated? Interesting trucks, I think I've seen something like them before. Bitter Creek, maybe? Or maybe Panamint from Shapeways?
dave
Mike,
This will be an interesting project and I'll be on the front row watching.
Tom
"Merchants Dispatch Its History and Equipment" by Roger Hinman, Signature Press 2011. Chapter 11 covers the 29 foot cars in use 1871-96, 5 pages. A CAD drawing showing side & end with no stated scale. Repro magazine illustration. Poor photo side view of #1612 . Excellent 3/4 view and side view of #3101 at the Philadelphia Centennial. Numbering was sequential from 1 to 4011, but then they started replacing destroyed cars with newer construction using the same number. Table of dimensions. Table of builders, dates, lot size.
Chapter 12 covers the 34 foot cars built from about 1880, in use till 1922 in 15 pages. Similar CAD drawings of box and Wickes refrigerator. 10 good photos. Patent illustrations, Wickes ads, table of builders, table of Wickes numbers and how cars were painted from 1886 ORER.
Chapter 13 covers 36 foot cars in use 1892-1945, Chapter 14 the 40' wood frame cars in use 1899-1945. Chapters 15 and 16 41 foot cars through the transition from wood frame to steel .
Dave, wood frame trucks apparently reduced the car's capacity by 10,000 lb. The 29' cars built through 1874 were all originally box cars, though many were rebuilt as refrigerators. From 1875 600-650 29' refrigerator cars were built.
I'll add a picture of some brand-new cars. I believe they were built in East Rochester, New York at the Despatch Shops of the NYC?
despatch.jpg
Bernd
Roger Hinman's book says that series of 36 foot "common car" type was built in 1905.
Shorpy has a series of photos from the MDC car factory, worth spending some time there...
On the old EarlyRail mailing list, there was a big debate on the order of the colors on those bottom stripes. The general consensus was Red on top, Blue on the bottom. Part of that debate revolved around how early B&W films treated different colors.
dave
Stripes along the bottom of the car sides and ends appear in Hinman's book in 1874 and 1876 photos. He says their introduction was motivated by the Centennial. In those photos the car body is a dark color. The Wickes refrigerator car bodies started to get white paint in 1882. Hinman's book inside cover is white with (from the top) red, white and blue stripes, making it clear where he stands on the issue.
Thank you for all the interest and comments, James, Tom, Bernd, and Dave.
Some in progress photos:
The floor and end wall sheathing added:
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1660-040325081358-54596544.jpeg)
Side sheathing:
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1660-040325081358-545972441.jpeg)
Because the car was chopped lengthwise, the door openings s don't make sense, but they will be covered by the doors.
Trucks and couplers installed temporarily:
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1660-040325081358-545981087.jpeg)
I like doing this step early in construction before all the details are added.
Mike
Beautiful car Michael!
Mike, it's coming together nicely.
Thank you, Philip and Rick!
Moving forward slowly, I installed the subroof,
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1660-080325201718.jpeg)
and the roof itself, the running board, and doors:
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1660-080325201800.jpeg)
I used styrene car siding for the roof; the kit had material for a metal roof, which I couldn't use.
I need to complete the door hardware and move to the ends.
Mike
Looks nice. I suppose the longitudinal board scribing helped bend the original kit roof, I don't see another reason for it.
James,
Thank you.
The kit roofing material is a very thin card, so the subroof provides important support and guarantees a smooth curve. There are also carlins underneath the subroof that help define the shape of the roof and prevent sagging. I substituted a somewhat thicker styrene for the roof, so I cut the subroof edges flush to the sides. That added a helpful couple of scale inches to the height of the sides. The fascia covers the edges.
Mike
Howdy Mike, the bash is looking good. The fusion of wood and plastic is resulting in an authentic car. Have fun, mike
Thank you, Mike.
Micheal very nice looking car and like the way you're able to blend materials in your construction. Enjoy.
Thanks, Larry.
Melding dissimilar materials requires some thought, but allows a wider range of options. In this case I used super glue.
Mike
Mike,
Great build and the boxcar is looking great. I'll be here 'til the end.
Tom
Interesting project, Michael. Noticed in Bernd's photo looking along the cars they appear to all be slightly higher in the center than the ends by siting down the stripes.
Quote from: KentuckySouthern on March 10, 2025, 08:41:50 AMInteresting project, Michael. Noticed in Bernd's photo looking along the cars they appear to all be slightly higher in the center than the ends by siting down the stripes.
Probably over tightened the truss rods. Probably will straighten out once loaded. After all they are new.
Bernd
Quote from: ACL1504 on March 10, 2025, 08:27:36 AMMike,
Great build and the boxcar is looking great. I'll be here 'til the end.
Tom
Thank you, Tom.
Quote from: KentuckySouthern on March 10, 2025, 08:41:50 AMInteresting project, Michael. Noticed in Bernd's photo looking along the cars they appear to all be slightly higher in the center than the ends by siting down the stripes.
It's more extreme than I have seen in other builders photos, but it might be the angle. Or, it could be because the cars are just about at the limit for the length of ones with truss rods and so the effect is more noticeable.
Mike
There was one 19th century reefer patent where the hump in the middle was part of the design. Art Griffin produced those as kits, I have a pair put away. Mike, do you know of a website that shows/compares all those patents? One of the most famous is the Hanrahan patent, which had two doors on each side and an ice bunker in the middle. (There's a famous photo of a Colorado Midland Hanrahan reefer with a fancy Ute Indian painted on it.)
(https://us-modelsof1900.de/wp-content/gallery/umbauten-ladungen/cm-reefer_cpr.jpg)
dave
Dave,
I wish there was such a source for information. White describes several reefer patents but some remain elusive.
Mike
Mike, are you looking for info on the clerestory on the reefer?
I dug briefly into https://www.midcontinent.org/rollingstock/builders/index.htm
and found:
(https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-Bvw4c8z/0/LCCmcrvxBvZ5p6KTnXv42sJ4ZtCw8F25W6nF5DMH7/S/i-Bvw4c8z-S.png) (https://weldtoride.smugmug.com/Other/Modeling/n-ZCSMbV/i-Bvw4c8z/A)
AT: https://www.midcontinent.org/rollingstock/builders/tiffany.htm
The above also mentions patents, specifically a patent No. 193,357 (24 July 1877) which led me to another article, but no drawings or pics of clerestory refers there. Maybe the biblio at the end of the article will help.
https://www.rosscrain.com/All-Images/dsp-pdf/DSP%20Tiffany%20D%20Poole%20OR%20May95.pdf
I needed to pull out of this WorldWideWabbit hole before I needed search and rescue to come get me, good luck if you decide to follow!
That's all good information. Tiffany led an interesting and creative life, perhaps a little out of step with his contemporaries at times.
Mike
Quote from: Michael Hohn on March 16, 2025, 10:32:19 AMThat's all good information. Tiffany led an interesting and creative life, perhaps a little out of step with his contemporaries at times.
Mike
Mike, I too, got drawn into reading his bio, a truly unique life!
I think it's ready for the paint shop:
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1660-040425191131-550051168.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1660-040425191131-55007845.jpeg)
Adding the details since my last progress report, every time I thought I was done or almost done, I'd discover more details that I couldn't ignore.
But I think this is it . . . for now.
Mike
Looks good, Mike.
Howdy Mike,
Nice work on the car. The detail is excellent. What color will you paint the car?
Have fun,
mike
Quote from: friscomike on April 05, 2025, 09:08:02 AMHowdy Mike,
Nice work on the car. The detail is excellent. What color will you paint the car?
Have fun,
mike
Thanks, Mike.
I plan to use a box car red.
Mike
Looks great Mike. I think it's time for the paint booth. :)
Bernd
Looks ready Mike!
Great job Mike and nice details.
Jerry
Thank you, Bernd, Philip, and Jerry!
Finished:
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1660-140625102849.jpeg)
No bottom stripes? That avoids the controversy on the ordering of the colors. ;D When did MDT start adding the stripes? Great result!
dave
Thanks, Dave.
The photo I worked from (on the first page of this thread) did not have the stripes. An early scheme, I assume. I don't know when stripes started to be used.
Mike
Mike another beautiful build!!
Jerry
Thank you, Jerry.
Impressive work, Mike.
George
George, thank you.
Nice looking car.
Jeff
Howdy Mike,
Excellent work on a nice box car. The color looks perfect.
Have fun,
mike
Great boxcar Mike, well done..... 8)
Thank you, Jeff, Mike, and Gregory!
Add my thumbs up in there, too! Nice. :o
Mike you did an excellent job on the boxcar and the details makes it really standout.
Great addition Mike!
Quote from: KentuckySouthern on June 19, 2025, 10:09:38 AMAdd my thumbs up in there, too! Nice. :o
Thank you very much.
Mike
Quote from: Larry C on June 19, 2025, 02:11:40 PMMike you did an excellent job on the boxcar and the details makes it really standout.
Thanks, Larry. I appreciate your comment.
Mike
Mike,
The boxcar is one very fine model and shows excellent craftsman skills.
Tom
The boxcar looks great Mike.
You can be my boxcar man, anytime!
Rich