Westerfield kit bashes Southern & GM&O 40’ Truss Rod boxcars

[cduckworth]

Built these two early last year; used Southern 36' kit and ordered additional sides and 40' roofs to make the 40' versions.  165906 is the 36' car.

[deemery]

A Westerfield kitbash!  Cool!  Don't think I've seen one of those written up before.  Good work!  

dave

[cduckworth]

Biggest challenge was getting the double sheathed resin sides to match up so the joints were hidden.  The GM&O boxcars (formerly M&O) lasted until the early 1960's. The Southern 40' cars were originally double door automotive boxcars that the road modified into single door cars.

[friscomike]

Howdy Charlie, nice work.  mike

[jbvb]

When I started hanging around the tracks, a lot of boxcars still had roofwalks.  But I never saw any new enough to show creosote on the planks.

[cduckworth]

When I started hanging around the tracks, a lot of boxcars still had roofwalks.  But I never saw any new enough to show creosote on the planks.

It's to resemble unpainted wood; roofwalks were left unfinished so they weren't slippery in rain and snow. Only exceptions I know of are ATSF, SP and UP added sand to wet paint on the roofwalks

[cduckworth]

Here's some examples I use when painting wood roofwalks.

[jbvb]

The boxcar on its side uses 3 short boards between each support.  Another uses long boards staggered.  And one uses parallel joints but a mix of long and short boards.  What I recall from taking unnecessary risks as a teen was the long boards staggered.

[deemery]

The boxcar on its side uses 3 short boards between each support.  Another uses long boards staggered.  And one uses parallel joints but a mix of long and short boards.  What I recall from taking unnecessary risks as a teen was the long boards staggered.

Of course, that set of photos show's "There's a prototype for everything".  ("Long board staggered" makes the most sense to me.)

dave

[cduckworth]

The boxcar on its side uses 3 short boards between each support.  Another uses long boards staggered.  And one uses parallel joints but a mix of long and short boards.  What I recall from taking unnecessary risks as a teen was the long boards staggered.

Little bit of research I've uncovered is the NYC and Wabash both used the short board roofwalks- at least on their rebuilt boxcars in the late 1930's. What I found interesting on the overturned boxcar is the car cement pealing off.

[jbvb]

I don't recall seeing anyone else pay this much attention to roofwalks.  I don't recall any paint on those i trespassed on, but I had no idea that was the plan.

[deemery]

Back in the 19th century, there was a debate on painting roofwalks.  The argument against paint was "too slippery", the argument for was "lasts longer."  I think in a lot of cases sand was mixed in with the paint to help provide traction.

dave

[Philip]

Some nice examples.

[cduckworth]

Here's the prototype information and GA drawings on the models