Boxcar memoirs

[Candy]

I've been looking at old pictures of boxcars. Color pictures only. Certain weathering aspects were apparent especially in one picture showing a string of 40 foot cars on a siding. The weathering was different on every car but some things were the same. The sun had beached out the color of the cars and a dull, flat oxide color was left. So I thought that I should do this to every boxcar I have by a spray of dullcote and some bragdon powders. It came out looking very real. I was happy. But because I model the New Haven I stopped at my McGinnis boxcars. I looked in my NH book and found a picture from 1958 of a McGinnis paint job. It was the red-orange new image color and the same as my boxcar. It was bright and shinny with no weathering at all. So I decided to leave my car the same. So I was thinking that there are a lot of clued as to how a car should be weathered. Since I was modeling the New Haven in 1962 then I must weather my cars based on that point in time. What I mean is if the car was built in 1955 then the degree of weathering should be less then if the car was built in 1947.  Also I must consider if the car looks like the original paint job or has it been repainted. One thing I like about my era is no tagging. I hate that look. So am I making any sense here?

[bparrish]

Candy.........

Yes you are making sense.

There are all manner of things that happen to cars that make them look different nearly a single day after painting and put into service.

Put them near a concrete plant or a flour mill and they are instantly different.

What ever looks good to you is acceptable.

see ya
Bob

[Candy]

" Put them near a concrete plant or a flour mill and they are instantly different. "

   I once tried to bake a cake and I looked instantly different 

[bparrish]

Candy...

funny stuff

see ya
Bob

[Mike Engler]

At least you have some color photos to guide you. I haven't found many (any?) color pics of 36' wooden boxcars from my era of early 20th century.


How about a pic of your weathering efforts?

[Candy]

At least you have some color photos to guide you. I haven't found many (any?) color pics of 36' wooden boxcars from my era of early 20th century.


How about a pic of your weathering efforts?

   Picture for you

[gnatshop]

Boy, that gal knows how to research and find the good pictures!

I just hope that she don't go diggin' in the Ledbetter's background!   

[Mike Engler]

Thanks. Just what I needed- it falls into the category of heavily weathered. I'm curious about the steel ends- is that some type of conversion or upgrade that was done on the old wooden cars, or were they made that way? Someone will know, and also approximately what year it was done.

[bparrish]

Mike....

The car shown is most likely not a conversion.  Steel sub frames and various parts came into popularity in the 1890's with some experimentation as early as the 1860's.  Wood sides and interiors remained into the 1940's and wood interiors showed up for at least another 30 years on various equipment.  Ease of shoring off loads was made easy with wooden interiors.

Two arguments worked for the continuation of wood sides and that is low cost for wood and the insulation capabilities of the wood. 

Metal ends became popular for issues of overall structural strength of the car and resistance to end damage.

Sub frame materials were almost completely metal by 1900 and in 1902 45% of new car orders for freight cars was all metal.  The national metal car fleet had grown to about 150,000 cars in that same year.

Some of these cars rolled around through WWII but the over work and deferred maintenance of the war caused most of the exterior wood sheathed cars to disappear within a few years of the end of the war.

Some wooden cars lagged around in non interchange service for some time later and MOW cars ignored all of the rules.

see ya
Bob

[Mike Engler]

Boy, that gal knows how to research and find the good pictures!
 

Yeah, but Bob knows all that stuff- he didn't even have to research it!

[Candy]

I have just begun to weather rail cars. I'm trying to ease into it. Here is my first two.   

[Candy]

I have an, Athearn, 40 foot boxcar that says it was new 7-55. Then on the other end it says it was rebuilt 8-55. How is that possible? 

BTW  they also left the B out of rebuilt.  ( reuilt )

[bparrish]

Candy...

There could be any number of stenciling errors that could have happened.  I'll bet that if more Athearn cars were carefully inspected we could find all manner of weirdness.

Athearn had it's ups and downs over the years.  Overall their product quality was pretty good but stuff happens.

Actually this is sort of fun collectable stuff,

see ya
Bob

[gnatshop]

Boy, that gal knows how to research and find the good pictures!       

Yeah, but Bob knows all that stuff- he didn't even have to research it! 

I'm shuttin' my mouth - I ain't touchin' that comparison!
Besides, I ain't got no dog in this hunt!
Just makin' a general comment and tryin' to be nice (yeah, I know you can't believe that!!  ) 

[cuse]

Candy, those boxcars look great. I hope to have nothing but weathered cars operating on my layout if I ever get to that point. Everytime I get close to doing some fine tuning, I rip the whole thing up!


Nice work! 


John