MDT Box Car kitbash

[Michael Hohn]

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:



It's a bit fragile at this point, but the floor and sheathing will stabilize everything.

Mike

[jbvb]

Interesting. I brought Roger Hinman's MDT book home from the BigE, I'll see how much content there is on pre-1900 MDT.

[Michael Hohn]

Interesting. 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. 

[deemery]

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

[ACL1504]

Mike,

This will be an interesting project and I'll be on the front row watching.

Tom

[jbvb]

"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.

[Bernd]

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?



Bernd

[jbvb]

Roger Hinman's book says that series of 36 foot "common car" type was built in 1905.

[deemery]

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

[jbvb]

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.

[Michael Hohn]

Thank you for all the interest and comments, James, Tom, Bernd, and Dave.

Some in progress photos:

The floor and end wall sheathing added:


Side sheathing:

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:

I like doing this step early in construction before all the details are added.

Mike

[Philip]

Beautiful car Michael!

[Rick]

Mike, it's coming together nicely.

[Michael Hohn]

Thank you, Philip and Rick!

[Michael Hohn]

Moving forward slowly, I installed the subroof,



and the roof itself, the running board, and doors:



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