I was just wondering if anyone here has kitbashed a Sperry Rail Car out of a Bachmann Doodlebug? Several years ago I dismantled a Bachmann Doodlebug with this very intent. Got it apart and then put the parts in a "Round Tuit" box. I am finally getting around to it and am open to hints and/or input on how to modify the shell into a "reasonable representation" of a Sperry car.
I haven't, but, I believe one could be made from the Micro-Trains troop sleeper or kitchen car. I'd like to see some photos of the older 1950's versions of the Sperry railcar if any are available.
Not yet but I want to. The January 1952 issue of Model Railroader magazine has the plans for one. Also, see this thread I started back in January on the Sperry Rail Detector Car Sperry Rail Detector Car - TrainBoard.com Maybe there's something there that's useful. Mike C.
"I haven't, but, I believe one could be made from the Micro-Trains troop sleeper or kitchen car." Unfortunately what we are talking about here isn't related at all to troop cars. What is being discussed is based on motor cars, a.k.a. "Doodlebugs". "I'd like to see some photos of the older 1950's versions of the Sperry railcar if any are available." Okay... let's see what I can dig up... Some of the earliest test cars were nothing more than glorified and lengthened speeders built by Kalamazoo which featured a power car and test trailer (or two)... http://photoswest.org/photos/00016126/00016132.jpg http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/srs/srs109kga.jpg Some of the earliest cars were built by Brill, freight version of their Model 55... http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/srs115.jpg http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/srs120.jpg hmm... an Athearn Overland roof??? http://rr-fallenflags.org/srs/srs121kga.jpg Those based on larger gas-electrics were largely unchanged until later on, keeping much of the same features that the original car had... http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/tr_srs123.jpg http://www.trainweb.org/elso/SRS117.HTM http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00016133 http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/srs130c.jpg http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/nycX8015.jpg And there were even busses (well, sort of)... http://www.trainweb.org/elso/srs403.htm Over time the cars have evolved, with new roofs, new sides, etc., but still pretty much the same motor car that they were when in revenue service. Unfortunately there really isn't a model that does these cars justice... sad because they were very unique in a number of ways. The Bachmann motor car would likely make a great starting point but depending on how far a person would want to take it... Additional information and photos of various cars can be seen at the links below... http://trainweb.org/passengercars/Indices/SRS.htm http://www.trainweb.org/elso/SPERRY.HTM
Oopppss... I guess I missed some minor details from the original question... like every word except 'Sperry' and 'Railcar'. I really hate it when I answer questions I don't read... lol Thank-you Jerry for all the great pix and comments of the rail inspection cars. Nice job on your Sperry rail inspection car John. :thumbs_up:
Sorry about the triplicate posts. Slow and cumbersum internet tonight. There was a different doodlebug body produced a long while back as a plastic kit. Took an Arnold GP-9 mechanism if I remember right. Some could still be around but would be rare. It is a comletely different body than the Bmann unit. I grafted the cab section and front door from a spare body to make the rear section. Used the roof as is but had to do a little work to make the cab fit at the rear on the roofline area. This reduced the number of windows of the coach section and the additional coversion of a window area to a side vent further cut the window area down to be close to one of the prototypes
Caught this unit about 15 years ago in the former Potomac yard of the old RF&P. It appears that this may have been an old baggage/rpo with no coach section, and depending on a trailer car for passenger, ancestory is uncertain but the grill on the roof is reminescent of a possible old Brill car. It's length is about 60-65 feet.
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/78601/ppuser/5910 Photo of a shorter version I did a while back........
Well, I'm in it up to my neck with my attempt to make a doodlebug into a Sperry car. No photos yet but I have altered the body shell enough to suggest the idea of it being a Sperry car. Went completely over the edge when i decided that I would add a Roco track cleaning pad to the bottom of the car. If this works it will be ultra cool but it may not even move with so much weight in it. We'll see shortly. If it flies on the DC test track, I will be installing a decoder to finish the project off. Only problem is Sperry decals...
"Caught this unit about 15 years ago in the former Potomac yard of the old RF&P. It appears that this may have been an old baggage/rpo with no coach section, and depending on a trailer car for passenger, ancestory is uncertain but the grill on the roof is reminescent of a possible old Brill car. It's length is about 60-65 feet." Looks are decieving... This particular car was built by Brill in 1928 for the NYC and numbered M11. It was a baggage - coach design with the typical Brill arched roof... http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/images/c-219.jpg Sperry had 8 or so Brill cars that they acquired from various roads, with most either being EMC or St. Louis Car Co. Over the years they have rebuilt the cars (usually several times over), modifying sides from just a few windows removed or replaced at a time until you get the basic window pattern found on the shot above, which is one of the latest versions. One thing that Sperry apparently liked about the Brill cars were the ends and all there makes were rebuilt with Brill-type ends, even before they started to truly modify the side windows. The roof is a lower profile than your typical Brill car but slightly higher than EMC cars, which is what the Bachmann car is suppose to represent. However, the Bachmann car has a Brill front end, which really would help to do a Brill car or any number of the Sperry cars as a person would desire.
