Bill... can't WAIT!!!!!!!!! I'm thrilled to be able to include your previous outside door NYC express boxcar in the Fast Mail consists! ~Bruce
I remember seeing many of these conversions for five to ten years after war. I imagine the railroads picked them up for pennies on the dollar.
I have personally seen a troop car turned into a Bangor and Aroostook caboose . As far as I know it is still in Frenchville Maine. It is complete. Another sits on the ground around Presque Isle Maine without the Allied full cushion trucks. Neat cars for sure !
"Did these make it to PC ???" No. By that time the few that remained were running under lease to some other operations under Chicago Freight Car Leasing Company ownership.
These are also available as brass overlays at http://www.prototypespecificproducts.com/ for several different prototypes. They use the MT car for the body, and build up reasonably well. Yes, some did make it into the PC era. I have photos of the New Haven variant circa 1969, though I am not sure if they were still in service. I also have an in service photo of the REA variant behind a GG1 in Conneticut, circa 1969. Michael Pennie
the 'Cannonball' brass sides are too short to fit correctly on the MT body...it also requires sanding the MT sides completely flat... these castings, literally, drop onto the MT chassis; they replace the carbody, completely eliminating an entire construction step neede if using brass car sides to represent these cars. Bill's castings are beautiful; there was almost NO flash on the ones I received, and were bubble and blemish free...I'm sold on these for accuracy and ease of 'assembly'. I might add, the outside door cars that i have, so far, necessitate slight repositioning of the baggage door steps; a very easy adjustment that requires a few swipes of a file on either side of the frame at the new location. The steps are molded, by MT, as a one piece assembly in Delrin plastic, and, when moved to their new position, a la prototype photos, simply need to be superglued in place. Can't wait! ~Bruce PS-I need to order more NYC decal sheets!
Ugh. That website is straight out of 1992.... I like how TB is linking your circa 1969 to a Lionel Giraffe car on ebay! Anyone who's purchased, or seen Bill's cars in person know they're the real deal. Great stuff!
Thanks guys. The silicon rubber was poured over the master today. Hope to have castings at the end of the week. I'm also working on the REA refrigerator car conversion !
ARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!...lol... The reefer conversion was my next request!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lord, Bill!....could you see your way to casting a PRR B60b while you're at it? ~Bruce
Hell Gate Models has a resin kit and they're website says "Availability:Out of stock" but the News section also states - "After a three-year break in availability, all items are now back in stock and ready for immediate shipment". I might just try ordering one to see what happens. http://hgmtest.weebly.com/products.html
I've built one of Claus' very nice resin kits (I was blessed to receive, from him, a spare body and short-shot underframe, after production had ceased)...in fact, I've just re-visited mine, and installed some extra end grabs and working diaphagms... I'm glad to hear he's re-doing them....if that's the case.I know Bill can provide other cars!...these converted troop cars are incredible! ~Bruce
Bill, don't forget that there were a few other roads that had them, B&O being one of them. The door was shorter but this shouldn't be that difficult to do... B&O... http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1186472 http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2342990 http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/tr_boX4448.jpg http://rr-fallenflags.org/bo/bo910563ags.jpg http://rr-fallenflags.org/bo/bo910566ags.jpg New Haven... http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?201109212039454752.jpg http://lariverrailroads.com/passcar/nh5116.jpg
Curious that the MR drawing illustrates a car modified with the inside style door, yet still equipped with the Allied trucks. Supposedly use of the Allied trucks was already banned by 1960 while the inside door mod wasn't made until late in 1960, at the earliest.
