What would be the cars and caboose type for a prototypical consist for a 1940's CB&Q Mikado steamer? Woodside caboose? Steel Caboose? I was thinking of a stock car, short tank car, some 40' woodside boxcars, woodside reefers. Any help would be appreciated.
You're thinking along the right lines............. but you can add some steel cars into the mix. Reefers would be non-mechanical so look for ones with ice hatches in the roof but either steel or wood would be OK. Same for boxcars. No 50 foot cars, 40 ft would be normal. I'm not sure when CB&Q went to steel cabooses, but other roads had steel by then. Not sure where you are modeling but in Iowa, stock cars were pretty common. Tank cars would be mostly 39' cars. Older wooden cars continued thru WW2 so pretty much anything out there could have been seen. Anything with roofwalks would look appropriate. Have fun with it.
I model Santa Fe in 1950s so my information file is slanted towards 50s. Here are some boxcars from the 1940s, with references to various magazines and books. Autobox 48500 steel 50'6" with end door "_Train Shed Cyclopedia"#17_ p.151 CB&Q #48524 50' autobox w end door, blt 1941 __ modeled by Richard Hendrickson w late 40s weathering/detailing _RailModelJournal_ June97 p.12 (note Bob Thiele magazine, not in kla collection0 C&S (CB&Q) double door steel boxcar Warbonnet 3Q 03 p.3 boxcar, 40’ plug + sliding door , blt 1947-1964 for GN, SOO, NP, MILW, UP, CB&Q, RI.; review Accurail HO model w proto info Railroad Model Craftsman May09 p.92 Boxcar FW&D 7201-7700 listed 54 Reg. 458 extant pix FWD 7225 _MRRing_ May88 p.58 color FW&D #7393 end view 7-8 corrug _Santa Fe in the Lone Star State_ vol.1 p.36 pix FWD 7508 kla collection, bought NewBraunfels meet N model FW&D 7595 XM by KLA from Microtrains car similar to CB&Q XM-25 40' USRA-style single-sheath Z-brace pix CB&Q XM-25 _MRRing_ Feb88 p.11 Boxcar 9000-9499 40' AAR double door blt 1944-5 (original #39000-39499) 1958 pix _MRRing_ Mar89 p.16 Boxcar 10000-10899 single-sheath double door 40' blt 1927 as 1 1/2 door car. half door replaced w 6' aux door. 2 corrug doors, later aux door permanently shut w/ above nos. 1958 pix in railyard. _MRRing_ Mar89 p.17 Boxcar 11000-12374 40' single-sheath blt 1923 5-5-5 corrug.; end 1/12 door(wood) aux door sealed #11744 1958 pix _MRRing_ Mar89 p.18 Boxcar C&S 13500-13999 USRA single-sheath 5-5-5 ends pix 13576 & plan, _Mod RRer_ Dec86 p.89 Boxcar 15000-16999 40' single-sheath blt 1920 7-8 corrug ends Z-braced XM-25 similar to C&S 13500-13999; FW&D 7201-7700 #16027 pix _MRRing_ Feb88 p.11 HO kitbash _MRRing_ Feb88 p.15 #16734 pix _MRRing_ Mar89 p.18 Boxcar 25000-25499 class XM-28 blt 1928 extant 1965 single-sheath similar USRA but Z-braced 40' single door steel inverted-Dreadnaught ends #25402 pix _MRRing_ Feb88 p.11 Boxcar 26000-26999 single-sheath ARA 40', listed 1954 #26216 1941 pix _NMRA Bull_ Apr76 p.26 #26216 pix _MRRing_ Mar88 p.36 Boxcar 28000-28599 AAR 1937 specs but single-sheath wood 50-ton 40'6" blt 1939 "_Train Shed Cyclopedia"#17_ p.118 pix _MRRing_ Feb89 p.27 #28023 pix in railyard _MRRing_ Mar89 p.17 Boxcar 29000-37749 40' steel box, blt 1940 pix 30050 _Train Shed Cyclopedia_ #75 p.430 pix 30034 (passenger trucks?) _Train Shed Cyclopedia_ #17 p.123 Boxcar 35000-36999 40' AAR box 1947 class XM-32, XM-32a pix w both corrugaqted and panel doors _RailModJournal_ June90 p.60 pix 36008 w load _RailModJournal_ May91 p.17 Boxcar 45500-45999 class XA-9 single sheath 50' steel underframe, 10' double doors blt 1925 listed 1954 Reg. 476 cars extant Boxcar 46000-46481 class XA-10 50' single sheath steel underframe end doors closed blt 1926. # not listed 1954 Reg. data only _RailModJournal_ Nov89 p.50 Boxcar 46500-46999 50' single sheath 14 1/2' double doors blt 1937-9 pix 46523 as built _RailModJournal_ Nov89 p.46 pix 46829 in 60s paint _RailModJournal_ Nov89 p.46 Boxcar 46500-46999 50' AAR blt 1941 _RailModJournal_ June90 p.60 CB&Q 46523 50’ double-door single-sheath used in general service 1950s Rail Model Journal Freight Car Models Vol.II Boxcars Book 1 p.30 CB&Q 46829 50’ double-door single-sheath used in general service 1950s Rail Model Journal Freight Car Models Vol.II Boxcars Book 1 p.30 Boxcar 60877 40' AAR 10'6" IH _RailModJournal_ Nov97 p.17 Boxcar 120500-120999 USRA double-sheath 40' ca.1919 # not listed 1954 Reg. listed in USRA double-sheath 40' boxcar roster _MRRing_ May88 p.34 note: "CB&Q had 40' 40-ton double-sheath USRA underframe boxcars similar to CRIP car"(shown) _RailModJournal_ Nov97 p.15similar Boxcar 130250-130509 Class XM-21 40' Z-brace single-sheath included in 54 Reg w/ 130250-134250 (total 31 cars) pix 130258, 130412 _MRRing_ May88 p.58 Boxcar 131000- single-sheath wood, wood ends pix 131128 _Trains_ June50 p.48 Boxcar 132251-133999 Class XM23 40' single-sheath Z-brace class diagram & pix 133640 _MRRing_ May88 p.58
Other CB&Q cars: Covered hopper 182331 LO 2-bay blt 1946? pix _RailModJournal_ Sept97 p.29 Gondola CB&Q 72000-79799 USRA composite gondola 41'6" IL similar to Minneapolis &StLouis shown, _RailModJournal_ Nov97 p.18 USRA composite gondola, used by MP, CB&Q, Frisco, et al. proto data, review Intermountain HO model _ModRRer_ Apr2000 p.18 review Intermountain N kit _ModRRer_ Nov2000 p.20 Gondola 73000-74999 GS wood 9-panel blt 1922 Pullman, extant 1954 pix _MRRing_ Aug88 p.26 Gondola 81000-81499 40' GS drop-bottom in 54 Reg. pix 81430 w extended side ht. _MRRing_ Sept 87 p.20 Hopper 188000-189999 2-bay, 34' ribbed-side 8-panel pix #188000 _Popular Picture & Plan Book (Simmons-Boardman)_ p.222 Hopper 192000-193199 2-bay ribbed side pix #192008 _Train Shed Cyc_ #5 p.257 pix #192500 _Train Shed Cyc_ #70 p.263 Hopper 220000-220349 side-dump ballast hoppers, blt 1925-7 long bottom doors; pix #220062 _MRRing_ Jan87 p.52 Hopper 220500-220599 side-dump ballast hoppers, blt 1938 ACF. plated side. 4 hopper doors. pix #220548 _MRRing_ Jan87 p.52 #220599 blt 1938 ballast hopper _RailModJrnl_ Aug2001 p.45 Hopper 221000-221499 side dump hoppers, 4 doors, 11 ribs. pix #221029 offset sides blt 1941 (caption gives incorrect class?) pix #221255 straight sides, blt 1949 _MRRing_ Jan87 p.51 Hopper 221500-221749 side-dump, war-emergency wood, blt 1943 pix #221730 _MRRing_ Jan87 p.52 Hopper Colorado & Southern 15150-15249 longitudinal side dump ballast hoppers, blt 1926, reblt 1954. 93 listed in 54 Reg. color pix #15155 _MRRing_ Vol.13,#4 p.40 kitbash article _MRRing_ Jan87 p.53 Hopper Colorado & Southern Twin hopper. rib sides. blt 1919, rblt 1954. 293 cars listed in 1954 Reg. color pix #18011 _MRRing_ Vol.13,#4 p.40 Hopper Colorado & Southern 20000-20149 Triple hopper offset sides blt 1961 _MRRing_ Vol.13,#4 p.42 Stock 55950-59499 36' blt 1928 single-deck pix #55996 _MRRing_ Spr82 p.74 1953 pix #58652 _MRRing_ Nov87 p.17 Most tank cars operated in revenue service were NOT owned by railroads but by shippers and car leasing companies. 39 foot with single expansion dome was common.
40's freight cars Yes, and about an equal number of 36/37 footers, box and reefers. Unfortunately, we don't have enough of those. Otto
I think the Intermountain ACF 27 8000 cars are appropriate. http://www.intermountain-railway.com/n/ntankcars.htm Not sure about the Micro-trains single dome, I think so: http://www.spookshow.net/freight/mt39tank1d.html as I've seen a lot of that era in WWII shots. Bachmann also has a rather similar car: http://www.spookshow.net/freight/bach1domenew.html While new car construction was very much steel, the 'war emergency' cars like outside-braced boxcars and hoppers had their run, and those were the very last wood cars out there in interchange service. Intermountain is making those. I got to see the last of them on the WAG in 1974 and took this shot: http://www.personal.psu.edu/tss109/WAG/images/wag/wagobbox.jpg There's just something really cool about an ACI label slapped on a wood boxcar!
My favorites to include would be NE-7 and NE-9 30' 4-window wooden cabooses. (No commercial models available but I know I but buy the heck out of them if there were). Steel hoppers would not have been out of place in 1940 as the Burlington hauled a lot of coal out of Southern Illinois as well as coal being delivered to customers. Besides the boxcars and reefers you listed, I would include flatcars in the 40' - 50' range as well as 40' - 50' gondolas. Remember that the CB&Q served as it's corporate owners' (GN and NP) route into Chicago so those two road names are to be expected as well as CB&Q. This is the best I could come up with off the top of my head. I hope it helps. Andy Tetsu Uma
Regarding hoppers and tank cars; would the MTL 33' steel hoppers (the CB&Q ones are painted red) be appropriate? Would coal be a prototypical load for the 33' Twin Bay hoppers? What other cars would they have transported coal in? There was a mention of leasing companies for tank cars; when I look at the MTL 39' single dome tank cars, there are a couple of CB&Q ones, but also many fuel cars as well as others. What leasing companies would have been around in the '40s? For the MTL 39', I have seen GATX, UTLX and TCX. Thanks again for all of your input and I look forward to more.
The MTL CB&Q tank cars would have been in company service. I have a mess of them because I want to recreate the iconic picture of the CB&Q tank car train in the canyon. Otherwise, I can't think of any reason why any tank car from that era wouldn't have been found on the Burlington for one reason or another. According to Mike Spoor's CB&Q Color Guide to Passenger and Freight Equipment, the Burlington got it's first 55-ton twin hoppers in 1927 and by the start of WWII had 2850 in service. Based on the pictures I've found of loaded cars, they pretty much all hauled coal. The same guide indicates 70-ton covered hoppers came in 1940, and that the Burlington built 2800 composite gondolas between 1935 and 1938. The picture I've got looks like they were a 40' drop-bottom style and look a lot like the CB&Q drop-bottom gons from Intermountain. A lot of these would have been in coal service from Southern IL as well. The more I think about it, reefers would have more than likely been pulled by an O4 Northern as those were the Burlington's freight speedsters. Andy Tetsu Uma
That should have been "O5 Northern." That's what I get for thinking of Northerns and Hudsons at the same time.
"If" you can find one, an Official Railway Equipment Register "ORER" is a great tool to have when you're modeling a specific time period to answer the questions on who was out there, what typical cars were, and if a particular car number actually shows up anywhere on a real railroad. It will list every car owned by railroads and leasing companies in interchange service, reporting marks and car number, dimensions and capacity. There are no pictures. It's the ultimate anti-foobie tool as well for a lot of made-up or imaginary paint schemes out there. It's the size of a good big metropolitan phone book and printed about the same size. I use mine a lot; it's a great index to check car numbers and then search online to find photos. Check Ebay, swap meets, probably the classifieds here, other searches. '60's and '70's ones are not hard, WWII and before are hard to find.
