You remember the "Biffy?"

Decades ago there were some articles in the NMRA Bulletin about these cars and outhouses.
Well, to offer more service to the hard working crews at the different building sites, I had to build one.





This was a project for a few nights. :angel:

 

I've used NorthEastern stripwood mainly. And the parts from the junk box, there're lots of left overs.







Wolfgang

 

Good grief!
Shades of Whit Towers.

I always thought that the cry over Biffys was overdone. And I'm surprised that you remember the articles.

 

Wolfgang, that's wonderful. However, you neglected to include the bucket of ashes and scoop in the corner for the user to sprinkle in the hole covering his "business" when finished. Wood and coal ashes were much better for covering odors than today's air fresheners.....:tb-tongue:

 

Wolfgang-thanks for the memories. Pro or con, the biffy "controversy" in the NMRA Bulletin was a fun thing. It's a shame that the NMRA doesn't have a sense of humor these days. PERSONAL VIEW-the last time I "looked" at the NMRA's "magazine", I saw 30 pages of ads and 10 pages of models. Whatta shame. The old Bulletin and Mr Towers are turning in their graves.
While I don't run biffy cars, I do have stationary outhouses on my layout. Of course, they all have interior detais, one has a very upset fellow due to the door falling off the hinges while he was inside.
Overdone, maybe...but still needed.
Woodie

 

That's very cool, Wolfgang. Very well done. I guess the next version will have to be a Crapper. A real water closet on a truck. Storage tanks and all.

 

That's so cool! You must have had a crapload of fun doing that one... arghh:tongue:

 

Holy crap Wolfgang!!!

Thats very creative, great job on this, although I would hate to replace an axle on it. I'm thinking there would be some "debris" in the way. :tb-biggrin:

 

Wolfgang,,,

Great job,,, that’s a hole lot nicer than the one I grew up with
inch

 

That would be a job for Mike Rowe... laugh:

 

the modern version

 

some history

Thought this might be interesting.

The term biffy is sometimes encountered in the context of U.S. Girl Scouting, and may have originated with the "BFI" logo of what was at one time Browning-Ferris Industries (now part of Allied Waste Industries), a waste collection company whose trade lines in some markets include the servicing of portable toilets. The term "Biffy" can also perhaps be traced to a company operating in Minnesota named "Biff's," which services portable toilets. Campers are told the term is an acronym for "Bathroom in the Forest For You." An alternate explanation: when backpackers prepare a cathole or trench latrine in their overnight campsite (even embellishing it with fresh-cut flowers), they call it the BIFF - Bathroom In Forest Floor. A backpacking group will carry a zip-lock bag with a trowel, toilet paper, and a lighter (to burn the used tissue); this bag is known as "the BIFF key".
The term "biffy" appears to have originally been a localism in Minnesota and adjoining places. Students studying linguistics in the mid-20th century were given the sample sentence, "If I said 'meet me at the biffy' what would you think?" Hysterical laughter would convulse the class as the professor queried students from other regions and logged their responses.[citation needed]

 

LOL that's neat and some really good work Wolfgang. I would have never thought of that one.

:thumbs_up:

 

Candy, I applaud your attempt to bring sanity to this ill-begotten gaggle. Sadly, we are too far down the slippery slope towards your well-described "trench" to be saved, noble as your attempt may be...:tb-ooh:

 

@river_eagle - that would be really neat if it were self-propelled...

 

Thank you kind sir....I'm all flushed