Chicago & North Western Historical Society
MODELER
Volume #9, Issue #1
In This Issue: • • • • • •
Modeling C&NW 800 Series Coaches in S Scale The Des Moines & Central Iowa: A Capsule History Essential Businesses-Part 4: Oil Distributors Building a 1970s Grain Boxcar Fleet – Part 5 Building an O scale Steam Engine Cars Received and Forwarded on the Minneapolis and St. Louis Division of the C&NW
Features:
Cover Art: The Famous 400” - Signed 13” x 19” high quality giclee prints of Stewart Buck’s “The Famous 400” are available at
[email protected].
Modeling C&NW 800 Series Coaches in S Scale (p3) By Dan Vandermause The Des Moines & Central Iowa: A Capsule History (p18) By Joe Piersen Essential Businesses - Part 4: Oil Distributors (p24) Building a 1970s Grain Boxcar Fleet – Part 5: A Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern PS-1 (p43) By Dennis Eggert Building an O scale Steam Engine (p47) By Tom Houle Cars Received and Forwarded on the Minneapolis and St. Louis Division of the C&NW (p49) Back Shop Q&A (p53)
Editor POSITION OPEN Publications Editor Ron Christensen Technical Advisors Dennis Eggert Wes Ward Alastair Muir David J Stuefen Richard H. Berry Dan Vandermause Richard Green Lloyd A. Keyser Keith Kohlmann Layout/Design Jon Beard Find Us Online: http://www.cnwhs.org/modeler
This publication makes otherwise unobtainable data available to the membership at reasonable cost. Membership in the Society is a vote of support and makes all of the Society’s work possible. It provides those interested in the CNW with a legitimate, respected voice in the railroad and historical communities. By working together, individuals interested in CNW are able to accomplish much more than by individual efforts. No matter how diverse your interests or how arcane your specialty, others share your fascination with CNW and affiliated railroads.
The Archives Committee of the C&NWHS is very active and An Invitation to join the maintains a large collection of the CNW Historical Society C&NW and related roads. For more The CNWHS is an independent information see the CNWHS web non-profit educational corporation. site. The Society’s purpose is to foster Merchandise related to the C&NW, interest, research, preservation, as well as back issues of NWL, Car and the distribution of information kits and structure kits for modeling concerning the C&NW and related are offered through the CNWHS roads. Its membership is spread web site. throughout the United States and numerous foreign countries, and its scope includes all facets of the Chicago and North Western Historical Society Modeler is a publication of the CNW CNW. Currently the Society has Historical Society (CNWHS) for the purpose of close to 3000 registered members. disseminating CNW modeling information. Members regularly receive a An Illinois not-for-profit Corporation dedicated to preserving the legacy of the C&NW and its variety of information including a predecessor & successor roads since 1973. quarterly publication: NWL. Copyright © CNWHS – 2010 – All Rights North Western Lines NWL is dedicated to the publication of articles and news items of historical significance. Other Society publications include monographs, calendars, equipment rosters, and reprints of original CNW source material.
Reserved.
May only be reproduced for personal use. Not for sale other than by the CNWHS. Manuscripts and photographs submitted for publication are considered to be gratis and no reimbursement will be made to the author or the photographer(s) or his/her representative(s). Please contact the Editor with comments and corrections and for submission guidelines. Statements and opinions made are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the CNWHS.
The Chicago & North Western Historical Society is in no way affiliated with the former Chicago & North Western or any of it subsidiaries or parent companies. Logos are used with the permission of the Union Pacific Railroad Company.
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CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
Modeling C&NW 800 Series Coaches in S Scale By Dan Vandermause (Photos by the author unless otherwise noted.)
E7 5013-A and 3 coaches are shown crossing the Menominee River. - Ted Ellis
Prototype Information The Chicago & North Western’s “400” fleet was based on fast, convenient and modern daytime travel. Although parlor car service was offered on most of the “400” trains, it was the coaches that defined luxurious daytime travel on the “400” fleet of the Chicago & North Western. In 1939, the first streamlined, lightweight Twin Cities “400” trains were introduced. Each of two Pullman-built tencar train sets included three 56-seat coaches in the 3400 series (plus a fourth coach with a stewardess room). Between 1939 and 1947, a total of 67 nearly identical coaches were built by Pullman.
lounge, located at the blind end of the car, featured four 24 inch diameter, round windows, providing light and visibility into the smoking area. In addition two 24-inch diameter round mirrors complemented the windows.
The 3400-series coaches featured 56 reclining coach seats and a separate 8 seat smoking lounge. The vestibule end of the car included a small Men’s toilet, a larger Women’s toilet, powder room and a baggage rack. The interior walls of the smoking www.cnwhs.org
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Coach #3459 is shown in CNW print 69-43 C.
Here #3459 relaxes in the sun, awaiting the call to service, as shown in CNW print 69-43 D.
This floor plan for Pullman plan 7409 was drawn by Richard Green.
The pre-war coaches included pull-down window shades, while the post-war cars featured venetian blinds. Seats were upholstered in one of four colors: blue, green, tan/beige or gray. Wall and floor colors complemented the seat color. 4
By the late 1950s, even the post-war 3400 series coaches had accumulated 10 years of service. So, between February 1958 and May 1959, Pullman rebuilt 50 of the 3400 series coaches, renumbering the reconditioned cars into the 800 series. CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
As Jim Scribbins described it in The 400 Story, “mechanically the coaches were returned to good-as-new condition, minus frills”. The most visible changes of the Pullman rebuilding process included: •
Removal of all skirts, including the side skirts at the ends of the car.
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Removal of the folding vestibule steps, and replacement with stationary steps.
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Removal of the window shades/blinds and replacement of the clear window glass with heavily greentinted “Ezy-Eye” window glass.
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Removal of leather panels on the interior walls.
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Replacement of cloth upholstering with “leatherette” seat covers.
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Elimination of all black striping on the car sides.
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Elimination of the “400” logo on the car sides.
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Elimination of all aluminum-outlined-in-black lettering. The Chicago and North Western on the letterboard was changed to yellow, and the car numbers were changed to black.
This photo shows CNW Coach 803. - Lloyd Keyser
The end of the train coach number is unknown. - Lloyd Keyser
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The 50 rebuilt coaches were numbered from 800 to 849.
Only two years after the rebuilding program, two cars (822 and 828) were sold to the Burlington. On July 23, 1963 both the Twin Cities “400” and the Rochester “400” made their last runs, significantly reducing the need for coaches on the C&NW. During 1963, 12 of the 800 series coaches were sold to CB&Q, Great Northern and Northern Pacific. Thus, by the end of 1963, only 4 years after the Pullman rebuilding, 28% of the rebuilt coaches had already left the roster. Only 15 of the original 50 rebuilt 800 series coaches made it to the end of C&NW passenger service in April 1971. But, other than the 10 bi-level long distance coaches, the 800 series coaches defined coach travel on the North Western for the last 12 years or so of C&NW passenger service. Modeling Inspiration Way back in the summer of 1963, at the tender age of 11, my dad took me along on a trip to visit our relatives near Green Bay, Wisconsin. We traveled from Silver Spring, Maryland, to Chicago on the B&O and on the C&NW from Chicago to Green Bay. By the time I returned from that first train ride, I was hooked – I have been a railfan and model railroader ever since. 6
Most of my modeling has been of B&O prototypes but I always harbored a desire to also do some C&NW modeling. I chose the 800 series coaches as my first C&NW modeling project and I built them in my scale of choice: S scale. For those of you not familiar with S scale, it is modeling at a ratio of 1:64, where 3/16 of an inch equals one foot. For perspective, these coaches have a coupled length of 82.5 feet, which in S scale is 15.5 inches long. A 3 car string of these coaches is almost four feet long in S scale. My cars were constructed using Union Station Products #7409 laser-cut car sides (http:// unionstationproducts.com), which are offered in N, HO, S and O scales. Eleven different C&NW prototype car sides are offered at this time from Union Station Products. Hopefully, many of the modeling techniques I used to build my cars in S scale will have direct application to building these coaches in your favorite modeling scale. Like potato chips, you can’t have just one 800 series coach, so I built three cars, using production line techniques.
CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
Car Body Construction The Union Station Product car sides come with side skirts. I placed the car sides on a piece of ½” plywood, and clamped a steel straight edge to the car side to allow for a smooth, even cut to remove the skirts. Note in the photo above that a small notch must also be removed below the vestibule door. In some scales, passenger car core kits (consisting of a roof, floor and car ends) may be available. (Note: I just noticed that Union Station Products is now offering a core kit for O scale). However, in S scale, no core kits are available. The only plastic, lightweight passenger cars ever offered in S scale were produced by American Models (http://americanmodels.com). Those lightweight passenger cars are no longer available direct from American Models but they often can be found on Ebay. A single edge razor blade and razor saw are used to remove the car sides from the American Models shell. A large flat file was used to smooth the cut edges and to reduce the width of the car ends to accept the new sides. Styrene strips were then glued along the roof edge, inset by the depth of the new car sides. The sides are then glued to the roof and ends. Stiffening strips were then added to the bottom
of the car sides, located to support the floor. I also added styrene blocks to attach the floor to the car body (using small screws). Some core kits may include a vestibule bulkhead but I had to scratch build a bulkhead, which was glued to the roof and car sides. Vestibule Steps The rebuilding by Pullman included removal of the original vestibule steps and replacement with new, stationary vestibule steps. I had no measurements for these steps, so I put out a call for help on the C&NW Yahoo group. Cully Kowal, an O-scale C&NW modeler from Minnesota, kindly provided me with both photos and measurements of the vestibule steps on two cars at the Minnesota Transportation Museum in St. Paul. Cully provided measurements from Great Northern #1096 (a former 800 series car) and the Milwaukee coach #502, a streamlined coach built in 1948 by the Milwaukee Road. Number 502 has stationary vestibule steps very similar to the North Western 800 series cars. Based on these photos and measurements, I was able to scratch build stationary vestibule steps based on these dimensions. To assemble all the steps needed for my three cars, I built an assembly jig from wood.
Car sides are shown with skirts removed.
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Union Station Products car sides were combined with American Models roof and ends to fashion the car body.
Shown is the American Models shell with car sides removed.
Car side stiffening strips and vestibule bulkhead have been installed.
Milwaukee coach 502 is shown. - photo by Cully Kowal
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CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
In S scale, the jig is made from 1/8 inch wood strip stock and the steps are made from Evergreen .020”x.125” for the risers and .020”x.156” for the treads. The vestibule step sides were cut from .020” styrene.
Stationary vestibule steps are shown here.
A test fitting of one set of vestibule steps is illustrated.
Underbody Details
are cast resin parts that are no longer available in S scale. I cast the battery boxes myself using Alumilite (http://www.alumilite.com) casting resin. The Waukesha Enginator (providing electricity for lights and other electrical devices) was scratchbuilt using Evergreen styrene sheet and tubing.
In HO scale, underbody details are available from Train Station Products (http://trainstationproducts. com) and other manufacturers. In S scale we have very few commercial underbody detail parts available. The three brake components (relay valve, control valve and the combination reservoir) were brass parts purchased from BTS (www.btsrr.com). The underbody components shown in black above www.cnwhs.org
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The diagram illustrates the underbody details to be added.
This side view of underbody details shows the Waukesha Enginator on the far right.
A painted and weathered underbody gives realism to the model.
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CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
The blind end steps were cut from brass ladder stock. Note that the lowest rung on these steps is bent inward on the prototype cars. Interior Details As noted previously, the 3400 series coaches as built by Pullman featured four different interior color schemes: blue, green, tan/beige or gray. Wall and floor colors complemented the seat color. James Broughton and Cully Kowal, both modelers of the C&NW, confirmed the following interior colors for the rebuilt 800 series coaches: Seats: a tan/beige or rusty, reddish-brown color Floors: light brown/tan with two green stripes in the aisle area Walls: a light green or gray/green For my models I cut inner floors from .020” styrene with .060” styrene stiffeners glued underneath. This combination of a thinner floor with thicker stiffeners was needed to clear some protrusions on the American Models floor casting in order to keep the resulting inner floor at the correct height relative to the side windows. The inner floor is attached to the car floor using three small screws. Palace Car Company (www.palacecarco.com) offers coach seats for S scale, as well as HO and N scales. Using Poly Scale paints (no longer available) I painted the inner floor using the color Earth and
Shown is the inner floor with Palace Car Co. coach seats.
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the seats a slightly darker brown by mixing in some DRGW Building Brown with the Earth color. The interior partitions were made from .030” styrene with triangular styrene gussets used to strengthen the corner joints. The smoking lounge and other partitions for the blind end of the car were built as a single unit. The partitions were painted with a light green/gray mixture created by mixing Poly Scale D&H Gray, Signal Green and Reefer White. The smoking lounge should be equipped with 8 single seats, with 3 seats along the interior walls, and 2 seats along the side of the car. No such single seat castings are available in S scale, so I substituted 5 Palace Car Co. section seats instead. Single seats are available from Palace Car Co. in HO scale.
Interior partitions separate the smoking lounge from the rest of the car.
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Completed interiors for all three coaches are shown. The smoking lounge was created using Palace Car Co. parts.
The Interior was installed to the car floor and attached with three small screws.
Handrails were formed from .015-inch phosphorbronze wire which is equivalent to a one inch handrail in S scale. The handrails were positioned for gluing .020” (1.28 scale inches) off the car side using a .020” strip of styrene. The American Models car bodies included cast-on roof vents that were not exactly in the correct location for the 800 series coaches. Since separate roof vent castings are not available in S scale, I retained the cast-on vents and adjusted the location of the roof handrails to match the vent locations. Working in HO scale, where separate roof vent castings are available, would enable a more accurate placement 12
of vents and handrails. The curved roof handrails were formed by first bending the .015” wire around a large X-Acto knife handle. Tichy (http://www.tichytraingroup.com) drop grab irons were applied to the bottom edge of the car ends. Tichy offers grab irons for S, O and HO scales. The roof handrails were attached prior to priming and painting the car body but the side handrails were not glued on until all the painting and lettering was completed. This kept the side handrails from interfering with the masking between the yellow car side and the green car end. CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
This scene shows the location of handrails and hand grabs.
Paint and Decals The car bodies were cleaned with warm, soapy water and allowed to dry. Then Poly Scale Undercoat Light Gray was applied as a primer coat to both the inside and outside of the car bodies. I had intended to use Poly Scale CNW Yellow for the car sides, but my remaining supply of this paint had dried in the bottle. I still wanted to use acrylic paint for the yellow so I switched to using Badger ModelFlex paint. The ModelFlex C&NW Old Yellow is way too bright and green to my eye so I added in some ModelFlex C&O Yellow to gain a warmer shade of yellow. Once the yellow had dried, I masked off the areas using Tamiya masking tape (available from Walthers). A light spray of yellow was aimed at the edge of the masking tape and allowed to dry, preventing any bleeding of the C&NW Green under the masking tape. The masking was applied to create an 18-inch high green letterboard. www.cnwhs.org
Poly Scale C&NW Green was applied to the roof and ends, and the masking was removed within the hour to minimize the chance of the masking lifting off the paint during removal. After the car bodies had dried for several days, the roof areas were masked off and Testors Model Master Acryl Gloss Clear was applied to the sides and ends.
Primer coat is applied to the inside and outside of car shells.
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The letterboard decals are from Des Plaines Hobbies (www.desplaineshobbies.com) while the black car numbers are custom decals I designed and had printed by Rail Graphics (www.railgraphicsdecals. com).
appearance. I wanted my cars to appear relatively clean, so I did not weather the roof area. However, if you are modeling a car that has been on the road for some time, the roof area should be over-sprayed with a dirty black coating.
After the decals were dry the roof areas were masked again and a final coat of Testors Model Master Acryl mix (50% Gloss Clear and 50% Semi-Gloss Clear) was applied to the sides and ends. This mix creates a not-too-glossy finish on the car sides and ends and creates a visual difference with the flat C&NW Green paint on the roof.
The photo illustrates the final steps in the painting process. The trucks and underbody were painted with a mix of 11 parts black to 2 parts white. The trucks and underbody parts were then weathered with dry brush applications of Poly Scale UP Harbor Mist Gray, Dirt and Railroad Tie Brown.
All sources I could find confirm that the roof was indeed painted green but a lack of cleaning of the car roof areas would allow dirt and soot to accumulate, giving the roof an almost flat black
The air intake vent on the car side was weathered with a wash consisting of Poly Scale Roof Brown and Grimy Black, with Liquitex “Flow Aid” added to reduce the surface tension of the wash.
An air intake vent is located on car side.
Windows The “Ezy Eye” green-tinted windows were modeled using Evergreen #9903 green transparent styrene sheet. The bathroom windows were modeled by frosting Evergreen .010” clear sheet with Testors Dullcote. Clear window material was applied to the windows in the vestibule doors and end doors. The three windows adjacent to the aisle going past the smoking lounge have a bar to protect the 14
windows. These bars were created with .015-inch phosphor-bronze wire (1 scale inch bars). The window bars are held in place by styrene brackets made using three layers of .020-inch styrene strips. The first layer holds the bar slightly away from the window material, the second layer has a notch for the bar to sit in and the third layer (not shown in photo above) captures the window bar. The bars were painted silver before installation. CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
Window bars for aisle windows must be made.
Above: An exterior view shows the window bar and smoking lounge wall.
This photo shows both frosted (Dullcote) and green window material.
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Diaphragms are needed to give a passenger car an authentic appearance.
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Diaphragms Sometimes commercial products are not available. For example, since no diaphragms with reasonably scaled details are available, I scratch built nonworking diaphragms for these cars. The diaphragm plates were made from .020-inch styrene mounted to a frame made from .060” x .080” styrene. Torsion bars are made from .028inch brass wire with fittings made by slicing small donuts of insulation from 20-gauge electrical wire. The torsion bars are mounted to brass eyelets at
both the bottom of the diaphragm and on the car side at the top of the torsion bar. The diaphragms are painted Grimy Black and the diaphragm plate is weathered by dry brushing with Rust, UP Harbor Mist Gray and Roof Brown. I consider my three 800 series coaches to be “layout quality” models, adding just enough detail to, in my mind, capture the main characteristics of the prototype. Additional end details could be added, including carry irons for the couplers, hoses for air, steam and signal lines and coupler cut levers.
C&NW coaches 823 & 814 sit patiently under the Milwaukee, Wisconsin train shed, ready to serve passengers.
Summary I thoroughly enjoyed my first C&NW modeling project. You just can’t model a C&NW passenger train post 1959 without having at least a couple of 800 series coaches in the consist. Looking at all the modeling steps outlined above might give pause to some thinking about building their own 800 series coaches. However, there are ways to speed up the modeling process. First, interior detailing could be eliminated since it 16
is difficult to see the interiors through the greentinted windows, particularly in normal layout service. Second, modelers in HO scale can utilize commercially-available core kits and a wide variety of available detail parts to speed the modeling process. However you decide to proceed with your own 800 series coach modeling project, I hope this article provides some useful information and inspiration for your own C&NW passenger cars. CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
It is 9:00 am on a typical gray early winter day in Milwaukee in December 1965, and the coaches on #206, the Green Bay “400”, are buttoned up and awaiting departure for Chicago.
Train #206 is departing Milwaukee and heading to Chicago.
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The Des Moines & Central Iowa: A Capsule History By Joe Piersen
DM&CI locomotive #502 sits in Boone, Iowa, on 05-12-1967. - Henkel photo
Before Joe passed away he sent me this for a future Modeler. - Ron Christensen The Des Moines and Central Iowa interurban operated out of Des Moines in a “V” shape, with one branch going northwest to Perry and the other branch going northeast to Colfax. It was an electric line until after WWII and was affiliated with the Des Moines Street Railway (street car) properties. In general, passenger traffic was very weak. However, it survived because of industrial sidings and steam railroad connections, both of which generated freight revenue. 18
In 1949 the line was purchased by Salzberg, who dieselized the line immediately. While he had no qualms about scrapping properties, his policy was to continue to operate viable lines. Finally, in 1968 (and ’69), the DM&CI was purchased by the C&NW. It should be mentioned that the DM&IC had a short, side branch to Woodward and a long belt line around the north side of Des Moines. That belt line transversed an industrial area, including access to the Firestone Plant. That plant was served by the C&NW into the 1990s. CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
DM&CI #600 sits with its new C&NW family at 40th St. in Chicago on 07-04-1970. - Piersen photo
Timeline: 1899 The Inter-Urban Railroad was incorporated. That name was used in the early era.
1902 The line to Colfax was built. Colfax had coal along the line and prospective traffic from the resort.
1906 The line to Perry was constructed with a side-branch to Woodward.
1918 1920 Military traffic was provided to Camp Dodge.
1922 The line was renamed the Des Moines & Central Iowa.
1930s Passenger traffic on the Colfax line dropped from 9 trains to 3 trains.
1939 Three ex-Lake Shore Electric cars (steel) were purchased to rectify problems with older cars. These units stayed on the roster until they were scrapped in 1951.
1941 Passenger traffic was discontinued to Colfax and also on the Woodward branch.
1946 The Colfax line was abandoned.
1948 The line from Granger to Perry dropped passenger service.
1949 The remainder of the Perry/Granger line drops passenger service.
1949 Salzberg purchased the line and continued to operate freight service on industrial segments.
1949 The line was dieselized with second-hand diesels, painted in a cream and orange scheme. The electrical equipment was sold for scrap but the money was reinvested back into the railroad.
1954 The Granger to Perry segment was abandoned. www.cnwhs.org
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1961 The old Willow Street shops were removed and a new shop for the diesels was built within a year on the belt line, near a small yard. 1968 The line was sold to the C&NW.
1980 Track from Granger to Camp Dodge was abandoned.
1988 1990 Only 2 1⁄2 miles of DM&CI track remain and the C&NW upgrades some of it.
Reporting Marks (varying, depending on circumstances): DM&CI, D&CI, DCI Sources:
Archives notes
Hilton & Due The Electric Interurban Railways In America
Lloyd, G. Spring 1991 issue of North Western Lines
Ron Sims Spring 1991 issue of North Western Lines, includes all-time locomotive roster Ibid. Winter 1988
Ibid. Summer 1994 Also recommended, but not used, is a volume on Iowa interurbans by the Central Electric Railfans Assn. Not in our library. Compiled by Joe Piersen
DM&CI #700 in Des Moines, Iowa, 05-21-1967 - Henkel photo
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CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
Jim Sands photos from the Doug Harding collection. Note on the double door boxcars the “for tire loading when empty return to Des Moines & Central Iowa RY Des Moines Iowa”. The DM&CI served the Firestone plant in Des Moines.
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DM&CI locomotives and a caboose are still around in 2014 on the Arkansas and Ozarks Railroad.
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CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
Gary Groat’s model of Locomotive DM&CI #100
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Essential Businesses - Part 4: Oil Distributors The following was collected and compiled by Doug Harding from responses to questions about local oil dealers, which were posted on the Layout Design Sig Yahoo list 8 years ago. Our thanks to Ken McCorry, Dennis Storzek and Sam Clarke.
The beginning of the 20th century saw massive improvements in internal combustion engines for
automobiles, light trucks and tractors; all needing petroleum products. Oil dealers needed larger tanks to supply this new business. Tanks were being built for kerosene, distillates and gasoline. The railroad had a new business opportunity with the movement of tank cars filled with petroleum products, and not to be forgotten was the lubricating oil in cans and barrels transported by boxcar.
Filling an auto directly from a tank car. – L. Keyser collection
I worked in the oil business for most of my adult life. My Grandfather started our family business in 1931 about 20 miles west of Philadelphia on the PRR. We were a Socony-Vaccum dealer since just before WW 2. The franchise turned into Mobil after the war. We received all our gasoline, kerosene and fuel oil by rail until after WW2 when the business rapidly grew and the railroad could not keep up with our needs. When my grandfather purchased the business in 1931 it had 4 above-ground horizontal tanks. There was a 7,000 gal tank for white gas, an 8,000 and an 11,000 gal tank for fuel oil and a 14,000 gal tank for kerosene. In the thirties more homes used kerosene for heating than fuel oil, at least in the suburban Philadelphia area. We received all products in 8,000 24
gal tank cars. With only an 8,000 gal tank for gas you had to fill the truck up when the car arrived so you could empty the car and release it back to the railroad. We sold more gas in the spring/summer when the local farms were working and people drove more. The kerosene and fuel oil accounts were busy during the winter months as demand for heating picked up. Most trucks in the 30s and 40s had capacity of 1,000 to 1,600 gallons and most home accounts burned about 1,200 to1,400 gallons per year on average in our geographic area. We received on average about 6 to 10 cars per week in the winter, mostly fuel oil and kerosene, and 1 to 2 cars per week in the summer for gasoline sales. A dealer in the Midwest would probably have more farm accounts so demand CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
would go up in the spring for planting and in the fall when harvest time rolls around. We also received lube oil in drums by boxcar, which we would rack up and deliver in smaller amounts to customer’s tanks. If you want to model an old oil distributor put your tanks high up on a bank or supports. Put the pump to offload the tank cars in a shed with piping to the tanks and run additional piping to a loading rack located lower than the tanks and let gravity do the loading of the trucks. Until the mid eighties, we had a rack in use that worked this way.
go. The dome lid had to be open before pumping started. Modern tank truck unloading hoses are 4’’in diameter. That size has been the standard for about 50 years. I think our steel line from the warehouse was 4’’ also. Fittings on the end are a Kam lock type with two small levers mounted 180 degrees apart. I would just use some large diameter solder with some thin wall Evergreen tubing on one end for the female fitting. Industry standard would have a male fitting on the tank car but we did have adapters in case that wasn’t what the car had on it.
UNLOADING How would the oil be unloaded from the tank car? Are they unloaded through the top?
Here is a list of the companies and 55-gallon drum colors Petroleum:
If above ground tanks are on pedestals a pump would be needed. Most tank cars used in petroleum service have bottom valves and are unloaded by connecting a hose of 3 to 4’’ diameter, usually to the bottom valve. Underground tanks could be emptied by gravity thru the bottom valve. My family’s oil business received product until the early 50s from the PRR in 8 to 10,000 gallon tank cars. They were unloaded by a pump, which was located in a warehouse and pumped to above-ground tanks, which were on stone piers. The only piping by the siding was a 4’’ steel pipe attached to a fence, which paralleled the track. A 20’ long 4’’ diameter hose was used to connect the tank car to the piping. The temperature and specific gravity was checked, using a wood gauge pole which was stuck in the small dome on top that had ridges cast into the inside where the gauge pole was supposed to
Standard Oil - blue
Underbody unloading is shown at Bayway, New Jersey. D. Harding collection
Top unloading standpipes are pictured, with the last pipe that was inserted into the dome missing on these standpipes. - D Harding collection
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Shell - yellow / red Quaker State - green Union Oil - blue / orange ends Texaco - grey / green Havolin - black Richfield - cream Non-petroleum: Hazardous - red platinum Containing catalysts - orange / black Others - black
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Mobil’s drums were gray, at least in the1960s. If you paid a deposit on a drum, which we did, it only could be used for that company’s oil. Most dealers in our business area, which is SE Pennsylvania, were only dealers for one company. Most major oil companies would only allow just that. Today most lube oil is handled by bulk truck and drums, while still used, are used very little. With the environmental regulations
out there most customers got rid of their drums and lube tanks and buy it by the case in bottles like the rest of the consumers. Only truck fleets, car dealerships and larger automotive repair facilities still get lube oil in bulk. Ken McCorry 3rd generation oilman
A track diagram of Manly, Iowa, shows the loss of track in the area over an eighty year span. The depot was where the M&StL crossed over the CGW.
An interesting fact I’ve noticed, at least here in the Midwest, is that if there was one coal yard, oil dealer or whatever in town, likely there were two or even more. If there was a dedicated coal dealer, then the local Co-op likely also sold coal, to give him some competition. The same was true with oil dealers. One reason for this is that the farmers’ co-ops, being true co-operative ventures, offered their members more liberal credit terms than the local dealer could. Many times the farmer could buy his seed, fertilizer and fuel on long-term credit, secured against his harvest in the fall, and keep his cash for the finer things in life, such as groceries. I’ll cite an example on a survey map from the fifties that I have of Elburn, Illinois. Arranged along one spur off the C&NW are a Standard dealer and an independent, with the unloading rack for the Co-op 26
on the other side of the track. The Co-op’s tanks were across the street, reached via a pipe buried under the street, but the Co-op’s coal and lumber sheds were along the same track further down. At the time, Elburn’s population was less than 1,000. I would imagine that total volume was set by both the population of the town and the surrounding farms served from this location. It could be that these three dealers were simply splitting Ken’s volume, with each dealer taking two or three cars a week during the heating season. The point is, competition is a fact of life most places in the US; might as well model it. The drawing is titled “Lease Map”, dated August 15, 1952, and pertains to Elburn Packing Co. Elburn, Illinois. Dennis Storzek
CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
Lloyd Keyser’s Photos of Fuel Distribution Facilities I traveled many miles over the years on the way home from the CNWHS conventions, and took pictures of industries along the C&NW and other railroads. Following is a small amount of my photography dealing with fuel distributors. I enjoy the unusual bridges with pilings to support the through plate girders, grain elevators with unusual roof lines and various coverings, depots small enough to model, towers, sheds and various sizes of fuel distributors, lumber yards, ramps etc. that have character. Norway, Iowa, June 22, 1996 As an example, there are several items that make this dealer unusual. The first, it has been constructed down off the right of way. Not all distributors are on level ground. The second item is the suction pipes that are fixed in the horizontal position instead of two swivel joints allowing them to hang vertically. The third item is the two different designs of the steel tank supports. The first tank has a horizontal beam under the tank and the other two have a steel cradle, which is supported with a different structural design. Below: The globe valve is opened at the base and pumping may begin.
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Above: The suction pipes, which are 14 feet high with 12 foot horizontal pipes, are painted in the standard color of green and red. The green piping is for various grades of diesel and fuel oil and the red piping for various grades of gasoline. Behind these tanks is a small tank at ground level for kerosene delivered by truck. These suction pipes rotate at their base over the tank dome. The “T” handle plug is removed and a long pipe inserted into the tank and screwed on the suction pipe.
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The piping enters the pump house on the right and, through a series of globe valves, directs the fuel to the proper storage tank. This dealer no longer receives fuel by rail and the red and green piping, sloping down the hill to the driveway, is fitted for receiving fuel by tank truck.
A side view of the 8 x 10 pump house with five inch novelty siding shows window and roof detail.
Another view of the pump house piping and tank support details.
A view of the different tank supports. The first tank is supported by a horizontal beam, which is supported by a channel and angle framework. The next two tanks are supported by a steel cradle and a differently designed framework. In a model I would have one of each.
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The warehouse is small and case and barrel oil are delivered by truck. The truck loading rack is at the right end of the building.
Waterloo, Iowa, May, 1981 This is a larger facility than Norway, as the tanks are greater capacity and the warehouse contains two unloading doors. The tank car suction pipes contain two swivel joints allowing the suction pipes to move vertically and horizontally. The pump house is constructed of metal instead of wood. Red and Green piping can be seen at the rear and side of the structure.
The warehouse contains two doors for the unloading of case and barrel oil from boxcars and is all metal. Even though the track is still in place the plumbing has been altered to receive fuel from trucks.
The CONOCO shield still appears on these tanks; however the tanks have been rotated 90 degrees. The tanks are all supported on a horizontal beam and steel structure.
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This is the trackside view of the tanks. Note that the tanks have been rotated 90 degrees as the original outlet contains a pipe plug and is located at the 3 o’clock position. It is not known why these tanks have been rotated unless there was corrosion on the inside bottom of the tanks or possibly the tanks had been moved from another location. This facility is located on a triangular piece of land.
Trenton, Missouri, July , 1993 This facility can be placed on a very small piece of real estate and is unusual in that the four large tanks are placed vertically and on a steel structure. There is a very small dirt berm around the base of the structure. The pump house is in between the tanks and the warehouse. The right end of the building has the uncovered truck loading piping and office. The left end has a small dock for trucks. The building and large tank behind is part of a feed mill. The tank car unloading concrete base is to the left of the warehouse on the feed mill track.
Waseca, Minnesota, May 17, 1996 This dealer’s real estate is long and narrow. Unusual there are two covered truck loading racks. Also the tanks are setting directly on the gravel-covered ground without a berm. The warehouse is metal with an unloading door on the trackside and the concrete base for the tank car suctions pipes is behind the tanks. The small tank on the right is probably for kerosene. Note that the ladder to the top of the tanks is vertical and made of wood.
Tomah, Wisconsin, 1992 Requiring a little more real estate, this dealer has various sizes of tanks. My guess is they are second hand and were added over time. Note the three level, empty barrel rack at the end of the tanks. When this rack is full they will be loaded into a box car as a back haul to the refiner. 30
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The truck loader plumbing and pumps are enclosed against the weather. The nozzles hang under the roof. This facility has a concrete berm around the tanks. The wood warehouse has two receiving doors on trackside and one on the front side dock.
This dockside view shows the office on this end of the building. Ladders and walkways are of steel.
Pierre, South Dakota, May, 1981 This warehouse has a small office built on the dock at the end of the building. One of the model manufacturers has a kit of this corrugated iron building and some tanks.
A street side view shows the general arrangement. No berm was around these tanks. Note the round railing on top of the vertical tanks that are not seen in the other photos. This would be a nice modeling touch.
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Shown is a trackside view of the vertical and horizontal tanks and the loading rack area. Vertical tanks are set on the ground and the horizontal tanks are supported by steel framework. The bottom two feet or so is painted black and shows the man way covers for cleaning the tanks. Horizontal tanks have the man way covers on the topside of the tank. Ladders and walkways are of steel. The warehouse door faces the track and the suction pipe concrete base was located along the track that has been removed.
New Hampton, Iowa, May, 1996 Here is a small, tidy dealership. A two hose rack indicates that only two kinds of fuel were sold here; probably diesel and gasoline. This facility was fenced in with entry through the pump house. This would make an excellent model.
Requiring very little real estate, the yard contains five short horizontal tanks on concrete supports. Note the large bonnet on top of the tanks, which is an explosion proof vent. You will see these in almost all the photos.
Detail view of the typical loading rack plumbing, which is left out of commercial kits. It would not be difficult to model this.
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Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, May, 1999 This dealer is more modern in that the loading rack is all steel with a corrugated covering siding. In front of the rack was a shallow, concrete depression to collect any spills from loading. The tanks all have a large bonnet on the top for venting. Note what appears to be a small pipe at the top coming down the side going back up almost to the top and coming back down to about three feet off the ground. This pipe contains a flat piece of steel tape and is attached inside the tank to a float and at the outside bottom to a marker in a glass tube that is covered with a piece of pipe for protection. To read the level in the tank, the short piece of pipe is raised exposing the glass tube and the level can be read. Each change in direction of this pipe contains a pulley allowing the tape to move freely. All the vertical tanks are so equipped throughout this article.
Details of the piping and the pumps are shown. In the background are the green, red and a white pipe which I assume is for home heating oil.
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These two pictures are a simplified schematic of the plumbing that transfers fuels from the tank car suction pipes into the tanks and from the tanks to the loading rack. Hopefully this will clear up any questions that have arisen from the captions.
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These various dealerships give you a wide selection of tanks, tank supports, various pump house’s, loading racks and warehouses constructed of various materials. You can pick what pieces you would like to put together to fit any real estate on your layout. I’m a believer in mockups. All buildings in this photo were drawn up, duplicated, glued to poster board and hot glued together. There have been two modifications to these structures and I’m about to make a third. My piece of the puzzle includes horizontal and vertical tanks on steel supports, a loading rack in front of the shorter center tank, a small metal pump house and a corrugated warehouse with a small dock for Pipe color coding used by other fuel distributors: MFA (Missouri Farm Association) GREEN = #2 Diesel; BLUE = Unleaded Gasoline; RED = Leaded Gasoline; WHITE = Kerosene; YELLOW = Fuel Oil
boxcars. There is also room for a barrel rack. Now the next change will be the warehouse, which is patterned after the Pierre building. Due to space I moved the dock to the end; providing room for a driveway down the side of the building to the loading rack. After looking at this for several years the warehouse looks more and more like a city residence. I will change this to a cement block flat roofed building which I took pictures of in Cedar Rapids and see if I like this better. I can easily do this with out having spent time scratch building the warehouse and disliking it but not having time to do it over
Mobil’s 1945 colors were YELLOW = 2 fuel oil; BROWN = white kerosene (now called no sulpher kero); WHITE = regular grade gas; and BLUE = premium grade gas. When a true diesel came along the color code was GREEN - DOUG HARDING
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Tank Cars Used to Transport Petroleum
The tank cars used for petroleum products would be ICC-103 and ICC-104 types for cars built in 1927 or later, or the corresponding earlier classifications ARAIII and ARA-IV for cars built in 1917 to 27. There are several distinct types within the ICC-103 specification with different fittings. The ones in petroleum service would have:
with welded tanks becoming common in postwar construction.
1. A dome with volume at least 2% of tank capacity, the dome would have a manway that is at least 16 inches in diameter
The placard shown is a modern cardboard placard that is inserted in the metal holders on both sides and ends of the car.
2. Safety valves, one if capacity is 6,500 gallons or less, two for larger cars; these could be in the dome or in earlier years external to the dome. 3. Bottom outlet or manway unloading. Only general service/low pressure tank cars have bottom outlets. 4. Steam heating coils would be optional for unloading heavy oils ICC-104 cars would have the same features and in addition have a jacket with 2” insulation. Cars built before WW2 would have riveted tanks, 36
Most would be single dome cars of 8,000 or 10,000-gallon capacity. Some products with less sales volume, such as kerosene or white gas, might be delivered in smaller quantities in multiplecompartment cars that had 2 or 3 domes.
The next generation of low pressure tank cars are marked as a: DOT 111, DOT 115 or AAR 211. These general service/low pressure tank cars, had all of the valves, fittings, pressure relief devices (PRD) and manway exposed on the top of the car (except for the super 111). The valves might be spread out across the top of the car in the work area (enclosed by a handrail) or the PRD could be outside of the handrail area. Information from Gene Green, Jack Mullen and Tony Thompson. CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
DOT103 or ICC 103 low pressure tank cars
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A man checks the dome on a DOT103 or ICC 103 low pressure tank car
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An C&NW train to Clinton, Iowa, having just crossed the diamond over the Milwaukee railroad in Tama, Iowa, is ready to continue on its eastbound journey. It looks like the brakeman is resting on the 4th tank car ahead of the caboose. The track closest to the depot is the North Western track to Jewell, Iowa, and points north. This undated photo is probably from the 40s, as tracks of the Tama & Toledo Railroad to the depot are gone. Note the coaling facilities in the distance, the semaphores, the oil switch lamp, a multitude of telegraph wires, the interlocking relay boxes and a caboose which make this photo a glorious scene of railroading past! Note the tank car ahead of the caboose - CNWHS archive collection
Mobilgas tank car W.E.O.X. # 605 is being unloaded as the suction pipe has been inserted through the dome opening to the bottom of the car. The suction racks are painted in two different colors, one lighter than the other. Since this is a black and white shot the colors are unknown. Note the two safety valves outside of the domes which were common on early ICC 103 type cars. The spacing of the cars is done so longer cars can be accommodated. - Lloyd Keyser photo www.cnwhs.org
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Dont Miss North Western Lines! North Western Lines is a quarterly publication, which began in 1974. Today, it is considered one of the premer historical publications. Each issue contains current news, articles, a photo section, and modeling information. A one-year subscription is free for members!
http://cnwhs.org/nwl.htm
Modeling Early tank car models generally are not very close to the prototype cars. Starting with resin models and Proto 2000 cars, models became much closer to prototype. However if you are like me and have a lot of vintage cars that you like, you ignore the frame and tank cradle problems. I do like to use the correct car when delivering petroleum to my oil dealers, so watching
the domes and relief valves is important. If you model 1959 as I do, the many cars would be welded and have relief valves in the dome. Placards would be placed on the car when the car is full and an empty placard when empty. Those modeling the end of the C&NW era would find larger tank cars of the DOT 111 and 115 types.
Walthers Proto 2000 tank car with loaded placards. When the car is empty the placards could be folded in half showing part of the warning, this would indicate a car that had residue left in the car. 40
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Placards Placards come in several different colors and information here is a sample from a Kalmbach web site. http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/13/t/221383. aspx
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Bulk Oil on the Southern Pacific
I have been a fan of Tony Thompson’s blog and on August 26, 2015, he released his article “A Union Oil Company bulk dealer.”
• Frank J. Taylor and Earl M. Welty, Black Bonanza, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1950 (reissued with revisions in 1956 and 1958).
The complete article that includes prototype information can be found in the March, 2014, issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist web magazine at http:// modelrailroadhobbyist.com/magazine/mrh-201403-mar
• Earl M. Welty and Frank J. Taylor, The 76 Bonanza, Lane Book Company, Menlo Park, CA 1966 (1976 revised edition by Niven and Waddell entitled Sign of the 76).
Prototype tank car construction and history is scheduled for the February Model Railroad Hobbyist web magazine at http://model-railroad-hobbyist. com Additional published items: • Jeff Wilson, The Model Railroader’s Guide to Industries Along the Tracks, Kalmbach Publishing, 2004. (Also available as a Barnes & Noble e-book in NOOK format)
• Anthony Thompson, “Modeling a bulk oil dealer,” Model Railroad Hobbyist, March 2014. (You can download this any time from www. modelrailroadhmag.com ) • Anthony Thompson, “Associated Oil Company— background,” blog post, at this link: modelingthesp. blogspot.com/2013/12/associated-oil-companybackground.html - Tony Thompson
• Robert Schleicher, “Standard Oil Co. Depot at Waterford, California,” Railmodel Journal, April 1996, pp. 14–22. • Gerald T. White, Formative Years in the Far West (history of California oil companies prior to 1919), Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, 1962. 42
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Building a 1970s Grain Boxcar Fleet – Part 5: A Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern PS-1 By Dennis Eggert
Prototype Information: In July of 1952, the Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern Railroad took delivery of 200 new Pullman Standard 40-foot PS-1 boxcars with 6-foot doors. The cars were built with welded side panels, painted boxcar red with black ends and numbered 1220112400. When the C&NW acquired the Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern in July of 1968, the PS-1 boxcars were assimilated into the C&NW’s 40-foot boxcar fleet. Based on all of the available photos of these cars, it appears that all of them had their roof walks removed and ladders shortened before the C&NW acquisition. The brake wheels remained at the high position, and cross-over railings were added on both ends of the cars. Some of the cars were eventually repainted with the “Employee Owned” 48” medallions. A car diagram for this group of cars was not shown in the March 1976 C&NW Car Diagram www.cnwhs.org
book, indicating that company publications were not always 100% accurate.
FDDM&S 12262, shown at Kelly, Iowa, in April of 1979, is similar to the car being modeled. Note the roof walk has been removed.- Gary Groat collection, photographer unknown.
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Construction:
lettering and 12297 number on the car.
Going back to Part 1 of this series, the roster shows 134 of the FDDM&S cars still in service in January 1977. The cars were roughly one percent of the 1977 6-foot door 40-foot boxcar fleet. For my HO scale 30car grain boxcar fleet, they would be a car type I could have done without. When I found a Kadee FDDM&S car at a local swap meet, I couldn’t resist purchasing it. The Kadee car was factory painted in the original FDDM&S scheme with boxcar red sides, black ends and numbered 12297. Looking through on-line prototype photo web sites, I found a nice picture of 12267, which I used as a reference for my model. The photo showed 12267 in 1977 with boxcar red ends in FDDM&S lettering in a font with stencil breaks in the letters, indicating that it was repainted. The photo also showed the car with the roof walk removed, end tack boards lowered and the ladders cut short. Since Kadee did such a nice job on the lettering, I decided to take a little modeler’s liberty and keep the factory
Removing the roof walk required plugging the holes in the roof. The holes were plugged using .100” styrene rod. To plug a hole, I took a long styrene rod and scraped the end of it with a hobby knife, until I had a tapered shape on the end small enough to fit into the hole. The holes in the roof are actually oval shaped, so I dipped the tip of the styrene rod into a bottle of Ambroid Pro Weld™ and then pushed it into the hole. The Pro Weld turned the outer surface of the rod to a soft mush and it was formed to the shape of the oval hole. After the Pro Weld was dry, I snipped off the rod and repeated the process on the other remaining holes. Using a small file, I filed the rods flush with the tops of the cast-on roof walk supports and then carved the rods to blend in with the roof walk supports. After snipping off the A-end ladders and removing the end tack boards, holes were plugged using small styrene rods and styrene bars, similar to the roof walk holes.
This photo shows the styrene rods being glued into the holes in the roof. The two holes on the left have been plugged; the rod is glued into the third hole and is not yet snipped off.
The A-end of the model is shown here with the styrene plugs glued into place for the holes left by the modified ladder, tack board and roof walk end support. One of the finished roof walk hole plugs can be seen on the first roof rib, after touch-up paint was added.
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To simulate the stencil breaks in the lettering, an Xacto knife was used to scratch breaks in the existing factory lettering on the car. The lettering font on the model was not an exact match for the repainted prototype car’s lettering, but it was close enough.
Just before painting the ends, the B-end of the car is shown after reattaching the tack boards and adding the crossover and roof grab irons, which were made from brass wire.
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Painting and Weathering:
grain dust weathering.
The sides of the car were masked off and the ends were airbrushed with Polly Scale Mineral Red. The roof was not painted and retained the factory Boxcar Red. Decals were added for the ACI label, reweigh data and repack date. The trucks and underbody of the car were airbrushed with Polly Scale Railroad Tie Brown. The couplers were airbrushed (while off the model) with a 50-50 mix of Rust and Grimy Black. A sand colored oil paint wash was used to add the
More articles on the C&NW grain boxcars will follow as additional projects are finished. Sources: The Official Railway Equipment Register, Vol. 92, No.3 Issued January 10, 1977. C&NW Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment Volume 1 by James Kinkaid
CNWHS Modeler - Volume #9, Issue #1
Building an O-Scale Steam Engine By Tom Houle, who passed away in 2014 Tom Houle sent me a photo of the locomotive he was working on in October 2013. We corresponded about an article and agreed that he would write it. Unfortunately his untimely death stopped the article. Following is the only part Tom wrote. - Ron Christensen “This project began as an a article for O Scale Trains, but was sidetracked when the editor told me it didn’t have commercial value because of the AHM O scale 0-8-0 mechanisms getting scarce. Not sure I agree with that, but I didn’t discover that road block until I had all the photos taken.” “My loco is numbered 1820. Schenectady built with Baker valve gear, which is close to what’s on the AHM 0-8-0. Here’s a rough draft of my article lead in. Information came from the April, 1970 Model
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Railroader issue. Included were Allan Brewster’s drawings of the Z.” Class Z History From 1909 to 1913, the C&NW purchased a total of 250 2-8-0 Class Z Consolidations. The first engine arrived on the property in 1909. It was the first of 40 engines built by the Schenectady Locomotive Works (numbered 1455-1494). The 1455 was scrapped in 1941. In 1910, Baldwin built 25 engines (numbered 1700-1724). The remaining 185 engines (numbered 1725-1910) were built by Schenectady and delivered to the property between 1910 and 1913. The Schenectady built engines utilized Baker valve gear while the Baldwins utilized Walschaert gear. Two additional engines (numbered 218-219) were built for C&NW subsidiary Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, & Omaha RR.
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This is the only construction photo received of the project.
Class Z #1879 sits at Boone, Iowa, on 9-26-54. Note the ATC mechanism case on the tender. Volume 6 #3 Modeler had an article by Lloyd Keyser about ATC. - Dick Billings
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Cars Received and Forwarded on the Minneapolis and St. Louis Division of the C&NW Four pages of a multiple page report indicate car type and commodity hauled between January 1, 1967 to June 30, 1969. The first page is listed as Oakville (population 173) and Morning Sun, Iowa. Another page reports cars arriving at Winfield, Iowa. Winfield, Morning Sun and Oakville are located in southeastern Iowa. Morning Sun, which was located about half way between Winfield and Oakville, is believed to have been the last active station in the
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area. Therefore, it is assumed the cars reported on these pages were handled through the Morning Sun depot which, by then, was an old boxcar spotted at the end of a siding. The original M&StL depot was destroyed in a derailment in January of 1959. Oakville was the last town on the M&StL just before the rails crossed the Mississippi River on the Louie’s famous Keithsburg lift-span bridge.
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Winfield and Morning Sun, Iowa MSTL X806 work train boxcar acting as the depot at Morning Sun. The car was painted yellow.- D. Harding
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Back Shop: Brakes Question I was installing a brake system and looked in the equipment encyclopedia and now I’m wondering.
forced to use a typical arrangement and that is what is in these sketches - typical. Everything I am sending you shows things right side up.
The encyclopedia shows what I think is a typical AB brake system.
-Gene
The drawing must be looking down from on top of the floor. Isn’t that why Athearn had the underbody reversed and wrong?
Response
I have a Cal Scale brake set. The problem is the brakes are “on” with the piston rod out. Answer Attached are some sketches that will, hopefully, answer all your questions. Needless to say (but I’m saying it anyway) if you do not have the necessary information for the car you are modeling, you are
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Information and Photos By Gene Green
I usually argue that the brakes should be modeled in the “set” or “on” position. When the model is standing still on a siding or at an industry, “set” or “on” would be correct. If the car is in a passing train, an observer can’t really tell whether the brake is applied or not. You are quite correct about the drawings in the cyclopedias and so on; they are drawn as if the cars floor was transparent and we were standing looking down. The photo from the flat car without a floor shows the same perspective as the drawings.
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Right: Photo showing AB valve area of a flatcar from which the deck has been removed shows the gentle bends in the pipes. Create nothing sharper than a 12-inch radius.
Below: If you MUST have a sharp bend in a pipe use method B, C, D, or E; otherwise, always use method A, a gentle bend no tighter than a 12-inch radius.
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Drawing shows which pipe connects to what on AB Valve. While working on the bottom of the car, mentally turn everything over in your head.
The brake cylinder must be mounted with the pointed end far enough away from all obstructions (crossbearers, crossties, etc.) to permit it being disassembled without removing it from the car.
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PRESENTATION CAR 422 Modeling Scenes By Our Contributors
By Wes Ward
Michael Porter’s Chicago Great Western Layout
A farm scene between Moorland and West Fort Dodge depicts a well-maintained CGW right of way. Moorland, Iowa, on the CGW. The prototype depot was located at the crossing of the CGW and the M.& St. L. The depot originally housed a Taylor Signal Co. 14 lever Armstrong type plant. This controlled the signals, switches and derails for the passing track and house/elevator track. Before the depot was abandoned it hosted one of the flashing train order signals.
The CGW diesel house at Clarion, Iowa, is not prototypical, but a replacement is coming soon.
CGW’s yard at Clarion, Iowa has 8 body tracks, 3 engine facility tracks, one transfer track with the Rock Island and one elevator track. Like the prototype, the main track from here radiates north to Minneapolis, east to Chicago and west to Council Bluffs.
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A grain elevator (enhanced) sits at Moorland, Iowa, on the M. & St. L.
CGW facilities in West Fort Dodge host a long 30 car passing track, the Iowa Beef Processing plant and Horn manufacturing plant.
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