Adding some variety to standard gauge boxcars

[lownote]

For better or worse, I'm committed to 1:29. For some reason, all three manufacturers offer virtually identical 40 foot steel AAR boxcar. Some are better detailed than others, the price is a little different, but basically they are all the same. But rolling stock, in the era of the AAR 40 foot, was incredibly varied

 

Aristo used to make an truss reefer, also known as a "single sheathed" reefer or an "outside braced" reefer. I found a few of those. But I wanted to make a USRA "double sheathed" boxcar, a 40 footer with double walls and smooth wooden sides.

 So--scraped the side detail off an Aristo 400 foot steel caboose:

 

 

And added scribed wooden siding from micro mark which I thinned down. Northeast scale lumber sells 1/32 scribed siding, which ought to be about perfect. But I already had the micromark stuff on hand

 I cut side panels to fit, epoxied them in place, then fabricated a door out of siding and some hardware out of the ice hatches from an old reefer I had cut up for another project. I put coffee stirrers on the roofwalks.

 

Now I need to letter it. But on the whole it's a passable imitation of a USRA steel end, wood sided 40 footer

[Greg Elmassian]

Very cool Mike!

Nice "extra interest" to the lowly box car!

 

Regards, Greg

[PJM20]

Looks awesome! - Peter

[ttrigg]

Very nice indeed!