Does anyone know if there are scale drawings of these available anywhere? I'm wanting to try and design and 3d print them, but so far I've had little luck finding accurate drawings. While I'm at it, drawings of the rockwell trucks they rode on would be nice too! Thanks in advance...
The Rockwell Express truck is discussed in section 15 here:
https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/fra_net/15866/1975_FREIGHT%20CAR%20TRUCK%20DESIGN%20OPTIMIZATION%20-%20SURVEY%20AND.PDF
(starting at p.112 in the PDF document)
While there is no scaled drawing, there are line diagrams of the arrangement and some detail photos. I do not know if some original copies have clearer illustrations, or whether the original pictures have survived.
A comparatively large number of these cars appear to have survived, so better pictures or measured drawings would be possible.
I appreciate the help!
Ok I have to ask some questions. Why did KCS build a stainless steel caboose when the life of a car approachs 50 years using regular old carbon steel? Was it left unpainted like passenger cars? What timeframe was this car or cars built? Never heard of this do any pictures exist? Thank you.
ndbprr Ok I have to ask some questions. Why did KCS build a stainless steel caboose when the life of a car approachs 50 years using regular old carbon steel? Was it left unpainted like passenger cars? What timeframe was this car or cars built? Never heard of this do any pictures exist? Thank you.
Yes there are.
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/kcs334.jpg
Jeff
Some sites indicate there were FORTY-TWO of these... and yes, when the series was under consideration, in the early Sixties, two test articles were built in regular steel. (I have seen at least one of the stainless cars numbered above the 'production' series (#352) but as I'm not a KCS maven I can't explain why.
I suspect issues of painting and washing were important considerations. There is some weight saved by not painting -- this is important in some aircraft considerations, but I doubt in railroading. I do not think the advantages of Budd shotwelded passenger-car construction carried over to these cabooses... they are probably more like the Pullman-Standard approach of stainless siding over more mundane framing, and no structural shotwelding magic.
A very large number of these above #333 appear to be in preservation. I don't know about earlier series.
Interestingly the last series of cabooses built new for the KCS were 'ordinary' steel, in the early 400 series.