As the subject title implies...
Was there much variability in the height of a manual brake wheel on a boxcar?
The reason for asking is that I was working on an Accurail 8-panel outside braced boxcar kit that was an early release. The kit came with a ~2" piece of 0.02" OD phosophor copper wire that you cut to length for the brake wheel staff. The diagram (no directions) state to cut the staff to 11'-9" (or ~1-5/8" in HO scale). At that length, however, the brake wheel just clears the roof walk.
Was there generally a recommended height for manual brake wheels in the early-to-mid 20th century? Or, would they vary slightly between boxcars and/or railroads?
Thanks,
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
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Thanks, Bear. That's helpful information.
I studied that long ago, depending on the road and the time period, the ones on top were very close to the top up to 3' frome the top. The ones I use most were 2 to 3' but those are old wooden boxcars. Now if you are talking on the side mount they were ussually mounted near the top but not always (distance again varried a lot).
The height above the roof isn't the critical height, its the height above the brake platform on the end.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Depends on time a bit. In the 19th century, the brakemen turned the brakewheel while standing on the top of the car, so the brakewheel was at about waist high - maybe 3' or so.
industrialscenery.blogspot.com
On later cars there was a platform added next to the ladder on the B end of the car. Brakemen would stand with one foot on the ladder and one foot on the platform, and so the brakewheel was lowered to only about 1' above the roofline so they could reach it more easily.
I decided to do a Google search for pictures of old boxcars with the high horizontally mounted brakewheels. What showed up was a picture of a Walthers Mather stock car. The picture looked oddly familiar, and I realized I had taken it myself after building the kit and placing the car on my layout.
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