Athearn Pulpwood Car

[Sperandeo]

The Athearn model is similar to the MP pulpwood car, but the car in the photo at the link Ray Breyer posted lacks openings in the end sheets as found on the model. (You can also see this prototype photo in the 1949-51 "Car Builders Cyclopedia.")

One important detail that Athearn omitted was the 3"- or 4"-high timber that ran across the ends of the floor planks on each side of the car. You can just make this out in the Web photo. The purpose of this timber was to raise the outer ends of the logs stacked on the car, so the load would take on a shallow vee shape that helped to hold it in place. (Other pulpwood car designs accomplished the same thing with vee-shaped decks.)

It would be easy to add these timbers to the Athearn car with stripwood or styrene, and then the model would look as if it could really work.

So long,

Andy

[Anonymous]

I agree that the Athern car is somewhat generic. Westvaco's Covington,VA mill used to receive a large number of cars of pulpwood on similiar bulkhead style cars which originated on the Southern Railway. A great many of these cars were stenciled load only to Covington,VA

Tom Blair

[orsonroy]

Yes. The prototype for the Athearn pulpwood car is a Missouri Pacific pulpwood car built in 1949, in the 1600-series. There's a picture in the NEB&W website:

http://railroad.union.rpi.edu/rolling-stock/Flats/MP-pulpwood-car-1949-cyc.jpg

According tot he site, the Athearn car is a VERY strange prototype, and this is the only car they've been able to find that's anywhere near close. I think I saw a photo of a similar car for the GM&O, but I can't remember where I found the photo.

Rememebr, even to this day, most pulpwood moves by plain old gondolas. Dedicated pulpwood cars are a post-1947 item. There are very few good pulprood cars on the market (Atlas has a nice all metal one), so it might just be simpler to glue a bunch of sticks into a generic gondola and call it quits.

[nfmisso]

Most Athearn (and MDC) cars do not have specific prototypes, rather they are a mixture of several different ones.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone tell me the prototype for the Athearn 40 foot pulpwood car and a photo source?