I have some 40' quad hoppers from various manufacturers and I was thinking of making some side extensions out of some balsa wood I have on hand to turn them into woodchip hoppers. The one thing I don't know is how high to make the extensions. Would anyone know what the proper height would be?
Lone Geep
\
If you're modelling the steam era, as evidenced by your other recent posts, I'd guess 3'-4' would probably be plenty. In later years, CN used boxcars and reefers with their roofs removed, and some side extensions, as seen here: bigbluetrains.com
(scroll to the bottom of the page for the woodchip cars)
Some railroads which used hoppers for this service added extensions which were the upper portion of similar hoppers - the required height was simply torched off the donour cars, and welded to the top of the others. Whatever the height you add, I'd suggest not using balsa: it doesn't really replicate any prototype material, and you'll get a much stronger car by using styrene, attached with solvent-type cement. Evergreen sells sheet and strip styrene material in various thicknesses, and depending on which you use, the extensions can be made to look like wood or metal.
Wayne
Athearn has made a couple of runs of quads converted to wood chip service. This C&O one gives a good idea of the extension because of the yellow ends.
http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH76489
This Portland Terminal may be a better view because you can enlarge it; just hover your mouse over the picturehttp://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH76434
This links to their full line; maybe there is a prototype you are interested in modelinghttp://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=40'+Wood+Chip+Hopper+RTR&CatID=THRF&OA=True&PageSize=72
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
I got equipment that ranges from the 50's to 80's but I'm trying to narrow it down to the 50's and 60's. I want to make the extensions removeable to they can be in woodchip service one day and gravel another. I the only reason why I'm using balsa is that I already have a fair amount on hand and I plan to paint them black so as long as it looks close enough, it's good enough for me. Thank you very much.
I pondered the same question a few weeks ago, and googled "early wood chip railroad cars" Lots of great pictures came up. Some hoppers, some boxcars, gondolas, all with extended sides. Lots of ideas to work with. I just eyeballed an estimate for the height, close enough.
One more question. where these hoppers unloaded indoor or outside over a pit?
datrainsDoes anyone know of an online or written article on making HO wood chip hopper extensions? I also plan to make them of styrene, but I need some shoulder info to lean on.
March 1981 MR magazine (p. 70) had an article on how to kitbash offset hoppers into the high-side woodchip hoppers which ran on the Ashley, Drew & Northern, an Arkansas shortline which was owned by Georgia-Pacific.