I was a B-52 and KC-135 flight simulator tech stationed at Fairchild AFB from 18 May 1980 - September 1990. I worked on these very railcars until the sim positions went civilian contract (September 1990)
We were told they were repurposed 1918 Pullman railcars. The sim cars were originally build to be on the move so they were self contained with their individual, independent generator, aquazone heaters / air conditioners, bathrooms, kitchen stove, drinking fountain, and bunk beds. Of course by the time I arrived on station they were permanently parked on rails between The Communications Squadron in the building (old WWII warehouse) to the north, and the Four seasons store & Class 6 store to the south. These two warehouse buildings were between O'Malley Rd and Olympia Avenue with the rail line (and sim cars) sandwiched between them in the alley way.
They were only moved one time in my 10 year stint at Fairchild. The B-52 sim cars were towed to Hill AFB (Tooele Army Depot in the NW corner of Hill AFB) to have their wheel bearings repacked, Cars painted ETC.
Their exact position / location was with the B-52 railcar with the expandable sides containing the cockpit was the first car in the line. It butted up to the road (Arnold St.) and faced the flight line. The expandable sides were on the end opposite the street. It went B-52 electronics car, then B-52 office car, then KC-135 Electronics car, then KC-135 office car. They were all connected in a four car string.
We decommissioned both sims while I was there. It was my understanding that the B-52 would become a simulator mockup for the museum while the KC-135 would be gutted to become an art gallery. This activity would have taken place after I departed so I can not verify if that actually happened! I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
mbinsewiis this the way they were arranged while in use?
I was a B-52 copilot at Fairchild AFB from 1980-1982 and these rail cars, both the B-52 and KC-135 simulators, were still in use at that time. All four cars were on a siding next to a long warehouse type building.
I'm interested in modeling the two B-52 simulator cars in N scale. Are there any dimensions or drawings with dimensions available? Also, what N scale cars would be a good to start with?
Yeah, not WWI cars, but run of the mill Pullmans from somewhat later.
RBS = radar bombing simulator, a good search term to use as is "SAC bombing radar simulator railroad cars"
These cars were configured in different sets over the years. generally, they got smaller as electronics replaced tubes. Some good links.
Explains the whole deal, more or less
https://geographicalimaginations.com/tag/bomb-comp/
Not much text, but useful cites:
I've got more around somewhere, but time to cook dinner.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
gmpullman You probably could use the recent Walthers baggage car as a starting point: B&O_Baggage by Edmund, on Flickr
You probably could use the recent Walthers baggage car as a starting point:
B&O_Baggage by Edmund, on Flickr
One could do that. But this project is going to be a LOT of work. So I think it would be more rewarding to use the cars I suggested as the base.
That's because baggage cars (see above) are typically a fair bit shorter than sleepers. I can't say that is necessarily true here, because I don't have one of the B&O baggage cars handy. Since the prototypes were apparently based on sleepers, they'd likely be the length of sleepers.
In addition, the layout of the belt rails and lower bat strips pretty much match when comparing the Branchline cars and the prototype. The above baggage car does not. These items are about the only details that will survive the massive remodel. One might as well try to get them to match.
If I were going to put all that work into these models, I think I'd want the "base material" to be as close to the prototype as possible.
Ed
As I thought, just set up that way for display and easy public access, DAH.
This has been interesting. Didn't know these excisted.
Mike.
My You Tube
mbinsewiI'm sure I'm missing something.
It would seem these particular cars aren't going anywhere soon, at least by rail:
SAC_Fairchild by Edmund, on Flickr
I question the original caption stating that these cars are from The Great War.
http://railwaysurgery.org/Army.htm
After WWII there were hundreds of hospital cars, baggage cars and troop sleepers on the surplus market. Monon Railroad bought quite a few and remodeled them into "DeLuxe" passenger cars.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3520176
Many variants survive. Some were turned into power HEP cars, Amtrak used some as baggage cars, many went to the Alaska Railroad, I believe Ringling Brothers grabbed a few as well.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mbernero/23139133725
The Troop Kitchen cars fetch a pretty good price if you can find them. The later express cars with the plated over windows are more readily available and more reasonably priced.
Good Luck, Ed
I gotta dumb question, the way the cars are arranged in the OP's link, is this the way they were arranged while in use? It seems like a lot of extra track work would have to be done to do this.
I'm sure I'm missing something.
The links posted so far has been some interesting reading.
Doing more research on the cars named in my linked article, above:
ALPINE CLOVER was originally a 14 section sleeper. If it was built in 1917, I would expect a non-pedimented end. I would build it using a Rivarossi 12-1 sleeper. It's not a 14 section car, but there's not enough of the original casting left behind after building the car to matter. It was owned by Pullman in 1950.
ANDREW SQUIRE (no "S") was also a 14 section sleeper. Built in 1928, I suspect it would have had a pedimented end (which shows in one of the phots), so I'd use a Branchline 14 section car. It was owned by PRR in 1950.
JOHN M. FORBES was originally an 8-1-2 sleeper. Branchline made one of these, also. It was owned by Pullman in 1950.
The "50 foot boxcar" is a former Army troop KITCHEN (not sleeper). Walthers made these.
There's not going to be much left of the basic castings once all the hackin' and hewin' is done. But that's kind of obvious.
The railroad museum at the Ogden Union Depot in Ogden, UT has at least one of those cars on display.
http://utahrails.net/RLHSGoldenSpikeOgden/passenger.htm
Just as an aside, I have rerailed cars using the X-250 when I was Trainmaster at N Little Rock:
http://utahrails.net/RLHSGoldenSpikeOgden/mow.htm
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Here's some more on the subject:
http://www.fairchild.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/762953/operation-cannonball-the-rest-of-the-story/
I suspect the two "Pullmans" were just surplus cars from Pullman. One is said to be a 1928 car, so that one could hardly have been around for WWI.
About the only remnant I can see from the original cars is the riveted belt rail. I think just about any old sleeper would do.
The description says they were WW1 hospital cars, not baggage cars. The brief research I did on WW2 hospital cars does not mention that they were upgraded WW1 cars so I find it fascinating that these were still around in the 60's.
"The B-52 simulators cars were converted from WW-I hospital cars in the early 1960’s and had concrete floors to support the delicate equipment. These cars were heavy at 180 tons and had expandable sides at the cockpit section and cabinets that housed the electronics and electro-mechanical servo systems. The Administration Car had additional equipment cabinets, an office area and a small galley area for the escorts. The Crew Car appears to be a Pullman built, WWII Troop Car that was converted."
Pictures of WW1 hospital cars look like they were once beautiful cars before they stripped the seats out and put in beds. http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwi/MilitaryHospitalsintheUS/chapter12.htm Since there is no resemblance to the original cars, baggage, RPO or sleeper may be the way to go.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I an HO layout with a few USAF rail cars on it. I thought it could be neat to add these cars, or maybe at least two of them.
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/378661/
I have not been able to find much on the internet other than a few pictures and short discriptions. There seems to be three cars, two heavyweight baggage style and one WW2 troop car. They are all painted air force grey with some SAC markings. the baggage cars seem to have "modern roofs" and one seems to have been widened and extended height.
I'd like to model these cars in HO scale. What baggage cars could I use as a started? All my heavyweight cars are walthers and have the old style roof. Does anyone know of any websites that has some detail information on these cars?