Cars with paper sides

[Anonymous]

Is there anyone besides me who collects paper sided cars from the 40' and 50's. The old Newton/Red Ball are my favorites. I have about a two hundred sides and have built about twenty. I use scribed styrene for roofs and currently available details and couplers.

[Anonymous]

I have a few, but I don't know who the makers where.
How can you identify them?

[dknelson]

I have a few. Some paper sides were smooth and flat, other had some detail embossed. I have both kinds. I cannot say I collect them, they just found their way to me.
You are really an old timer (older even than me) if you remember all-wood Picard cars, where the sides and ends and floor and roof all fit together with slots and the sides were scribed wood.
Dave Nelson

[cacole]

I have some of those that came already assembled, so I don't know who the manufacturer was. Some do have the name Varney on the trucks, but I think those trucks were add-ons that didn't come with the kits. Wood bottoms that have been painted by the original owner, and hook and loop couplers. Also some original MDC all-metal cars from their very earliest days, and some Labelle all-wood kits that have never been assembled.

[Anonymous]

I've got some of these cars. I have an old Silver Streak Swift reefer kit that's wood with metal trucks and detail parts that still in the box and has never been assembled. I also have an old time passenger car that's mainly wood, plus a Rio Grande double-door boxcar that's simmilar. I also have an NP boxcar that's got cardboard sides. The two boxcars are just bodies without any underframes to attach trucks to, so I have them sitting in the yard on my layout as storage sheds until I can find the parts needed repair them.

[dknelson]

As far as paper sides go, I think makers like Megow were known for them. Also back in the old days Model Railroader would run paper sides in an issue as a special extra.
Actually in many cases the paper sides were more to scale in terms of lettering because the printing was finer than the rubber stamping that was otherwise used at the time. Then came Varney's lithographed metal sides -- those still build up into a nice looking car I think. Athearn's were similar but I think Varney was closer to prototype paint and lettering
Dave nelson
Dave Nelson

[IRONROOSTER]

NMRA included printed sides in their Bulletin on card stock a number of years ago. They did several scales. I made two of them in HO. Kind of a fun nostalgic project and they don't look too bad.
Enjoy
Paul

[CNJ831]

I've built several paper side freight cars utilizing the paper side printed in MR in the 1940's. I've used Megow and Red Ball kits (a far cry from plastic shake-the-box, resin, or laser kits!). To complete my modest collection I still have one more to finish, a set of Newton/Red Ball light cardstock sides and ends for a silver-painted reefer, which came from a Christmas issue of MR about 1940 or '41!

CNJ831

[leighant]

Maybe paper side cars could make a comeback, since it is so easy to set type on a computer, draw or capture or construct artwork, draw scribed siding background and print out car sides on heavy stock on home computer.

I am taking a break from making a cardboard cutout building on the computer tonight.