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McKeen Open Center Beam Car Braces

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  • Member since
    February 2008
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McKeen Open Center Beam Car Braces
Posted by maxman on Monday, February 20, 2023 12:32 PM

Has anyone built (or attempted to build) one of these cars?  There are two parts they call braces included with the kit.

They are basically rods with a triangular piece on each end.  They are meant to go from the car floor up to the roof piece.

The instructions reference these pieces but do not show them nor where the are to be located..

So the question is are they to be installed with the bottom ends starting at the end walls, or with the top ends in close proximity to each other at the roof?

  • Member since
    December 2001
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Posted by mvlandsw on Monday, February 20, 2023 2:15 PM

I think those parts are meant to represent the cables that are used to secure the loads. On loaded cars they run from the outer edge of the car floor over the load to the top of the center beam. On empty cars they go from the outer edge of the floor to any convienent attachment point lower on the center beam. They could go to the top on an empty car but it is easier to hook them to a lower point.

https://b-n-ferrco.com/pictures/IMG_0001.jpg

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Posted by maxman on Monday, February 20, 2023 3:05 PM

No, not cables.  Cables would go across the car.

These go from the axial centerline of the floor to the axial centerline of the roof/roofwalk.  My question is where along this centerline should these positioned.

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Posted by trevorsmith3489 on Monday, February 20, 2023 3:28 PM
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Posted by maxman on Monday, February 20, 2023 3:52 PM

trevorsmith3489

Trevor, thank you.  Not sure if that's correct or not, but since that was my first choice that will be the way I go.

 

Dick

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    March 2011
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Posted by NVSRR on Thursday, February 23, 2023 9:26 AM

A quick look through the railroad pictures site should help and give many different views of that car type

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,877 posts
Posted by maxman on Thursday, February 23, 2023 2:20 PM

NVSRR

A quick look through the railroad pictures site should help and give many different views of that car type

 

 
True, but sometimes more expedient to just ask.  Especially since the kit makers sometimes take liberties with a particular model's construction.

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