Hi all,
I am building a business car that was built around 1900, but is still in service into the 40's. Can any one help me with what type of brakes something like this might have. I know that freight cars used several different types at this time ( AB, KC, Westinghouse). Could I use any of these? I have the MR freight car detailing book and it covers systems very well. I've done some cars and would like to detail this business car also. Anyone know of a passenger car book like that?
Thanks
Phil, CEO, Eastern Sierra Pacific Railroad. We know where you are going, before you do!
Hello Phil,
I'd guess you're probably talking about a wood-bodied car with a steel under frame, or at least a steel center sill. Probably an LN brake system would be appropriate for the original construction, but by the 1940s such a car might have been upgraded with a UC brake system. The KC and AB systems were freight car brakes, and not appropriate for a passenger car.
Bowser's Cal-Scale line includes a UC brake system, and the Cal-Scale express reefer detail set can be used to simulate an LN system by omitting the included UC valve.
So long,
Andy
Thanks for the info Andy. I am attempting my first rolling stock kit bash, for our local modeling groups annual contest, and I have some stiff competition. I think detail is going to be key.
Thanks again
Precision Scale also offers the UC brake sets - I use them under all my passenger and head-end equipment, along with some of their a/c and electrical equipment. Many details can be made from styrene sheets, shapes and strips, too, such as battery boxes, water and air tanks, and the slack adjustors for the brakes. The drive belts seen in the first two photos were made from brass shimstock.:
If you have a photo or good drawing from which to work, pretty-well anything which was under these cars can be built or bought.
Wayne
Wow! That's some detail, Wayne. I hope I can do it justice. Do you have any ideas where I might find under body photos or drawings? How about the MR book on passenger trains and equipment? I have the freight car detailing book, and it has been a lot of help. The cars I built using it have come out great.
Thanks for your kind words.
I used the series on Pullman cars from Mainline Modeler magazine as reference material - lots of photos and diagrams. I don't have all of the articles and, when the magazine was still in business, I ordered the missing issues. Unfortunately, they didn't have any of those issues left. Back issues of magazines often show up at train shows or hobby shops, and the issues which may be of use are:
Jan./Feb. '81 Vol. 2-1Mar./Apr. '81 Vol. 2-2May/June '81 Vol. 2-3July/Aug. '81 Vol. 2-4Sept./Oct. '81 Vol. 2-5
I have a couple of books on CNR passenger cars (one of them borrowed) that were some help, but they're mostly a compendium of all passenger equipment owned by the CNR and its predecessors. The info on the Pintsch gas system allowed me to build the car shown in the third photo.
I'll send you a PM with some further info.