There was a thread a couple of months back on another forum regarding boxcars that were equipped with one sliding-door and one plug-door.
The fact that such a car doesn't seem to be available RTR in 'O' scale is of no consequence to me, but even though I have looked in the few books I have on freight cars, I cannot find any explanation as to why such a car was made.
Did such cars have a specific purpose? I thought that, generally speaking, plug-doors would be used on insulated cars for the transport of such products as canned goods, where a reefer would not be required, but I've never heard of a sliding-door that was insulated to the same degree.
Can anyone enlighten me on this matter, and tell me what is the correct name for such a boxcar?
Ed
siestaman Did such cars have a specific purpose? I thought that, generally speaking, plug-doors would be used on insulated cars for the transport of such products as canned goods, where a reefer would not be required, but I've never heard of a sliding-door that was insulated to the same degree. Can anyone enlighten me on this matter, and tell me what is the correct name for such a boxcar?
As was explained in the previous thread, the purpose was to provide a boxcar with a wide door opening with both doors open, or with the plug door closed, provide a boxcar with the same smooth interior as a single door boxcar.
Plug doors are more than insulating. When closed they completely fill the door opening and provide a smooth continuous side, so that when product is loaded into the car, there is no door "void" for the product to shift into. So from the inside of the car, when the plug door is closed, the car looks the same as a single door car.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com