Box car question

[ndbprr]

What is the height of the top of the floor above the railhead and subsequent loading dock height?  What is the distance from the side of the car to the side of the loading dock?  Thank you

[dehusman]

About 4.5 ft ATR and about 9 ft from the center of track.

[doctorwayne]

If you're speaking of real boxcars, I wouldn't even venture a guess.

For models, though, it might vary quite a bit.  For example, a 40' Athearn Blue Box car (modified with "to-scale" doortracks) measures 10'3" wide, while another similarily modified 50' Athearn car measures 11'3" wide.

A single-sheathed Train Miniature boxcar, with replaced (non-working) door tracks is 10'3" wide, while a similar steel TM car scales-out at about 10'6", and a somewhat modified TM doublesheathed boxcar is also 10'3" wide.

A Walthers 50' single-sheathed boxcar measured 10'6" over the door rollers.

A Proto2000 50' steel boxcar scaled-out at 11'0" over the door rollers, while an Intermountain X-29 boxcar similarily measured 9'9" wide.

I also measured a 40' Branchline steel boxcar at 10'6" over the door rollers.

Finally, in my short test efforts, an Accurail single sheathed boxcar measured 9'3" over the door rollers, and a similar double sheathed boxcar was 9'6" wide, while an Accurail steel-sheathed car came in at 10'6".

Bear in mind that most of these cars had non-working doors, but the ones with working doors did not have the "claws" to keep the bottom of the door in place while it's moved, nor was there a channel atop the doors to keep a moveable door in the door guides.

If you're using cars with working doors utilising claws and oversize door guides, they'll likely scale-out even wider than the ones which I tested.

I would suggest that it's likely not needed to worry about the size of the gap between a loading dock and a boxcar, as most set-ups had a portable (or otherwise moveable) ramp, to allow forklifts, dollies, and workers to move easily from car-to-dock and vice-versa.

Any of my boxcars with working doors do not have "claws" or channels to guide the doors, either at the top or bottom, but instead rely on guides inside the car, as shown below...

Thsi allows for scenes loading or unloading a car, and also for random cars running with a door (or doors) open.

 

Wayne

[Ablebakercharlie]

Just wanted to say that the box car with the visible bags is really cool!

I find that my boxcar doors are always coming open and there is nothing in them so  it looks rather sad.  I do sometimes think about creating a little project and filling them up with something.  (I don't want to glue the doors shut!)

 

charles

[jjdamnit]

Hello All,

Check out this thread...Is there a standard or maximum car width?

Hope this helps.

[MidlandMike]

Did the floor hight change when they went from 33" wheels to 36" wheels, or did they have room to adjust for the wheel size?

[cv_acr]

MidlandMike

Did the floor hight change when they went from 33" wheels to 36" wheels, or did they have room to adjust for the wheel size?

Wheel size is directly correlated to the design (weight) capacity of the car, so it would be designed with that in mind.

That said, all other things being equal, a 36" wheel instead of a 33" wheel would only raise the axle journal by 1.5", and the difference in spring compression between a loaded and empty car is probably more than that.

[dehusman]

MidlandMike

Did the floor hight change when they went from 33" wheels to 36" wheels, or did they have room to adjust for the wheel size?

No, you just design the car so the floor is the same height.

[Lee 1234]

 

https://www.nmra.org/sites/default/files/standards/sandrp/pdf/rp-7.1_tangent_track_centers_and_clearance_diagrams_2019.01.pdf

If you don't have an NMRA gauge get one. They are so useful.

 

 

[ndbprr]

The NMRA is for clearances and has nothing to do with the height of the floor in the car.   Since all I got for answers to this question was opinions I found a website that goes into detail that the height of the floor is 3'9" to 4'.  Generally lower then the loading dock height to allow downhill loading of the car.

[dehusman]

ndbprr

I found a website that goes into detail that the height of the floor is 3'9" to 4'.  Generally lower then the loading dock height to allow downhill loading of the car.

Which means uphill unloading. 

Ideally they should be at the same height.  However track doesn't necessarily stay at the same height and cars vary in height, so it doesn't always work out that way.

[BN7150]

Let's buy the "Freight Car Handbook," a collection of freight car drawings. The following listings have been created by me. (White River Productions' website)

 

1. Introduction -Why Create Scale Drawings?

2. Autoracks
Thrall Bi-Level Autorack (open)
Thrall Tri-Level Autorack (open)
Tri-Level Autorack (NW side-covered)

3. Boxcars
40' Wood-Sided Boxcar (C&O 82000)
40' Wood Boxcar (single-sheathed double-door)
N&W B-8A 40' Boxcar (8' width superior-door)
SL-SF Outside-Braced 40' boxcar (SL-SF 34001 and 163523, 2 style door)
GN 40' 12-Panel Boxcar (GN 11099, Youngstown and Superior door)
SP Extended-Roof 40' Boxcar (high-cube, w/photo)
CP Plug-Door 40' Boxcar (2 style railroad name, w/alcohol heater)
General American GN 50' Boxcar (single sheathed)
Pullman-Standard 50' PS-1 Boxcar (8' Pullman door)
Canadian National 557000-series Boxcar (combination-door, Wet-Noodle logo)
Pennsylvania X51E 50' Boxcar (riveted, Shadow Keystone herald)
Pennsylvania X58 50' Boxcar (exterior post, plug-door, Hydra-Cushion, w/photo)
Pullman-Standard Southern 50' Boxcar (exterior post. w/photo)
Pullman-Standard C&NW Waffle Side Boxcar (w/photo)
American Car & Foundry 50' Boxcar (KCS 150258 w/photo)
Evans Blue Island Reefer -Early (USLX 10097, double-plug-door boxcar, Hydra-Cushion w/photo)
Evans Blue Island Reefer -late (USLX 11614, double-plug-door boxcar w/photo)
North American Car Company Outside-Post 50' RBL (w/Nesle and NACC logo)
North American Car Company Smooth-Side RBL (w/NACC logo and photo)
FMC 5347 Single-Door Boxcar (plate C, BH 25120, cushion service (the drawings not show cushion) w/FMC logo)
　(RBOX 38151, Railbox)
　(ASAB 7182, The Bay Line, cushion service)
　(AN 5575, Apalachicola Northern, cushion service)
　(SSDK 1087, Savannah State Docks Railroad, cushion service)
　(PHD 2002, St. Clair Blue Water Route, cushion service)
Pullman-Standard 60' Double-Door AutoParts Car (D&RGW 63835, smooth side)
Pullman-Standard 60' Single-Door AutoParts Car (CNW 91618, smooth side)
American Car & Foundry Single-Door 60' AutoParts Car (WM 49585, Precision Design)
American Car & Foundry Double-Door 60' AutoParts Car (GTW 306636, Precision Design)
Pullman-Standard 60' AutoParts Car (MILW 4000, double-door, exterior post)
Pullman-Standard 7315 CUFT Waffle-Sided Boxcar (double-door)
Pullman-Standard 4-Door 86' AutoParts Car (CNE 92067, w/photo(PC))
Pullman-Standard 8-Door 86' AutoParts Car (UP 980212 w/photo(B&O))

4. Flatcars
FT-60 Heavy-Duty Flatcar (w/photo(AT&SF))
CB&Q, NP & SP&S 52' Flatcar
Pullman-Standard 52' PS-4 Flatcar (P&LE 1144)
BN Centerbeam Flatcar (BN 624216, w/photo and Milw photo)
ACF 60' Auto Frame Flatcar (FTTX 95153, w/load)
NSC 73' Centerbeam Flatcar (TTZX 000000, color)
DW&P Bulkhead Flatcar (56'-7" long)
CP Rail 89' Flatcar (CP 315613)
Lehigh Valley Well Flatcar (LV 9955. w/photo (PC 768020))
Maxson Conrail Depressed-Center Flatcar (CR 766002, 8-wheel)
Pennsylvania F36 Flatcar (PRR 470229, 12-wheel)
ATSF 90005 FT-13 Depressed-Center Flatcar (ATSF 90005, 16-wheel, w/photo)

5. Hoppers & Gondolas
American Car & Foundry 52'-6" Gondola (w/PRR photo)
Evans 4780 Covered Hopper Car (BM 5400, w/photo)
ATSF 65' Corrugated side Mill Gondola (ATSF 168460)
National Steel Car Co. CP 100-ton Covered Hopper (cylindrical 8-round hatch, 4-bay)
BN Gondola & Youngstown Bulk Containers (BN 553910, w/photo)
Pullman-Standard 100-ton 4427 PS-2CD Covered Hopper (ATSF 303134, high-side)
ACL 5400 CUFT Wood Chip Hopper (ACL 84307)
ACL Phosphate Hopper (w/8-square hatch, 4-bay)
CP Rail Cylindrical Grain Hopper (CP 384678, 4-bay, 4550cu.ft. w/Packman logo)

6. MoW Cars
Paccar Side Dump Car
Union Pacific Railway MoW Flat Car (w/load)
Union Pacific Boom Car 909300 (w/load)
Union Pacific Wheel Car (w/load)

7. Piggyback Cars
National Steel Car Corporation TOFC Flatcar
Canadian Pacific Railway 63' TOFC Flatcar (CP 505725, w/hitches)
Greenville Steel Car Co. Flexi-Van Mark V (w/ATSF photo)
Bethlehem Steel 86' F-89-F TOFC Car (XTTX 150248)
ACF 89' TOFC Car (TTX 601303 yellow and TTX 601848 brown color)

8. Refrigerated cars - Reefers
Soo Line Wood Ice Reefer (SOO 22600, w/express trucks and vertical hand-brake stuff)
Western Pacific Ice Service Reefer (wood w/vertical hand-brake stuff)
Union Pacific Refrigerator Transit 50' Steel Car (w/4 ice hatches)
National Steel Car Outside-Braced Mechanical Reefer (w/photo)

9. Steel Coil Cars
Despatch-Built F50 Steel Coil Car & Hoods (PC 752100)
Evans-Built Steel Coil Car & Hoods (C&O 306628, Hydra-Cushion, w/photo)

10. Stock Cars
Grand Trunk Western Steel Frame Stock Car
Northern Pacific 85'-6" Double-deck Stock Car (w/photo)

11. Tank Cars
GATX 10.000-gallon Tank Car (welded)
American Car & Foundry Glenn-Pool Tank Car (KCM&O 25035 (Orient) and Glenn-Pool Tank Line CO.)
ACF 20,000-gallon Tank Car (w/SHPX photo)
Trinity 25,500-gallon Tank Car (GATX 54303)
Richmond Tank Car Co. 17,300-gallon Chlorine tank Car (w/Pullman-Standard photo)
ATSF TK-N & TK-O Class tank Cars (ATSF 98051, ATSF 101214 and ATSF 101132)
American Car & Foundry LPG Tank Car (SHPX 17204, United Petroleum Cars)
American Car & Foundry Type-27 Tank Car (riveted)
General American Tank Train 10450-series Car (w/flexible hose drawings)

1174

[jjdamnit]

Redundant post deleted

[wjstix]

Ablebakercharlie

I find that my boxcar doors are always coming open and there is nothing in them so it looks rather sad. I do sometimes think about creating a little project and filling them up with something. (I don't want to glue the doors shut!)

I like to do something like that with cars with doors that open. The doors are closed in transit, and I open them when spotting the car.You don't need a lot, just enough on either side of the opening to suggest the car is loaded (or partially unloaded).

https://cs.trains.com/mrr/m/mrr-layouts/2289595.aspx

Sorry if link doesn't work, problem with my PC.

[doctorwayne]

wjstix

Sorry if link doesn't work, problem with my PC.

Your link worked fine for me....nice scene.

Wayne

[NVSRR]

Don't forget to check the loco clearence at the dock.   The model might need slightly wider clearance because of handrails and such. To get past the dock to the cars.  An expense oops.   

shane