50 ft wood boxcars?

[BRJN]

Does anybody know where I could find an HO scale 50' wood boxcar? Kit or RTR is fine, although I'm not up for a craftsman kit yet. Prefer 1900-era details, but since I'm not too picky about it I can take a more-recent example.

I found an Art Griffin decal for a furniture car, and I want a car to put it onto, without having to build the whole thing from scratch. My secondary motive is to have a car that looks like it can hold several pianos, so I can put a piano factory (tribute to my wife the musician) on my layout.

[marknewton]

http://www.labellemodels.com/dhof.htm#top

HO-42 is a 50' car, and a fairly simple model to build. Otherwise you could try the MDC/Roundhouse or Walthers 50' single-sheathed automobile cars. They're more modern, but quite nice looking cars.

All the best,

Mark.

[orsonroy]

50 foot double sheathed cars were rare, both in real life and in the model world. That LaBelle kit is about the only one I can think of, and it's definitely a craftsman kit.

If you're looking for a simpler project, why not splice together two Accurail 40 foot reefers? Cut two bodies at the door to get two 25' sections, and then add a Tichy wood door over the seam.

[marknewton]

QUOTE: Originally posted by orsonroy

That LaBelle kit is about the only one I can think of, and it's definitely a craftsman kit.

You reckon, Ray? I built one a few years back for a friend, and I honestly didn't think it was very difficult. I quite enjoyed working with wood, as a change from styrene or brass.

I like your idea of slicing the two Accurail ref cars, by the way!

All the best,

Mark.

[orsonroy]

Well, there's craftsman kits, and then there's CRAFTSMAN kits. To me, building a wood piece of rolling stock is a real PITA, and something to be avoided.

Sand, sand, sand. Seal. Sand, sand, sand. Seal. Cut. Sand, sand, sand. Not my idea of a good time, spending five hours on a freight car just to remove the basswood "fuzzies". I'd much rather tackle an "easy" craftsman car like a resin covered hopper!

Actually, if faced with the choice between building a wood kit and scratchbuilding it out of styrene, styrene usually wins! All the great Branchline structures that my wife buys me as gifts are of course an exception!

And Accurail "wood" freight cars make great kitbashing bait. I;m waiting for the day when the supply of Roundhouse 36-footers completely dries up, and then I'll crank out old time cars out of the longer stuff!

[fsm1000]

Hey orsonroy. If you want to remove the 'basswood fuzzies' do this. I apply a very very thin coat of white glue [one part glue [about an ounce] to 10 to 15 parts water [1 1/2 to 2 cups] and a couple drops of dish soap]. Whisk it with an old whisk and never use it for anything else but glue ups. Then very lightly brush it on. let dry and then you just sand once. I been doing that for years even on balsa wood. It has to be a thin coating though. Also it automatically seals it as well.
Stephen

[BRJN]

Thanks to all. The Labelle site was interesting.

Perhaps I was not clear enough - I want a model of a 50' wood boxcar, not a wood model of a 50' boxcar.

I'll look for First World War-era automobile cars I can repaint, as a start. Hopefully something will jump out at me.

[orsonroy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRJN
Perhaps I was not clear enough - I want a model of a 50' wood boxcar, not a wood model of a 50' boxcar.

No, I think we all understood you just fine. The problem is that the ONLY model of a double sheathed 50 foot boxcar IS a wood LaBelle kit.

QUOTE:
I'll look for First World War-era automobile cars I can repaint, as a start. Hopefully something will jump out at me.

Unfortunately, such an animal never existed. The first auto boxes were 1920s-era postwar cars, which were markedly different from 1914-1918 era cars. Most 1920s era auto cars came in three varities: 40' steel double door (NYC), 40' single sheathed double door (IC, Wabash), and 50' single sheathed double door (UP, IC, Rock). There's no such thing as a post-WWI, double sheathed, single door boxcar. Technology made that style of car obsolete by 1910 or so.

So you're left with three choices: build the LaBelle kit, scratch/bash a 50' car, or decorate a 40' car with the 50' decals.