My C&S stockcar bash

[nkp_174]

Since there hasn't been any posts in this area of the forum for sometime, I thought I should share a my recent work on bashing a Grandt Line C&S On3 stockcar. Similarly, I hadn't posted on a blog for a few months and so I put them up there as well.

The C&S freight cars can be classified into four groups: the inherited cars (ex-DSP&P, CC, U&N, and KC)...and the three groups Harry Brunk designated Type I, II, and III. The Type I, II, and III cars shared a common design, but the details vary greatly between classes and subtly within classes.

The Type I cars were built between 1897 and 1906. Some were built by St. Charles/AC&F, but the hardware was fairly common between them and they all rode on arch bar trucks. Note that some of these were inherited, as the C&S wasn't created until after the first were built. San Juan Car Co offers an expensive version of the stock and boxcars of this type...too expensive for my taste.

The Type II cars were built 1907-1908 and featured hardware purchased from Betterndorf and rode on Betterndorf trucks.

The Type III cars were built 1909-1910 and had largely the same hardware as the Type IIs, but had steel underframes (SUFs). These last cars offered by Grandt Line, P-B-L, and others. The Grandt and P-B-L (Grandt tooling) kits are cost effective and beautiful. The Type IIIs were most commonly found on the Climax run in the later years along with the three largest 2-8-0s.

The C&S had approx 120 of the modern stockcars. 50 were Type Is, 20 were Type IIs, and the remaining 50 were Type IIIs.

Because I have four SUF cars already together, plus a reefer hardware kit (these were SUF only), I have decided to convert the SUF stockcar kit I received for Christmas to a Type II car. Doing so requires a new frame with trussrods, a new planked roof, and a few other modifications. The metal (Murphy) roof from the kit, its original frame (lighter construction), and the SUF will likely be combined with a spare set of the trucks for building a Type III boxcar in the distant future. I plan to scratch build a couple Type I cars once my Oahu Railway roster is in decent shape.



The new frame (styrene), approaching completion


A side view of the new frame and some modifications to the kit/change of parts


The new roof (styrene) and the interior, painted. I will lightly add some white chalk or paint to simulate lime, as well as some dirty straw. No animals since that looks a little odd sitting in a yards...stock trains were usually treated like mail and passenger trains.


The top of the new roof

[e-paw]

Very nice..

[doctorwayne]

Good to see you here again, Michael. I always enjoy following your projects.

Wayne

[Steamtrains]

Just don't be skimpy with the pics....

[nachoman]

Interesting. I've been needing a fleet of "standardized" freight cars for my HOn3 line. I need box cars and flat cars, and right now all I have is a hodgepodge of kitbashes, swap meet discounts, or Rio Grande prototypes. I'd like 5-8 or so identical cars of each type. I don't want the obvious Rio Grande prototypes (such as the 3000 series boxcar). Scratchbuilding is an option, but a set of trucks and couplers and a brake detail kit combined cost 15 bucks. I've considered using the RTR cars from Micro Trains or Blackstone (as those already come with trucks and couplers), but I would need to modify them. The Micro-trains C&S cars are cheaper and have a less ubiquitous prototype, but I don't like the steel underframes. This thread gives me ideas. Keep up the good work.

[nkp_174]

Thanks for the compliments. We're looking to upgrade in the home department (getting into a good school district and having a large basement for my grand layout)...so I've been busy with home and family stuff...what little hobby time I've had has gone to working and reading layout design/scenery books.
T
hese cars are the same prototypes as Micro-trains/Grandt Line's HOn3 cars. The principal difference is that the On3 versions are slightly more complicated (the SUF is one part in HOn3, it's 20 or so in On3). As standard cars go, the C&S cars are a reasonable choice. As I'd suppose you know, a number of their boxcars, stockcars, and reefers went on to the RGS and some of their boxcars celebrated their 100th birthdays while still in regular service on the WP&Y. The major advantages to using these versus the Microtrains version is that they require less work to bash and were typically $10 or so cheaper (about $15-20 each). Only the F&CC boxcars (which were close cousins) were better traveled.

I promise to upload more pictures, but these are all I have. I also may have to upload some pictures of re-working my first On3 car (a C&S stockcar on which I made a few mistakes)

Michael

[pgandw]

Since there hasn't been any posts in this area of the forum for sometime, I thought I should share a my recent work on bashing a Grandt Line C&S On3 stockcar. Similarly, I hadn't posted on a blog for a few months and so I put them up there as well.

The C&S freight cars can be classified into four groups: the inherited cars (ex-DSP&P, CC, U&N, and KC)...and the three groups Harry Brunk designated Type I, II, and III. The Type I, II, and III cars shared a common design, but the details vary greatly between classes and subtly within classes.

The Type I cars were built between 1897 and 1906. Some were built by St. Charles/AC&F, but the hardware was fairly common between them and they all rode on arch bar trucks. Note that some of these were inherited, as the C&S wasn't created until after the first were built. San Juan Car Co offers an expensive version of the stock and boxcars of this type...too expensive for my taste.

The Type II cars were built 1907-1908 and featured hardware purchased from Betterndorf and rode on Betterndorf trucks.

The Type III cars were built 1909-1910 and had largely the same hardware as the Type IIs, but had steel underframes (SUFs). These last cars offered by Grandt Line, P-B-L, and others. The Grandt and P-B-L (Grandt tooling) kits are cost effective and beautiful. The Type IIIs were most commonly found on the Climax run in the later years along with the three largest 2-8-0s.

The C&S had approx 120 of the modern stockcars. 50 were Type Is, 20 were Type IIs, and the remaining 50 were Type IIIs.

Thanks very much for the prototype information on the C&S cars. Very good to know and understand.

Fred W

[nkp_174]

Fred, glad you enjoyed it! I typically get more enjoyment out of understanding the prototype than I get out of modeling it. In fact, I find that much of the fun in prototype modeling is learning the answers to questions that I never would have thought of if I were just reading about the prototype or freelancing cars.

I was going to post a few more photos tonight...with the car alongside a couple of the SUF cars...but mini-me got to my card reader while I was at work and it won't let me download the photos now. Oh well.

I'm getting pretty close to completing this car. I'm torn between finishing off the other two C&S stock cars, finishing my C&S caboose, or starting my C&S reefer. I'll probably try to focus on finishing up the others first...that'll give me a six car C&S freight train in short order...plenty for my B-man 2-6-0 conversion to pull. Then there is the need to finish up my son's 1:20.3 D&RG 2-4-0 before Christmas... hock:

Michael

[slimrails]

Good Morning, Michael...

What a great build! The larger scale really allows for a more detailed model. Although I model in Sn3, I have a couple of Grandt Line On3 models that I bought from a LHS and one was of a C&S stock car in styrene. The roof was warped when I got the kit, but I just incorporated the warped roof into the build to add some character. Here's a shot of my car...

[nkp_174]

Very nice! Yep, On3 is wonderful for details. For me, the debate between Sn3 and On3 is one I have every year or so...On3 always wins due to being able to pilfer Bachmann mechanisms/drivers (especially important of the Oahu Railway), but Sn3 truly is the perfect size.

I've got my photo card reader working again, so here are a few photos...note that there's now a SUF car also getting ready to receive the oxide red paint...I plan to go back and add a few more photos as well...




(in the foreground is the C&S boxcar from the build I posted on the old gauge...I didn't like the paint job on her so I stripped her and am reworking her details).


The C&S caboose which had to wait a few years for its interior to arrive before I could finish her (she was actually my second On3 car...but was awaiting that interior kit).

Michael

[nkp_174]

Here's a completion photo of the car, less weathering:


The decals are cobbled together from leftovers. The finish on the car actually makes it look weathered, but it isn't yet. I'll give it a light coat to partially cover the lettering and then chalk and dry brush the car. The car to her left is the C&S reefer I'm scratch building (see the "trio" thread). I'll post photos of the C&S caboose and the two SUF stockcars soon.

[Tyson Rayles]

Very nice work!

[nkp_174]

More photos...

The caboose from earlier in the thread:


It has an interior, but I won't install the window glazing until after I've weathered her.

The trio of stock cars:

From L to R:
-A Grandt Line kit my father started around the time I was born...never finished by him...I added a few scratchbuilt details to provide a little variety (example: the original corner braces were semi ornate castings....Grandt Line's kit includes the simple bar stock braces...I scratch built the former).
-The kitbashed Type II car. She'll have badly faded lettering to go along with her faded paint scheme by the time she's finished.
-A stock Grandt Line stockcar which I built as my first On3 car...but I gave her a face lift and finally lettered her.

All of the cars currently have gloss codes from adding the decals. They'll be flat or matte when they're ready for the layout.

Here's an idea of the size, when compared with a piece of HO flex track, of the C&S cars. The above four cars and my C&S gon are slightly longer than the flex track (on the siding is an OR&L coach).


Our house sold this week, so soon I'll be disassembling this sectional layout and move to the new (not yet identified) basement which will house the permanent layout. Once that layout is ready, these cars will receive their brake wheels and brake hoses at long last!