General

Air Hose Placement on Freight Cars

1. Usual placement of trainline air hose is just to the right of the coupler/draft gear, opposite the cut lever.
   

Brakes

SP  --  K to AB Brake Conversion

1. Railroads were required to convert all revenue rolling stock used in interchange to the AB system. The deadline for banning the use of K brakes was 1953. See background info on AB brakes.
   

1. There is no cosmetic difference between Westinghouse and New York (AB) Brake equipment.
   

Chalk Marks  (by Tony Thonpson)

1. Most were notations applied by car clerks about the track to which the car should be switched, or its outgoing train number, or the industry and car spot to which it was destined, or any of a great number of other bits of information needed by switch crews. The codes varied from yard to yard and railroad to railroad (and likely era to era), and today would be nearly impossible to decode, so simply copying what you see in prototype photos is probably the best way to select these.
   

1. Car Clerk were armed with the usual one-inch diameter “railroad chalk”.
   

Modeling Chalk Marks

1. The chalk marks are minor details but they add greatly to the realistic appearance of model freight cars. Modelers sometimes call them “graffiti,” but nearly all of them were in fact no such thing.
   

2. 
   

3. They can also be readily added with a colored pencil, with as sharp a point as you can make, in white, gray, or yellow. Use the Prismacolor brand of these pencils, available in any art supply store, as they seem to perform best.
   

4. Tony Thompson
   

Lettering & Numbering

Decals

Clover House

1. In model form, these can be added with Clover House dry transfers.
   

Sunshine

1. Try any of several Sunshine decal sets (available in white, gray and yellow).
   

Hand Brakes

1. Ajax
   

2. Champion
   

3. Dayton
   

4. Equipco
   

5. Jemco
   

6. Klasing
   

7. Miner
   

8. National
   

9. Peacock
   

10. Superior
    

11. Universal
    

12. Ureco
    

13. Vertical “stem winder”
    

14. 
    

15. see: Model Railroad Hobbyist, Nov. 2013, pg. 110-118
    

Route Cards  (by Tony Thompson)

1. Many railroads, in at least some of their terminals, used small cards, roughly 4 to 6 inches square or nearly square, to help switchmen correctly route cars. These were tacked or stapled to what was called a route card board on a steel car, or simply to the sheathing on a wood-sheathed car. Prototype photos show that most cars carried these cards, though not all. Some older cards remain on both boards.
   

2. 
   

3. These cards are easily added to any freight car with small squares or rectangles of paper. The most common color was manila, but color photos do show white, blue, yellow and pink cards in some cases.
   

Location Placement

1. Some placards on the placard board of the box car, were high on the car door. The lowered location for door tack boards was adopted in 1954. These cards were of course applied to all types of cars, not just house cars. The location, near the lower left corner of the car side, was a common one for route card boards on open-top cars.
   

Reference

                                                                          http://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2011/10/weathering-clinic-handout.html

                                                                          http://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2011/03/reweigh-article-from-rmc.html

Modeling Route Cards

1. The route cards are minor details but they add greatly to the realistic appearance of model freight cars. Add a small square of paper to represent a route card on the route card board.
   

Lettering & Numbering

1. There are decals from a Sunshine decal set for placards.
   

Running Boards

1. Morton running boards had a circular pattern.
   

2. U.S. Gypsum running boards had a diamond pattern.
   

Trucks

Plain vs. Roller Bearing

1. New SP cars in the mid to late ’50s with plain bearings some cars in the 1957-1959 timeframe came with roller bearing trucks, and no 1960's builder's photo show plain bearings. The buyer specified the bearings. SP bought its first full class of box cars with RB in 1957. For other car types, see the freight car volumes.
   

2. 
   

3. Espee did not embark on a wholesale program to upgrade their fleet to roller bearings, prior to 1965 anyway. Trucks did of course get replaced.
   

4. Tony Thompson 
   

AAR U-section Trucks             

They replaced other trucks on B-50-15 late 40’s early 50’s

Allied Full Cushion Trucks

1. Used by Pullman on  WWII troop sleeper and ACF kitchen cars. These trucks were banned from interchange service in the late 40’s.
   

2. 
   

American Steel Foundries A-3 Ride Control 50-ton truck

1. Introduced 1943.
   

2. Friction/roller bearing transition up to 1994.
   

3. 
   

Andrew Trucks

1. Made mid to late 10’s. Cast steel version. Popular through the 20’s. Some lasted in revenue service into the 50’s.
   

2. (*see MR 1/99, pg. 52)
   

3. Three different types:
   

4.    70 ton Birdsboro  Used on Caboose / freight.
   

5.    55 ton Andrews
   

6.    50 ton Andrews
   

7. 
   

Arch Bar Trucks

1. Common until WWI. Some made through the 20’s. The Archbar truck was banned from interchange as of 12/31/39. Arch bar side frames were prohibited in interchange on, and after July 1, 1940. All "T", "L" and "I" section side frames were prohibited in interchange on, and after January 1, 1957. The move towards prohibiting the latter side frames began in 1946 when any "T" or "L" section side frame which had received welded repairs was prohibited in interchange. "I" section frames were added to that list in 1950 which also included the first date of prohibition as January 1, 1951 for all such side frames. Thus, most roads that used these types of side frames, including the Southern Pacific, began to replace these with new, or used cast "U" section side frames. The original prohibition date was extended (yearly) until the final January 1, 1957 date.
   

2. Guy Wilber
   

1. Banned since 1941, but could be found on restricted cars such as MOW service long after that.(*see MR 1/99, pg. 52)
   

2. According to Tony Thompson's book their were less than 40 left on the entire system by 1965.
   

3. Ken Harstine
   

4. 
   

ASF A-3 Trucks     

                         

ASF T-section cast steel Trucks

Baldwin 84-30 traction Trucks

Baldwin 84-35 AA traction Trucks

Barber S-2 Truck

1. 70-ton roller bearing
   

2. 
   

Barber-Bettendorf Caboose Trucks

Bettendorf Trucks

1. Had ribbed-back wheels.
   

2. Friction bearing. Became the norm during the 20’s.
   

3. Bettendorf roller bearing conversion
   

4. 
   

Bettendorf T-Section Trucks

Brill 27-MCB-3 traction Trucks

Buckeye Trucks

1. 125 ton 38” wheels  (AAR design trucks)
   

Caboose T-section Trucks

1. 4'-4" wheelbase, 33" wheels
   

Columbia T-section cast steel trucks

National B-1 Trucks

Pennsy 20-F8

1. 50-ton freight trucks. Used RP-25 33” ribbed back wheels.
   

2. 
   

Scullin Trucks

1. (AAR design trucks)
   

2. 
   

Standard C-80-P traction Trucks

Symington-Gould Trucks

1. (AAR design trucks)
   

2. 
   

Taylor Trucks

1. 70 ton caboose / freight
   

2. 
   

Vulcan

1. Used on Caboose (C-30-1). Beginning in the mid-late 30's they got used 40 ton Vulcans most probably salvaged from WW1 era.
   

2. 
   

S.P. Prototype Wheel Sets

Freight Car Trucks

1. ASF A-3                                    - Kato #31601
   

2. ASF T-section cast steel trucks
   

3. Andrews                                    - Kadee #509
   

4. Andrews with leaf spring            - PSC #31651
   

5. Arch bar                                   - Kadee #501
   

6. Arch bar with leaf spring           - BC Models #T-9, for prewar use on a caboose
   

7. Arch bar with leaf spring           - PSC use to make one, check swap meets
   

8. Bettendorf                                 - Kadee #500
   

9. Bettendorf T-section                  - Kadee #511, used on many SP and PFE wood cars
   

10. Bettendorf with leaf spring         - Tichy #3051, for postwar use on a caboose
    

11. Columbia T-section cast steel trucks
    

12. leaf springs                                - Walther's once made an insert, check swap meets
    

13. Roller bearing, 70 ton               - Atlas #180000
    

14. Vulcan                                     - Kadee #515
    

15. 
    

Eastern Car Works / North West Short Line

1. A pair of Eastern Car Works 125-ton Buckeye trucks, and North West Short Line 38" wheels, will go under a Bachmann "clamshell" or "bread box" coil gon. The Evans cars in the number series that P&LE had were built with 125-ton trucks, so for me it was the "logical" next step after cutting the truck-mounted X2F couplers off it and body-mounting some Kadee #5's. Same with the AHM "5427" covered hoppers: As built, they represent only the first 25 "Flexi-Flo" cars that NYC ordered, which had vertical stiffeners on the body, and 100-ton trucks. When converting any to the later type, with horizontal ribs on the body, they'll also get 125-ton trucks and 38" wheelsets.
   

Wheels

Ribbed-Back Wheels

1. Cast iron common through the 50’s. Rib designed to help dissipate heat generated during braking. Steel wheels don’t require this. Could no longer be used on new and rebuilt cars starting in 1958. The wheels were banned from interchange service in 1969. However the were occasionally found on restricted cars such as MOW service.
   

2.                                                                         (*see MR 11/98, pg. 47)
   

Steel Wheels

1. Steel Wheels make all the difference in the world with less friction too. Look at the wheel sets under any of the well cars that are out there. They have gone to a 28" wheel size just to lower the car for more clearance. Boxcars and cars have gone to the 36" wheel size because of truck capacity. Passenger cars have always used the larger 36" wheel size. None of the well cars from any of the various builders out there have used 28" wheels. About the only freight equipment that use 28" are the early Impack spine cars, and some tri-level auto racks. Well cars are heavy enough to require the use of 70 ton trucks on the ends, and in the case of most articulated sets, 125 ton trucks on the intermediates. Some early articulated designs, like Espee's FC-270-1 class 5-unit cars, built by ACF in 1981, used 100 ton trucks on the intermediates. 28" wheels, are used on the spline cars--so use the 33" wheels on the ends of the wells, and 36" wheels in the center units.
   

2. 
   

Prototype Size

1. Freight cars have different size wheels. It has to do with the rated capacity of the truck. The 36" wheels are for 100-ton trucks, 38" for 125-ton trucks, and 33" on 70-ton trucks. The reason for either the 33" or 36" wheels, mainly depends on what era of rolling stock you run.  A few express reefers, including some for the PFE, had the Commonwealth trucks with 33" wheels.
   

pre-60’s

1. 33” diameter wheels were used into the 1960’s.
   

Today

1. 38” wheels for freight cars    125 tons
   

2. 36” wheels for freight cars    100 tons +
   

3. 33” wheels for box, gons, flat    70 tons +   (Cars up to 77~80 tons would be equipped with 33" wheels.)
   

4. 28” wheels for low level cars, triple-deck auto rack cars, front runner and 4-runner piggy backs   45 tons
   

1. This handy chart might help:                          http://www.hosam.com/trucks/trucks.html
   

Wheel Timeline

1950's

1. Manufacturers were making wheels with ribbed backs into the late 1950's. Most of these wheels were cast iron or "chilled" wheels
   

2. and were the predominant type of freight car wheel well into the 1960's.
   

3. Tim O'Connor
   

1957

1. The AAR required all NEW cars to be built with wrought or cast steel wheels (i.e. no more new iron/chilled wheels).
   

2. 
   

3. The "chilled" terminology only applies to cast iron wheels, which achieve an improved wheel tread by faster cooling in that area during solidification of the wheel. This is accomplished by cold cast iron in the tread area of the mold, which sucks heat away from the molten iron faster than do other parts of the mold. It's not necessary with cast or wrought steel wheels. "Improved" wheel treads means harder material and greater wear resistance.
   

4. Tony Thompson
   

5. 
   

6. That date was extended to January 1, 1958. The interchange requirement was for both new and rebuilt cars.
   

7. 
   

8. Trucks with "T", "L" and "I" sections were prohibited in interchange on and after January 1, 1957. The Vulcan design(s) of early cast trucks were within this prohibition. I realize that many may have remained on equipment such as cabooses and MOW equipment,
   

9. Guy Wilber
   

1961

1. In 1961, railroads began a program to eliminate older cast iron wheels from service. (This involved replacement of MILLIONS of
   

2. wheels.)
   

3. Tim O'Connor
   

1970

1. In 1970, cast iron wheels were at last banned from interchange.
   

2. Tim O'Connor
   

Freight Car Wheels

Intermountain Wheels

1. Use the 33" Intermountain Wheels, on almost everything, however some manufacturers, rolling stock, like the older Athearn, will either need to raise the car body, and sometimes washers ( #6), or (#4), will do the trick, but then again, you may need to use an offset coupler, and if that be the case, then just put in 36" wheels, and a Kadee fiber washer next to the post, as to prevent any resistance, from the truck to the post, mainly you will just have to experiment with that piece of rolling stock.
   

Special Wheelsets

1. If your using a Athearn 5-car set of Gunderson well cars, 33" wheels on each end, and 36" wheels in the middle sections, so to keep on an even keel. Atlas rolling stock comes with its own wheels, as do the newer P2K pieces, but on Accurail and MDC, use the 33" wheels, and the same with Walther's, but again, experiment always works.
   

Paint

Trucks

1. Prior to WW II, SP usually painted trucks black. After the war, they tended to paint everything body color, i.e. boxcar red on cars which had that color body. Numerous postwar builder photos show trucks the same color as the car body. Covered hopper trucks were gray.
   

2. Tony Thompson
   

Underframes

1. Prior to WW II, SP usually painted underframes black. After the war, they tended to paint everything body color.
   

2. Tony Thompson
   

1. SP Car Shop 9 painters at Sacramento did not put much paint on the underframe, since the trucks and air brake cylinder, actuating valve and reservoir got painted, pressure-tested and stenciled in the shop while off the car.
   

2. Kevin Bunker
   

Roof Overspray

1. SP Car Shop 9 painters at Sacramento spraying car color on freshly shopped box cars in the late '70s, they only sprayed up to the outer lip of the roof and therefore only scant over-spray got past that point.
   

2. Kevin Bunker
   

Modeling Rolling Stock

Detail Dimensions

1. For accurate HO scale dimension of grab irons, cables, hoses, vents, stanchions, etc... see:
   

2.                                                                                 Diesel Locomotive Data
   

3.                                                                                 http://www.urbaneagle.com/data/RRstddims.html
   

4. 
   

5. The information is gleaned from the Diesel Modelers' Mail List and the Freight Car Mail List and email contributors.
   

6. 
   

Surface Detail Rivet Sets

Archer

1. Archer offers some superb sets for adding rivets and weld lines to your models. These are applied like decals, but can be painted over so that once in place, appear to already be part of the model. This is great news for modelers wanting to include certain details who are loathe to add all those little rivets.
   

N- Scale Freight Cars

1. You can start from my list of SP N scale freight cars, here:
   

2.                                                                         http://enzofortuna.altervista.org/SP_Freigth-1_Nscale.htm
   

3. and the David Coscia page, here:
   

4.                                                                         http://webpages.charter.net/altalair/sp_models_n.html
   

5. Enzo Fortuna
   

Bogus Models

1. I build a list by researching models via articles and freight car picture guides like Jim Eagers Rio Grande Color Guide to identify close or correct models vs fantasy. My list is posted on this website http://www.thrutherockies.com under the model section, to assist other modelers wishing to avoid bogus models.
   

2. Jim Fitch
   

Modeling Rolling Stock Paint

1960s Boxcar Colors and Roofs

1.                                                                                http://www.dhke.com/railroad/utah/ogden16.jpg
   

2. Less faded:                                                               http://lariverrailroads.com/freight_car/up126281.jpg
   

3. 
   

4.