Modeling Boston & Maine Baggage/Express/Messenger Cars #3260-3276, part 2

Part 1 offered a short history of the B&M converted troop sleepers to baggage/express cars and the reasoning why B&M baggage/express cars frequently appeared on the New Haven Berkshire route during the era of the layout.

B&M car #3266 was chosen as the prototype for modeling solely because this car was the first one with a photo surfacing that offered enough visual informatiom to model from.

            Bob's Photos

Where to start?

A Walthers Gold Line PS Troop Sleeper was used as a starting point for the B&M car because of familiarity and wish for consistency with the New Haven converted troop sleeper (below) also modeled starting with a Walthers car.

The NH car used replacement brass car sides that correctly modeled the NH prototype.

At one time replacement brass car sides may have been offered to correctly model the B&M car but unaware of them at the time this project statrted, locating them may have been an impossibility anyway.

The Walthers troop sleepers have been out of production for some time. It was very fortunate to find an undecorated Walthers Troop Sleeper 932-4150 as a starting point.

Starting with the undecorated troop sleeper allows to interestingly convert this model car using the same methods the Boston & Maine shops did converting the prototype Pullman troop sleeper #7562 to B&M messenger car #3266.

Modeling references

The Boston and Maine Historical Society newsletter Modelers NoteS issue #113 March-April 2008 has a very informative article on all the B&M converted troop sleepers authored by Col. (retired) Tom E. Thompson, with additional writings' by Tim Gilbert and John Horvath. Referenced in this article are the writings' on the same subject by Bruce Boden in issues #94 & 96.

These article's were invaluable to understanding the prototype and building this model. 

Photos that offer enough to support an accurate model these messenger cars are scarce, those available were used. 

Building the model of #3266 

The modeling begins as did the B&M shops by removing the troop sleeper interior components and the window glazing, see below.

The sides of the Walthers car conveniently snap on/off. 

With the car sides removed, the underside core frame needs clearance for the inset of the pair of baggage doors that will be cut into the car sides in the next step. Removing only the necessary material, enough is left to support snapping the car sides back into place.  Before/after photos below.

 

The car sides are re-installed to check for the door inset clearance in relation to the inner core frame.

To make it easier to work on, the sides are again removed.

There is a very thin strip of the original molded on rivets remaining between the new door openings and the nearest window, these two windows are plated over with .010" styrene first to reinforce the rivet strip before cutting out the 6' 8" wide door openings.

The door openings are trued up with a file, then door sills, side jambs and head jamb are installed using strips of .010" styrene completeing to new door openings.

The majority of the long continuous car side lower sill must be removed to make clearance for the new battery box that will be installed underneath where the original side door is located. See top car side in photo below.

The side sill will be replaced later to help carry the load weight where the baggage doors are and the center messenger components between the doors.

As the prototype the remaining windows, center door and six vents near the roof are all plated over, .010" styrene was used for all the model block off plates.

The center door plate does not extend to the bottom of the car side, a stair well was originally located there, the new battery boxes will be attached to the under frame in this location.

The beginnings of the replacement side sill are present under the door openings in this photo. The new sills will continue inward at a 45 degree angle joining a lengthwise inner sill inset enough to clear the back of the battery box creating a continuous door to door replacement sill in a somewhat zig zag configuration.

  

In this prototype photo of car #3267 the replacement side sill and battery box are quite visible.

As a side note, the other car in this photo is a B&M converted Pullman sleeper to baggage express car, these also appeared on the Berkshire and will be the subject of another model build in the future.

            Photographer unknown

In the photo below all the block off plates, new doors and battery boxes are shown. The battery boxes were assembled from various size strips of styrene.

The doors are made by starting with plan piece of .010" styrene and layering strips of .010" styrene on top to represent the side stiles, rails and mullions,  cutting out the window after the door components are all in place.

The prototype photo of car #3266 shows the original 5 lite upper door panel. The B&M replaced many of these upper door panels with 3 lite panels with one glazed so a person could escape thru the opening in an emergency.

Because of the late 50's era of the layout the 3 lite upper panel was chosen, whether car #3266 had this configuration change is only conjecture on my part. 

On the prototype the far right roof vent was removed on both sides and plated over as below. Near the center most roof vent on the opposite side of the car there is a noticeable piece of bent over brass, this is to represent the vent for the water tank for the messenger facilities in the center of the car. 

Here all new components are in place and car ready to paint.

Badger Model Flex B&M maroon #16-189 and Micro Scale B&M passenger decal set # 87-1014 where used to finish the car.

There were still a few underbody details to add at the time of this photo but have since been installed.

Thank you to John Horvath and Col. (retired) Tom E. Thompson for all the information they kindly supplied that made modeling this car possible. 

Modeling Boston & Maine Baggage/Express/Messenger Cars #3260-3276, part 1

  Boston & Maine baggage/express/messenger car #3266 

                    Bob's Photos

Boston and Maine purchased many second hand heavyweight passenger cars and surplus WWII Pullman troop sleeper cars during the late 40's thru mid 50's to convert to baggage/express cars to replace their aging wooden roster.

B&M car #2366 above was 1 of 17 ex-troop sleepers purchased during late 1948 and early 1949. All 17 were converted by the B&M shops to baggage/express cars with messenger facilities to the 1948 AAR specifications for construction of baggage cars used in messenger & baggageman service.

The AAR messenger car specifications include 2 doors per side (one minimum 8'), end diaphragms with footplates, interior lighting, heating, ventilation, signal and brake valve cords. The facilities for the messenger are to be located in the center of the car between the side doors, and include desk, wardrobe, tools, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, drinking water, lavatory with mirror and toilet.

The as built Allied Full Cushion trucks appear to have remained on these cars throughout their service life. The AFC trucks were not permitted for use on the PRR after a February 1955 wreck blamed on these trucks, but the B&M cars continued in interline service with the NYC, MEC, NH and maybe others until the trucks were completely banned from interchange in the USA in 1959.

Although converted to messenger cars these cars were used in all services. Possibly because of their heritage all converted troop cars on the B&M were refered to as "Jeeps".

Why so many B&M express cars on the New Haven Berkshire Line and how did they get there?    

Prototype photos taken on the Berkshire Line during the mid to late 50's offer proof that various B&M express cars were no straingers to the line.

Express received on Berkshire Line originated from the REA facility at the NHRR Harlem River yard located in the Bronx Borough of NYC. For the why so many B&M cars on the Berkshire; if an empty express car was needed to load for the Berkshire and an empty B&M car was what was available at the REA facility, it was loaded and sent to the Berkshire. Express cars would cycle back to Harlem River REA from the Berkshire. 

Express arrived on the Berkshire daily except Sunday with morning train #140, the 2 express cars from Harlem River REA picked up by #140 en route at South Norwalk CT; See below consist list.  

How did B&M express cars get to the Harlem River REA? The B&M had regularly scheduled express service to/from the REA facility at Harlem River. Westbound B&M train #95 originating at Boston North Station, via - Fitchfield divison main - Deerfield Loop - CT River line to Springfield MA where the cars were interchanged with the NHRR. A 1956 B&M consist list below for train #95, the second car listed destination is Harlem River.

A second B&M express route to Harlem River originating at White River Junction Vermont, via - CT River line to Springfield MA. Consist list below for B&M train #728, third car listed destination is Harlem River. 

 

These 2 routes are outlined in red below. 

Receiving interchanging express cars from the B&M at Springfield MA the NHRR advanced these cars along the CT River to New Haven CT. Below one of the 17 B&M #3260-3276 messenger cars on the head pin south of Springfield 1956.

              R. P. Olmsted photo  

At New Haven CT the B&M cars were assigned to New Haven - Harlem River Railway Express train #63, second and third in the consist below.

This will be the second B&M express car modeled for the layout and possibly not the last, foreign road cars provide an interesting variety to scale express operations.

Car #3266 pictured at the beginning will serve as the prototype for a model build in part 2.

My B&M knowledge is limited, corrections/additions gladly accepted.

Modeling Opportunities That Could Be Overlooked

Immessurable guides

Extracting every detail from photos captured of the New Haven Berkshire Line during the later 1950's ether by the original photographer or by knowledgeable historians have been immeasurable guides for my modeling efforts. Without them both, capturing an era of the prototype in scale with any degree of accuracy would not be possible. I thank them for helping me see and understand details that I would have not recognized and the modeling opportunities I would have overlooked.

What's in this photo?

Before continuing west, the power of Cedar Hill - Maybrook NY symbol freight NO-7 reverses direction by running around the Danbury loop track to drop a cut box cars at Danbury yard. 

During an online discussion of this December 1958 photo a knowledgeable person noticed something that was not the subject of the discussion nor the primary focus at the time of the photographer, J. W. Swanberg. 

In the far right of this photo is a rare express car that could be easily overlooked.

An enlargement of that portion of the photo reveals a Boston & Maine converted troop sleeper.

What makes this car rare are the two 6' 8" wide doors per side, and recognized as B&M because the railroad was the only one to my knowledge that had this feature with converted troop to express cars.

The Boston & Maine converted 17 troop sleepers between 10/48 and 1/49 with this 2 door per side configuration, road numbers 3260 - 3276. The conversion included full messenger facilities, these cars were used for all services.

My B&M knowledge is limited, corrections/additions gladly accepted.

Modeling opportunity

Modeling foreign road express cars that have been photographically confirmed to have appeared on the Berkshire during the era of the layout add operational interest and variety.

The existance of these B&M express cars was unknown to me before the discussion of the above photo and now offers a modeling opportunity gladly accepted.

B&M express car #3266 will serve as the prototype for the build.

           Bob's Photos

Troop Sleeper/Baggage Car

New Haven Purchased 150 Pullman built ex-troop sleepers from government service in 1948 for use in ether mail storage or baggage/express service. Only the 63 cars in baggage/express service had electric lighting, therefore differed in appearance from the mail storage cars by a single battery box centered under the baggage door and a belt driven generator. These cars were numbered 3700-3762.

Click on photos for better focus

One of these converted ex-troop sleeper baggage cars sat dormant for years during the 70's and 80's in the Danbury CT yard along with a heavyweight baggage car. This car is the only one that I can recall seeing in person and always peeked my interest. A model has been a must have for a long time.
Below are a few black and whites I took of this car in the early 80's. It is unclear what car number it was, but it was a baggage/express car because it is equipped a battery box under the door.

 

The Walthers converted troop sleepers were on sale so one was purchased. When the car arrived I was disappointed to find the sides of the Walters car are very different from the New Haven prototype and the roof lacked any air vents.

The Walthers car is a nice design with an inner box structure, the roof, sides and ends are all separate pieces that snap onto this inner structure allowing easy disassembly/reassembly.

Adapting a pair of New Haven correct brass sides from Model Railroad Warehouse (#772-4004) was a fairly easy project.

Below is a comparison of the Walthers and correct New Haven brass sides.

The only some what difficult step adapting these brass sides to the Walters car is that the brass sides have no car corner posts. The corner posts on the Walthers car are molded as part or the car sides. The four corner posts must be removed from the sides being replaced, then attached permanently to the car ends. There is a tongue and grove arrangement on the Walthers parts that facilitates the correct alignment of the corner posts to the car ends when gluing the parts together, that makes this job straight forward.

The Brass sides are quite thin in comparison to the molded plastic sides that come on the car. For the brass sides to correctly join at the car corner posts, these sides must be shimmed out from the inner structure of the car. This is easily accomplished by gluing .030" x .100" styrene strips to the inner car structure as in the photos below. The car corner posts now attached to the car ends can also be seen in the second photo.

Once the corner posts are attached to the car ends and the brass sides are shimmed out .030" these sides are a perfect fit to the Walthers car as seen in the photos below.

The baggage doors come as separate parts with the replacement sides. The windows are not cut out leaving what type window to be modeled up to the builder. I chose to cut out a 19" x 19" window as indicated on the New Haven car diagram for the baggage/express cars.

The brass door is the same thickness as the sides. Mounting this door directly to the back of the car side makes the door appear almost flush with the car side and unrealistic. The door was shimmed inward .020" giving the door a more realistic inset from the car sides as seen in the photos above, also a drip rail and door sill were added with styrene strips. In the photo below the .020" styrene strip shims can be seen sandwiched between the door and car sides on the back side of the car side.

Additionally the single stirrup step as seen above was replaced with a two step version from Kit Bits (#86). The trucks that came with the Walthers car were replaced with GSC high speed trucks also from Walthers, part # 2214. These trucks come with snubbers that need to be removed and replaced with leaf spring. Leaf springs from a Branchline coach kit were used as suggested by fellow New Haven modeler Tom E Thompson. Roof air vents also came from Model Railroad Warehouse.

The car is painted in the McGinnis all black scheme appropriate for my modeling era.

The prototype 3743

The model 3743

Not a difficult build, makes an accurate model of a New Haven converted troop sleeper baggage/express car. Final cost, about $100.