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.

Wordless Wednesday

 

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

Decoder Volume Level

I find matching the volume levels of sound decoders individually by ear between one locomotive to another type locomotive difficult. The difficulty increased when the programming track is at a computer desk in a separate room from the layout where the final sound volume is heard during operation.

Matching volume levels between several locomotives with the same sound file downloaded into the decoder is not difficult with a computer and programming track where the locomotive sounds can all be adjusted to a same volume level that is pleasing to ones liking.

It is the difference between the many other locomotive type sound files in use on the layout that offer the most difficulty matching sound volumes for me; Alco 539, 244, 251 as an example and then there are EMD's and motors too. Not only prime mover sounds but I like to match horn, bell, compressor and other sound levels as well.

I have started to use a sound level meter app in conjunction with the computer and programming track to even out the all the sound volume levels of the layouts many different type locomotives. So far this has worked far better that by ear!

The app is free and downloadable from The National Institute for Occupational Saftey and Health (NIOSH). The app can be downloaded here.

Below are a few example photos of the downloaded app in use with a cell phone on the layout, the meter numerals increase or decrease as sound levels rise or lower.

Alco 244 at idle,

at idle with horn,

at run 3.

Maybe this app will be helpful for others?

  

Modeling State Line Interchange Yard part 7 & Rising Junction

The last State Line Interchange Yard post, part 6, a base scenery layer was applied over an earth color painted surface to "make it green" using 2mm blended color static grasses. That post was in the colder months just over a year ago, closing by indicating the next step would be to make background trees, "a lot of trees". 

There is no place indoors to make trees with the ensuing mess from fine turf materials and hair spray fixative. This project was put off until it could be accomplished on the outside work bench during the warmer months of 2023 and I moved on to other indoor projects.

Working two layout locations at the same time ? 

State Line and Rising Junction are adjacent locations across the operators aisle on the layout's lower level, both prototype locations have very similar rural New England wooded scenery. Contradicting the initial goal of bringing each layout location to completion before moving to the next, it only made sense to complete the scenery of both locations at the same time.

Rising Junction is where the 9.6 mile branch line to State Line interchange yard diverges from the Danbury-Pittsfield main line.

Before making trees for both locations, the same methods used at State Line to bring the scenery to the "make it green" level of completion were again used to prepare Rising Junction.

"A lot of trees" times 2, then plant

Pleased by the prior tree making results at Berkshire Junction, once again the Jim Dufour Cheshire Branch color blend and method for making trees was used.

The large number of trees that were made for both locations will remain uncounted, following each tree was "planted" one by one into the scenery base. Both jobs were quite time consuming but gratifying in the end as the scenes came together. 

Finishing up with bushes and taller static grasses complement the trees and help to complete both scenes.

 Completed overall view of scenery at State Line below.

Rising Junction below.

Both locations together at the chair operated lower level, State Line to the left and Rising Junction at right. The upper level lighting is off during this photo.

The close proximity of the scenes and their scenic similarity made working on them both at the same time an easy choice.

Next project is to scratch build and install the State Line structures. 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Wordless Wednesday