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. 

Wordless Wednesday

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

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?