I have long wanted to use Kadee's excellent PS-1 boxcar to model the New Haven 33500-34499 series early PS-1 10' 6" interior height boxcars built by Pullman-Standard during 1947-48. The Kadee model that has long been available represents the PS-1 design changes made by Pullman-Standard beginning in 1949 thru the mid 50's and not accurate for the early PS-1 design, so backdating this model is necessary to represent the New Haven boxcars.
Little to "Early" modeling the early PS-1 !
Like several other NH prototypes that I have scratchbuilt or kit-bashed models of in the past, later some manufacture will bring out a RTR or kit version after my model was completed. The Kadee early PS-1 is the first model to be announced while I was still working on completing my model of a particular NH prototype.
Prototype reference
The New Haven Railroad Historical & Technical Association magazine Shoreliner volume 37 issue 4 has an excellent reference article about New Havens steel 40' boxcars authored by Peter Ness with Wayne Drummond and John Kasey. This magazine is still available as a back issue from the NHRHTA.
The models
Knowing that these models are now a moot point, I won't dwell to much about the details of this kit-bash now that an accurate version will be available from Kadee in about a month.
Starting point for these models was three undecorated Kadee 40' boxcar kits #4101 with a 7' door opening. The doors that come with the kit were replaced with 7' Superior 7 panel doors from Southwest scale Productions.
Backdating the models was a simple task of removing the Pullman-Standard updates that the Kadee model includes. Removed were the last raised bowtie detail from each end panel on the roof leaving a flat panel, the retangular reinforcement panels from the top of each car end and some rivets from the same.
A attempt to better represent the door stops of the prototype were made with some styrene strips a brass wire.
After learning about the release of the correct early PS-1 model, the end ladders and grabs that came with the kit are temporarily snapped in place in hopes that Kadee will offer the correct ladders and grabs as separate parts after the release of their early PS-1 model.
The correct brake wheels for each car were applied to the models using the reference chart in the Shoreliner magazine article. These wheels are pictured below from left to right are, Miner, Universal, both Kadee parts and Klasing from True Line Trains.
The excellent New Haven boxcar decal set # D-118 from Speedwitch was used to letter and number these cars.
During 1955 NH PS-1 car numbers 34001-34020 were equipped with Evans DF loaders, these cars are easily identified by the large "DF" stencil to the top left of each door. Wanting one of these for the roster it was decaled with the separate Evans sheet that is included with the Speedwitch # D-118 set.
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