1:20.3 Outside Braced Box Cars

D

Dreg

Registered
I wanted some outside braced box cars for my home railroad, the L&I but found none being produced. The only answer was to make my own. Having seen a most unique standard gauge example at a local rail museum I decided to build some narrow gauge examples for my own pike. Three built so far, another two on the workbench.

The prototype:

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I started with my favorite bash material, a Bachmann 1:20.3 flat...1st step is to remove all the details from the sides:

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Then comes the basic build-up:

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Doubled up effort"

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Side paneling:

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And what makes an outside braced box car 'outside braced' :)

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One of the unique features of this car that I really liked was the way the braces extended below the floor of the car, had never seen that before.
 
Hi Dreg,
Nice work: you have the same ideas as myself

Have you added any weight to the cars?

Yours Peter.
 
Really nice, simple and very effective! :)
 
peterbunce said:
...Have you added any weight to the cars?
Yours Peter.
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Thank you Peter, no added weight. I used .080" styrene and found the weight to be more than a typically sized car from Bachmann. They track very well.
 
Excellent workmanship.
 
Cracking job they look fantastic :thumbup:
 
They look very good. A different style with the braces hanging below the floor bottom. Nice detailing gives them real 'texture'
 
Great build thread of an interesting prototype... and like you say strangely appealing too.
 
Really neat - who makes the siding and what spacing is it ? We do get Evergreen round here, but never in useful plank sizes,
 
55.5 said:
They are inspiring, one can imagine a great train of them gliding majestically past!
That could have solved one of my problems on what to do with myself this winter.
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Would that mean that you are going to glide majestically Roly? :rolf:
 
Dtsteam said:
Really neat - who makes the siding and what spacing is it ? We do get Evergreen round here, but never in useful plank sizes,
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The car-siding is indeed Evergreen, perhaps a bit small for proper scale but I liked the finished look. It is item #2125 (.125" or 3.2mm V-Groove). It is .020" or .5mm thick.
 
I'm not sure if many narrow gauge boxcars were built like this but they look great. I think the US Navy may of used some in Hawaii and there might be some in South America. I think the standard gauge versions were built during WWII as the steel plate that would of been used for panels was diverted to military use but I'm sure someone will tell me that I'm wrong! Ik now that some East Coast coal hoppers were built using this method during the war.
 
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