Frisco 50' combo door box cars 40000-40399

I am interested in modeling one of these unique cars, but I can't decide which car to buy as a starting point. I have an Intermountain and an Accurail car as possibilities, but neither is a match for the Frisco car I want to model. The pictures of the 43542 and 40586 in Molo's book on page 65 show the cars after they had been modified to a single door configuration. It looks like that when the cars were combo cars, the doors were off set from center. If I am correct, then the Intermountain car is closer, but it is not spot on for the Frisco car. If the doors were centered, then the Accurail car would be my starting point. I know that the Intermountain car is better detailed, but the Accurail car can be upgraded. I have done all the research I can think of, so I am turning to this forum to maybe give me some help.

Thanks, Terry

 

Terry,

I did one of the Accurail cars only because it was the only car available at the time. The car has free standing ladders and grab irons (not cast in place). I have a slide of the 40300, so I used Champ decals to letter it that number. I subsequently replaced the running board with a Kadee 50' one, and I replaced the wheel sets with Kadees. For some reason, I can no longer post attachments to the web site (Charlie is investigating). I did send him the car diagrams.

 

It looks to me like the sliding door is centered and the plug door was replaced by sheet metal. Are you wanting to model the car when it was still a plug door?

 

Karl and Ryan, thanks for commenting. I am wanting to model the car in the original combo door configuration ( 8' corrugated Youngstown slider with a Youngstown plug door making up the difference). The Accurail car (5300 series) is very close with the correct side sill. However, the two doors are centered, whereas the Intermountain car does have the doors placed closer to the way the Frisco car was, but with the wrong side sill. I can buy either car right now, but the Intermountain car is on ebay with only a couple of days to make a decision. Also, I would have to remove the paint (Cotton Belt), but that can certainly be done. Thanks, again for your input, and anymore you may have.

Terry

 

Doh! Yeah, I meant when it was still a combo car. Anyway, the Intermountain cars are pretty easy to rework, and altering the side sill shouldn't take much effort. I highly recommend the Moloco draft gear as a replacement for the stock stuff on pretty much any model, but it's really nice on these Intermountain cars. I am working on (well, I was before coming out to Tulsa...) a model of a Southern car with a cushion underframe. I used the appropriate Moloco parts for it and it's going to turn out very nice. The kit comes with a pair of plug doors for each side and I believe two options for sliding doors as well as options for high and low ladders. Here's how I assembled the Intermountain kit for my Southern prototype:

http://www.pbase.com/mecrharris/image/152540792

 

Same image as a test.

 

Karl, and Charlie, thanks for the drawings. I couldn't open any attachments on my computer for a while or I would have acknowledged the drawings earlier. I don't know what happened, but after deleting the browsing history, running a security check, and turning off the computer, it began to work again. I had received the drawing earlier in an email, and after studying the drawing and the picture in Molo's book, I decided to buy the Intermountain car. It looked like it would be easier to modify into this unique Frisco car. I am looking forward to getting to work on this project for a change of pace as I have been doing a lot of work constructing the automobile and truck kits I have. The results have been very satisfying, and when my grandson thought they were cool, it made me feel even better.

Terry

 

HELP!!!!! I am trying to decal this car, but with no pictures of the original 1960 paint scheme, I don't know all that should be included. I am wondering if the Southeast...Southwest and Ship it on the Frisco with the white lettering with the it with black background should be used. The pictures of the rebuilds in Molo's book on pg 65 are of repainted cars, so that doesn't help me. Does anyone know if the original paint job was like the 154409 on pg 64 or the7088 on pg 62? I am leaning towards the 7088 example, but I don't want to mess up this car that I have worked on to be as accurate as possible. Thanks in advance, Terry

ps Is it possible to move this thread to the boxcar subforum of modeling the Frisco in HO? I searched the forum for about 30 minutes before typing in combo door before I found it under Freight Equipment. Freight Equipment is a catch all name that I had never seen before because I kept clicking on box cars to find this thread. I counted over 20 more box car threads under this general category along with many other types of cars. I probably misnamed this thread when I started it, but I would rather it be in the subforum as it is easier to find. Again, thanks, if a moderator could move it.

 

Somewhere in my stack of stuff I have a slide of 40300, which I used to letter my car. I will look for it. The car was painted with a black-background "it" and with the Southeast...Southwest. You are correct, it is closer to the 7088 than the 154409.

 

Tom, and Karl, thanks for the good words and information. I will wait to see if you find the slide, Karl. If not I will go ahead and finish the work I have started while I wait for the Microscale data sheet to come. I would think that the placement on this car would be very close to the 7088 as they were both off set dbl door cars.


Terry

 

Thanks, Keith, I appreciate it.

Terry

 

Thanks to Karl I now have a picture of this unique Frisco car which will aid me in finishing my project. I have learned that the original car was slightly different from the rebuilds shown in Molo's book. I have to decide whether to use the Exacto knife to whittle on the side sill some more or not. I have the painting and some decaling already done, so I will need to be careful if I do. I will say that the Intermountain car I decided to use is very close to the Frisco car, and is almost spot on to the rebuild edition.

 

Ryan, I have several Frisco cushioned cars that I am upgrading, and per your suggestion, I went to the Moloco site to see what was there. How do you decide which draft gear to use? I want to try to get the proper one, if possible. Thanks, for any advice you can give. This project (40000-40399) is complete except for some decals, but the picture I have of the car does not allow me to read all of the lettering. I may just give up and call the car done.

Terry

 

Terry, I just try to match the car manufacturer to the type of draft gear. For example, if it's an ACF car, I get the ACF cushioning draft gear.

The closest I found to cars in that series is on Fallen Flags. This image might be helpful to locate which decals go where:

http://rr-fallenflags.org/slsf/slsf40566amf.jpg

Generally when it comes to data, you have the dimensional data on the right side of the car, which lists overall width, length, cubic capacity, etc. The left side under the reporting marks has weight information, including capacity, load limit and light weight. Also in this area is the build date of the car. On the doors is the information relevant to the door itself and any internal bracing or securement equipment inside the car. Other data along the sill relates to the brake shoes at each end and the location of the release rod (it comes off the control valve). For low handbrake cars the location of the retaining valve is also labeled on the sill (this valve is only on one side of the car and I can't tell you how many times I've seen it labeled on both sides). On high handbrake cars the retaining valve is located next to the brakewheel, so you won't see a label along the sill. On the ends you will see data listing the type of draft gear and size wheels and for cushioned cars the type of cushioning (sliding center sill, end of car cushioning, etc.).

I hope this helps. I understand the desire to just get it done, but I hope you find some good photos to get it right. It's always satisfying when you get to go the distance on a custom built and painted car.

 

I have all of the decaling finished except for what looks like 2" lettering that is impossible to read. Everything else is good. I can't even make out word patterns to try to match it with decal data sheets. That's why I have about given up. I will check the site you mentioned, and thanks for the info on the draft gears.

Terry

 

Well, I finally can show the car I have been working on. This car was originally an Intermountain Cotton Belt 50' combo door box car that I repainted and decaled for Frisco. I changed the side sills by adding about three scale feed to each end and then adding Tichy group stirrup steps which were like the ones Frisco had on this type car. I added Hy Tech air hoses and glad hands. I want to thank Karl for finding a picture in his library for me to use as a reference. I chose this car because it was an unusual car and am glad it came out as well as it did. Obviously by using an Intermountain car, there wasn't a lot of detailing to do.




Terry