Yes, Spring Mills just came out with a RTR model of the cabooses.
–Randy
I’m glad they included the disclaimer, because the N-0 wagon top open hopper article was so well done it had me going.
–Randy
Me too. But the covered hopper and caboose are real.
Hence the Class N0 ! [;)] Still would have been a good looking car if it ever was. One of the earlier pictures I linked to had a wagon top box car. They made hundreds of them.
I looked through my N Scale car fleet. It looks like an Atlas-Trainman PS2 2 bay covered hopper could be made into a pretty good replica of B&O Wagon Top covered hopper. Removing the section as shown would result in the correct wheelbase and length.
751-11364Smod1-2 by Donald Schmitt, on Flickr
HO Model
KGrHqFqsFCyOZfKsuBQ4L34kocw60_57 by Donald Schmitt, on Flickr
O Scale Sunset Model
While the B&O wagontop boxcar was a success and produced in relatively substantial numbers, the CPR investigated a similar design. The photo shown below is from a book printed in 1916.
The CPR version of a wagontop car was a 40 ton capacity steel car, with 11 ribs (same as the B&O M-53) but only 36’ long. The ends were flat (similar to the Pennsy’s early X-29s) but had two external horizontal hat-section braces. Trucks were archbar and the door, strangely, was wood, similar to that used on the USRA double sheathed boxcars.
As you can see, there’s a seam at the juncture between the sides and roof, something much improved in the B&O design.
Wayne
The November 2000 Model Railroader had Keith Kohlmann’s excellent article on kitbashing a B&O wagon top covered hopper using a wagontop boxcar as the basis. The general idea is not unlike what that article linked to above is all about.
Dave Nelson
And it’s N SCALE! I think I have an unbuilt Fine N Scale Wagon Top in my collection. I know I have several built ones. I will consider this alternative.
Thankyou
Gidday, In the November 1995 Model Railroader there is an article by Allan N Houghton on how he kitbashed, from “Model Die Casting” covered hoppers, “Maine Central” covered hoppers, the first batch of 10 which where originally built in 1937, another 100 where built over the period from 1940- 1957. While not having seen the Bowser kit …
70 Ton 2-Bay Covered Hopper
…in the flesh, that apart from the fact that the 1937 batch had a 55 ton capacity and that they are numbered for the 1947 batch, I have thought that these would be a reasonable representation something I see that, DoctorWayne mentions.
Cheers, the Bear.
The B&O Wagon Top in the November 2000 Model Railroader is 4 feet too long according to the clearance diagram drawing in B&O Modeler.
I looked at the trainman PS2 again. It appears it would result in a model that is 1-ft too short.
However, the boxcar conversion might be the better way to make the model. Because of the way the PS2 is constucted, trying ti convert it might destroy it.
Looks like alot more info out there than I thought. Keep it going, very interested!!!
Found what I wanted. Kato makes them, they also make a middle version 1940 and a recent version 1954 design. Their early version is a dead rignger for a 1934 car.