I just bought an Ambroid NYC Container Car (1 of 5000) kit. Now that I own it I got to wondering… when was the prototype in service, what was carried in the containers, etc?
The prototype was an all-wood, truss rod car which implies not much later than 1910-ish. The containers are wood boxes reinforced with metal banding and have double doors at one end which suggest the cargo would be general merchandise, not bulk mineral or chemical products.
Anyone familiar with the history?
Well I thought for sure I’d find something on this car but so far no luck.
A couple of observations however, and some limited information.
First a truss rod car could run in interchange into the 1930s and as a rule I’d bet most container cars remained on line, meaning this car is likely not limited to 1910.
Also, the 1931 Car Builder’s Cyclopedia (in the form of Train Shed Cyclopedia No. 46 that is) has photos of three New York Central container cars. All are steel cars, and it appears the containers are steel as well so this is not what you have a model of, clearly. But assuming that TYPES of container traffic was established early on and then the equipment was improved over time, it is worth noting the three kinds of containers shown in the photos.
First is a gon holding what are called “brick containers” 12 containers, six rows of 2 each. This would be a fairly clean, heavy load needing protection from chipping and damage from constant loading and transloading so containers made sense.
Next was a car holding 6 “merchandise” containers, full width of the car, and with a distinctive steel rod bracing looking more or less like an upside down letter A. Merchandise would also seem to suggest a clean load. Your guess of general merchandise for your Ambroil car is thus a good one.
The third car shown is a car intended for passenger train service, with “express matter” containers. These containers have large hinges and door latches looking almost a bit like smaller version of what one would have seen on a refrigerator car of that era. I would imagine that by merchandise and express matter, that would be packages much like Fed Ex and UPS (and Railway Express Agency) handle(d).
I realize this is not directly on point but it confirms that NYC had clean-load merchandise containers within two decades after your prototype was likely built.
Dave Nelson
Ambroid kits were the FSM equivalent in their time. To the best of my knowledge they all had a prototype. I am surprised the kit directions don’t say anything about it.
Didn’t Quality Craft also produce this car?? I have seen prototype photos for it and am trying to remember where. Give me some time and I will see what I can dig up.
I think quality craft picked it up after ambroid marketed it, the car I believe it came out in late teens/early twenties ,it was a lcl container gon.
There was also a PRR prototype container car kit in the early 1960s that had, if I recall right, express type trucks. It was either Quality Craft or Red Ball.
Dave Nelson