"How To" series: Making a boxcar shed (few pics included)

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Greetings!

Do you have any old boxcars just sitting around that you don’t know what to do with? Here’s a simple idea of turning a retired wood boxcar into a useful trackside structure - just like the railroads used to do.


(Click pictures to enlarge them)

Materials needed: (Either wood or styrene can be used)

  • (1) Shell - Accurail 40’ boxcar, with ridge walk and brake wheel removed

  • (1) Floor - 1-1/8" x 5-1/2" x 1/16" thick sheeting

  • (4) Floor standoffs - 1-1/8" x 1/2" x 1/16" thick sheeting

  • (1) Roof substrate - (2) pieces of 5-13/16" x 5/8" x 1/32" sheeting

  • (2) Fascia boards (long) - 2 x 8 dimensional lumber x 5-7/8" long

  • (4) Fascia boards (short) - 2 x 8 dimensional lumber x 1-3/8" long

  • Roofing: Silcone Carbide sandpaper: 320 grit (black)

  • X-acto blade: #11

DISCLAIMER: I got the idea from an American Model Builders boxcar shed and depot kit that put together last year. I used a 40’ Accurail boxcar for my project. Obviously, dimensions will vary in the type of car used and between manufacturers. Sorry for the lack of pictures to the tutorial. I thought of it AFTER I had put everything together. [:(]

Construction

  1. Remove center ridge walk from top of box car shell. Remove brake wheel from box car end, if desired.

  1. Spread boxcar shell apart with your fingers. Press floor piece up inside of shell until it butts up along inside ridge, where the frame would rest. A proper fit should yield a 1/16" between the bottom of flooring and the bottom of the shell.

  2. Glue the (4) floor standoffs to bottom side of flooring, as shown. The bottom of the standoff should now be even with the botto

2

Nice tutorial, I like it!

3

Not just railroads made use of old boxcars in this way.
Drive around rural parts of Illinois and you’ll see plenty of old boxcars and reefers used as sheds. Some are wood outside braced, some are all wood. Usually they are painted the same red as the barn. Some are stand alone, some are integrated into other structures.
Dave Nelson

4

Good idea Tom, I have a candidate for this. It had a broken truck, so rather than put it back into revenue service, I think I will turn it into scenery.

5

I just shot a pic this weekend of an old U.S. Navy boxcar thinking that it might be cool to model this. Check this out;

This tutorial is not only great, but timely! [8D]

6

Philip,

Thanks for the pic. [:)] I kinda like the “quonset hut” roof but the 55-gal barrels make me nervous. However, the paraphernalia around the shed does give it some unique realism that I might have to employ on my layout.

Tom

7

I’m not sure what’s in the barrels. They do add a nice cluttered look though.

Notice too, it’s not setting level. It really has that “it was just dumped here” look.

8

Philip,

In your picture, was the boxcar shed bottom sitting on the ground, or was it up off the ground on railroad ties or sitting on something?

Tom

9

Right smack on the ground. It rests on some ballest, but thats it.

It’s a lot smaller then a regular boxcar too. You can just make out the shed in the back of this pic.

The orange piece of equipment is a B unit pictured here;

That’s probably about the best size referance I can give you with the pics I’ve got. I’ll be back out there in a week or two so I can get more info then if needed.