Is there any reference resource available that would give me a simple list of when different types, models or versions of rolling stock were produced. I guess, in other words, a list that would get me the correct cars for an era.
Thanks
Short answer no.
Many designs were built over several years and could last for 40 years or more (with rebuilding).
There are books called “Official Railway Equipment Registers” (ORER) that are telephone book sized publications printed quarterly that list all the cars every railroad owns and the dimensions/capacities of those cars. They are available on E-Bay, as reprints and on CD. They will tell you that in 2002 the East penn Railway (EPRY) owned 2 cars in series 579-581 and they were 50 foot inside, 57 ft outside reefers. But it wouldn’t tell you what the car looked like.
On the other hand if you were modeling 2002 and you saw a UP 40 ft boxcar numbered UP 190866, you could look in the ORER and see that in 2002, that number was a covered hopper, so the car wouldn’t be accurate for your railroad.
If you are interested in the 1950’s the Rennsalear Polytechnic club, The New England Berkshire and Western (NEBW) has an extensive website that documents many of the 1950’s era cars and buildings. To get full access it cost like $5 or $6 a month subscription, but it has a HUGE amount of information and pictures.
Dave H.
The best resource would be photographs from the era and region you wish to model. Observe with your eyes and your mind.
Well, and if there were such a list, it wouldn’t solve the whole problem either, since cars are sometimes repainted once or twice during their lifetimes too. For example, finding out that a particular type of boxcar was built in 1960 for the Great Northern doesn’t mean it would fit on a c.1968 layout if the model you’re thinking of buying is painted for Burlington Northern c. 1985.
Short answer: maybe:
http://railroad.union.rpi.edu/
Depending on the era you want to model, this site MAY be the single best general resource out there, in print OR online. As a website started as a research tool for a proto-based model RR club concentrating on 1952, it’s mostly good for 1918-1960 modeling efforts, but there is some spillover each way.
Keep in mind that this is NOT a definitive source. There ARE errors in some of the data, and more importantly, there are lots of holes. But considering there were over 2.5 MILLION freight cars in North America in 1950, it’s forgiveable. Once you have a GENERAL idea about the types of cars for your era (so long as it’s not too far post steam) you can search other sites and books for more targeted information (if you really care about getting your trains to look “right”)
The RPI site others have mentioned is indeed helpful. In 2006 we published an article about steel boxcars which serves as a general guide for the most common type of car. Here’s the citation from our online index:
Modeler’s guide to steel boxcars
Model Railroader, May 2006 page 58
spotting features
( BOXCAR, IDENTIFICATION, “KOESTER, TONY”, FREIGHTCAR, MR )
Another good source is Jeff Wilson’s book, “The Model Railroader’s Guide To Freight Cars,” published by Kalmbach in 2005.
So long,
Andy
NMRA’s book Postwar Freight Car Fleet now out of print gives a late 40’s snapshot. You might find a copy with used book dealers. RMC has a long running series “Essential Freight Cars”. This site http://www.steamfreightcars.com/ has some info on the steam era.
Enjoy
Paul
IMHO, the original request is a book waiting to be written (and probably researched first).
I suggest you pick an era you like, then buy the ORER for then from Westerfield. You can get some things exactly right the first time you go to buy them(PS-1).
Some things you can make a guess at and replace later on. For instance, any ‘boxcar’ on the rails after 1918 will probably be 40 ft long. Buy an inexpensive kit and repaint/redecal it. If, after later research, that car class turns out to be a high-cube 50 ft car, you know to buy one of those (and renumber the old car).
There are a few people who will tell you to get every detail right before you can begin. Ignore them (unless you are talking about trackwork) - MR used to carry the slogan “Model Railroading is FUN” and it should be. ‘Close enough’ works when you can’t find out exact.
Ignorance makes bliss…knowledge makes work. Regardless, make the hobby interesting, enlightening, and enjoyable … for yourself.
Mark
This is a website made up by the Modern Freight Car List which shows most of the car types built by the model railroad manufactuers. It lists the manufactuer, type of car, years the prototype was produced and how exact the car is. I use this list a lot to check on the type of car and see if my model is on the list.
http://home.earthlink.net/~ngc5139/RR/FCM.html
Rick
Generally that kind of knwoledge is railroad specific and the various historical societies are good sources of info on that particular railroad. Try logging on to the PRRT&HS web site and go to the Keystone Modeler page. You can subscribe to the FREE monthly issue. Why would you do that? Because there is incredible info on the RR being offered and if you model the fifties they owned 10% of all the cars. So if you model the fifties you model the PRR. In addition you can download the special winter publication which is 81 pages all about the history of FGEX refigerator cars with the kind of info you are looking for regarding them.
I want to thank everyone for their input. I have found some great information sources with all your help and am having a lot of fun researching and re-learning. It’s a most welcome break for an accountant during tax season.
One of the greatest things I have discovered upon my re-entry into model railroading, after a thirty year absence, is how everyone is so friendly and willing to share their knowledge.
Thank you all
It ain’t cheap, but having a collection of Car Builder’s Cyclopedia’s (sort of a Walthers catalog for the prototype railroads) from your era can be a helpful tool as well. For example I model 1968 to 1970 and have the CBCs from 1966 and 1970. I also have an older one from the 1930s (Figuring a freight car should have a 30 to 40 year life span unless it was unusual or purely experimental). One from the early 1950s would probably make more sense and I always am on the look out for one. I have an equipment register from the appropriate era.
Dave Nelson
I have done research based on some reference books to try to find out what HO models have been produced which are close matches to real freight cars owned by the D&RGW and some of the common cars carried over that bridge route. This is mostly one RR but includes some others too. Maybe this will help some:
Rio Grande HO models which are close/correct with dates purchased & main usage:
COVERED HOPPERS
- Proto 2000 PS-2CD 4427 cuft high side 3-bay covered hopper (gray D&RGW '67 & 3/68 barley & petroleum coke)
- Wathers 50’ 4800 cuft 2 compartment airslide covered hopper (orange D&RGW 11/71), gray D&RGW-ends are slightly different, 8/69 sugar beats)
- Walthers PS-2CD 4427 cuft 3-bay covered hopper (gray D&RGW 1964 potash)
- Concor PS2 3-bay covered hopper (gray D&RGW 1959 cement)
- Athearn PS-2CD 4740 cuft 3-bay covered hopper (orange D&RGW 7/71 grain & minerals, gray was bogus)
- Athearn 52’ ACF CF5250 3-bay covered hopper (orange large D&RGW 3/73 grain) incorrectly has the angle iron stiffener - alternative is to use Accurail’s car and convert to 4-bays and replace roof walk with older style
- MDC FMC 4700 cuft 3-bay low hip 3-bay covered hopper (orange D&RGW 11/73 grain)
- Intermountain PS 4750 cuft 3-bay covered hopper (orange D&RGW '74,'79 wheat, barley, potash, perlite)
- Kadee PS2 2003 cuft 2-bay covered cement car (gray D&RGW 2/56 & 12/56 cement ) Atlas’s model is a close stand-in
- Front Range ACF CF2980 2-bay covered hopper (gray D&RGW 7/77 cement) decorating by FR is wrong for this class car.
- In