Where to get diagrams for modern freight cars?

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
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I like to do a lot of scratch building (for an 8th grader, its often cheaper than spending 35-40 dollars on one car), and I model the modern era of BNSF (2005 mostly, but pretty much 2005 to the present), and i’m having a hard time finding diagrams for modern freight cars. Take Robertson’s Ready Mix (see many photos of them on the link) hopper cars, I saw these on a UP train once, and since have wanted a model of one, but I can’t find any diagrams. Is there some kind of big book of diagrams for the present day?

Thanks, Ron

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I have 2 sites for you,

https://trainiax.net/mescaleloco.php

I usually get my Livery templates from there.

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Cool, thanks, I was looking for ones with measurements, but thanks anyway!

4

Ron,
Those drawings are to scale, so although they lack dimensions they can be obtained. Get a good rule with 64th graduations (or the smallest you can find…smaller is better) then measure the drawings with that, note what you get and plug that into an online scale converter of your choice…that will give you what ever dimensions you’re looking for

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1600×1056 451 KB

1600×1035 305 KB

Freight Car Handbook, Your Model Railroad How-To Guide from the Publisher of Railroad Model Craftsman by Stephen M. Priest, MMR, 2018 White River Productions
letter size, soft cover, 100 pages w/covers, US$24.95 (See BookFinder.com)

Freight cars make up the majority of rolling stock in North America. There are literally thousands of car designs and dozens of car types. This book is your gateway to some of these cars. Whether you are researching a particular car type, looking for a scratch building project, or just love rolling stock drawings, this book is for you. Included are hundreds of elevations, details, and plans carefully recreated by some of Railroad Model Craftsman’s best draftsmen. All eras are represented in clear and accurate renderings. Both black & white and color are represented with the latter type showing complete car painting and lettering designs.

The following drawing inventory was made by me. Especially in parentheses are my judgment.

1. Introduction -Why Create Scale Drawings?

2. Autoracks
Thrall Bi-Level Autorack (open)
Thrall Tri-Level Autorack (open)
Tri-Level Autorack (NW side-covered)

3. Boxcars
40’ Wood-Sided Boxcar (C&O 82000)
40’ Wood Boxcar (single-sheathed double-door)
N&W B-8A 40’ Boxcar (8’ width superior-door)
SL-SF Outside-Braced 40’ boxcar (SL-SF 34001 and 163523, 2 style door)
GN 40’ 12-Panel Boxcar (GN 11099, Youngstown and Superior door)
SP Extended-Roof 40’ Boxcar (high-cube, w/photo)
CP Plug-Door 40’ Boxcar (2 style railroad name, w/alcohol heater)
General American GN 50’ Boxcar (single sheathed)
Pullman-Standard 50’ PS-1 Boxcar (8’ Pullman door)
Canadian National 557000-series Boxcar (combination-door, Wet-Noodle logo)
Pennsylvania X51E 50’ Boxcar (riveted, Shadow Keystone herald)
Pennsylvania X58 50’ Boxcar (exterior post, plug-door, Hydra-Cushion, w/photo)
Pullman-Standard Southern 50’ Boxcar (exterior post. w/photo)
Pullman-Standard C&NW Waffle Side Boxcar (w/photo)
American Car & Foundry 50’ Boxcar (KCS 150258 w/photo)
Evans Blue Island Reefer -Early (USLX 10097, double-plug-door boxcar, Hydra-Cushion w/photo)
Evans Blue Island Reefer -late (USLX 11614, double-plug-door boxcar w/photo)
North American Car Company Outside-Post 50’ RBL (w/Nesle and NACC logo)
North American Car Company Smooth-Side RBL (w/NACC logo and photo)
FMC 5347 Single-Door Boxcar (plate C, BH 25120, cushion service (the drawings not show cushion) w/FMC logo)
(RBOX 38151, Railbox)
(ASAB 7182, The Bay Line, cushion service)
(AN 5575, Apalachicola Northern, cushion service)
(SSDK 1087, Savannah State Docks Railroad, cushion service)
(PHD 2002, St. Clair Blue Water Route, cushion service)
Pullman-Standard 60’ Double-Door AutoParts Car (D&RGW 63835, smooth side)
Pullman-Standard 60’ Single-Door AutoParts Car (CNW 91618, smooth side)
American Car & Foundry Single-Door 60’ AutoParts Car (WM 49585, Precision Design)
American Car & Foundry Double-Door 60’ AutoParts Car (GTW 306636, Precision Design)
Pullman-Standard 60’ AutoParts Car (MILW 4000, double-door, exterior post)
Pullman-Standard 7315 CUFT Waffle-Sided Boxcar (double-door)
Pullman-Standard 4-Door 86’ AutoParts Car (CNE 92067, w/photo(PC))
Pullman-Standard 8-Door 86’ AutoParts Car (UP 980212 w/photo(B&O))

4. Flatcars
FT-60 Heavy-Duty Flatcar (w/photo(AT&SF))
CB&Q, NP & SP&S 52’ Flatcar
Pullman-Standard 52’ PS-4 Flatcar (P&LE 1144)
BN Centerbeam Flatcar (BN 624216, w/photo and Milw photo)
ACF 60’ Auto Frame Flatcar (FTTX 95153, w/load)
NSC 73’ Centerbeam Flatcar (TTZX 000000, color)
DW&P Bulkhead Flatcar (56’-7" long)
CP Rail 89’ Flatcar (CP 315613)
Lehigh Valley Well Flatcar (LV 9955. w/photo (PC 768020))
Maxson Conrail Depressed-Center Flatcar (CR 766002, 8-wheel)
Pennsylvania F36 Flatcar (PRR 470229, 12-wheel)
ATSF 90005 FT-13 Depressed-Center Flatcar (ATSF 90005, 16-wheel, w/photo)

5. Hoppers & Gondolas
American Car & Foundry 52’-6" Gondola (w/PRR photo)
Evans 4780 Covered Hopper Car (BM 5400, w/photo)
ATSF 65’ Corrugated side Mill Gondola (ATSF 168460)
National Steel Car Co. CP 100-ton Covered Hopper (cylindrical 8-round hatch, 4-bay)
BN Gondola & Youngstown Bulk Containers (BN 553910, w/photo)
Pullman-Standard 100-ton 4427 PS-2CD Covered Hopper (ATSF 303134, high-side)
ACL 5400 CUFT Wood Chip Hopper (ACL 84307)
ACL Phosphate Hopper (w/8-square hatch, 4-bay)
CP Rail Cylindrical Grain Hopper (CP 384678, 4-bay, 4550cu.ft. w/Packman logo)

6. MoW Cars
Paccar Side Dump Car
Union Pacific Railway MoW Flat Car (w/load)
Union Pacific Boom Car 909300 (w/load)
Union Pacific Wheel Car (w/load)

7. Piggyback Cars
National Steel Car Corporation TOFC Flatcar
Canadian Pacific Railway 63’ TOFC Flatcar (CP 505725, w/hitches)
Greenville Steel Car Co. Flexi-Van Mark V (w/ATSF photo)
Bethlehem Steel 86’ F-89-F TOFC Car (XTTX 150248)
ACF 89’ TOFC Car (TTX 601303 yellow and TTX 601848 brown color)

8. Refrigerated cars - Reefers
Soo Line Wood Ice Reefer (SOO 22600, w/express trucks and vertical hand-brake stuff)
Western Pacific Ice Service Reefer (wood w/vertical hand-brake stuff)
Union Pacific Refrigerator Transit 50’ Steel Car (w/4 ice hatches)
National Steel Car Outside-Braced Mechanical Reefer (w/photo)

9. Steel Coil Cars
Despatch-Built F50 Steel Coil Car & Hoods (PC 752100)
Evans-Built Steel Coil Car & Hoods (C&O 306628, Hydra-Cushion, w/photo)

10. Stock Cars
Grand Trunk Western Steel Frame Stock Car
Northern Pacific 85’-6" Double-deck Stock Car (w/photo)

11. Tank Cars
GATX 10.000-gallon Tank Car (welded)
American Car & Foundry Glenn-Pool Tank Car (KCM&O 25035 (Orient) and Glenn-Pool Tank Line CO.)
ACF 20,000-gallon Tank Car (w/SHPX photo)
Trinity 25,500-gallon Tank Car (GATX 54303)
Richmond Tank Car Co. 17,300-gallon Chlorine tank Car (w/Pullman-Standard photo)
ATSF TK-N & TK-O Class tank Cars (ATSF 98051, ATSF 101214 and ATSF 101132)
American Car & Foundry LPG Tank Car (SHPX 17204, United Petroleum Cars)
American Car & Foundry Type-27 Tank Car (riveted)
General American Tank Train 10450-series Car (w/flexible hose drawings)

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Oh cool, thanks so much! I didn’t know if they were to scale or not, but that’s very helpful. Thanks again!