As I Recall...

These cars are sort of close to certain prototypes but not exactly right for any of them.  There are errors in the roof, sides and/or ends depending on the particular car you'd want to represent.  The errors may relate to rivet or weld seams, end rib dimensions, plate C vs B height, and other things.   

The single door car is similar to cars built by Fruit Growers Express, and used by various railroads as well as FGE.  The stock underframe represents a hydra-cushion design that wasn't necessarily common, and had few fans outside of the Southern Pacific.  I can't tell from the photo which frame the seller had in the box.

I used a DW kit for the above BN car, the prototype for which I photographed many years back.  I added some roping lugs and extra door protection plates, along with wire end grabs.  The kit isn't entirely dimensionally correct but was sorta close enough.

The double door car is a fairly close model of the Evans/USRE "Blue Island Reefer," but has a diagonal panel roof instead of the correct X-panel design.  I've seen models built with a correct roof swapped on, so it can be done.

Underframe

Rob thanks for the info.  One kit has the hydro frame and the other has an Evans under frame.  I also have a third kit which is factory decorated for MILW.  It is a combo door boxcar.  One of the kit was missing the under frame, but i found a details west evans under frame at a locale swap meet.  I need to determine 1. what cars to model with these kits, and which one which one I should put the hyrdo under.  Did any Eastern roads have similar cars to these.

Boston and Maine

The Boston and Maine had a similar car to the double door box - I believe it was classified as an insulated box car in the AAR class RBL in the B&M's 100 series.  A picture can be found here:  http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2421548

Contrary to the data provided by the roster, this was not a class XM car!

I would be willing to suggest that a search of PC or Conrail box cars will find a similar car to the single door car.

More possibilities

Alan: I like that BM car!  It looks like a Pullman Standard design based on the ends and roof.  It doesn't have much in common with the DW kit, but does appear to have a hydra-cushion underframe.

There was a multi-part series on the prototype Blue Island Reefer in Mainline Modeler by James Kincaid, in 1995. (July-September issues?).  A number of these belonged to lease fleets, including Evans itself (USLX), so those may be good options.

The FGE cars were used by numerous eastern roads (I'm thinking PC, Southern, B&O, I'm sure others), and also had RBNX reporting marks for FGE proper.

Maybe somebody can chime in on the combination door car.  UP had similar examples, but I don't know about eastern owners.

MILW photo

Alan thanks for the info, when I first saw the B&M photo I was thinking perfect.  I really like the car. But on closer inspection it would need a bunch of kitbashing to make it close.  The roof needs to be changed, ends changed, door modified, and all rivets removed from panel seams.  I could do it but I was trying to keep these 2 builds as something more simple.  I found this photo of an ex EL FGE car that was repainted into CR in 1976.  Could be a good candidate for the Single door Car  http://thecrhs.org/Images/CR-360609-Class-BE55E

Rob I found some photos of USLX cars but they are all oddball prototypes.  I will keep looking though.

Here is a photo of the MILW car.  

IC car

I found this decal set for the double door car.   http://home.mindspring.com/~paducah/icg19.htm

USLX Cars

There's a bunch of them on the rr-fallenflags site starting at USLX 9093  http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/uslx/uslx.html .  There are others here  http://www.railcarphotos.com/Search.php?SearchReportingMark=USLX&Search=Search .

Great Site for Photos

Rob,

Thanks again. I haven't seen the fallen flags site before.  I model Northern Ontario, Canada and up until now I have only modeled cars based on Canadian prototypes.  I am trying to add some US proto cars to the layout.  I really like the Georgia Pacific car.  Now to find some decals!!

Not Perfect

Well Gents, I did only say it was similar, not perfect after all!    I guess it all depends on your definition of "good enough", but maybe we won't go there - that's being discussed on another thread! 

Ryan - sounds like you are finding some other good information though!

Georgia Pacific Decals

Alan,

I try not to participate in the right or wrong way to do the hobby threads. ie (the good enough thread). They usually just go in circles and to me its just takes away from my fun time in the hobby. 

That being said I have been developing a freight car standard, that I'm trying to adhere to.  1 of the items is that the car can only have 1 major thing wrong with it.  ie the wrong door or wrong roof, ends etc.  But not both.  I really like kit bashing models so changing items like this is fun for me.  

I will have to say again I really like that B&M car.  It would fit right into my 1977 time frame. Finding the roof will be the hardest part I think.  Anyone know of PS model similar.

I checked out Microscale and they have decals for a Georgia Pacific all door box car that could also be used for one of the Evans built DD boxcars.  I think I can make this car with them.  Any body know what roof was on these.  Diagonal or x panel. http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/uslx/uslx11822dba.jpg

X Panel

That's a Blue Island Reefer and they are all X panel (AAR type RB or RBL).  You can see the edges of the roof panels in that photo, including the ends of the "X" and the ribs between.

X Panel

Rob,

Thank you.  Good Eye to pick that up in the photo. I think Branchline(Atlas) makes the x panel roof so I will order one from them.

single door car

EL had some cars that might match.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/el/frt/el69298g.jpg

IVflats

Ivflats thanks for the link, Yes that is the car I am going to do with the SD car.  But in 1976 Conrail got them and patched them out.  I model 1977 so I will do the Conrail version of the car.  http://thecrhs.org/Images/CR-360609-Class-BE55E