A first attempt ...

... was not a great success.

Too fast built, too less preparations and so the result was predictably - as an old, demolished trackside shed. (A friend was lucky about my "scrap".)

The second start was done with a bit more planning.

This time I started with a sketch drawn after an drawing in an older Railmodel Journal. Here I found also the (less) basic datas, some dimension datas and the erecting year - 1867. Definitively I would like to make a second attempt to build this model with this early slope ends and outside bracing. However if you follow the load - barrels - you can slight recognize that these construction of ends is a very logical step for installing them at car with this use. However remember, the erection year was 1867 and that was the time where each railroad and each car builder was on search for new and usable solutions for new needs.

And that was built in my own car builder shop:

Building a new frame and body framework ...

... and pressing the framework into an old and extreme used shape after all wood strips were soaked full of water. Remember - built in 1867!

Wood blocks and strips held the framework on place while pressing and trying the framework.

The result was better as I hoped to receive! Watch the end segments where the crosswise built bracing avoids the deformation and all frame sills were bent back into a straight direction!

Interesting Car

Nice work Bernhard. Nice to see some wood scartchbuilding. Looking forward to seeing the  car to complition.

Bernd

Swayback

The car would normally be humped up in the middle when empty and straight when loaded.  The truss rods would be tightened to have reverse camber (a hump) when empty.  The flour barrels would be empty, it was a car for shipping empty barrels from a barrel maker to flour mills.  Loaded barrels would overload the car.

Thanks Bernd, thanks Dave!

Dave, I think that we should reflect some different aspects.

First, I agree with you about your opinion that this car was built for transport of empty barrels! Loaded barrels are to heavy, definitively!

Second,

here I have a different view. Let me declare my view.

I felt confident for a long time that cars with trussrods were built with a straight frame, until I found this picture

I think that this is a fantastic picture from Shorpy.com (You should click on picture of source for a full size view) where six brand-new MDT reefers equipped with the mentioned arched up frames and bodies. New for me - and my opinion was corrected how I have seen this!

However these cars are new and that is the decisive difference! You can find old and long time use freight and passenger cars with trussrods on all thinkable source which are sagged in the center, more or less, and more and more the older the cars are.

My first impression about such built and modified models were given to me yet by John Allen and his remarkable work. His reflections and approach to reality was my great school in model building. A sample of early rail car construction is given by this specific prototype, I think, an extraordinary long car of 52 ft. for that time! Early attempts by using of trussrods, maybe without turnbuckles yet! (John H. White documented in his fantastic book "The American freight car ..." use of trussrods after 1870, with turnbuckles beginning with 1880 and in first time only two instead four.) No, this car in his old state had to have sagged. Please compare the general condition of my model on first picture.

Dave, I hope that you can understand my arguments.

And as last now. I'm a glowing friend of this picture with the new MDT reefers. I must build some such white reefers in future - with arched up bodies!

Completing thy frame and body

All frame sills are added including body bolsters and coupler boxes.

Trucks are old sprung Central Valley trucks with a very short wheel base. As on prototype I replaced the metal bolsters by such from wood with truss rods, sprung again. (I know that this is a very bad picture with sun from wrong side. Sorry, no others available.)

The framework received an inside sheathing from scribed sheath wood, however today I would like to prefer single wood strips.

Roof poles and end plates are glued on, however here I inserted a thin plywood plate in level of plate sills and so I received a very stable and closed body also under the roof.

The roof was made from single stripwood pieces, however I produced them very economically. Some wood strips were fixed on an adhesive tape, cut in length and glued on roof poles in bundles - with some exceptions, where single planks were "deformed" before gluing. Rain and humidity have done their work about the years where this car were in service. Click on last picture for seeing an enlarged view.

I worked at roof from outer edges to center because I received so ends with good fitting end planks. So I must adjust possible differences in center and here I must sand the last planks a little bit smaller - without that this is visible at closed roof.

At last, sanding the planks to an unique edge, what I would never repeat on this way today, because some differences should be visible, at this old car only surely!

But, nevertheless, one of the end planks had to become a little bit loose.

For all who can't wait until continuation in next post, you can see (and read in German) the full description on my website or the gallery of this project. Enjoy!

An other small job was finished ...

An other small job was finished and so I would like to continue my description here. I hope for your interest.

1867, the erecting year of this car, was the time where all parts of a car in the real world were built from wood. So I would like to build the ladders also from this natural material, wood, how all other parts also.

Here two pictures from building the ladders which are built with two stringers, steps and two very thin wood strips which I glued top on stringers over the steps. Unfortunately there does not exist a picture which shows this last step. Second picture shows how I did cut off the guiding wood strips which held the stringers in place while gluing.

Here the ladders are glued to framework and until today I do not have one damage on this relative fragile wood parts. Preparations for roof walk have started also.

I think that you can see the progress how I built this details on roof. Gluing the planks of roof walk, drilling of small holes for wire which are shortened and filed down to "nail heads". The slight damaged roof shingles show the age of this car after its construction in 1867 and the changing by rain, humidity and weathering in all the years of services.

Click on picture for seeing an enlarged photo, please.

The bodies are ready! Have I written that I built two cars? A friend asked for such a model and so I added a second one while processing time.
Here you see what I did in order to give the framework additional stability. All metal parts are glued onto framework however they all give additional solidity by short nickel-silver bolts which I glued into pre-drilled holes and so the bolts work like real nails on a real construction.

Very Impressive !

Bernhard - a wonderful piece of craftsmanship. I have a number of vintage kits (Central Valley and others) waiting to be built. Your work inspires me to have a try  at scratch building.

Rob Clark
Cornhill & Atherton RR

Bernhard beautiful work, as I

Bernhard beautiful work, as I scanned through your photos I was wondering if you actually hammered in the nails. Great job thanks for the comment about grinding them flat.

These are nice

It was some of your builds that ispired me to make some tries at scratch-building...and this car is IMPRESSIVE.  After I get my current project completed, I will be deciding what to build; you've impressed me yet again.

Thank you very much for all

Thank you very much for all your friendly comments and remarks. All times it was my idea to give suggestion for modeling also by use of simple materials and without use of a large technical equipment.
I would be lucky to inspire you to start your projects or building your kits and I think that you will be enjoyed about each successful step and at end about a new scratchbuilt model. I wish you a good start!

Impressive, as always

Bernhard,

Again, very impressive build. I really like the detail work you put into your scratchbuild projects. You are a true craftsman and a big inspiration for me. Every time I see one of your projects it makes me go to my workbench and do the same.

Keep up the great work. You are building up quite a fan base with these wonderful projects. I always look to see if you have posted anything new when I log in.

Bernd

Bernd, thank you very much

Bernd, thank you very much for your interest and compliments.
In next time I must build some kits from Westerfield and Sunshine Models for two friends and so own new models must wait for a while.

Wow

Amazing modeling (again!), Bernhard! Love the older prototypes and modeling...and you have picked one strange car. It looks like it couldn't decide what it wanted to be - box car or hopper car - when it grew up!

Verne, thank you very much

Verne, thank you very much also to you.

This very early car with the not clear to identifying use was exactly that why I was so excited about this car. And that in 1867, a 53 feet long car for transporting of flour barrels! All that was very, very uniquely to me and so it was a MUST to build these models! And as last the outside and visible framework - a work that I loved to do, also with some failures.

Selling!

I have decided to sell this model.

See more about this project on this blog entry or on description of my website.
Offers about the contact form of my website, please. Thanks!

Cool build!

I'm questioning the fidget spinner esque outline though