And me money!

Your research costs me money too!  Because now I need some Hershey's cars!  Though I'll probably use an Accurail car instead of the Atlas one.

It wasn’t me Nick...

I was just another like you that decided that I had to have them too...  Which model Accurail are you looking at?

I couldn’t find anything suitable.

I have to agree.

Research does cost us money. When I started mine, I figured a N&W Y6B could fill in until I really got to looking at it, There would have been a lot of changes to iron out. So I grabbed a Y from ebay for 63.00 bucks, figured I could get it running, which was just a broken ground wire. But the Y just doesn't have the right look. What with the firebox skirts and the lack of a belpaire firebox. So I guess about a year later I kinda' got lucky. Again another ebay purchase. Only this time, I managed to snag this thing to the tune of 613.00 bucks, and this thing runs with no problem. Being done is brass it should for that kind of cash outlay. But I'm glad I spent the funds on it.  Recent prices within the last few months have been in the range of 1,200.00 dollars + or minus a few hundred. But I'm not goin' to complain about it, I have the right locomotive for the right road now. GN #2036 Class R-1 2-8-8-2. Now if only I could figure out what's wrong 4-8-4 Northern, I think that would be fantastic.

Charlie

NOT prototypical, but Hershey

I have this car in my fleet.  I think that I purchased it because I like chocolate!

The more you know...

There's a saying on the Yahoo Proto-Layouts group:  "The more you know, the less you can model".  While that's true, you've proven that "The more you know, the more you can model" is true as well. 

Congrats on your finds.  It's funny how small that riveted version looks in the first prototype pic compare to even the covered hopper to its right.  Part of the fun of modeling the 70s!  I can only experience that through my prototype's MOW fleet, several members of which are old 40' and 50' boxcars of similar stature.

Riveted Car

That Atlas car actually isn't close to the riveted version, which looks like a low profile 40' car. Notice how it compares to the outside-braced NACC car that it's coupled to at left.

Accurail 5100

Hershey boxcars

Not sure

if first car is 40 or 50 foot length , but definitely a low profile car,3 over 3 ends

 See photo borrowed from fallen flags, remove if violation, not a former New Haven car.

Both cars built by North American car company.

Borrowed photo

Accurail 5100

Not remotely close either, that's another standard 50' boxcar.

Low Profile

Maybe the older Train Miniature model of a plug door boxcar could be of a better representation of the Hershey car with a low profile.  Walther's produces that model now, but the TMI cars are often found at train shows / second hand market.  With a little upgrading and care, that could be a fair model to use.

research is worth it

Hello Jas

Yes researching does make you spend more to make your modeling more accurate, but it is way more satisfying at the end when you do it

you have chosen 2 excellent examples to model  and add the your Hershey's project,  I would use the models you have shown here, some minor modifications and they will look more than good enough,

Are you going to weather them like in the proto photos

Hey - you've generated demand... now

Now Accurail needs to be listening... and I bet Hershey would love to get their markup, too.    The OP should fire off a request with the responses here, and also get himself a chip of royalties! (even if it's only a few low-cost cars)

All these companies have an interest in getting this idea rolling (pun Intended!0) and this seems to me, at least, to be a no-brainer!  

Good luck, chocoholics!   (My wife would have an increased interest in the hobby with this  on the rails.)

it gets stranger

ORER's and Car Builder Books

I'm sitting on a gold mine!

PDF ORERs on DVD

I bought this collection of ORERs scanned as PDFs on DVD: https://www.ebay.com/itm/372120572073

It contains these ORERs: March of 1899, February of 1901, March of 1903, March of 1905, October of 1926, January of 1938, January of 1954, July of 1966, October of 1968, January of 1972 and January of 1975. It also includes Passenger Equipment Registers from 1956 and 1965 to 1971 and railroad equipment lists.

The one copy if my ORER was

Thanks for the comments & information...

Thanks to all for the feedback, information & photos.

I realise that the Atlas box cars are not the perfect match for the Hershey cars, but I’m working off the “good enough” principle for the layout.  Thanks Scott (blindog10) for the extra information, photos and research that you did too.

I like the suggestion about approaching one of the manufacturers to get some made, but as it’s been pointed out if the older HERX cars are an odd length/height I couldn’t see anyone developing molds for them.

Jas...

'Custom' made... perhaps not a miniature prototype

But a stock ARA boxcar with custom decoration... a common (albeit, inaccurate) 'publicity' move.

Hawaiian Passenger Cars

Why, why, why do I listen to you guys?

The Bachmann passenger cars were just fine until I started looking at the Oahu Railway cars. They seemed longer, only a bit but ... The Bachmann cars measure roughly 35'-9" over the sills so I posted the question on the Hawaiian Rail Modelers site. Damn. First class cars were 36'-9" (O.K. I can live with that) but the other cars were 42'-6" and 49'-9" depending on the year built. 

My passengers are demanding more capacity and want some less expensive transportation so I ordered a few more cars to look at taking to the cutting board. Now two windows would get me to about 41' or three up to 43'-6". I am leaning toward adding two windows but open for input. 

Anybody done this before? Where should I put the extra length? I am not excited about two cuts just to have the queen posts remain the right distance apart but ...

Neil at the risk of being

Neil at the risk of being branded a trouble maker one of the passenger cars below was lengthened by about 6 or 8 feet. It also had a larger door installed. Adding to the length can be done and I would suspect it is easier in O than HO. 

If you click on the link or roll back to my blog you can look at some close ups of the models. They are on page 84 and I may have the captions wrong on which one was which.

Lengthening passenger cars

Rob - My intent is to lengthen the cars so bought several more. How much longer is not the question as well as where. Each end of the middle? Idk. 

Those look great btw. 

I got the cast off today but it will take a while to get full use of my hand. Hope you are doing well.