Boxcabs are Beautiful

I used a Bmann 44T mech for my boxcab build.
Since I was going to freelance a wooden backwoods shop build, I first made a styrene shell:

and then built the wood frame around that:

The benefit of the Bmann 44T mech is that:
--runs great
--DCC & lights already installed (I hooked up a short section of fiber optic to light the lamp)
--runs great
--nice short wheel base
--runs great

We had a "Build-a-Boxcab Challenge" over on Trainboard.
Matt Fry (PW&NJ) did a nifty one built out of caboose shells on top of a Kato 11-105 chassis.
Hetek did a nifty one out of caboose parts, styrene & brass parts on a Kato 11-105 chassis.
And  Fishplate is still working on a great one out of brass on what looks like a GP7? chassis(?).

Chris Schmuck (Chris333) designed some fabulous boxcab bodies etched in brass for both N and Z, but I don't think he's finished building it.

While part of the fun of having a boxcab is building it yourself , a Shapeways boxcab shell that fits on a Bmann 44T mech or Kato 11-105 mech would be very cool, especially if you get all the rivet, window/door and roof details.
I guess I'd prefer one for the 44T mech as both trucks are geared and DCC/lights are already installed.

Any way we could see a test picture of the Shapeways shell?

Nice Model

Very well made and classy looking little engine.

Dan

A word from the designer

I'm the designer on Shapeways and a confirmed Boxcab fan - I have several Kit-bashed ones in HO and a couple in On30. I'm tempted to do an N gauge version but it would mean a new design from scratch and I'm not too sure how many N gaugers and into building their own stuff as opposed to just buying it.

Can't show you any pics yet as it doesn't exist but here are some N gauge trolly cars I've done to fit the Kato 11-105

https://picasaweb.google.com/112594206815555128242/NGaugeTraction?authuser=0&feat=directlink

I think a boxcab would be a

I think a boxcab would be a groovy offering: who doesn't want a boxcab on their layout?
Especially if it's urban switching.
And not everyone has the time or patience to scratch it.

The hardest aspect is all the great rivet and roof detail.
The rivets can come from chopped cabeese, and the roof detail from the spare parts bin, but that usually results in an approximation rather than prototype.

If someone did do a Shapeways shell, I'd like:

--the shell to be able to slip over a Bmann 44T mech
--the lamps can be part of the shell, but have a hole/channel through the center to the LED for either direct lighting or to slip a piece of fiber optic in
--coupler pockets for MTL 905 Z scale couplers
--separately applied bell, fuel tank, lower ladder and front & back steps (for painting but mainly so they don't snap off in transit)
--most of the roof detail you can build into the shell, though separate radiators would make painting easier
--the front grab bars can be part of the shell, though just having posts with holes would allow us to thread thin wire through
--pre-cut holes for installing the hand grabs: the horizontal to match something like Gold Medal Model's #1 or #2 hand grabs, and the vertical for thin brass wire
--windows can be part of the shell, but it'd be nice to have separately applied doors to be able to open for figures

I built my wooden boxcab on that styrene frame so it's easy to slip off, so it'd be fun to be able to "swap eras" into the late 1920's / early '30's just by swapping the shells.

Once you get the inside of the shell fixed so that it just slips on the 44T mech, I don't think it'd be too hard to offer a variety of boxcab models by changing the exterior details.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

I have to agree.

M.C.,

I have to agree with you.  I thought there would be a lot more responses to this possible offering.  I also figured Tim Warris might weigh in here as he was building a copy of his HO Brooklyn Terminal in N scale and had commented on the lack of a boxcab for N scale.  Tim has that beautiful brass boxcab setup with DCC and sound.

There has been a 112 reads on this thread yet, it seems we are the only two who are interested.  This isn't very encouraging for Tom to design a shell for N scale.  Maybe that is why a boxcab doesn't exist for N scale?

Tom had mentioned the 44 ton chassis was a bit small for the boxcab and that the side trucks are wrong.  However, when the boxcab is running down the track I don't know how many people are going to notice the trucks.  Oh yeah!  Forgot about the rivet counters mentioned over in the other thread.  I would think people would pay more attention to the existence of the boxcab in N scale itself rather than the trucks being correct.  Perhaps Tom could come up with the plastic trucks to fit the 44 ton chassis that would look good for a boxcab?

Den

NW2

The 44T is 25 scale feet between outer axles.

The other option is the Kato NW2, which, in addition to being one of the finest runners out there, also has more boxcabish trucks.

The NW2 has 30 scale feet between outer axles.

I'm not quite the rivet counter, so the truck issue doesn't really bother me, though you can attach proper truck sidings after filing down the existing ones.
Randgust does that with his Climax kits.

One thing to think about, though, is price.

Bmann 44T is $60 with decoder and lights ready to go.
Kato NW2 is $70, plus $30 decoder (drop-in)
Kato 11-105 is $25, plus $20 decoder (figure out yourself how to install without messing up the contact strips)
[can't remember off the top of my head, but I think the 11-105 has a 29 foot wheelbase]

Add to that the $30-$40 or so for the boxcab shell, and the little dude is becoming a serious investment.

As I already have a 44T dedicated to "Boxcab Service," I wouldn't mind getting the shell and slip it on.
If I have to go out and get another NW2 and decoder just for the boxcab, I'd have to think about it.
But I do like Boxcabs, so it's one of those things if it was available I'd probably get it.

Yeah, Ok, but

where does this forum's readership equate to Shapeway's sales?  So you rescale something - Stoney Smith did it for me on his Railking (originally done in z scale) and toss it out. It either sells or doesn't.  I think a lot of folks would be more interested with a product they could see, then a discussion of vapor ware.

tender?

Mr. Fujiwara:

From your experience with n-scale do you think it would be feasible to use the Bachman 44T drive under a tender shell for the Bachman 2-8-0?  The 2-8-0 is a fine loco but a little boost would not hurt.  Run as a consist?

Thanks

Art

Love boxcabs and traction too!

  I love boxcabs and steeplecabs.  The only problem is that they aren't in my era!  But if the shell were around $20 to $30 (depending on level of detail) and interchanged directly with a Bachmann mechanism.  I would definitely get a couple for those days when I want to run "steam era" stuff on the layout.  It is an idea that I really hadn't thought much of before, multiple shells for the same loco.  makes me want to check out the swap meet tables next time for the non-runners/ dummy units!

Toni

On30 box cab

I too have been fascinated with boxcabs, the predecessor to early Diesels.  I model in On30 and would be really interested in information about your work in this scale.

So as not to break the thread, would you please contact me at scott and judy g at yahoo.com, eliminating the spaces.

Scott Groff

Boxcabs

I would like to see a Nn3 boxcab shell to use on the MTL GP-9 or 35 chassis.A HO boxcab (standard gauge) about the size of the Grant Line locos would be great too as I have a old Lindsey power unit looking for a body.

boxcab or freight motor?

I really like the modeling done by M.C. Fujiwara - beautiful picture, too - but I'm not sure a double truck unit would qualify as a true box motor. Here's what I think of when someone says boxcab: 

or

They also had #4 which was the same style as #4. They also had steeplecabs (#10 & #12) and a bunch of freight motors/work cars that were all double truck.

I would love to see a shell for #2 or #3 & #4 How to power them? There is a Japanese maker that has a single truck power unit (granted it travels at 200mph) that could be made to fit. I have one somewhere around the house and could dig it out for measurements if needed. Images of the H&F freight motors can be found online at http://www.davesrailpix.com/odds/md/md.htm(scroll to the bottom).

For me, an additional power consideration is the ability to add a pole and run from the overhead (which I do in N scale). I don't know how easy that will be with the GE 44T with DCC - I haven't taken mine apart yet. I've also made a freight motor shell from styrene and put it on a Con-Cor SW1500 unit - converting to overhead power was pretty easy...

-alex-

Alex M. Postpischil

Winston-Salem, NC

British power units

Here's a guy that produces small drives. They are kit form but may give somebody an idea for powering there small engines.

http://www.nigellawton009.com/VeeTipper.html

Bernd

From your experience with

Art:  The 44T mech is actually pretty tall: not sure it would fit in / as a tender unless you piled the coal / wood very very high 

You could probably use the 44T mech and build a special shorty boxcar (like an older 29' or 30') and use that to push.  Best bet is to hook up another 2-8-0

The other option for a powered tender is the Kato 11-105 chopped down to tender length.
I know Randgust was able to chop one down and still get it to work (those contact strips are tricky!).

To bring this back to boxcabs, Art's question also got me thinking about interior visibility.
The 44T mech precludes much and would block any view through, but a 11-105 mech is flat and so you could have a pretty detailed interor, too, if you wanted.
Or at least light showing through the windows from the other side.

Check out Randgust's 13-ton Climax kit,  built for a 11-105 chassis.

Food for thought.

thanks for kato tip

Thanks for the tip on the Kato 11-105.  It looks like a good prospect - with only four powered wheels perhaps the finished tender might not result in more power but it will be an interesting project.

Art.

Excellent idea

Count me in for one of the shells if you make it. I have a spare GE 44T that doesn't suit my 1925-era layout and an urban area that could use a box cab or freight motor perfectly.

-- Tom

Power trucks

Check out Republic Locomotive Works.  They have a nifty little Power Max 6.5mm single truck unit, don't know if they have one in standard gauge, or if it would b easy to get another wheelset on it.

https://www.republiclocomotiveworks.com/

A good example of a boxcab.

Alex,

I'm sure there are many variations on boxcabs.  At one point steam engines were banned in big cities due to the pollution those steamers created.  Along came the early diesel boxcab for use in the city.  Yet, knowing the history of politics at the time, who knows who had a cousin at Rand that got this change pushed through???  The reason I say this is that I have heard and seen testimony that experienced engineers on steam locomotives have claimed that a steam engine is cleaner than a diesel.  All that black smoke you see coming from a stack on a steam engine is made for photo shots.  It is actually bad for steam engine.

Here is a little side story.  I can tell you the same is true of steam powered ships.  I served on one.  It was the oldest fighting ship in the U.S. fleet at the time and carried the gold numbers.  It is now a museum piece. The USCG Cutter Ingham is steam powered.  At certain times engineering would "blow the stack."  It was announced over the intercom and everybody cleared all open decks immediately.  Engineering would release steam up through the stack which forced all collected burned particles in the stack up through the top of the stack and above the ship.  This resulted in black rain and if you were caught out on an exposed deck you got drenched in it.  Not good!  A quick hose down cleaned the deck.  You would have to hit the showers.

A example of a MRH member's boxcab is to look at Tim Warris' web site.  http://www.bronx-terminal.com/

This is a link to a video of his boxcab.  http://www.bronx-terminal.com/?cat=20   This is not a motor in the sense of overhead electric being a power source.  This is an early diesel.  Nothing exists like this in N scale unless it is scratch built.  You can find brass and plastic models in HO.

Den

Black Snow

This brings back memories. I grew up in Akron OH at the height of the rubber factories in the 60's. Every day late in the afternoon Goodyear Plant 1 in our neighborhood did the same thing. A huge plume of black smoke would suddenly come bursting out of the smokestacks. The same "black rain" would then ensue over the area blanketing everything downwind in a layer of fine soot. My how times have changed. Today there would be a line of lawyers at Goodyear's front door if they did that. 

It's boxy, but it's a good cab...

If you're going to do a production boxcab, then why not start with the AGEIR 60-ton boxcab that started it all.

This is the same boxcab that worked the Bronx Terminal (and that Tim Warris has running his awesome layout).  You don't get more "transition" than that! I liked it so much that I had to have one.  So now I do...

It runs great (uses the Kato 11-106 chassis), handles the 5.5-inch radius curves that I've got planned for my layout, and was a blast to build.  I would LOVE to see these made in any way (brass, 3d print, resin, plastic, whatever!).

How did you build it?

Full circle

PWNJ's boxcab is the first thread I linked to in the first post of this thread.

It's N scale & it rocks.

Deja vu?

And, as Mr. MC has said, you can see more about this boxcab build in the thread over on TrainBoard, or you can click on the image below to see some build shots in my Flickr stream.  This was made from an old caboose I had sitting around.  My budget prevented me buying new supplies, so I put it together out of parts-box stuff (a parts-boxcab... insert rimshot here) plus various household junk and IT bits (including an EIDE ribbon cable to make the rooftop radiators).  I traded for the Kato 11-106 chassis, and altogether considering the supplies I had on-hand, it cost me about $2 to make.

That boxcab works for me!

I had the same idea about using caboose bodies.  I bought two Atlas steel caboose bodies some time ago with some other Atlas parts with the idea of building one in the future.  Currently they are in a plastic bag with the parts for when I want to get started on it.   Now that I see it has been done, I am more motivated to try it.  Great idea using the HD ribbon cable for the radiators.  I had been mulling that one over for awhile.  I had been staring at a box of staples and wondering if I CA'd those together could I bend those to shape.  The HD ribbon cable just makes it easier.  This looks like a fun project!

There is an extra set of headlights that comes with the 44T that are almost identical to the prototype headlights. 

I still wish Tom, over on Shapeways, could just go ahead make us a nice clean body via the 3D printing.  I hope he will realize from this thread that people are making Boxcabs from the cut and splice method and that they would be interested in a not having to kitbash on such a large effort to have one.

I would love to have one of these running down a wooden pier among the vessels in port.  I think it would look great!

Den