Model Train Journal

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

healey36 wrote:The drovers' caboose, as a concept, I was unfamiliar with. I often wondered how the transport of livestock was achieved back in the day when much of it moved by rail, especially given the time involved. I've been around enough beef cattle, for one, to understand that their shelf life without fresh water is not infinite. Quite interesting...

Those trains moved pretty quickly and they were watered and fed on the fly.

When researching another project, I recall coming across an 1873 federal regulation referred to as The 28 Hour Law that contained the following:

"Except as provided in this section, a rail carrier, express carrier, or common carrier (except by air or water), a receiver, trustee, or lessee of one of those carriers, or an owner or master of a vessel transporting animals from a place in a State, the District of Columbia, or a territory or possession of the United States through or to a place in another State, the District of Columbia, or a territory or possession, may not confine animals in a vehicle or vessel for more than 28 consecutive hours without unloading the animals for feeding, water, and rest."

The drovers, I'm thinking, were likely onboard to facilitate these requirements. From what I've read, this reg is still on the books.

healey36 wrote:The drovers' caboose, as a concept, I was unfamiliar with. I often wondered how the transport of livestock was achieved back in the day when much of it moved by rail, especially given the time involved. I've been around enough beef cattle, for one, to understand that their shelf life without fresh water is not infinite. Quite interesting...

You are not alone. A few years ago, the Bring-N-Brag modeling contest categories for the monthly NMRA division meetings were chosen out of a hat. One month the category was "Drover's Caboose". Being from the Pittsburgh area (where steel, glass, chemicals, and oil are the major industries) we were all befuddled by the category. Some wise-guy even submitted an alleged Pennsy drawing of an N8L Drover's cabin car.

Yeah, that particular non-starter led to the standardization of general categories over the course of a year.

George

G3750 wrote:You are not alone. A few years ago, the Bring-N-Brag modeling contest categories for the monthly NMRA division meetings were chosen out of a hat. One month the category was "Drover's Caboose". Being from the Pittsburgh area (where steel, glass, chemicals, and oil are the major industries) we were all befuddled by the category. Some wise-guy even submitted an alleged Pennsy drawing of an N8L Drover's cabin car.

I won Passenger car one year with one of my Drover's Caboose models,

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

G3750 wrote:You are not alone. A few years ago, the Bring-N-Brag modeling contest categories for the monthly NMRA division meetings were chosen out of a hat. One month the category was "Drover's Caboose". Being from the Pittsburgh area (where steel, glass, chemicals, and oil are the major industries) we were all befuddled by the category. Some wise-guy even submitted an alleged Pennsy drawing of an N8L Drover's cabin car.

I won Passenger car one year with one of my Drover's Caboose models,

Congratulations!

As I said, around here steel, heavy manufacturing, and railroading on a massive scale are the attractions.

Certain magazines from the Midwest seem hung up on cattle and their other pin-up category (yawn), grain elevators.

I won't mention any names.

George

G3750 wrote:Certain magazines from the Midwest seem hung up on cattle and their other pin-up category (yawn), grain elevators.

I won't mention any names.

Rail Craft hopper that was rebuilt and finished last week:

Sharp. Is this an example of the so-called "fishbelly" hopper?

Edit::Got the answer...this is not a "fishbelly", just a straight 50-ton hopper.

healey36 wrote:Sharp. Is this an example of the so-called "fishbelly" hopper?

Edit::Got the answer...this is not a "fishbelly", just a straight 50-ton hopper.

Correct,

Basically a tin plated steel kit car that was lacking everything other than the basic body shell....and some of that needed some soldering before adding all the rest of the parts.

I have a very similar car that I thought was an Arvid L. Anderson car. It is marked for EL and was in a Weaver EL hopper box. A great find for $15.00.

J. S. Bach wrote:I have a very similar car that I thought was an Arvid L. Anderson car. It is marked for EL and was in a Weaver EL hopper box. A great find for $15.00.

The Arvid Anderson cars are all brass. Even if it was a Rail Craft car, $15 with trucks and couplers is a steal!

Pounded these 3 out....


Last one has since gotten a load installed as long ago someone poured lead into the hopper base and a load covers that up.

Nice ! Just curious ....why brass wheel sets on the first two?

gregj410 wrote:Nice ! Just curious ....why brass wheel sets on the first two?

Those are what they arrived with into my shop so those are what they are going to depart on,

The "stirrups", do you ever find yourself having to replace those, and if so, do you use something commercially available or do you make them yourself? I have a few "scale" boxcars around here that have suffered the loss of them, and wonder how best to replace them.

healey36 wrote:The "stirrups", do you ever find yourself having to replace those, and if so, do you use something commercially available or do you make them yourself? I have a few "scale" boxcars around here that have suffered the loss of them, and wonder how best to replace them.

I got lucky with all 3 of these hoppers - they were either attached (some better than others...) or loose in the crate on arrival so those got soldered back into place.

Rest of the time, I generally end up making them from brass stock. Not so many commercially available in brass now, and those that are tend to be so different that then I'm replacing all on a car.