Shawn Viggiano said:
Ever since seeing Kalamazoo Civil War train set a few years ago I had wanted to build my own Civil War Train. . . .
The trucks look interesting. It seems like I can make my trucks using two wheeled journals.
. . .
I need to find plans for cars dating back to that time period.
Shawn,
The ancient cars in the B&O museum have wooden frame trucks - which, as you noticed, use regular wooden car journals.
Shawn,
The American Railroad Freight Car by John H. White, Jr. 1993, The Johns Hopkins University Press**, Baltimore and London.**
Over 50 pages of info and drawings of trucks alone beginning from approx. 1833 on plus much more on the cars themselves.
The book has been reprinted in soft cover and I’m sure a search will bring up a copy for sale somewhere.
Cool, nice to see someone building a layout for such an early era.
Joe, that’s my problem. hanging alone doesn’t get the layout done. (too much other time consuming interests)
David, i know, i know… sigh
Ray, but it will not be a very exact representation of that time. lack of ability and disposable money will make it more of an general impression instead of a modell.
Shawn, I have the book Model railroads go to War. It has some good info in it. I hae another book that I will look up the title on, cant remember at the moment. It is out of print, I found mine on E-Bay. It has lots of good stuff too. I built the C.S. Artillery rail car that was posted earlier. I used a cannon barrel from one of those die cast cannons you find in the flea market type places. the barrel is brass and is very close to scale. I have a boxcar and flatcar built so far. I am wanting to do a custom 4-4-0 now…
“Civil War Railroads and Models” By Edwin P. Alexander. There are some copies on E-BAY now for less than 20.00
Korm and one or two others have mentioned that they felt they already have enough trains. I am in that group also.
However, part of my fictitious shortline railroad is set in the Shenandoah Valley as it makes it way from near Roanoke VA to SW Pennsylvania managing to pass through a little of WVa and MD.
Much of this area, as far as I can see featured prominently in the American Civil War so a train of the era is a possibility. I don’t have a 4-4-0 but do have a Bachmann ten wheeler (the rather lovely D&RGW version) so a little modelllers licence would maybe be necessary. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)I am lucky in still having some Bachmann wooden type cars (1:22.5) so a feasibility exists for this sort of project.
Time and changes of heart might tell. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-sealed.gif)
For those who wish to know more about this war, particularly from outside the United States, the following web site has a great deal to offer:
http://www.americancivilwar.com/
This web site has very many quite interesting pics:
http://www.americancivilwarphotos.com/category/transportation/railroad
Yea, but the locomotives back then were jewels. They were almost works of art, and were cared for, and polished.
I would like to have one in my collection. But, as I stated before, my collection has grown well beyond its originally envisioned size and scope.
As time permits, I’v also been working on a civil war train - A combination of 1:24 ( Hartland’s General ) and Britains (1:32) figures, cannons, and the like. I also found some cast mortar kits and various ordinance kits at a hobby supply outlet also 1:32. Hartland’s Colorado Collection has a couple of cars that could pass muster for that era.
Alan, thanks for the interesting links.
I ran most of my Bachmann stock today and realized that to repaint it, into a dab brown, would not be best. It took me a while to paint and letter the cars so I will forget the war train. Wishful thinking I guess. but I do look forward to seeing what others here have or will be doing.
another pic
There is no possible chance that this car would be repainted. It a USAT car and was done in the Bicentennial livery for me by Jeff of Shawmut Carshops in PA. It is unique and much treasured.
Well, just a thought, but wouldn’t the short (20 feet?) Bachmann boxcars be more appropriate anyway.
David Maynard said:
Yea, but the locomotives back then were jewels. They were almost works of art, and were cared for, and polished.
Wow, that’s a great photo of Leviathan!
I really love the look of locomotives from that period. One of my goals is to customize a small loco with all the shiny brass, bright colors and Russian iron, even though my RR’s history doesn’t go back that far. Maybe I can justify it by saying it was restored and “backdated” to appeal to the tourist trade. 
Well, my railroad was founded in 1871, so mine doesn’t go back that far neither. But the P&CS did have one 4-4-0 on their roster, and my version of it will be pretty, maybe not as pretty as the civil war era locomotives, but pretty.
google "A annie into a 1860’s 4-4-0 " There is a good article and some video a guy built from a 4-6-0 bachmann…
Travis Dague said:
“Civil War Railroads and Models” By Edwin P. Alexander. There are some copies on E-BAY now for less than 20.00
One cover style and some samples of the contents
Oooookaaaay, why are some pics showing up sideways here when they are all horizontal there?
travis, with that title, the only thing i find, is just this here thread…
Korm Kormsen said:
travis, with that title, the only thing i find, is just this here thread…
Korm,
Here it is on Amazon for you…
http://www.amazon.com/Civil-Railroads-Models-Edwin-Alexander/dp/0517665573
