Anyone have or know of pictures of railroad “shop made” cattle cars using older boxcars? Did this practice actually take place? I recently was told a story by a friend of a railroad had a lack of stock cars for a customer. The railroad decided to retrofit 40’ steel boxcars by cutting squares into sides and building slatted doors?
That was fast! Let me try…
Does anyone have one million dollars for me? 
Those are neat looking cars. Very ingenious.
Thanks bob. Wouldn’t have any more pictures? Thinking I may need to build a few. Have two boxcar laying around might have to get out saw!
I think just about anything you come up with Todd will work. Use the pic Bob posted and then think like a shop foremen. They would be built in varoius sorts of ways to just make do…
Thanks sounds good.
Update. Progress so far. Car was formerly a USA Trains NH boxcar. It is going to become my home roads shop built cattle car. I think it is some what like Bob’s photo? What to do you think?
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todd55whit/_forumfiles/cattle.JPG)
Nice car, very cool looking…
Half way there. Made some progress this week. Waiting for sound module and cows to arrive.
Half way there. Made some progress this week. Waiting for sound module and cows to arrive.http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/todd55whit/_forumfiles/photo%202.
By coincidence I’m short one cattle car myself and I had been thinking of a similar project recently, tho’ a 19th century wooden version. However. I’ve reassessed, and probably next winter I’ll build a swayback one a la John Allen, from scratch instead… Only trouble is, when I start a project like that I’m likely to assembly line them and do a half-dozen while I’m at it. Just seems like a better use of the time to me…
Except then I may have to build another packing plant. :o
It went so well I am thinking of building another…
Nice!
That’s really cool!
The car is excellent, but what really caught my eye is the weathering on the bridge. Is that paint or some rust solution ?
Great looking car!
Hi Jon. No rust solution O natural. Bridge is a GMM it’s about 8 years old. It’s been through one hell of an ice storm a few years ago. Never got hit by any trees but covered in branches. I haven’t done anything to it since it was put in.
Sweet looking car!
No wonder it weathered like the real thing. It IS 
Yeah my GMM bridge is rusting nicely along the “rivet seams” like that one. Looking real good.