Large Scale Central

Sperry Rail Service car

Modeling
#1

Hi guys,
I am already looking ahead to next winter’s projects. I’d like to do Sperry Rail Service (SRS) car #118 or #126 in their 1950-1960’s appearances. These cars were originally built by St. Louis Car.

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This will have to be mostly a scratchbuilt project. Does anyone know of published plans for these or similar cars? Or even folio sheets? Not being a real railroad I don’t even know if folio sheets exist.

I will use an Aristo doodlebug as a starting point. I’ve read Greg Elmassian and George Scheyer’s pages for them and they seem like a decent enough drive system. Ideally I’d like to find a 3D model of one in HO or O scale and see if I could convince its designer to print me a car body in 1:29 scale.

Does anyone know if the HO scale Walthers early version doodlebug is accurate? I could get one of those and use it to scale up times three.

Any ideas?

Cheers,
Matt

#2

Will you be going for a full interior Matt?

#3

I have a old Walthers Doodlebug if you need measurements. If you want to pay for shipping, I’d loan it out to you

One of these is on my some day project list.

#4

No, I don’t usually do interiors on my builds. Takes too much time for something mostly unseen.

Cheers,
Matt

#5

Matt, maybe contact Sperry, they might have an archivist who’ll get you digital plans.
https://www.sperryrail.com/

#6

The Danbury Railroad Museum has one of the later examples, or they did. I haven’t checked the current roster. I’m only 20 minutes away, but kind of knee deep in packing and move planning.

Nope. Was owned by Sperry, but only as a parts unit. Originally from Remington Arms…

#7

Good idea! I’ll send them an email.

Thanks,
Matt

#8

Matt,

Drawings for the Sperry Rail Car appeared in the January 1952 issue of Model Railroader. If you don’t have access to that issue, I can send you a copy.

Bob

#9

Folks;

Not positive, but I think the unit Jon showed was originally a Mack bus (perhaps built 1953) built as a last-ditch effort to save passenger service on New Haven RR branch lines. I don’t think the New Haven ever took possession of these vehicles, and Sperry bought them instead. They represented Mack’s last attempt at rail vehicles. Many of Mack’s passenger rail vehicles had bodies and controls built by Brill, but the vehicle illustrated was all Mack.

Regards, David Meashey

1 Like
#10

Honestly Matt,

If my opinion means anything I would personally forget about true to scale. As you stated HOW DO YOU KNOW if an Ho or O scale model is even a correct representation so why bother. You also stated you are not doing interior so once again why bother with true to scale.

If I was to approach this build and (yes, I have debated one of their cars in the past) I would stick with your Aristo Doodlebug approach and mod it from there. One key factor I have found when trying to represent a model of such is simple. I count windows and judge the rest of the spacing by eye.
Now if you want to concern yourself with the roof production that is a different approach. Or the measurements of the equipment that Sperry rail added, once again a different approach. No disrespect but some of you guys get too hung up on proper scale and 3d printing.

Now if you want to get serious about a plan cause I don’t take a dump without a plan. You could start at the St Louis Car Company archives as they are the ones that manufactured it for the railroads that purchased the cars before Sperry Rail got a hold of them. Remember that what you may read online is not always correct so sometimes when modeling not building a scale exact replica you have to go on speculation. Below are a few links that may help and remember it is all in how you search and what your after.

This may or may not help and it’s very common to hear “Shut up Rooster” so no harm no FOWL.
:rooster:

Sperry Rail Service

http://www.trainweb.org/elso/SRSROST1.HTM

1 Like
#11

Looks like they got their parts.

#12

You are correct sir…

ex Sperry Rail Services (parts)
exx Remington Arms #2
nee New Haven #15
Arrived Danbury 9/7/1996
Donated by Sperry Rail Services
Built 1954 by the Mack Truck Co., Allentown, PA

The New Haven Railroad, while under Frederick C. Dumaine, Jr. contracted Mack Trucks to produce ten of these units for branch line use. Dumaine designated these cars FCDs in honor of his father, the recently retired chairman of the board. Due to management changes on the railroad, only one of the cars ever carried passengers and they were subsequently sold. In April of 1962 this unit was acquired by Remington Arms of Bridgeport, CT, where it was used as an industrial shuttle. Sperry Rail Services of Danbury purchased it in July of 1985, and in September of 1996 donated it to us. The Gijón Railway Museum in Gijón, Spain informed us that they have an FCD as well, and that it had carried passengers in their country up until 1978.

[ Copied from the Danbury Railway Museum website which is the photo source ]

1 Like
#13

I tried to go there twice, going to visit you, or driving past you to Bob’s, but it was closed both times. Now that you’re moving south to EBT territory, I hope they’re open when I visit you or drive past you to EBT. Karma balance thing.

#14

Thanks for all the replies. I created this post and then promptly left town for 10 days! I did not get a reply from Sperry. Bob, I sent you a PM late last night.

Cheers,
Matt