Large Scale Central

Theres no bad weather

Modeling Rolling stock
#1

We had some bad weather over here in Germany the last 3 days. So I had no chance to run some trains outside so I started a little project i had in my mind for some weeks. As i`m modeling logging railroads I needed a water car. So here is how it turned out:

regards Marco

#2

You have a very nice layout - what make and type is it?

#3

@Norbert

At the moment im rebuilding my Layout. I hab to get rid of all this LGB R1 stuff that didnt fit my needs anymore.
Now im building a small switching layout with LGB track and R3 curves.

#4

Nice looking car. You can use that to fight fires as well

#5

And I believe that I recall an American prototype for a car of that shape that was used for a fire car.

Paul

#6

That ‘coffin’ tank shape belongs to the West Side Lumber Company’s tank car #5. It was used to haul fuel oil to the woods for the West Side’s Shay locomotives and other oil burning appliances. In its later (WSLCo) life it was equipped with a steam driven pump and used as a fire car.

It was originally built for the Nevada-California-Oregon NG RR, then purchased by the West Side. After the West Side closed, it went to the Roaring Camp & Big Trees NGRR, but it fell into total disrepair and was basically a pile of rotted timbers held together by the iron work. The tank car has now been rescued by the Sumpter Valley Railroad Restoration Group and is currently undergoing a total restoration at the Western Railway Preservation Society in Walla Walla WA. Here is their website page detailing the restoration process:

http://www.westernrailwaypreservation.org/tank5.html

–more history and a pix here:

http://www.westernrailwaypreservation.org/tank5_history.html

Be certain to scroll down the first link to the pix. It isn’t often that we get to see the inside of a nearly 100 year old tank car!

I am a real fan of this car, and am currently building a 1:20.3 model of it from a ‘kit’ produced by Bob Poli & Mike Gray.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

#7

Nice job Marco.

Jerry, thanks for the links.
Ralph

#8

Looks like it belongs that way from the beginning!

#9

Thanks for the comments guys.

Does someone know if they had special marks on their Fire Cars? Such as a W for water or something like that?
I searched the Internet but didnt came up with any result?

regards

Marco

#10

Marco:

I’ve never seen any special markings on a West Side Lumber Co. car, fire or otherwise. In fact, West Side rolling stock usually only had a simple number, with no other markings. The locomotives were lettered for the WSLCo., using a special orange color.

Further afield, the large, mostly standard gauge logging railroads did frequently have lettering that showed the type of service for special cars. I remember seeing a fire car painted red and marked “Fire Service” or something similar. Can’t remember which railroad, but I think it was one in Washington State.

I see you have an oil burning 3 truck Shay. You might also consider devoting the tank car to servicing the oil burning Shays, and build a more typical round tank car for water / fire service. Those cars usually had a pump surrounded by hand railings on the top or on one end, along with some large amount of hose.

BTW, Nice model of the coffin tank!!

Is your rail painted? Or is it possibly the new Train Li plastic rail?

Happy RRing,

Jerry