Tuscarora Valley Railroad market car #207, built on a Bachmann box car. Full details can be found here: http://www.mylargescale.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=37979 It’s currently in the process of being painted, hopefully to be finished by this weekend; bottles and diapers not-withstanding. Later, K
Very nice, Kevin. What exactly is a market car?
Gee Kevin…I thought YOU were weaned and potty trained already!!
It doesn’t have near enough grab irons on it yet 
Bart Salmons said:Someone had to say it... ;)
Gee Kevin....I thought YOU were weaned and potty trained already!!
Market cars were used primarily in agricultural regions to transport farmers’ produce to market. While one farmer wouldn’t have enough produce to fill a car, multiple farmers along the railroad would. In the Tuscarora Valley’s case, the market car always ran up with the passenger car, so it’s very likely the farmer road with his produce to market; the end doors allowing easy access to and from.
I’m learning that such cars were present on a handful of eastern narrow gauge lines. The TVRR had three on their roster (which only included 8 box cars total). I’ve also discovered evidence of at least one such car on the EBT, though it was never rostered as such. (Typically, these were just included as box cars.) The nearby Newport & Sherman’s Valley had at least one as well.
Gary, the more I research early narrow gauge equipment, the more I’m amazed at the athleticism of brakemen in that era. I find it hard enough to climb around on today’s equipment. To do that with half as many (if not fewer) grab irons, in anything less than perfect weather, without falling off is simply amazing. (Remembering also, many brakemen didn’t have all their fingers, either.)
Later,
K
Ok, that makes sense. Thanx…
OK you convinced me…the WV&K needs a market car or three…
Interesting…
So the inside might have had shelves where they put their produce?
Nifty idea and nice work, Kevin. When you switch it, do you just leave it on a team track?
Tom… I’d be inclined to believe that, or at least rudimentary tables of some such. The one car that survived on the TVRR after the line shut down was used as a shed, so it’s hard to tell what the original configuration of the interior was.
Bruce… The photos I’ve seen of this car show it up with the passenger cars, so I think they treated it as a baggage/express car. The TVRR ran predominently mixed trains, so it’s hard to tell, exactly. I would assume there a specific spot where they spotted the car. Many stations had small freight platforms either adjacent to the station, or across the tracks from them. Many photos show these platforms stocked with milk cannisters, as milk was big business on the line, serving the Breyers creamery at the northern terminus of Port Royal. (I knew there was a reason I liked this railroad.)
Later,
K