Baggage #4

[Keith Hayes]

A few years back, a modeler asked the forum what we were using for baggage cars? The C&S had four baggage or express-only cars: numbers 1 and 2 were short, 2-door cars, measuring 34' over the sills; and two long, single-door cars. Number 3 measures 35' over the sills, and number 4 measures 40' over the sills (per Ken Martin). In the interim we have been blessed with a wood kit created by Bill Meredith for number 1 or 2, and a 3d resin print of number 4 by Ride Trains. I picked up my resin model of 4 at the Sn3 Symposium in Denver in Spring of 2026. Jim Courtney did a terrific post on his build of the Leadville Designs kit for number 1.

Here is the Ride Trains model as we accepted delivery. You get the body, underframe, trucks, brake wheels, a bag of screws, and some clear plastic for the clerestory windows. You have to provide wheelsets, couplers and decals. Oh, and chain and wire for grabs.

I just returned from the NNGC, where I procured the decals from Fred Hill with the intent of starting on my kit.

The body is crisply rendered, and lacks the fuzz on the siding of my RPO 13 print. No grab iron locations are spotted, and I was relieved that these were not part of the print, as I prefer to model these parts with wire. The light and stove vents are modeled (I wish they were separate parts), and a conduit snakes across the roof. The one visible downside is the print layers are very visible on the roof.

After unboxing, I washed all the parts in water and let them air dry. Then I sprayed the body and roof with Tamiya primer to see what I had to work with.

The painted roof is on the right, and the sanded are is on the left. I used sanding sponges and was able to sand most of the contours out. The conduit and vents are surprisingly robust,  but I still am taking care to be gentle around them. The sanded area is very smooth,  and I believe primer and paint will fill in the rest of the gaps.

The lower roof also has some visible lines, and will benefit from sanding as well.

[Keith Hayes]

Grab irons installation underway. These cars have a LOT of grabs, plus corner stirrups and steps under the side doors.

[Mike Trent]

Hi, Keith, are those apparently resin trucks included in the kit?

[Keith Hayes]

Yessir.

They roll well, but lack brake shoes. They also only have a brake hanger beam in one end, evidently intended to face the end of the car.

In my advancing years, I am more apt to reject brake rigging in favor of smooth operation. Whike the image of the beam sans brake shoes causes some cognitive dissonance and an occasional twitch,  I am hopeful the physical reaction will pass once I install chains and a pin release lever.

[Keith Hayes]

More jewelry.

These cars have TONS of grab irons and rails! And don't forget the retainer and brake wheel. Stirrups and the uncoupling lever remain to be added.

[Mike Trent]

Coming along nicely, Keith!

Is this available in On3 as well? I'm kinda getting the fever to add one of these to the roster.

Are the trucks 5'6"?

 

[Keith Hayes]

Mike, Ride Trains appears to have an On30 model of combine #20, but no other cars. You might inquire of Roy to see if he is willing to upsize Baggage #4.

The trucks are 5'-0" centers, but the bar that is below the bottom equalizer is fudged in. The underframe on my model has resin trussrods and turnbuckles--four of them. It is unclear to me if Baggage #4 had four trussrods, or only two. The queenposts in photos appear to have the side brace that appears on RPO #13, so I am apt to think the Baggage had this as well. I don't anticipate running the baggage much, so I plan to leave the underframe as is.

[Mike Trent]

Thanks, Keith. The only question I have on the 5' trucks is. wouldn't they have had outside hung brakes?

I'll try to contact Roy. I do have an unbuilt #20 here.

I'd probably go with two truss rods on C&S baggage cars. D&RG Baggage cars had four, but Ken Martin might be the best guy alive to ask. Weight was a real consideration for Baggage cars. Take a close look at the end beams. If there were four truss rods, the end beams would show that.

[Ken Martin]

I don't know how many truss rods the baggage cars had. I know the baggage-mail 10-12 had four having seen the underside in a wreck but have not seen anything on the baggage cars.

I also got the #4 but it is not on my immediate to do list. I do have #3 from a modified LaBelle and #1 from an E&B kit.

Ken Martin

[Keith Hayes]

Studying Hayes Hendricks' site, I am inclined to think the baggage cars and RPOs had two trussrods, under the outside sill. They had a smaller trussrod on the queen post that ran laterally. I got one of these castings to use on my model of RPO 13.

My Spidey Sense says that Roy started with D&RGW prototypes and expanded to C&S cars in response to requests. He likely is unaware of the underbody nuances we have all pieced together here.

Regarding the trucks, they have a sideframe and bolster, and one outside brake beam. The design favors installing the wheelsets and not breaking the casting over fidelity. Painted black, they will meet the Allen McClelland 'good enough' standard. Same with the truss rods--oh, and PS there are four NBWs on the end of the car, suggesting four truss rods. Uncoupling bars and stirrup steps will hide some of the issues.

Baggage 4 is just out of the paint shop.