Berkshire Valley ore wagon

[Mike McKenzie]

Just put together the new S scale Berkshire Valley ore wagon. Fun build, hope I got the hardware right. Laser cut wood and white metal castings. Kept the reach loose in case I want to hitch up a team in the future.

I understand Rich is working on a farm wagon as well. Nice to see these offered in S scale.

Mike

[Chris Walker]

[Rich Rands]

Great photo. Thanks Chris.
Rich Rands
www.berkshirevalleymodels.com

[Jim Courtney]

Beautiful model, Mike!

I have a couple of these kits to assemble. I really like the cast metal wheels with the spokes and rims.

Here is a photo of a similar ore wagon at the Chamberlain-Dillingham Sampler in Breckenridge:




Years ago, Keith started the popular "Vehicles" thread for period cars and trucks. Perhaps this thread can function as a repository for info on wagons. Prototype photos from Chis Walker's files and modeling information.

I've seen a number of photos of Geoff Hamway's wagons on his Sn3 Telluride layout. I'd love to have him post some here with comments on manufacturer, kit-bashing, horses and harness modeling.

Perhaps "Vehicles--The Prequel".

[Chris Walker]

How about a Sled version for the 9 months of Winter?  

Salida Photo Archive Photo.



And the local Transfer Dray, should you need some more inspiration.

Salida Photo Archive Photo.

[Chris Walker]

I thought you would've put this one up Jim!


Buckwater's iconic Leadville image.

DPL CHS-B59

[tonyk375]

Is that a vent in the door of the D&RG 4932?

[Chris Walker]

Tony,

more enlarging on my copy shows a line of boltheads along the upper edge and a single halfway down on each side of the dark rectangle, suggesting that it may well be.   I don't recall noting another image showing that feature on a Boxcar.  Fruitcar doors(I think) were different.

[Jim Courtney]

Curiouser and curiouser . . .

The two planks running from the back of the wagon to the boxcar door opening look to have ice chips on them to me.

And what is between the two vertical white marks on the door, above and to the left of the "vent"? Is it a knob of some sort, to open and close the "vent"?

The South Park's two classes of Tiffany reefers didn't have ice hatches on the roof ends. Blocks of ice were placed in the cars along with the perishable goods to be shipped. The vents on the ends of the Tiffanys circulated air among the ice and perishables to keep them cool. Perhaps this a similar design. Or perhaps the car is carrying ice, either being loaded from the wagon or in the process of being unloaded to the wagon.

Sloan's Century + Ten . . . book says that the D&RG 4932 was one of the 30'  20-ton boxcars purchased from Ohio Falls Car Manufacturing Co. of Indiana in 1895 and 1896, a total of 400 cars in two orders, the first order was numbered in the 4400-4499 and the 4900 to 4999 block, replacing vacated car numbers. Sloan makes no mention of ventilated boxcars in this order.

I have a couple of Leadville Shops kits of this car to build for my 1909 interchange roster. This would be a nice detail!

Sounds like we need some D&RG freight car scholars to opine . . .


And BTW here is a wagon a bit overloaded with grain and another 30' D&RG boxcar:




D&RG 4259 was apparently one of the second order of Ohio Falls cars. At first I thought that there was another rectangular dark vent at the right end, over the stirrup, but then realized one of the coatless guys had hung a dark coat over the grab iron at the top of the rectangle. Another coat was just left on the ground!

In a world powered by non-iron horses, grain and hay were important commodities for shipping by rail.

[Paul R.]

Have you noticed the difference in the wheels between the ore wagons and the grain wagon.Paul R.

[Chris Walker]

Jim wrote:
The two planks running from the back of the wagon to the boxcar door opening look to have ice chips on them to me.

The whole Highsider load of planks and beams in the process of being off-loaded onto the Dray is covered with snow and ice, so I don't think that is associated with "refrigerated" transport.


And what is between the two vertical white marks on the door, above and to the left of the "vent"? Is it a knob of some sort, to open and close the "vent"?

Appears like 11 (eleven) in chalk marks to me Jim, the common Switchman mark-ups that we even had here.

That picture has to one of the very best for details, obscure and otherwise I've ever seen.  Just sweet detailing on the Harness with the domes and lettering of the company "Salida Fuel Co" yet the Dray is "Henry  John's Transfer Co."

[Jim Courtney]

Okay, Chris, I get it now.

Your beautiful photo is so large that the gon with lumber load was off to the right of my margin until I looked at the entire photo. So, my "two planks" are the first two boards of an entire car load of lumber to be unloaded, all with a layer of ice or snow. Explains why there is a bit of ice on the ground, but only at the rear of the wagon--fell off there as the boards were transferred.

You sure there is nothing between the "ones" of your chalked number 11? Looks kind'a like a NBW, possibly a small handle.

And in the photo I posted, note a couple of rocks on the ground, one has been used as a "chock" behind the rear wagon wheel.

Here's another, teamsters waiting at the Breck depot for the passenger train, to unload express:

[Chris Walker]

It looks to me, a Hasp, hanging down ?  but certainly the white marks resemble chalked numerals in the execution.  Any other suggestions welcome.

I don't think it's a doorpull, that looks to be below and vertical, although other Boxcar images show the doorpull as a handle, horizontally along bottom centre of the door.  I need to go through my D&RG folder yet, searching out early Boxcar Door hardware.

DPL X-61973 Car door at right rear of the Depot for comparison?



If anyone needs details on Horsedrawn wagon and wheel construction then EnglesCoachShop on Youtube is the place to go.

[Jim Courtney]

I was checking out S scale stuff on eBay this morning and noticed Berkshire Valley's new S scale farm wagon kits:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/286050034423?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20240131095853%26meid%3D4183349cbfa940d5a41f8d5c51604fcc%26pid%3D101949%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D286050034423%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2WithMLRV6RankerPricelessTop30Features&_trksid=p4375194.c101949.m162918&_trkparms=parentrq%3Acda737701910a88055aaf8fcffffe2c4%7Cpageci%3A67754612-6d43-11ef-bf4b-d2b76e458552%7Ciid%3A1%7Cvlpname%3Avlp_homepage

They look fantastic, so I ordered a couple!

[Rich Rands]

Oh boy, I wasn't going to announce the wagons yet because we leave for NNGC early tomorrow morning and then a vacation in Maine. Won't be able to ship any new orders until Sept. 25. We will make a run to the PO around lunch today.
We will have quite a few at the show.
Thanks for the plug though!!
Rich Rands
www.berkshirevalleymodels.com

[Rich Rands]

We are back from the NNGC and and vacation. Have plenty of the #3100 Farm wagons available.
www.berkshirevalleymodels.com

[Chris Walker]

Denver Public Library X-62124