Re: [CBQ] types of gallery cars

["zephyr98072" <glenehaug@msn.com>]

I mentioned before that there were quite a few subtle differences in the gallery cars.  I hesitated to post anything since explanations are lengthy, but they may be of interest to some, so I will include what my research of many years ago uncovered.

The number of important variations depends on how critical you want to be.  It also depends on whether the car is modeled as a retrofitted BN car, since some of the underbody differences of the CB&Q cars were eliminated when they were retrofitted.  The obvious differences, such as control cars vs. trailers, cars with or without toilets, former CB&Q cars with letterboards vs. BN cars without, have all been pointed out.  Other subtle differences are listed below. 

 

GRAB IRONS on car sides:  the first 30 cars (700-729) had vertical grab irons on the sides, at the end of the car.  All of the remaining cars, including the BN cars, had ‘L’ shaped grab irons.  All of the ‘L’ shaped grab irons on the cars without toilets have 19” vertical and horizontal legs.  On cars with toilets, the left-front grab iron has a 21” horizontal leg, due to the fastener being relocated on account of the toilet. 

 

‘L’ SHAPED FLUTING above the center door:  this fluting runs above the center door with a vertical leg on each end.  On the first 60 cars (700-759), the fluting has an inside and outside radius.  The fluting on the remaining cars has no outside radius, and instead has pointed corners. 

 

END DETAIL differences:  the first 60 cars had two rectangular junction boxes attached to the ends, one on either side of the end door.  Each junction box had 3 conduit pipes attached to it, which ran up toward the roof and into the plenum chamber (which ran the length of the car under the ceiling).  When the control cars (790-795) and trailers (760-787) were delivered in 1965, they were equipped with a third junction box on the left side of all blind (not control) ends, and a fourth conduit pipe, all for push-pull operation.  Not all IF ANY of the first 60 cars were converted to push-pull operation (I am going to try and verify this if I can contact Dave Hoffman).  Junction box and conduit changes to the first 60 cars after 1965 are too complicated to discuss here, so there may have been a few conversions. 

 

END GRAB IRONS:  the 1965 cars had ‘angled’ end grab irons, whereas cars 700-759 had vertically oriented grab irons.  There is also evidence that some grab irons on the first 60 cars were changed after 1965, possibly for conduit changes for conversion.

I will cover the underbody in another email.

Glen Haug

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From: CBQ@groups.io <CBQ@groups.io> on behalf of trains@davidstreeter.net <trains@davidstreeter.net>
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2022 11:41 AM
To: CBQ@groups.io <CBQ@groups.io>
Subject: [CBQ] types of gallery cars

 

The apparent confusion at Rapido got me to thinking...

 From my personal observations, there are five types of Burlington
gallery cars.

1: name board, no toilet, no cab, starting with 700.
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4541152
2: name board, toilet, no cab, ending with 787. (I have never seen a 788
or 789.) http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2694678
3: name board, toilet, cab, 790-795. (no photo found on rrpicturearchives)
4: no name board, toilet, cab, 796-815.
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3308020 (shown with cab
blanked)
5: no name board, toilet, no cab, 816-820.
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3200666

I believe types 1 and 2 were ordered in alternating lots, but I don't
have ready access to my notes detailing which numbers are which types.

I believe Metra has purged all of type 1.

Metra has removed the cabs from all type 3 and 4 cars, plating over the
end and side windows.

In my mind, types 4 and 5 are "BN cars," but I don't know when they were
actually ordered. I assume they were bought by WSMTD rather than the
railroad itself.

All cars with toilets are oriented with the toilet in the southwest
corner. This was the biggest flaw with the Holgate & Reynolds and Kiel
(Keil?) Line models: they had the toilet in the wrong place so it would
be the northwest corner.

In all groups, underbody details changed over time, first with 480V HEP
replacing the propane air conditioners, and I think the HEP connectors
were modified when the E9s were retired. And of course the big  BN logo
boards were added below the windows, etc.

After type 5 come the various orders of "RTA cars" which look different
and have 4-digit numbers.

Do I have all of this right?

--
David Streeter

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