Late 1800's, early 1900's

[Joe L]

I'm looking for a source or maybe some mind corrections.

I am having a tough time finding or figuring out rolling stock, Ore cars, caboose, etc from that period. I am assuming most are wood created cars or maybe I am looking right at them when I search the hobby sites and the cars I see not knowing they were also from this period.

I have searched the Internet today for hrs and am not finding much of anything. Can anyone point me in a direction? It would be appreciated. I just ordered my 2-6-0 mogul and now I need to start mining... Thanks, Joe

[SteamDonkey74]

If you are interested in mining, I don't know many RTR cars but randgust has kits for making 7 ton ore cars based on V&T prototypes. I built two three-car sets of these and they went rather quickly.

A lot of your boxcars would be wooden from that period. There are not a lot of these available in current N scale offerings. It seems the focus on releases is mostly WWII to present.

[BarstowRick]

Something else that might help here. Look at the builders dates in the fine data on a train car you are interested in. I realize that's hard to do in N or Z scale but in HO it's a relatively easy find.

If the car looks older that's a good hint. Ie., 40' tank, box, flats and the likes with early railroad markings is another clue. In the early 1900's, 50 footers started showing up along with full length 85 or 86 foot passenger cars. Many of the early woodsided or outside braced box cars or reefers were shopped and metal siding added to the exterior.

The library can be a good source for finding older videos of early trains as well as the obvious supply of books.

I hope that helps.

[Tudor]

Im not so sure there are allot for that period either. Not sure if you could do anything with the old Bachmann "Old Timer" series cars, maybe to kit bash something. They have a gondola, box car, water car from that period, but they are the old, not well detailed cars. Other than that, just scratch building something from prototype pictures, or taking some early wood sheathed cars adding truss rods and kit bashing some of those to suit your era..

Cool era, and not sure why they don't offer as much. But I assume because it is a minority of modelers that did any more with it other than express coolness of it.

[brokemoto]

The American Railroad Freight Car by J.H. White, Jr. is indispensible to nineteenth century modelling. You will learn many interesting facts from this book. I never knew that the tank car took its modern form in the 1850s. I also learned that what Bachmann sells as a 'tank car' actually bears a closer resemblance to something that the Baltimore and Ohio used to haul coal in the 1840s to the 1870s. These are just two things that I learned.

What is out there:

POWER-

Athearn sells 1880s 2-6-0s and 2-8-0s. These are copies of the old MDC design, so if you find MDC/Roundhouse moguls and consolidateds out there, they are allright to buy. Athearn made a few improvements, notably MicroTrains couplers fore and aft.

Atlas sells an 1870s 2-6-0. These are rather finicky due to their small size and few wheels that actually pick up electric. When they run, they run well. Do not use on pikes with plastic frog switches.

Bachpersonn sells an 1860s/1870s 4-4-0. Many pan these, but, considering what they are, they are not all that bad. They do require hour-upon-hour of break in time and should not operate on pikes with plastic frog switches.

Model Power sells a 4-4-0 and a 2-6-0. These are actually very late 1890s to early 1900s designs. These are based on very late 1890s/early 1900s designs. The 4-4-0 does not pull much. The 2-6-0 is a very good puller, but the presence of the traction tyres compromises the electrical contact to the point that it will stall, even on straight and level, at speeds less than thirty five SMPH. Their 1970s construction methods hurt the performance of these locomotives. Swapping out the stock MP tender for an all wheels live tender, such as any of the B-mann SPECTRUMs or the Kato USRA Standard will provide a major help to the performance of these locomotives.


The only one of these in current production is the B-personn 4-4-0. Still, all of the above are still out there at shows and at dealers as NOS.

Passenger cars-

B-mann sells a coach and a combine. They do require lowering the ride height to improve the appearance.

Athearn sells, and MDC sold fifty foot cars in the following body styles: combine, coach, sleeper and 'business'.

Athearn sells, and MDC sold thirty four foot cars in the following body styles: baggage, combine, coach, 'business'.

Freight cars-

Bachmann sells a boxcar, a flat car, a 'gondola' and a 'tank car'. See my above comment on the 'tank' car. The gondola is really their flat car with sides, which is what many gondolas really were, even up to the early 1890s.

Athearn sells, and MDC sold refrigerators, stock and box cars.

The B-mann four wheel caboose is based on a Reading Company prototype.

Arnold sold a four wheel caboose based on a Baltimore and Ohio prototype.

The Athearn/MDC appears to be based on a NYCs prototype, except that the cupola is far too large.


These are the RTR and shake of the box items out there. There are some craftsman kits out there, as well.

Micro-Trains sells archbar trucks, which was a standard truck of that era. They also sell Andrews trucks, which appeared in the early twentieth century.

If you want structures, check out some of the sites of the manufacturers of narrow gauge items, such as Republic Locomotive Works.

Take a peek at my photo album on Railimages. It is all nineteenth century stuff.

[spyder62]

I have some that will work in the early 1900's and am working on some more even passenger cars. The passenger car is first idea build and not mounted to trucks or even right kind.
rich
http://www.rslaserkits.com/N-RollingStock.html
http://www.rslaserkits.com/images/100_6484.JPG

[Joe L]

Thanks guys. Good info and I am now thinking its time to do a bit of research and start building my own. Joe

[brokemoto]

Thank you, spyder62, you were one of the kit manufacturers of whom I was thinking but could not remember the name. Do hobby stores stock your kits? Do any show vendors stock your kits? Or must I order them from your site?

Thank you for speaking up.

[Joe L]

Originally Posted by spyder62

I have some that will work in the early 1900's and am working on some more even passenger cars. The passenger car is first idea build and not mounted to trucks or even right kind.
rich
http://www.rslaserkits.com/N-RollingStock.html
http://www.rslaserkits.com/images/100_6484.JPG

Very nice, now thats along the lines I'm looking for.

[oldrk]

Somebody was selling sets of the old time bachmann gons and flats in runs of ten each a while back so i got some and customized them a bit. Here are some pix.