Greetings All,
Freight Car Spotlight #7-2022
Today's freight car spotlight will focus on this Athearn 50' double door Detroit & Toledo Shoreline boxcar #4053 that I purchased at an area train show in January 2022.
The D&TS 4053 is an older kit and one I really wanted as soon as I saw it. As a fan of the Emery Gulash photos and videos the D&TS was a constant presence in his recording of railroad action.
Prototype Information
The Detroit & Toledo Shoreline RR was a 50 mile Class 1 railroad jointly owned by the Nickel Plate and Grand Trunk Western. The RR was founded in 1903 and was absorbed into the GTW in 1981 after the GTW bought the 50% ex NKP share from Norfolk Southern.
The D&TS was a well maintained double tracked RR that featured a hump yard, CTC traffic control and became fully dieselized in 1953. Later locomotives, all EMD, were painted in a Nickel Plate RR scheme.
Most of the RRs revenue came from hauling bituminous coal from Toledo connections to industries in Southeast Michigan and Southern Ontario. Additional revenue came from hauling auto parts from Detroit to their Toledo connections.
Model Information
The D&TS slogan boasted it being the "Expressway For Industry" as it ran under or along side the newly built Interstate 75. Car #4053 is in dedicated service and is to be returned when empty to the agent D&T Shoreline RR Detroit, MI.
A large square herald proudly shows the cars ownership.
The car is typical for an early Athearn Blue Box kit with a rusty weight and horn hook couplers.
The chassis, weight, trucks, coupler box lids and wheel faces have all been painted rattle can flat black. Proto 2000 metal wheelsets and Kadee #27 couplers have been installed.
The cars floor has been rattle can painted in gray primer and one ounce of additional weight has been added.
The D&TS 4053 makes its first delivery to the Bedford Park Ford Plant.
An empty car waybill directs the car to return to the Shoreline at Detroit, MI when empty in compliance with the D&TS car forwarding instructions on the car's sides.
The car is assembled and tested on the height gauge.
The DT&S 4053 is now ready for service. A car card and waybill have been prepared for the car to haul auto parts from the Ford Rouge Plant in Detroit to my Bedford Park Ford Plant.
Model to Prototype Comparison
Checking various RR websites I came across the following photographs of D&TS boxcars in the 4000 and 3600 series.
D&TS 4027 No date or location.
D&TS 4045 at Concord Ontario in 1970.
D&TS 3662 at Marshalltown, Iowa in 1969.
The above three cars closely resemble the model with the exception of the herald. The prototype herald has a red background and the model a black background.
Additional Comments
Having this boxcar running on the layout brings back memories of the Emery Gulash videos from Green Frog videos like the Penn Central Odyssey, New York Central Odyssey and Michigan Fast Freight and gives the car a time and place of origin that I both recognize and enjoy.
Empty Waybill Slips
I've adopted using an empty car slip or waybill for forwarding empty cars. The car card has a Return Empty To feature printed on it that is visible when you remove the waybill. Not wanting to have to store the waybills in a separate file the empty car slip allows the car to move loaded and empty with both waybills stored in the car card pocket.
Additional Reading
Grand Trunk Wester RR Historical Society page about the Detroit & Toledo Shoreline.
The Detroit & Toledo Shoreline RR by Geletzke and Hague.
Thanks for reading!!!
See you soon!!!
Very nice work adding a new freight car to the railroad. These small shortlne railroads always add something to a layout or, as in your case, to your operating sessions. Great job bringing the kit up to NMRA specs!
ReplyDeleteThank you 1:1 Sir Neal!!!
DeleteGreat catch finding this car that sets a sense of time and era! You did your usual nice job updating couplers floor and wheels! Good plan with the empty waybill slips!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ralph!!
Delete