Working With Wood Loads Part 2

 Greetings All, 

Working With Wood Loads Part 2

Welcome to part 2 of the working with wood loads projects. I've pretty much completed my goal of lumber loads and crated machinery. A tedious process but I think the results were worth it. Lets take a look at some of the completed projects.

A before look at the high & wide crate sitting on this C&NW depressed center flatcar.

The crate has been weathered with wood bracing added. Note the 1/64" strip wood extending below the deck to keep the load in place. This makes it easily removable for other H&W loads while bracing conveys a means to keep the load secure.

Crated diesel engines as built.

Now weathered and layout ready.

The ACL flatcar with crated diesel engines gets spotted at Empire City Caterpillar.

A pair of large as built crates ride on the APRR bulkhead flatcar.

The crates and bracing have been weathered and the load is now layout ready.

The Rock Island 60' bulkhead flatcar gets loaded at reliable Machine Company with crated machinery.

The Rock Island 60' bulkhead flatcar with crated machinery is moved to North Side Yard for movement to its consignee. Note the 1/64th" wood extending just below the cars deck to hold the load in place. The stake pockets on this car and several others are not open and drilling thru them was a no go based on car construction.

The crates and bracing have picked up some road grime during the trip from North Side Yard to Terminal Yard.

On another day the Rock Island 60' bulkhead flatcar arrives in Terminal Yard loaded with lumber.

The ROCK 60'er joins several other bulkhead flats loaded with new lumber loads like this APRR 60'er to serve online industry Neal's Lumber & Hardware.

A 67' MDW bulkhead flatcar arrives in Terminal Yard with a new load of Boise Cascade lumber.

Last but not least are three 50' pulpwood bulkhead flatcars now loaded with timber. Still needs some weathering and maybe some painted ends.

Got wood? A wood products train rolls towards Terminal Yard.

Final Thoughts and Comments

Many of the large lumber loads had to be built car specific so I could add the strip wood that extends below the flatcar decks to sit snugly and keep the loads from shifting. This was the solution that worked for me with the cars that didn't have open stake pockets and were unable to be drilled open.

The loads still need weathering and once I settle on how I want them to look using prototype photos I'll take care of that.

Thanks for reading and watching!!!

See you soon!!!