PART I

PRE-WORLD WAR II CARS

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48301 – 50100

60000 – 61299 . . . 1932 ARA BOXCARS

MISCELLANEOUS OLDER CARS

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San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato – 1968

Toshihiko Yamada photo

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Last revised September 13, 2007

NdeM 48301 – 50100

The following photo clearly shows the square corner of the Riveted 2-Piece 5/3 Dreadnaught End. Noteworthy to the modeler is the side grab-iron ladders and the extensive drop on the lowest grab. Notice the additional plates at the bottom of each side panel and the rusted through sections above the one bolster.

A large number of this group were assigned to MWX service and renumbered to the 95000 – 95830 series in the late 1950’s. The first of this series, numbers 95000 – 95427 appeared with this reclassification in the April 1959 issue of the ORER. It is not customary for railways to list its ‘in house’ or ‘maintenance cars’ in the OFFICAL RAILWAY EQUIPMENT REGISTER and by the April 1962 issue the NdeM discontinued this practice.

NdeM 95831

Torreon, Coahuila – Date (?) – Juan Garcia photo

SPECIFICATIONS

Built 1929/30

- 40’-7” IL, 8’-6” IW, 9’-0” IH with a capacity of 80,000 lbs, 3105 cu.ft.

- 10 panel riveted sides with straight side sills

- 6’ wide door opening

- Radial Roof

- 5/3 Dreadnaught style ends

- Built with the KC Brake system

- Ajax Power Assisted Hand Brake and Wheel

- AAR Type D – Top operated couplers

- Andrews 40-ton trucks with removable 5” x 9” solid bearing journal

Cars in revenue service; 1686 (1952), 700 (1962)

MODELING OF SERIES 48301 – 50100

REFER TO APPENDIX A

FOR THE DETAILED MODELING OF THIS SERIES

REFERENCES

- Additional photos of this series of cars my be found on Juan Viladrosa’s site . . . HTTP://FERROCARRILMEXICANO1.tripod.com and are as follows:

1) NdeM 49746

2) NdeM 95722

- Photographs of 48320 and 49631 may be purchased from Bob’s Photo; both are in service photos dated in the early 1950’s. The address for Bob’s Photo is: Bob’s Photo – P.O. Box 209 – Farmers, KY 40319

NdeM 95831 (Frame and Brake System)

Juan Garcia Photo

The main feature of the ARA or later AAR frame is its construction. The center sill is fabricated from two parallel ‘Z’ bars opposing each other with the top flanges welded together. Design of the under frame on the NdeM 48301-50100 series is significantly different, employing a double channel center sill replacing the earlier USRA ‘Fish-Belly’ style.

The revised design employed a center sill constructed from two large fabricated ‘C’ channels with the top flanges riveted to a plate. In addition, there were two cross-bearers located under the doorposts. Five crossties, two on each side of the door were located between the cross-bearers and the bolsters plus the fifth centred between the cross-bearers. The side sills are large ‘C’ channels with the ‘C’ facing the center of the car.

NdeM 95831 (B-End)

Juan Garcia photo

The ‘K’ style brake systems were banned in North American interchange service by 1953. However, the photo of NdeM 95831 (Frame and Brake System) shows clearly the KC brake system still in use 50 plus years later. The piston rod and most likely the rest of the brake rods are missing. The train line is going through the slot in the center sill. The other pipe is the steam line.

Straight-on end views of any freight car are uncommon. Yet, the following photo shows us the Ajax Brake wheel and housing, top operated coupler and shortened 6-rung ladder.

The steam line connection (opposite side of the coupler from the air or train line connection hose) and the chains were added when the car was converted to express service and are required only when the car is part of a passenger train. When modeling a standard freight boxcar, the steam line and safety chains would not be present.

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Last revised August 12, 2007

1932 ARA Boxcars . . . NdeM 60000 – 61299

This series of boxcars were build by three different fabricators in five separate orders in 1935 and 1937. The first group, numbers 60000 – 60599 were built in May of 1935 by the Pullman-Standard Company (lot #5505). The same year the General American Transportation Corp. built numbers 60600 – 60799. These first two orders were followed in 1937 with three additional boxcar orders; the first, numbers 60800 – 60949, were again placed with Pullman-Standard (lot #5572) and were built in September. The remaining two orders, numbers 60950 – 61124, went to American Car & Foundry (Lot #1717) and, to the General American Transportation Corp., numbers 61125 – 61299. Both were built in November.

The car in the following picture has the black and white NdeM shield and contains the dimensional data in both Spanish and English. The standard paint scheme up until the late 1930’s incorporated this bilingual data. By the 1942 Magor order the scheme was modified to Spanish only.

NdeM 61063

ACF Industries – November 1937 – Hawkins/Wider/Long Collection

SPECIFICATIONS

1932 ARA Standard Steel Boxcar

- 40’-6” IL, 8’-9” IW, 9’-4” IH with a capacity of 90,000 lbs, 3311 cu.ft,

- 10-Panel riveted sides

- Murphy 7/8 Ends . . . Counting from the Top-Down

- Lap Seam Roof

- 6’ wide door opening with reversed Creco doors

- AB Brake system

- Miner Power Assisted Hand Brake with quick release lever

- AAR Type D – Top operated couplers

- Andrews 3-spring 50-ton trucks with removable 5½” x 10” solid bearing journals

Cars in revenue service; 1240 (1952), 1051 (1962)

MODELING OF SERIES 60000 – 61299

Modeling this car is relatively straight forward as Sunshine Models produces an excellent resin flat kit. Following the instructions will produce a very accurate proto-type model. The kit is not available at hobby shops. It must be ordered direct from Sunshine Models – Box 4997 – Springfield, MO. 65808-4997, and is complete with the bi-lingual decals.

I do not recommend this type of model for the novice. For those wishing to learn the assembly procedures for building a flat kit, I would recommend starting with the R-40-4 PFE Reefer by Tichy Train Group #4024, as styrene is a lot easier to work with.

As a side note, the Pacific Fruit Express Ice Reefers were used throughout Mexico, and thus would make good interchange cars adding interest to your model roster. Generally, they were operated in blocks in route to Mexico City, Guadalajara or north bound to the United States. Frequently, the PFE Reefers also appeared as single head-end cars in mixed trains.

NdeM 60718

Jalapa, Veracruz – March 4, 1975 – Matt Herson photo

Part of a work train carrying crane parts

REFERENCES

- Mainline Modeler, Oct. 1992 . . . ARA 1932 BOX CAR by Martin Lofton

- Railroad Model Craftsman, Sept 2005 . . . ESSENTIAL FREIGHT CARS: 23 by Ted Culotta

- THE AMERICAN RAILWAY ASSOCIATION STANDARD BOXCAR OF 1932 . . .

Speedwitch Media

- Additional photos may be found on Juan Viladrosa’s site . . . HTTP://FERROCARRILMEXICANO1.tripod.com and are as follows:

1) NdeM 60191

2) NdeM 60569

3) NdeM 951xx

4) NdeM 95747

- An in service photograph from the early 1950’s of 60117 may be purchased from Bob’s Photo.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

NdeM 1393

At the Railway Museum Torreon, Coahuila – September 11, 2004 – Juan Garcia photo

NdeM 1393 (B-End)

Juan Garcia photos

Points worth noting on the end views of 1393 are; the Miner Brake wheel and housing with quick release lever, top operated coupler and shortened 6-rung ladder. The steam line connection (opposite side of the coupler from the air or train line connection hose) and the chains were added when the car was converted to medical services usage and are required only when the car is part of a passenger train.

NdeM 1394

Railway Workers Union Medical Services

Pantaco passenger yard – 1977 – Toshihiko Yamada photos

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Last revised August 16, 2007

Miscellaneous Older Cars

Still in Revenue Service

There were several older cars still listed in revenue service in 1962. Unfortunately, the only information I have for most of them is the car numbers and basic dimensions. Over time I have found a few photos but very few with a legible service numbers. Included is an outline of the older cars as general information; however with limited information, accurate notes for modeling are unavailable.

7900 – 11447

- 36’-0” IL, 8’-6” IW, 7’-8” IH with a capacity of 80,000 lbs (based on the inside width and the extreme outside width of 9’-10” – this is an outside braced car)

- 6’-0 wide door opening

- 1’-11” wide x 8” high end door opening

Cars in service; 618 (1952), 381 (1962)

11500 – 11786

- 36’-6” IL, 8’-6” IW, 8’-4” IH with a capacity of 80,000 lbs (based on the inside width and the extreme outside width of 9’-9” – this is an outside braced car)

- 5’-6 wide door opening

- 1’-11” wide x 8” high end door opening

Cars in service; 16 (1952), 5 (1962)

NdeM 11773

Emplame, Sonora – July 11,2005 – Eric Rodriguez photo

This photo of 11773 generates a small mystery. Essentially this car is a Southern Pacific class B-50-15 and clearly is not a 36-foot boxcar. Probably it is ex-FCP (2929 – 2932) renumbered to an empty number series during the FNM unification program in the late 1980’s. To model use Sunshine Models kit #38.4

11805 – 12822 or 12823

- 36’-0” IL, 8’-6” IW, 7’-10” IH with a capacity of 80,000 lbs (based on the inside width and the extreme outside width of 9’-7” – this is an outside braced car)

- 5’-6 wide door opening

- 1’-11” wide x 8” high end door opening

Cars in service; 148 (1952), 83 (1962)

The following photograph of boxcar 12823 generates another mystery. This car number was not listed in the January 1952 ORER. It was listed in the April 1959 issue as a 36’-0” IL car. The dimensional data on the car clearly states 12-plus meters, or approximately 40-feet. Again the car was not listed in the April 1962 issue of the ORER. Our mystery car has a single colored NdeM herald; the car color and the all-Spanish lettering and data indicates it was repainted in the 1940’s.

In appearance this car is very similar to the cars rebuilt by New York Central, lots 643-B and 644-B, with the only exception being the ends.

- To model, use Sunshine Models kit #64.3 with the 3/7/7 Murphy ends and fish belly center sill underframe.

- Make the slight modifications to the side sills to properly duplicate #12823.

- Use the AB brake system, if this system is not included as part of the kit, substitute in the system from Tichy Train Group.

- For the AAR trucks with spring planks use Accurail #100.

- Like the 1932 ARA boxcar this kit is not available at hobby shops and must be ordered direct from Sunshine Models.

NdeM 12823

Location (?) – Date (?) – Matt Herson collection

12855 – 12921

- 40’-6” IL, 8’-6” IW, 9’-2” IH with a capacity of 100,000

- 12’-0” wide door opening (most likely double doors)

- 9’-0” wide x 8’-8” wide end door opening

Cars in service; 37 (1952), 15 (1962)

13063 – 13162

- 40’-0” IL, 8’-6” IW, 8’-0” IH with a capacity of 80,000 lbs (based on the inside width and the extreme outside width of 9’-8” – this is an outside braced car)

- 10’-6” wide door opening (most likely what is referred to as 1 and ½ doors)

- 7’-6” wide x 7’-10” high end door opening

Cars in service; 22 (1952), 15 (1962)

44100 – 44124

- 40’-9” IL, 7’-8” IW, 8’-7” IH with a capacity of 80,000 lbs (based on the inside width and the extreme outside width of 9’-9” – this is an outside braced car)

- 6’-0 wide door opening

Cars in service; 25 (1952), 19 (1962)

48000 – 48299

- 40’-6” IL, 8’-6” IW, 9’-10” IH with a capacity of 80,000 lbs, 3098 cu.ft (based on the inside width and the extreme outside width of 9’-10” – this is an outside braced car)

- 6’-4” wide door opening

Cars in service; 245 (1952), 197 (1962)