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Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Richard Hendrickson’s lumber loads

Awhile back, I showed photos of several dramatic freight car loads built by Richard Hendrickson, loads which required two or more cars to transport (see it at: http://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2015/03/richard-hendricksons-multi-car-loads.html ). Richard was obviously intrigued by those kinds of loads and thus built a number of them. He also was intrigued by lumber loads, and built several different kinds, which I want to show in this post. (You can click on any of these images to enlarge them.)
     After packing up all of Richard’s freight cars, I photographed almost every one, before distributing most of them to his many friends. Thus I have the photos to show, even of cars I no longer have. One thing to realize: he almost always glued loads onto or into cars, partly so he could freely model tie-down or other attachment methods, without having to worry about removability. All the ones shown here are glued on. For his diorama-style layout design, there was to have been little or no switching, so there was no need for removable loads.
     I will begin with one of his oldest models of a lumber load, a converted Athearn 40-foot flat car with upgraded details. It is lettered for Great Northern 69534, the prototype for which is indeed quite similar to the Athearn model.


The lumber load here is a triple stack, a common practice which is seen in prototype photos. The load is entirely built board-by-board, though it is hollow.
     A similar load in terms of lumber size is this one, on a Tichy 40-foot flat car. The Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis is one of the prototypes for which the Tichy car is an almost exact match, thus this choice of NC&StL 70153 lettering.


This load also is board-by-board, and is hollow.
     Sometimes prototype photos do show much larger timbers being moved on flat cars, and Richard modeled an example, in this case using one of the WestRail models from his own company. It is a 53-foot, 6-inch car, lettered Northern Pacific 62148.


     Another interesting variation is creosoted lumber, such as bridge timbers or other kinds of uses, modeled here on an SL-SF flat car (modified from an Athearn 40-foot model). Lettering is SL-SF 95470. In this case, Richard applied cast brass stake pockets on the car to replace the rather oversize pockets molded by Athearn, and as you can see, was able to represent side stakes extending through these pockets. These same pockets were provided in the WestRail flat car kits.


     Finally, not really lumber but certainly forest products, is this striking load of creosoted poles, again on one of Richard’s own WestRail models. This too is  a 53-foot, 6-inch car, numbered UP 57255. Here, he chose to use very fine wire for the cross-ties on the stakes, something often seen on the prototype but rarely modeled. The poles are sanded-down chopsticks.


     The variety of these loads, and the fine modeling achieved to represent them, including the accurate load securements, are another testimony to Richard Hendrickson’s skills. They have given me modeling ideas, and I hope you may have a few also.
Tony Thompson

8 comments:

  1. Interesting post - thanks Tony. While you no longer have some of these models, I wonder if those who do could take some close-ups of things like the tie-downs?

    You note that Richard permanently attached all of his lumber loads, and you add...

    "For his diorama-style layout design, there was to have been little or no switching, so there was no need for removable loads."

    I also permanently attach my open loads. But I DO switch on my layout. I solve this problem by also modeling empty cars, and then swap the loaded cars and empty cars between sessions.

    The empty cars do NOT have to be identical to the loaded ones, either! They don't even have to be the same road name. They simply have to be similar cars - and, if appropriate, have some signs of the former load on them. As an example, a SOUTHERN bulkhead flat car loaded with pulpwood could be swapped out, between sessions, with an empty ACL bulkhead flat car, complete with scraps of bark, dirt and other evidence of the pulpwood load that had been removed.

    Since the swap takes place between sessions, operators are not the wiser. It's a different day at the next session - obviously the SOUTHERN car they spotted last time was picked up by another train, which may have left the ACL car that's now empty.

    Cheers!

    - Trevor (Port Rowan in 1:64)

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  2. Thanks for the comments, Trevor. Let me know what details you would like to see and I will photograph any I can.

    I understand your point about removable loads, and have done a little of the same thing. And certainly permanent loads are fine on my "main line" cars, which only pass by in through freights on my layout. I doubt any visiting operator would notice a changed car, as you say, but I would, and I do operate the layout myself, so am not giving up the removable loads I have, at least not yet.
    Tony Thompson

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  3. Hi Tony:
    Thanks for the response. I'd love to see things like tie-down arrangements.
    My comments about removable loads can be taken with a large grain of salt. Some people will want to model removable loads, while others - like Richard - preferred permanently attached loads. I commented to suggest to your readers a possible solution - one that works for me.
    Keep up the great work - always an interesting read.
    Cheers!
    - Trevor (Port Rowan in 1:64)

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  4. Hi again, Tony:
    I do have a question about the lumber loads. The loads are secured with crosspieces connecting the stakes to either side. On the prototype, how would those have been secured to the stakes? Tied? bolted with washers? Screwed? Giant bottles of CA? (grin)
    Since the crosspieces are so conspicuous on a model, it seems worth the effort to model them correctly. I'd like some ideas on doing that.
    Cheers!
    - Trevor (Port Rowan in 1:64)

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  5. Tony,
    Thanks for sharing these.
    You mentioned Richard's layout - do you happen to have any photos or a track plan that shows how the layout was arranged? I always thought it was a neat concept - not sure how far along it got in practice. Might be an interesting subject for another post? Marty

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  6. Marty, I don't have a good overall photo nor a proper track plan. I do have a photo of the control panel, which is of course a schematic of the layout. But the layout was almost entirely composed of staging, to feed a single diorama scene, representing Rivera, California, with virtually no trackage other than that passing the depot. Accordingly, I'm not sure that a lot of detail is would be very interesting. Richard definitely intended a "railfan" type of operation, in which passing trains could be viewed and enjoyed.
    Tony Thompson

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  7. Tony,
    I counted 12 stake pockets on the side of GN 69534, instead of the 11 pockets of the Athearn casting. Also the end seems different with the coupler buffer casting closer to the deck (hard for me to see in the photo).
    These show that this car has more of Hendrickson’s skill involved than just an Athearn with upgraded detail.
    Reynold De Jager

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  8. You are right. Back when Athearn was the basis for lots of kitbashing, Richard modified their flat car for several roads, always on the basis of prototype photos.
    Tony Thompson

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