CN Combination Door Boxcar 598475

The photo at the top of the blog for the month of March features a single boxcar being pulled toward it's destination by JSSX 815.  I thought I should feature that boxcar, as it's the first car (not that there's been many), that I ever really put under a knife, saw, and of course paint.  It's probably the oldest model in the current inventory too. We won't look too closely at the boxcar data stencils though, as they're for a fifty foot boxcar.

It must have been at least 25 years ago that one of the model railroading magazines (Model Railroader I think) had an article about how to kitbash 2 Athearn blue-box boxcars into a CN 60 foot combination door.  At the time, I was interested because I had seen lots of those cars passing through here on freights going to and from the USA, and I still see them occasionally.

I believe that the prototype cars were built for CN by Trenton Works in Trenton, Nova Scotia. I like the "long and low" appearance of these type of boxcars.  A much different look than the high-cube cars we see so much of these days.

Here are a few looks at the combination door car as it proceeds along the JSSX to the consignee.

Here, the 815 has coupled onto the 60 footer and is just about to leave the JSSX yard

The same photo as this month's blog header. The track switch that the engine is on is where the South Industrial branch begins.

About to roll beneath the highway overpass

Passing behind the old control tower, which has been closed down for a few years now

Once it reaches the in-street trackage of South Industrial Blvd., 815 had to run around the boxcar in order to shove into the customer spur (kinda fun).

Made it to destination and will be picked up again in a few days.

This week, Brian Smith sent along this photo he took of a 3-bay covered hopper at St.Thomas.  If looking for a nice under-stated weathering, this would be a good example.  Subtle colour difference from the original paint to the re-painted portion, and the beginnings of some light rusting along the top portion of the car.  Brian points out the single set of new wheels on each end.

Thanks for the photo Brian.