19thCentury locomotive sandhouse - 1
19thCentury
LocomotiveSandHouse
–DavidKarkoski
Model Photos by the author
I
am currently constructing a shelf-type layout depicting
the late 19th century.My plan is tomodel, inHO scale,
a freelance version of theMineral Range Railroad. I am
planning to populate this railroadwith structures taken from
a variety ofWisconsin andUpperMichigan prototypes.
Typically a small engine facilitywas present at some point
along these branches. These facilitieswere simple opera-
tions that re-purposed obsolete equipment. For example,
theDuluth, South Shore andAtlantic used a retired box-
car as a locomotive sand house atMichigamme,Michigan.
Raw sandwas stored and dried in this building prior to be-
ing loaded into the locomotive sand box. This seemed like a
good structure formy facility.
I needed a plan for a boxcar that would be considered an
obsolete car in the 1890s. I searchedGoogle Books and lo-
cated a copy of the 1888 "Car Builders Cyclopedia of Ameri-
can Practice." Figure 27 is an elevation drawing of a 28' box-
car described as an “old style” car and is the source for the
dimensions used in constructing thismodel.
During thewriting of this article it was announced that Pol-
lyScale paint would no longer be produced. Youmay need to
find an appropriate substitute if you do not have the Light
Freight Car Red I used.
MRH-Apr2014
