Butter Dish Milk Car questions

Andy,

This link shows the prototype with the top and end fin: https://hoboken.pastperfectonl...1B-929B-044405678401

As for decals, I am sure someone makes them.

RAY

I’ll try my best to answer. The original cars had full fins. The top fins were removed during the WW2 to contribute to the steel shortage. Tough to find color photos. Pretty sure the order of paint colors was white, red and then silver. Google Borden’s Butterdish car and you can find a lot of info. .
Modeling the Rutland. I had to have proper milk cars. I purchased a car on eBay all painted but un lettered. I did some searching and found. Shawmut Car Shops. He has a site and builds in G scale. But offers decals in any scale. I sent him measurements and the decals arrived in a couple of weeks. Very easy to deal with.

I think Capacity was suppose to precede the 6000 gallons. But they look good. Reasonably priced and he will fill up the entire 8X11 sheet. In case these do become addictive.

I recently finished up a car I purchased in a lot. Curiosity made me bid on it. It was based on a Lionel milk car. Like the prototype. The wooden sides were removed exposing the tanks. The steel sheathing was done using balsa wood. Carved to the shape. The Lionel trucks were converted to 2 rail. I switched them back. I’d love to know the history as the car was almost complete and in primer. Just needed paint and handrails. I decided on the silver scheme seeing I had the right color decals. Thought I took a picture of the finished car. The only one I can find  is how it looked when I received it.

Hit my e mail about the decals if you come up empty.

@Ray of sunshine posted:

Andy,

This link shows the prototype with the top and end fin: https://hoboken.pastperfectonl...1B-929B-044405678401

As for decals, I am sure someone makes them.

RAY

Thanks,  I will take a look!  The more I learn the better off I'll be!

@Dave_C posted:

I’ll try my best to answer. The original cars had full fins. The top fins were removed during the WW2 to contribute to the steel shortage. Tough to find color photos. Pretty sure the order of paint colors was white, red and then silver. Google Borden’s Butterdish car and you can find a lot of info. .
Modeling the Rutland. I had to have proper milk cars. I purchased a car on eBay all painted but un lettered. I did some searching and found. Shawmut Car Shops. He has a site and builds in G scale. But offers decals in any scale. I sent him measurements and the decals arrived in a couple of weeks. Very easy to deal with.

I think Capacity was suppose to precede the 6000 gallons. But they look good. Reasonably priced and he will fill up the entire 8X11 sheet. In case these do become addictive.

I recently finished up a car I purchased in a lot. Curiosity made me bid on it. It was based on a Lionel milk car. Like the prototype. The wooden sides were removed exposing the tanks. The steel sheathing was done using balsa wood. Carved to the shape. The Lionel trucks were converted to 2 rail. I switched them back. I’d love to know the history as the car was almost complete and in primer. Just needed paint and handrails. I decided on the silver scheme seeing I had the right color decals. Thought I took a picture of the finished car. The only one I can find  is how it looked when I received it.

Hit my e mail about the decals if you come up empty.

Very nice looking cars!  Thanks for the info.  I sent an email about the decals to Shawmut...hopefully they will reply in the next few days.  I model the transition period between steam and diesel...so I think almost any of the colors would be fine.

I have wondered before just how far west these cars ran? Out of Chicago or ?, or only the northeast. I have seen them in auctions, etc.  0

@colorado hirailer I did a little research this morning and found this website .  It seems most of the history I have found is on modellers sites giving a brief history before they explain the model they are recreating...which was very nice of them!

@Dave_C  Jeff over at Shawmut has already emailed me a reply!  Thanks!

I tried to match the color of the one at IRM. Had to print my own decals so a bit thick. I'll weather that down.

Looks great Dan!  Do you remember what colors you used, especially for the blue?  Do I see a red one to the right?  If you painted that one, what color was the red?  I am debating between painting mine white or red.

I scratchbuilt one in HO scale based on an article in Railroad Model Craftsman magazine.

I picked the blue and white scheme with only end fins and wrote about its construction on my blog in four parts:

https://dandhcoloniemain.blogs...dish-car-part-1.html

https://dandhcoloniemain.blogs...dish-car-part-2.html

https://dandhcoloniemain.blogs...dish-car-part-3.html

https://dandhcoloniemain.blogs...dish-car-part-4.html

@BenLMaggi  Thanks for posting.  I found your blog spot last night when I was searching for information on butter dish cars.  I found several scratch built HO blogs and info and yours was great because you had detail about paint and such!  Thanks!!!

  Andy,  I painted a National Car Co. flat in the red scheme like Dan showed. Don’t remember where I read what off the shelf paint to use. HO modelers are good re sources when your questioning colors.  I used Tru Color New Haven Sacony Red. The tanks have a mist of grimy black on them. So they are toned down a bit. The lettering is a yellowish gold. They may have had individually cut out letters applied on the prototype. The flats being leased had white lettering. I’m guessing the same red would have been applied to the butterdish cars.