Future Project Research- Side Dump Car

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SCBryan
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Future Project Research- Side Dump Car

Post by SCBryan »

I am considering building this side dump car as a future project and am in the research phase. The original photo is very grainy and details are not too clear. The text gives enough dimensions that I could get close but does anyone know or have any thoughts on how the dump mechanism would have worked or could steer me in the right direction to find out?

Steve
Side Dump Car with Description.gif
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Future Project Research- Side Dump Car

Post by Dick_Morris »

There are some pre-1920 Car Builder's Cyclopedias on archive.org and that appears to be the era when the car was built. You might find something similar in one of them. There are also drawings of a bottom dump wooden coal car in Train Shed Cyclopedia #29, Freight Cars 1892. by William Voss. The train shed cyclopedia series was published about 45 years ago, so may be hard to find. However, the original source was "Railway Car Construction" by William Voss, 1892. I believe there is a copy archived at archive.org.
Mark Landgraf
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Re: Future Project Research- Side Dump Car

Post by Mark Landgraf »

Hi

I have good drawings for the Kilbourne & Jacobs steel 20 cu/yd side dump car. Or, are really looking for a wooden car. If steel is ok, then we need to talk.

Mark Landgraf
Albany NY

mark_landgraf at yahoo dot com
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SCBryan
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Re: Future Project Research- Side Dump Car

Post by SCBryan »

The wooden prototype intrigued me for a couple reasons. I thought it would look appropriate behind the Heisler I am building. Also, the cars were used by a company I had not heard of before and were hauled on the St. Joe Valley RR in northern Indiana.
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Greg_Lewis
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Re: Future Project Research- Side Dump Car

Post by Greg_Lewis »

Dick_Morris wrote: Mon Aug 09, 2021 5:23 pm ...However, the original source was "Railway Car Construction" by William Voss, 1892. I believe there is a copy archived at archive.org.
It was also reprinted by the Orange Empire Railway Museum in 1999. Here's a link to it on Google Books:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Ra ... frontcover
Greg Lewis, Prop.
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Our motto: "That looks about right."
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Erskine Tramway
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Re: Future Project Research- Side Dump Car

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Hi SC...

Here ya go. A video of a wooden side dump on a 7-1/4" gauge railroad. You can see the car being loaded at about 3 minutes, and dumped at about 10 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6LKPKDoK4Y

My, under construction, wooden ballast car will dump outside the rails like this one does. The little bit of ballast you need between the rails, you can drag in off the shoulders with a shovel or push broom.
ET gable bottom.jpg
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Re: Future Project Research- Side Dump Car

Post by rkcarguy »

I've given these a lot of thought, as I'm not looking forward to maintaining 1000' of track by shovel with a messed up back.
Full scale stuff has weight on it's side, the empty car is heavy enough so it won't tip when dumping it's load. I'd be concerned that in scale, the cars weight would be too light and it would tip over when trying to dump?
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Erskine Tramway
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Re: Future Project Research- Side Dump Car

Post by Erskine Tramway »

rkcarguy wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 12:54 pm I've given these a lot of thought, as I'm not looking forward to maintaining 1000' of track by shovel with a messed up back.
Full scale stuff has weight on it's side, the empty car is heavy enough so it won't tip when dumping it's load. I'd be concerned that in scale, the cars weight would be too light and it would tip over when trying to dump?
Hi RK...

The car in the video looks heavy enough that it probably wouldn't tip over. You can't see it in the video, but it probably has a 'peaked' floor, like my drawing.

Even full sized 'air dumps' will tip over. Thornton, Wyo. on the BN.
30214_13.jpg
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Re: Future Project Research- Side Dump Car

Post by rkcarguy »

^^^
Ouch!
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Future Project Research- Side Dump Car

Post by Dick_Morris »

It looks like your car dumps through doors on the side rather than the box tipping like the typical side dump?
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Re: Future Project Research- Side Dump Car

Post by Dick_Morris »

I have a copy of a 1913 Seattle Car and Foundry catalog and a Western Wheeled Scraper Catalog of the same era that I downloaded from the web. although both show side dumps, neither has a car similar to yours.
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kcameron
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Re: Future Project Research- Side Dump Car

Post by kcameron »

One thought I'd throw at the design is some integrated outrigger that would extend as part of the dump cycle. That means it can't dump on the move like a ballast car would do. But these types of cars I've only seen in service where they are full stop to make a dump. One consideration would include having the gate/side work as some sort of counter balance as the dump cycle progressed. Another would be a slide chute to get the load clear of the track.

I'd love to see a good design that could work with clay/dirt combinations like we have around CNY. The half rotary design used up at St Croix sound good but I've never tried building one.
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