Wood Refrigerator car ladders

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FLSTEAM
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Wood Refrigerator car ladders

Post by FLSTEAM »

Does anyone have drawings or photos of the ladders used on narrow gauge reefers?
I would like to model them but would like more info on their construction and mounting.

Thanks

John B.
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Re: Wood Refrigerator car ladders

Post by makinsmoke »

Branchline?
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Re: Wood Refrigerator car ladders

Post by makinsmoke »

Course D&RG and RGS (and C&S) used grabirons, not ladders, John.
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FLSTEAM
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Re: Wood Refrigerator car ladders

Post by FLSTEAM »

RGS had them...…The picture I have looks like two runners with pipe rungs using straps to hold each rung.

JB
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Re: Wood Refrigerator car ladders

Post by jeffsmith »

I have castings available for built up ladders using 3/16" brass angles. Here is a photo of the finished ladder with the castings on the top and bottom of the brass angles. The castings are a left and right.

Jeff
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FLSTEAM
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Re: Wood Refrigerator car ladders

Post by FLSTEAM »

What scale? How much do they cost?

JB
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Re: Wood Refrigerator car ladders

Post by jeffsmith »

They are 1.5" scale and $2.50 each.

Jeff
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Re: Wood Refrigerator car ladders

Post by FLSTEAM »

Exactly what I want. However the car I am building is 2 1/2" scale.

JB
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makinsmoke
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Re: Wood Refrigerator car ladders

Post by makinsmoke »

Hi John,
Apologies. Yes, the RGS reefers (ex C&S) used ladders.

And steel frames and Bettendorf trucks!

Here’s a Dave Dye photo of C&S 1113 at CRRM:

http://davesriogrande.net/Rosters/CS/CS_1113.htm

Take care,
Brian
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makinsmoke
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Re: Wood Refrigerator car ladders

Post by makinsmoke »

Looks like angle iron. The tops had the side angle cut off and the flat bar bolted to the top side boards. The bottom looks like another piece of angle bolted to the angle and the car side.
If you can mass produce the grabirons this should be pretty easy to make.

Any construction pics???

Brian
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Re: Wood Refrigerator car ladders

Post by makinsmoke »

If it’s a C&S or RGS car the door latches are nothing like the D&RG jobbies. Again, pretty rudimentary. Would be an interesting detail that would grab people’s attention.
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Re: Wood Refrigerator car ladders

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Seems like you could make these out of 1/2 or 3/4” bar stock with welded drill rod across each side, for the rungs...
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