For those interested, I am making Retlaw 2 in 1/22.5 scale which is approx 12.8 inches long. For those who care the Hartland GONDOLA and CATTLECAR are the correct height and length for out of the box play or kit bashing.

I will be making mine from wood. I have already drafted the cattle car and will post the dafts with measurements for those who are interested in making your own cars. These prints can be scaled to HO or whatever scale you play trains in. I will post pictures of progress and such as i go along. This should prove fun!

Please feel free to use my art work and measurements for building your own Frieght set.

I have always planned on making and accurate model of these cars. I have kit bashed Hartland cars as you mention, but the proportions are not quite right. I look forward to watching your project!

I'll be watching....looking forward to seeing it.

I am going to post the drafts later tonight. The cattlecar will show 1/8 inch between the slats. It is really 1/16 inch. My 2x4's are 1/16x1/4 inch pine strips. The base of the cars are 1/16x3/8 inch pine. Thd 4x4's are 1/4x1/4 inch. Overall length is 12.8 inches.

The gondola drafts are dran to proper scale with the correct spacing. Pine used on both cars is the same dimensions. I may use printer fabric paper for the canvas awenings bought from wally mart or michael's.

Dave,

I was looking at your rolling stock and here is why it looks wrong to your eyes. The cars of Holiday Red are each approx 24 feet long. At 1/22.5 scale that equates to 12.8 inches which is the length of the Hartland gondolas and cattle cars. Retlaw 1, 300 Excursion, Holiday Green and Holiday Blue are all 36 feet long. At 1/22.5 scale each car should be 19.8 inches long. The Hartland Gondola is too short, but the Bachmann Jackson Sharp you and I Modeled our Retlaw 1 after is 19.8 inches long so is the proper scale. Side by side, 1 bachmann combine, 4 bachmann passenger coaches and 1 bachmann observation coach are the proper length of a sacled 216 feet. 3 hartland cattle cars, 4 hartland gondolas and 1 aristo craft santa fe steel caboose scales to 192 feet. 5 excursion cars at 19.2 inches scales at 180 feet, 216 feet with Lilly Belle.

As to the Hartland cattle cars, they differ in that there are 11 vertical 4x4 timbers not 8. There are 9 horizontal slats and the door timbers are horizontal, not vertical. The ladder is on the non park side of the car and at the front end. The front/rear walls are slats not solid. The break is vertical on the rear park side not on the wall. The "V" slats are on the ends of the car. The Disneyland RR and DRR logo signs are lower on the Park Holiday red. The roof only has the ribbed topper from front to back the vents are not on the Park cars. The interior floor is all the same level. The back bench has longer legs than the front. The awening is held out to a 45' angle from the car by a "L" braket then dips 90'. And the red/white stripe pattern is 15 alternating stipes for holiday red.
The gondola has 11 vertical 4x4's, and is 7 2x4's tall on three sides.

You are right that the Retlaw 2 cars look right and it is the holiday green and blue and Retlaw 1 that need to be longer. I look forward to seeing your progress.

Ok so here is the front of the cattle car. The length is 12 and 7/8th inch. The height of the cattle car at the apex is 4 and 1/16th inches.

The base is 3/8th inch thick. The decking is 1/16th inch. There is a 1/16th inch spae between the floor and the first thimber. The first timber on all 4 sides is 3/8th inch thick. There is a 1/16th between timer 1 and 2. Timber 2-9 are all 1/4 inch thick with a 1/16th inch gap between each and the 9th timber has a 1/16th inch gap between it and the frame. The vertical frame timbers are 1/4x1/4 inch. The top frame timber is 1/8th x 1/4inch. The roof timber is 1/4x1/4 inch which forms a lip on the outer part of the car but is flush with the inner wall.

So here are the drafts, and I am no draftsman....

Cattle Car Park Side


Cattle Car Outer perimeter side


Cattle Car Front; the left rendering is properly spaced the rendering on the right is off by an inch, I blew the spacing up so I could actually see it myself.


Gondola Park Side


I am still working on the floor plan for both cars, the seating elevations, the interior roof spacing and grid, and the canvas works. The DRR logo 7/8x7/8 inch. The Disneyland RR placard is 3/16x 2 inches. The red and white striped placards are 3/8 x 1-7/8 inches.

Look'n good!

I will post the Pictures with dimensions tomorrow and fisnish off with the top elevation looking down at seating, the gondola front and back, and the rooves of both cars. I will also be posting the Holiday Blue and Green in another thread.

Gondola Park Side


Gondola Ticket booth sdie


Floor plan for Gondola and Cattle Cars


Seating heights and spacing holiday blue/green vs holiday red. Note Holiday Red has extended legs on the chairs rather than traditional stadium seating.


Forward and rear walls of Gondolas, roof of cattle car and canvas support for gondolas up next.