Errol,
You're entirely right. It's the effect. And it's one's own layout, so who can say what's "correct." There actually were longer box cars back in the 1880's --- usually "buggy" or "furniture" cars. Some, I believe, as long as 40 feet. The buggy cars often had wider doors to allow the buggies and wagons to be loaded more easily.
I once did a fairly easy bash on one MDC box car simply by chopping a section out of the center. I glued the doors in place to cover what was left of the door holes. It turned out well.
The IHC MOW box cars are pretty decent. I think their tooling guy got a little heavy handed, and some of the features --- like the board along the top of the sides, and perhaps the roof overhangs --- are a little large, but like you say, it's the effect, and they are certainly easy to bash. One thing I like about these cars is that they have heavy, cast-metal floors which really gives them some nice heft. They are far superior kits to the IHC "old time" box cars which are all plastic, and rather poorly made. And they are available either RTR or (cheaper) as kits --- and if one is going to bash them anyway, no point in paying for assembly only to have to take it apart again.
Off the subject of model railroads: Since you are a Brit, can you tell me what has become of Daljit Dalliwall? (I know that probably IS NOT how you spell her name!) The idiots at my local station have stopped running telecasts of the the British ITN daily news. Still get BBC news on another channel, but we REALLY miss Daljit!
Bill Stone
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