tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45119682988335146202024-03-13T21:08:23.111-07:00Modeling Steam Era Freight CarsCVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-40988032535296663782022-08-18T14:01:00.005-07:002023-05-27T07:05:55.271-07:00Dating a Photo<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzm1v34PDBk2od_HJT2KACuku_9p4xj7o6UukDf7nwDegIDbIDFnD3PFydUawz-ynM-hn9lYojWk5j_IBvbwcRXuIViTqkDwIo44cDvK3VEoX9WBL0c5ploESzxAS4aMuyajTJSl9Ccq3e5Ods7coKbtfPNbd95SN9Lb17PqJXTsmpCgwxXLv51yoEUg/s664/9E34C363-3435-47A7-94C8-08EEC5357B7F_4_5005_c.jpeg" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="664" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzm1v34PDBk2od_HJT2KACuku_9p4xj7o6UukDf7nwDegIDbIDFnD3PFydUawz-ynM-hn9lYojWk5j_IBvbwcRXuIViTqkDwIo44cDvK3VEoX9WBL0c5ploESzxAS4aMuyajTJSl9Ccq3e5Ods7coKbtfPNbd95SN9Lb17PqJXTsmpCgwxXLv51yoEUg/w640-h348/9E34C363-3435-47A7-94C8-08EEC5357B7F_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />I don't think I'll be able to get an actual model of the Enosburg Falls condensery before the MARPM Open House (before the end of the year is more likely!) but that doesn't mean I don't want to think through what the building might look like. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GcjjvOqeTeZ4eTg8GvjO0e9Nz9an2Z3WIHyZ5lLKY9oIVH3fJ4NwNYemm1sKGqGVfEF8tS8i32lopJyaiVg8AcB4e8d2FJ0x3FwZ7RZstH1zCD7bxLRxvgCA6FMjhbZ5OwMJoHswVoCcFNKWFMyusdH44167STJfbBu1wF0vooOLKP5BmhmgWtCQtg/s1280/Condensery%20boilerhouse%20section%20-%20GTW%20reefer.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="1280" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GcjjvOqeTeZ4eTg8GvjO0e9Nz9an2Z3WIHyZ5lLKY9oIVH3fJ4NwNYemm1sKGqGVfEF8tS8i32lopJyaiVg8AcB4e8d2FJ0x3FwZ7RZstH1zCD7bxLRxvgCA6FMjhbZ5OwMJoHswVoCcFNKWFMyusdH44167STJfbBu1wF0vooOLKP5BmhmgWtCQtg/w640-h332/Condensery%20boilerhouse%20section%20-%20GTW%20reefer.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Here's a couple of views of the same side of the building (obviously the trackside of the building) from two different eras. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Obviously the building has seem some changes - I'd like to be able to determine the era these photos were taken - it may help refine what my model for the ~1941 era model should look like. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The shot with the GTW reefer is the later image of these two. I think the car barely visible to the extreme left is a showing the large "wiggle worm" CV logo of the post-1963 era. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">The two freight cars in the earlier picture should be able to help set a baseline to come up with a range of years for that photo. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">I believe these are a PRR drop bottom gon, maybe one like <a href="https://id18538.securedata.net/westerfieldmodels.com/merchantmanager/index.php?cPath=104_409" target="_blank">THIS Westerfield </a>model. The ATSF boxcar is a little harder to pin down, but someone who knows Santa Fe boxcars may be able to use it to narrow down the era. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">I suspect the photo dates from sometime in the first 10-15 years of the 20th century but would like to narrow down the date. </span></p>CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-74209044631356937002022-07-02T09:18:00.008-07:002022-07-02T09:18:53.592-07:00Pulpwood Delivery<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF13LqlFaSL85TPZAlEz1gc_-6MmvG8qD3wiJt4UOveIBxN0yOidNHGgqD64RtOELeTcUIkgBPkLafLi_FEqMmeMerVHyyl6S1F4jyHWIo6DHmnCnoC9CB00RPTrrWqw7SZiHwX5Vd7LajRq0NzOygDFUn6dAjBv5q2kddWXzerQrwD2PP-jB2teJD1A/s3287/CV_Sheldon%20Springs_Paper%20mill_logloader%20closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2201" data-original-width="3287" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF13LqlFaSL85TPZAlEz1gc_-6MmvG8qD3wiJt4UOveIBxN0yOidNHGgqD64RtOELeTcUIkgBPkLafLi_FEqMmeMerVHyyl6S1F4jyHWIo6DHmnCnoC9CB00RPTrrWqw7SZiHwX5Vd7LajRq0NzOygDFUn6dAjBv5q2kddWXzerQrwD2PP-jB2teJD1A/w640-h428/CV_Sheldon%20Springs_Paper%20mill_logloader%20closeup.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><i>The CN boxcar is just one of the many interesting details visible in this photo. Jack Delano photo, Library of Congress, Sheldon Springs, Vt., September 1941. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />In the steam era boxcars hauled virtually every commodity that didn't need to be temperature controlled. That included dimensional lumber and pulpwood. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The reporting marks on the car end are CN 511534, marking this as one of a large class (~1,700 cars) of Canadian National single sheathed boxcars. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sylvan Scale Models and Steam Shack (F&C) both offered these cars as HO scale resin kits over the years. And Ted Culotta's Essential Freight Cars (Number 8, November 2003 RMC) gives additional details on these cars. </span></p><p><br /></p>CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-73062343949895133572021-02-18T06:07:00.010-08:002021-07-14T05:49:12.344-07:00L&N Rebuilt Boxcar<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--seqGHzKBmM/YC5zv4yQZNI/AAAAAAAAE_0/f5xDXBzP81kIY8YJvBN_blEkdoVaykVNQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/image0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1342" data-original-width="2048" height="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--seqGHzKBmM/YC5zv4yQZNI/AAAAAAAAE_0/f5xDXBzP81kIY8YJvBN_blEkdoVaykVNQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h420/image0.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />Yet another half started freight car project that I've dug out of the box and completed. This is a Sunshine Models L&N rebuilt boxcar with Murphy ends, Sunshine Kit #64.11. I likely replaced the bracket grabs, ladder, and brake wheel that came in the kit with other after market parts. I did use some bits and pieces of Speedwitch's L&N boxcar decals (which are not specifically made for this car) to complement the kit decals. The carman's chalk marks are a combination of various Sunshine decals. It obviously still needs a little running weathering. That's the basic description of thing, but there's really a little more background to why I built this particular car. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Back when Sunshine Models hosted the Naperville RPM meets, Martin Lofton, the owner of Sunshine Models, often asked me to do an ongoing hands-on display showing people how to build these resin cars.. One "perk" for doing this was I'd often get early access to the coveted Sunshine "sale room" before it opened for the other attendees. In this case he'd sent me the kit before the meet so I could get some of the basic assembly work done beforehand. I'm not sure I would have chosen this car on my own, since I haven't seen an L&N boxcar, let alone a pre war rebuild, in a photo on my prototype. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">What really pushed this one to the top of the "finish it" pile was the passing of my good friend Bill Welch. Bill's first modeling love was the railroads of the Southeastern U. S., which he often called "Y'All Railroads." I'd gotten to know him on the prototype modeling "circuit" - and always appreciated a chance to visit with him. When I moved to the DC area Bill still lived here, and he organized several informal prototype modeling "show and tell" get togethers. Very small, very informal, and great fun. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Bill had sent me an email in late 2019 asking for my help in designing a small switching layout. We went back and forth on that a few times, and then several months passed. It was sometime last summer he wrote to tell me of his cancer diagnosis. By November he was gone. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I realize it's been a few months since Bill passed away, but I figured what better tribute to a friend than to finally finish up this Y'all road boxcar. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It seemed doubly appropriate since the very last email I received from Bill was a response to my question - "What color should I paint this thing?" </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">He recommended Badger's Light Tuscan Oxide Red. I don't really like Badger's paints after some truly miserable experiences with them early on. But Bill seemed adamant about this brand and color so that's the paint I used. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Perhaps they've improved the paint somehow? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Or perhaps Bill was looking over my shoulder? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">In any event, if you don't like the model take it up with me. But if you don't like the color, you'll have to discuss that with Bill. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-13290118355265915962021-02-06T11:48:00.004-08:002021-02-06T11:50:05.784-08:00Shaking off the (figurative) Rust<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It's been quite a while since I've worked on a freight car - any freight car. I mean several years since I touched a freight car model. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So with the layout infrastructure (benchwork, track, and wiring) completed I decided to take a break from moving forward on scenery and structures (I am working on a large structure kit, some details of which you can see <a href="http://centralvermontrailway.blogspot.com/2021/02/new-video-and-quick-progress-report.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>) to shake the rust off my freight car modeling skills and maybe get a couple more cars out of their boxes and onto the track. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I started by digging these two resin cars (both of which had been assembled a while back - one of them more than 25 years ago!) into the spray booth for a coat of primer. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qRw812OfKeU/YB7xJj6GavI/AAAAAAAAE-0/XtrAJ3JmgOsJFsEr_8ZLomqMNdeJMEJLQCLcBGAsYHQ/s599/fullsizeoutput_992.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="503" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qRw812OfKeU/YB7xJj6GavI/AAAAAAAAE-0/XtrAJ3JmgOsJFsEr_8ZLomqMNdeJMEJLQCLcBGAsYHQ/w538-h640/fullsizeoutput_992.jpeg" width="538" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Then I found these three True-Line CN boxcars that I had dullcoated before we moved from the old house and played around with weathering them. </span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">At this point I've added a basic streaking of Burnt Umber and Black oil paints. </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjG6KY1-SD8/YB7xileNwGI/AAAAAAAAE-8/ZsVUdnp32vUM6SBgT33paiA50miTSUVjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/image3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjG6KY1-SD8/YB7xileNwGI/AAAAAAAAE-8/ZsVUdnp32vUM6SBgT33paiA50miTSUVjwCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/image3.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3w-Nm7IM2yg/YB7xiyivAKI/AAAAAAAAE_I/I-X8ZKtnHH8tGH_DEwACHdY-KQzBoDYZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/image4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3w-Nm7IM2yg/YB7xiyivAKI/AAAAAAAAE_I/I-X8ZKtnHH8tGH_DEwACHdY-KQzBoDYZQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image4.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMbL_Xge_pQ/YB7xipAi3LI/AAAAAAAAE_A/TvMFUbQ5LCkxDI9x2S43jcf1asFNRwnSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/image2.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMbL_Xge_pQ/YB7xipAi3LI/AAAAAAAAE_A/TvMFUbQ5LCkxDI9x2S43jcf1asFNRwnSwCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/image2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Just for fun, and to try something a little different, I tried to duplicate the look of failed paint on the roof of one car. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I used an unscientific combination of Vallejo Silver and Gunmetal Gray. Was just a little vivid at first, but a wash of Vallejo Medium Gray wash helped blend everything. <br /></span><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pGscli1J8P8/YB7xiosecOI/AAAAAAAAE_E/Ua2AtZ48IKoJXk56suOAhke2WB3OJNP4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/image1.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pGscli1J8P8/YB7xiosecOI/AAAAAAAAE_E/Ua2AtZ48IKoJXk56suOAhke2WB3OJNP4wCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/image1.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p></div></div>CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-45602125174137203432020-12-05T09:12:00.005-08:002020-12-05T14:52:10.560-08:00Richford Branch Extra - Coming and Going - and notes on a side trip to Maine<p> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xr_f2EoFCes/X8u303pflkI/AAAAAAAAE8M/JLALlG3cjh04ILmD4vZR5gL8E-tY1ftkACLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/CV.465.2.jpg" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1200" height="454" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xr_f2EoFCes/X8u303pflkI/AAAAAAAAE8M/JLALlG3cjh04ILmD4vZR5gL8E-tY1ftkACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h454/CV.465.2.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />This pair of Stan Bolton images, that I am sharing courtesy of Stan's good friend George Corey, show a pair of Central Vermont Consolidations (#s 465 and 466) working the daily local through Sheldon Junction, Vt., on an obviously "chilly" February 23, 1957. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PhZy0H1o6hs/X8u304Sr_jI/AAAAAAAAE8Q/3LtFJknZq-EmBpyKFK07znqUkgzlvSvKACLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/CV.466.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1500" height="408" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PhZy0H1o6hs/X8u304Sr_jI/AAAAAAAAE8Q/3LtFJknZq-EmBpyKFK07znqUkgzlvSvKACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h408/CV.466.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A few of the cars are fairly easy to identify (Click on the images to enlarge). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I'll go first - the lead car in the second image is a Central Vermont 40,000-series boxcar. Typically one of these cars was used to handle LCL on the Richford job. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A side note:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Almost exactly two years to the day before this image was taken, no. 466 and her sister no. 471 </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">were both sent to the Grand Trunk (NEL). No. 466 made exactly one trip - actually less than one trip - when she experienced mechanical problems on an Island Pond to Portland, ME extra and was promptly returned to the CV. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">No 471 faired much better than her sister on her assignment to Maine. She remained on the GT (NEL) through the end of August 1955 where she made 24 mainline trips, primarily on wayfreights. She even made a half dozen or so trips hauling passenger train no. 16, and spent 36 days as the Lewiston branch engine. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Obviously the St. Albans shop crew fixed whatever ailed no. 466 and she's steaming pretty well in these shots. </span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-15229750911509347322020-11-29T09:40:00.005-08:002020-11-29T09:40:48.516-08:00"You don't want to rush these things ...."<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> It's been far too long since I've posted on this blog (although I do a better job keeping my Central Vermont blog up to date). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I truly hope everyone has had a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. I also sincerely hope your personal situation has been such that you've been able to spend time on trivial items like model railroading!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After having my car living in the driveway for going on a year, I took advantage of the unseasonably warm waether this weekend to (finally) clear out the garage - at least the point where both cars would fit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Most of the stuff was, as I suspected, items we no longer need or simply junk. They have now all found their way to the appropriate places - which means they're no longer taking up space better suited for my car! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I did come across one plastic tote that had, among other things, several brown Westerfield boxes. After we moved out of the old house and into the temporary apartment I'd ordered several Westerfield kits as part of the November sale. (As an aside, this years sale is going on until the end of November. You can find details on the Westerfield website <a href="http://westerfieldmodels.com/9101.html" target="_blank"><HERE></a>). Naturally, I figured these were those kits. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">But when I got these cars into the house I noticed one of the labels had a "BUILT" notation on them. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5ISe9TboHA/X8Pb2AswXOI/AAAAAAAAE74/6iXAolCG5yYcJmLL_ZRXbmRlDWol04DHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5ISe9TboHA/X8Pb2AswXOI/AAAAAAAAE74/6iXAolCG5yYcJmLL_ZRXbmRlDWol04DHgCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/IMG_3476.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Sharp-eyed readers will note this is the old school Westerfield resin. Back in my Navy shipboard days I'd pick up a few Westerfield (or very early F&C) kits and bring them to build on the ship. I got a fair number of them built - especially when I was assigned to a fleet oiler. The one thing I couldn't do is paint these on the ship - so I built them and painted them when I got home. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OR6Z6LmlOgc/X8Pb2J0C_jI/AAAAAAAAE70/c-fHcPQx9uM1wxXGHRxl_wW1Z4PTDdybgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_3475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="2048" height="364" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OR6Z6LmlOgc/X8Pb2J0C_jI/AAAAAAAAE70/c-fHcPQx9uM1wxXGHRxl_wW1Z4PTDdybgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h364/IMG_3475.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I'm fairly certain this is one of those cars. That would mean I started it in 1990 or 91... and it's still not finished. Thirty years from start to completion of a model - a new personal best!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The model survived its long slumber remarkably intact. One of the running board supports is gone, and the brake wheel is lost to the ages. Otherwise, it looks pretty good. It has trucks which means I must have done something with it off the ship at some point - I learned the hard way not to put trucks on the models I built on the ship - after finding a Westerfield H21 "rekitted" on the deck of the stateroom after a bouncy night of Cape Hatteras! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I'd made note of which Floquil paint I was going to use on this model, but that doesn't do me much good. Anyone have a suggestion for a currently available paint (preferably Vallejo) that would work for this car? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Of course, if pressed I can claim I was waiting for a better decal set to come along.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After all, you don't want to rush these things!</span></p><p><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-91435705548949366892020-01-27T07:53:00.000-08:002020-01-27T08:50:50.961-08:00Crowd Funding HO scale models<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The traditional method of producing an injection-molded model of a typical freight car goes something like this - </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. A prototype is identified (usually through suggestions from dealers and/or hobbyists) as a likely "good" project by a manufacturer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. Inquiries are made, usually to unpaid "consultants" - most often hobbyists themselves - to obtain the information, drawings, and photos needed to develop a list of components such as doors, ends, roofs and the like, as well as paint schemes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. At some point the economic reality of producing the model rears its ugly head, and it becomes obvious it's impractical to produce each possible version of the "basic" car - especially in an initial run. Most often, the goal is to recoup the R&D costs with the first run - perhaps with a small amount of profit, with the real money to follow with subsequent runs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The cost, and time, to develop the tooling is the Achilles heal in the process. Of course, unique and low production models have been, and are continuing to be made in resin. But in the case of a factory assembled, decorated injection molded car the tooling cost can easily reach $250,000.00. Some cost even more. And on top of the tooling cost you still have a per unit manufacturing costs. For the manufacturer the risk for many otherwise appealing prototypes is too great to justify the expense. So choices are made. Often those choices mean we as modelers don't get all the models we want.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some manufacturers get around these limitations by producing generic cars, others use a business model that limits the model to only those details and paint schemes that are accurate. The vast majority seem to fall somewhere between the two extremes. They'll produce an accurate model for one railroad, for example, but paint and letter that same model for other railroads. Each of these "others" reflect varying degrees of accuracy. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8lpgM789pYU/Xi8DxjhMGyI/AAAAAAAAEh8/_51rRvgY_y0DfDPutrI011fSDRPom2CtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ATSF%2BBx-12%2B212708%2BSan%2BDiego%2B12-26-54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1600" height="322" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8lpgM789pYU/Xi8DxjhMGyI/AAAAAAAAEh8/_51rRvgY_y0DfDPutrI011fSDRPom2CtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/ATSF%2BBx-12%2B212708%2BSan%2BDiego%2B12-26-54.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Crowd-sourcing a boxcar?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The folks at <a href="https://www.prototypejunction.com/"><b>Prototype Junction</b></a> are attempting an approach that has worked in other hobbies, primarily gaming, with some success. They are starting a crowd-funded approach to produce a model of an AT&SF Bx-11 & 12 series boxcar. It turns out other roads, including the C&O, CGW, L&N and Pere Marquette, had similar cars (with different details or components). I won't dwell on the specifics, since you can find a rather detailed set of parameters for this project <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/tall-pratt-truss-single-sheathed-box-and-auto-cars#/"><b>HERE</b></a><b>.</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>How this works</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you're unfamiliar with crowd-funding - here's how it works. Someone establishes a project with a funding goal and time limit to achieve that goal. Each contribution (called a pledge) is a small percentage of the total dollar value of the goal (in this case the money needed to get the tooling cut, the parts molded, assembled, decorated, and packaged). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The link above for outlines the various pledge (funding) levels. Your card is charged at that moment you make the reservation. The money goes to no further than indiegogo, into what amounts to an escrow account. In the event the total project funding isn't reached, the project is canceled and you get your money refunded. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If the funding goal is reached (in this case $250,000.00) then the money will go to Prototype Junction and they will proceed to produce the model. Ideally, in about a year you'll get your finished model(s). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Some thoughts</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think this is an interesting approach to getting models produced. I think where it would work the best would be with higher dollar value, truly esoteric and unusual prototypes (MofW equipment leaps to mind, or the ever popular "battleship gun flats." Truly odd things like that. Frankly, I'm not certain a boxcar, of any flavor, is truly esoteric enough to garner enough pledges to push a project like this over the finish line. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And for any project, this really represents a considerable change in the way model railroad production has always worked. The manufacturers have taken all the risk to this point. I don't know of any who require prepayment for something like a boxcar model. This approach is asking the modeler to take on the (admittedly relatively small dollar amount) risk - and wait for the model to be produced. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I will say this - I have no doubt about Randy's integrity and desire to get this project off the ground and deliver a nicely detailed model to the folks who step up and sponsor this project. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you've ever wanted to get a somewhat unusual model produced in injection molded plastic, factory assembled and decorated (although kits, and parts are also options here) this is an interesting approach. I wish Prototype Junction the best of luck!</span><br />
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<br />CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-91455153726552949572019-12-23T05:41:00.000-08:002019-12-23T05:41:02.652-08:00Mystery Solved?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While "Standard Gauge" really means that a freight car from anywhere in North America can show up anyplace on the continent, there's still some unusual findings lurking if you study a particular railroad long enough. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Take my pet prototype. I'd never bet on seeing an L&N drop-bottom gondola hauling coal in a Connecticut, or not one, but two 50-foot SFRD reefers in a train in Massachusetts. But I have. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a previous blog post I mentioned a boxcar that showed up in a photo of an otherwise nondescript CV freight. I've explored several seemingly plausible identities for this car, only to be foiled by one detail or another. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ted Culotta recently posted his thoughts on this car on his blog:</span><br />
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<a href="http://prototopics.blogspot.com/2019/12/marty-mcguirks-mystery-box-car.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://prototopics.blogspot.com/2019/12/marty-mcguirks-mystery-box-car.html</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm curious to see if anyone comes up with any evidence disputing his findings. And if he's correct, as I think he is, this is not only an unusual car, it's a one-of-a-kind. Just my luck. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now to figure out how to model it. </span>CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-18974763202806622882019-10-01T07:08:00.002-07:002021-02-07T10:33:33.024-08:00Central Vermont 41,000-series boxcars - notes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WjdPo0PtU3g/T0j-zPwJBvI/AAAAAAAAAPs/QbgtfbYzIj0Pl-pb6jSG5RP4Rve5cK-oACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/waterbury%2Bfreight%2Bhouse008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="744" height="374" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WjdPo0PtU3g/T0j-zPwJBvI/AAAAAAAAAPs/QbgtfbYzIj0Pl-pb6jSG5RP4Rve5cK-oACPcBGAYYCw/s640/waterbury%2Bfreight%2Bhouse008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Considering their relatively small numbers, these cars seem to come up on the Steam Era Freight Car List with surprising regularity. They reared their heads again a month or so ago on that list. My response with a couple of tidbits about modeling these cars may prevent you having to dig through the archives at groups.io and help with your models of these cars. </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">These cars were in service for a very long time – through the late 1960s, but they really didn’t change in appearance all that much over the decades.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">For perhaps more detail than anyone wants on these cars, I’d refer you to the following:</span><br />
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<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Ed Beaudette did an article in MR (August 2001 I recall) that included prototype drawings of the CV/GTW 1-1/2 door as built cars (CV's 41000-series).</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">There were a set of drawings in Mainline Modeler sometime in the late 1980s – in that case they were shown as listed as GTW cars, with no mention of the Central Vermont.</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The best reference for these cars is Steve Horsley’s article (which is part of an outstanding ongoing series on CV freight cars) in Volume 24, Issue #4 f the CVRHS “Ambassador.” I’d highly recommend checking that issue out.</span></li>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Over the years I’ve built a dozen or so more of the Steam Shack/Funaro resin kits. </span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A couple of things to note on the F&C kit include: </span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The end door casting kind of just hangs above the roofline and doesn’t really capture the beefy look of the prototype on the B end of the car. See this photo of the door end, and compare with the F&C model to see what I mean:</span></li>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n2lcAMTB860/Vh7rVAwiZ4I/AAAAAAAAC4A/s2YbNaiBjHgQZBS4XLYQesbQ4pl6YdKrQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/img068.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1283" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n2lcAMTB860/Vh7rVAwiZ4I/AAAAAAAAC4A/s2YbNaiBjHgQZBS4XLYQesbQ4pl6YdKrQCPcBGAYYCw/s400/img068.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">My F&C kits (like me, they’re old!) came with regular ladders – some of the newer F&C kits come with Tichy “Canadian” ladders – neither of these are correct. The CV cars had an integrated sill step (basically the “stirrup” is welded to the ladder stiles, not the car side), but the shape of the step on the Tichy ladder isn’t correct.</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Compare the side ladder and stirrup in this photo of a 44000 series car with the Tichy part to see what I mean:</span></li>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMHbuZ8lSC8/XVrCmEc_NmI/AAAAAAAAEUg/aptnzESZ4xEOvGZ0USxDbcJPkpjISLxjQCLcBGAs/s1600/CVR%2B44001%2BBaker-Lanc%2Bcolor%2Badjusted.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1600" height="270" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMHbuZ8lSC8/XVrCmEc_NmI/AAAAAAAAEUg/aptnzESZ4xEOvGZ0USxDbcJPkpjISLxjQCLcBGAs/s400/CVR%2B44001%2BBaker-Lanc%2Bcolor%2Badjusted.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The cars had wood running boards through most of their service lives. It’s possible a few of them may have received steel running boards, but I’ve never seen any photo evidence of such. I have seen some of these cars with steel brake platforms.</span></li>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kliWJ7sIx-M/VsTKPZW20tI/AAAAAAAADA0/p2o-Gz8TuMkX6ryRFooMu8n1hSwEGXpOACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/41K%2Bboxcar%2Bend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="1584" height="418" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kliWJ7sIx-M/VsTKPZW20tI/AAAAAAAADA0/p2o-Gz8TuMkX6ryRFooMu8n1hSwEGXpOACPcBGAYYCw/s640/41K%2Bboxcar%2Bend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Now we get to the issue with these kits that comes up whenever we discuss them – the trucks.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The cars rode on cast steel ARA U-section trucks with spring planks and Barber lateral motion bolsters equipped with six springs per side frame--a style called "increased spring capacity trucks" by several manufacturers.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The MR article reference above states the ECW 9074 70-ton "Bettendorf" trucks are closest. That’s a typo – it should be 9064 (I started editing the article, but had left the MR staff before it was published and a couple of minor, but annoying errors, such as this one, crept into the copy.) </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I got the reference to those trucks after extensive back and forth with Richard Hendrickson – and though those ECW trucks might <i>look</i> the closest, I’ve never bothered using them, or even trying to find a set since the operating qualities of ECW trucks are marginal at best. </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">For many years I used good-ole' Kadee "Bettendorf" trucks under these cars. Starting several years ago I substituted Tahoe Model Works 50-ton Dalman 2-Level trucks. While certainly not an exact match they roll well, and at least have a large number of visible springs when viewed from the side. </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">As a side note, my first item published in a “real” model railroad magazine was a review of this kit (marketed by Steam Shack but produced by Steve Funaro). Just for fun, here’s a photo of that model – warts and all - including its completely incorrect Kadee "Bettendorf" trucks! - on Paul Dolkos’ former B&M White Mountain Division: </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_8Fbg-izYPw/UNt5ffX8KzI/AAAAAAAAAiM/h4TCinLV83csUhP1RnAxV5aohKSzbDVbwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/CV%2B41270%2Bmodel.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="1600" height="427" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_8Fbg-izYPw/UNt5ffX8KzI/AAAAAAAAAiM/h4TCinLV83csUhP1RnAxV5aohKSzbDVbwCPcBGAYYCw/s640/CV%2B41270%2Bmodel.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-67381746267724126452019-09-05T18:32:00.001-07:002019-09-05T18:32:45.329-07:00L&N Rebuilt boxcar<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sunshine Models Louisville & Nashville rebuilt 40-foot boxcar - ready for a trip to the paint booth. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VaZAXKqN63k/XXG27f_QCNI/AAAAAAAAEXQ/dMoJv9HgP2EFF9cKt_kexikqprasSTp3ACLcBGAs/s1600/16n%252Bi9nnSAWo6hfq0bH%2525Bg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VaZAXKqN63k/XXG27f_QCNI/AAAAAAAAEXQ/dMoJv9HgP2EFF9cKt_kexikqprasSTp3ACLcBGAs/s640/16n%252Bi9nnSAWo6hfq0bH%2525Bg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-1577123676717640082019-08-22T11:03:00.000-07:002019-08-22T11:03:05.004-07:00More detail to add to the Speedwitch Ann Arbor boxcar<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's some details for the exterior of the Speedwitch Ann Arbor single sheathed boxcars that aren't included in the kit: </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RpQGjKHY9xM/XV7Ya4eH88I/AAAAAAAAEVU/6RdlEqucyc8RI0Te_GQk-m4k07tUGlU8gCLcBGAs/s1600/AA%2Bbox_rubber%2Bdrive_WWII.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1600" height="340" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RpQGjKHY9xM/XV7Ya4eH88I/AAAAAAAAEVU/6RdlEqucyc8RI0Te_GQk-m4k07tUGlU8gCLcBGAs/s640/AA%2Bbox_rubber%2Bdrive_WWII.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Taken at Enosburg Falls, Vermont, circa 1942. </span><br />
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<br />CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-69050174245077477672018-10-26T05:25:00.002-07:002019-04-15T04:49:24.019-07:00Time to call in Columbo?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fcqsvZVPcEw/W9MBJqLJlAI/AAAAAAAAEMk/yIVGbZxvpXMs2lw_JNffk3_wNmXV7njigCKgBGAs/s1600/wayfreight2zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="750" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fcqsvZVPcEw/W9MBJqLJlAI/AAAAAAAAEMk/yIVGbZxvpXMs2lw_JNffk3_wNmXV7njigCKgBGAs/s1600/wayfreight2zoom.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Date (approx.) 1945-1950, Photographer unknown. Courtesy Bob's Photos</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The lead photo in this post is one of a series of shots showing a single Central Vermont freight. To date, I've managed to identify all the cars in this train, and have completed or started models of all of them with one exception. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The pedigree of the car to the far right of the photo above has proven remarkably stubborn to uncover (it's shown in a cropped shot below). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I'd love to be able to identify this particular car. At one point thought I had. At this point I'm open to any and all suggestions and thoughts as to what it might be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Here's what I do know:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Based on the other cars, and some clues on the locomotives (there are two the road engine and the helper shown above cut in to the train) we know this photo was taken just after WWII (sometime between 1946-1950 or so). The end is certainly a flat plate end on the car in question - with what looks like a roof recessed slightly from the end. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The reporting marks look like they start with an "L."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Lettering is clearly serif (ie., "Railroad Roman")</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Car number appears to be 5 digits - first number has a strong vertical element - perhaps a "1", "4", or even a "7".</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I thought at first the reporting marks were "L & N", but couldn't locate any L&N cars that matched the other spotting features shown. </span></li>
</ul>
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ikEAZdEqMw/W9MCant954I/AAAAAAAAEMw/aE7SUfQhU0QvA8T6rC3UKJXKjOej0tJ4gCLcBGAs/s1600/wayfreight2zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="303" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4ikEAZdEqMw/W9MCant954I/AAAAAAAAEMw/aE7SUfQhU0QvA8T6rC3UKJXKjOej0tJ4gCLcBGAs/s1600/wayfreight2zoom.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">I thought </span><a href="https://steamerafreightcars.blogspot.com/search?q=L%26A" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">at one point </a><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">it may be an Louisiana & Arkansas 1932 ARA car, since the ends certainly look like they would be a match to those cars. I was thrilled to learn Atlas even did a factory-decorated L&A 1932 ARA boxcar and was equally thrilled when I managed to </span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">locate one for sale at a hobby shop in Wisconsin. The car was shortly winging its way to the Old Dominion. I should have know things were going too well as not much time elapsed before Ted Culotta rained on my parade when he pointed out the car in the photo doesn't have a tabbed side sill like the L&A prototypes. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Ted continued "I have this photo, too, and tried my best to determine the provenance of the car, but came up empty looking at my L&A and KCS freight car photos. I am stumped, but I'll keep digging..."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Perhaps the first initial isn't an "L" at all - but Ted and I have both done high-res enlargements of this photo and it certainly looks like an "L" with a space and another single letter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I fully admit it's some sort of obsessive behavior to be trying to identify an otherwise nondescript boxcar from more than a half century ago. But that's prototype modeling....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Thought I'd throw it out on the table here and see what the collective believes this car might be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Two questions: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">1. Anyone want an Atlas L&A 1932 ARA boxcar? I apparently have one I don't need...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">2. Is it time to call in this guy?</span><br />
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<br />CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-4183501524909501602018-10-23T10:33:00.003-07:002018-10-25T04:21:49.256-07:00The Steam Era Freight Car Library<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A good friend of mine who is just getting started modeling accurate freight cars recently asked which one book I'd recommend he get to help with his modeling. Of course, this is a loaded question. When I first got involved in prototype rolling stock modeling back in the mid-to late 1980s we had precious little resources to go on. Today, there’s almost an embarrassment of riches. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Early railroad history books were primarily c</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">orporate histories and didn’t delve into any detail on rolling stock in spite of the occasional inclusion of a freight car photo in the inevitable “plates” positioned among a sea of gray text dealing with the minutia of profit and loss statements, board room machinations, and pictures of old, bearded, dead guys. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My friend’s question took me aback – is there one, just one, book that he should start out with? I will say that after some reflection I did recommend one single book to my friend, caveated with a far more extensive list of other books that constitute “very nice to haves.” I’m happy to report he’s busy filling his bookshelves with some of these volumes!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It also sent me to my bookcase to see what books I’ve acquired, and more importantly, have actually used as reference. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The following is by no means an exhaustive list. But it, at the very least, might initiate some discussion as inevitably your recommendations are going to differ from mine. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">What’s <i>NOT</i> included below are periodicals. Yes, I have a complete set of Ted Culotta’s Essential Freight Cars series from Railroad Model Craftsman, and the vast majority of the late Richard Hendrickson’s freight car “surveys” from RailModel Journal and the like, and highly recommend them. But I’m keeping this list to books – not magazine articles. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">And while I have a couple of them in my personal library, and use them, I’m also not including primary prototype references, meaning you won’t find Car Builder’s Cyclopedias (and the Newton Gregg reprints of those volumes), and original railroad erection drawings and the like listed here. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Before I get too much deeper into the meat of this post I’d like to call out one “book” that perhaps many readers have never encountered. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The first book I encountered written for the prototype modeler was the <i>NEB&W Guide to Steam-Era Freight Car Modeling & HO Scale Kits</i>, a collection of photocopied notes (600+ pages worth) by John Nehrich. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Although it wasn’t the first time someone</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> published a book for modelers on freight cars - Wayne Wesolowski had one out several years beforehand and Kalmbach had published a compendium of the old Dollar Car series of articles - this book was different. It wasn't limited to modeling but attempted to actually identify the prototype for the then-available freight car models. </span><br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OjolGxu5a0Q/W89fJikqqWI/AAAAAAAAEMU/3vc4MRp0mKAYLKUq1c2RTxeAGmjUiNQigCLcBGAs/s1600/NEBW1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="261" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OjolGxu5a0Q/W89fJikqqWI/AAAAAAAAEMU/3vc4MRp0mKAYLKUq1c2RTxeAGmjUiNQigCLcBGAs/s1600/NEBW1.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I’m not positive, but I believe acquired mine on a visit to RPI prior to my moving to Wisconsin to join the MR staff - which would put it sometime in the mid-1990s. I was shocked to realize I had not one - but two (one with a black cover, the other red - I suspect the latter is an older version) when I came across them when packing for our recent move. While most of the information is far out of date, and filled with a lot of John’s assumptions that didn’t always prove correct, I believe this stack of photocopied pages is worthwhile for two reasons. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">First, it offers a snapshot of prototype modeling back in the days when generic Athearn, AHM, and Model Die Casting cars far outnumbered detailed accurate rolling stock. Secondly, it did attempt to categorize freight car history as an evolutionary set of solutions to engineering problems – which enhanced my understanding of how freight cars actually evolved over time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Since then literally hundreds of books and thousands (tens of thousands??) of pages have been published on steam era freight cars. Rather than attempting to list them, I’d think it’s easiest to categorize them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Where we are today</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I’d place steam era freight car books into one of the following broad categories:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Focus on a particular car builder or private operating company, with an emphasis on that company’s rolling stock fleet </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Focus on the history or evolution of one particular type or class of cars (refrigerator cars, hopper cars, etc…) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Detailed history of a particular railroad’s rolling stock fleet</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Photo surveys – essentially photos of individual cars with expanded captions. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">These categories may offer some focus for adding to your personal library. While a dedicated freight car historian will find a great deal of interest in all four categories, a dedicated Santa Fe modeler might limit their reference material to that one railroad. Likewise, someone only interested in building or weathering rolling stock might want to emphasize the last category on this list and focus on photo survey type books. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Focus on a particular car builder or private owner</b></span><br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X1YljZSMrqM/W89OjsaaeRI/AAAAAAAAELQ/FAYCsyQDqXgoQklZhMVC1XJ5xZiAZ_6AACLcBGAs/s1600/pfebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="346" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X1YljZSMrqM/W89OjsaaeRI/AAAAAAAAELQ/FAYCsyQDqXgoQklZhMVC1XJ5xZiAZ_6AACLcBGAs/s320/pfebook.jpg" width="243" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">One of the best examples of a book fitting this category I can think of is <i>Pacific Fruit Express</i> by my fellow Model Railroad Hobbyist columnist Tony Thompson (although Tony would be the first to point out he shares the byline with Robert Church and Bruce Jones). This survey of the PFE company focuses more on the equipment and facilities and less on the financial history, which alone made it stand out at the time it was published. I can’t prove it, but believe it inspired many similar volumes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Edward Kaminski has written a number of books on individual freight car builders, including American Car & Foundry, Pullman-Standard, and Magor. One I highly recommend is <i>American Car & Foundry Company, 1899-1999</i>. This centennial history covers corporate history and product development, but emphasizes the immense variety and extent of railcar production with more than 1200 photographs, most from the files of the builder and few ever published, makes for an excellent overview of a significant builder of steam era freight cars. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A more recent example is <i>UTLX Steam Era Tank Cars</i>, Steve Hile’s new book from Speedwitch Media. As the name indicates this is a definitive work on the largest tank car fleet of the Steam Era. Honestly, I haven’t dove into my copy yet but a cursory flip through the pages looks like this will be a valuable addition to the library. Tony Thompson has done a complete review of the book <a href="http://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2018/08/terrific-new-book-on-freight-cars.html">here</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Focus on one particular type or class of cars</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I’ll offer three specific examples in this category, although there are literally dozens of others. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Martin Robert Karig’s <i>Coal Cars: The First Three Hundred Years</i>, is a detailed (to say the least!) look at the evolution of coal-hauling rolling stock in both the UK and USA over three centuries. Again, an excellent overview of the evolution of the technology and freight car construction methods and materials. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Modeling milk cars and trains was a hot topic a few years back. For model railroaders interested in milk cars I can’t think of a better single reference than Robert E. Mohowski and Carl A. Ohlson’s <i>The New York, Ontario & Western Railway and the Dairy Industry in Central New York State: Milk Cans, Mixed Trains, and Motor Cars</i>. Look beyond the title to find a detailed look at the evolution of milk car design, construction, and operation from the earliest days of railroading through the end of shipping milk by rail. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The third example I’m including is Ted Culotta’s <i>The American Railway Association Standard Boxcar of 1932</i>, a survey of the 1932 ARA Boxcar, including detailed roster information and photos of each of the many variants of this significant class of freight cars. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Detailed history of a particular railroad’s rolling stock fleet</b></span><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_MORgzaYIh0/W89OjiiwoDI/AAAAAAAAELU/NGBxSaLY5CQaHSz5Pb0RjcKEswQ6bgqmQCLcBGAs/s1600/santa%2Bfe%2Bltr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="385" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_MORgzaYIh0/W89OjiiwoDI/AAAAAAAAELU/NGBxSaLY5CQaHSz5Pb0RjcKEswQ6bgqmQCLcBGAs/s320/santa%2Bfe%2Bltr.jpg" width="246" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society has published a number of spiral bound books dealing with specific car types (boxcars, refrigerator cars, auto cars, etc…) over the years. I include Richard Hendrickson’s <i>Santa Fe Railway Painting and Lettering Guide</i> among this category. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Another obvious inclusion in this category would the series of Southern Pacific rolling stock books written by Tony Thompson. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>Photo surveys – essentially photos of individual cars with expanded captions. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It would be difficult to not mention Morning Sun’s extensive line of color books in this summary of published freight car information. Starting in the early 1990s (again, as best as I can recall) Morning Sun started publishing an extensive series of color guides. Essentially, these are – or were – books featuring photos taken out on the line, or the equipment guides, which featured roster shots of individual cars. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">One caveat although the cars shown in the Morning Sun books may have been built in 1940, the paint scheme and photos show those cars are usu</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">ally much later than as built. Also, some Morning Sun books have captions that are, to put it mildly, more accurate than others. Two books from </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Morning Sun that are ex</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">tremely accurate are shown here – the Northern New England and New Haven books, primarily through Steve Horsley’s extensive efforts reaching out to freight car and regional railroad experts (in truth he’s no slouch on New England rail history himself), and ensuring the photos and captions told a comprehensive story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I’m not sure if they constitute a book or a periodical, but no steam era freight car library can be complete without <i>Railway Prototype Cyclopedia</i>, published by RPCYC Publishing and (primarily) authored by Pat Wilder and Ed Hawkins. The first volume was published in 1997, and the result was a 34-volume series. Each edition features an in-depth look – and lots and lots of photos – featuring one or more types of rolling stock. While some volumes included locomotives and passenger cars, the vast majority are transition era (and slightly earlier) freight cars. Some volumes are still available, although these are quickly disappearing off most dealer's shelves. I have seen a couple of “full sets” for sale in the secondary market but in general they are starting to command prices above their cover price. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-StlMk_HgXbE/W89Y1GO0zFI/AAAAAAAAEME/7_RcmrpEM-Ej6ipdB_qQxhPwP3wnNwgZgCLcBGAs/s1600/book3a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-StlMk_HgXbE/W89Y1GO0zFI/AAAAAAAAEME/7_RcmrpEM-Ej6ipdB_qQxhPwP3wnNwgZgCLcBGAs/s400/book3a.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Getting back to the question that started this long rambling post, we come to the “one book” recommendation my friend requested. After thinking about it for a day or two I think the best single book you can get on transition era freight cars to help your modeling might very well be <i>The Postwar Freight Car Fleet: North American Freight Car Designs From 1898 to 1947</i>. Authored by the late Larry Kline and Ted Culotta, and published by the National Model Railroad Association, this book features photos from the Bob Charles collection. The captions are full of insightful and accurate information on each car shown. Making this even more useful and interesting is the fact that photos show a number of freight cars during a limited time period (1947-48) in one specific geographic location. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Lots of great potential freight car projects to get someone started in accurately modeling transition era rolling stock between the covers of this single volume. And you could easily use it at a foundation to build a more detailed library as your </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">knowledge grows and i</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">nterests evolve. </span><br />
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CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-27452918252800283602018-10-17T04:28:00.001-07:002018-10-17T04:29:30.726-07:00Wordless Wednesday #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AxnpM0TeYGQ/W8cc1YMl3XI/AAAAAAAAEKk/3pA8V6MwiaYqGjuk0CbQwI_CdWyaf4-NwCLcBGAs/s1600/rdg_18800_40ft_DD_box_XAd_builder_1-1937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1600" height="510" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AxnpM0TeYGQ/W8cc1YMl3XI/AAAAAAAAEKk/3pA8V6MwiaYqGjuk0CbQwI_CdWyaf4-NwCLcBGAs/s640/rdg_18800_40ft_DD_box_XAd_builder_1-1937.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-68642782398857214472018-10-16T05:02:00.001-07:002018-10-17T07:59:12.394-07:00Video Update #2<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For those of you interested, I just posted a short (about 7 minute) video update. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This features a quick pan of the new layout area, showing the benchwork in its current state. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In fairness, there's very little (okay, none) freight car content in this update - but we do need something to pull those freight cars with - so perhaps the the minimum radius testing of a CV 2-8-0 and, just for fun, a 2-10-4, might be of interest. (Spoiler alert: Brass steam locomotive models are finicky curve hogs...) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You can find it at the link <a href="https://youtu.be/QxrVTQYl8U4" target="_blank">here</a>, or by clicking on the photo below. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And if you like the video channel please consider subscribing and leaving a comment!</span><br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/QxrVTQYl8U4" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kIS977MbEzg/W8JjMfJInPI/AAAAAAAAEKY/4-z2bU8DnVcsnDKCgzZIsPE2Er0SrvTzgCLcBGAs/s640/Ll%252592XAAQHGQ%252BcPjyu1Xlg.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://youtu.be/QxrVTQYl8U4" target="_blank">h</a></div>
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<br />CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-4156813862794518662018-08-06T11:49:00.000-07:002018-08-06T11:49:11.195-07:00Resin Freight Car Kit Assembly tips. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If your summer has been as wet as ours has been perhaps you were Googling "ark building" when you stumbled across this blog. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the interest of providing something useful on this blog I'll go ahead and offer a few tidbits on preparing resin kits. That's a perfect task for the summer modeling season. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">These are bits and pieces of a planned eBook on building and detailing rolling stock. While I still hope to finish that book - someday - in the meantime here's a couple of things from the cutting room floor.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JF1VgoqUnqY/W2NsnIpYOaI/AAAAAAAAEEs/XnIIWmh_nsAvaPMJE-WmamUiAbqMPhO7gCLcBGAs/s1600/112-120917181157-245011502.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JF1VgoqUnqY/W2NsnIpYOaI/AAAAAAAAEEs/XnIIWmh_nsAvaPMJE-WmamUiAbqMPhO7gCLcBGAs/s320/112-120917181157-245011502.jpeg" width="240" /></span></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Cleaning up the parts </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">No matter the manufacturer, I start by cleaning the parts before assembly, and then follow up with a pre-painting touch up cleaning. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Different manufacturers use different mold releases - some of them are really hard to clean off completely - and you won't realize it's still there until you try to paint the model and the paint either beads up or comes off in sheets. Sylvan mold release seems to be the toughest. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've tried warm soapy water, Goo Gone, Sylvan resin prep (which I'm pretty sure is some form of Goo gone), but one thing I've found always works pretty well is Shout. After removing the resin sheets from the tissue paper wrapping I gave each of the parts a shot of "Shout" (yes, the laundry stain pre-treat stuff) and scrub them gently with a toothbrush before rinsing them under warm water. Then I put the parts aside to dry.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few tools</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't use a lot of fancy tools to build these kits, mostly a razor blade, an X-acto, some sanding sticks/files, pliers (to form wire), tweezers, a small machinists square, and starting in the last few years, an Opti-visor....</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMMP_4NeKFs/W2NtIlFQywI/AAAAAAAAEFA/DR7Af4XIe90Y8V8vuBfw9Z_RlZDy4bvDgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMMP_4NeKFs/W2NtIlFQywI/AAAAAAAAEFA/DR7Af4XIe90Y8V8vuBfw9Z_RlZDy4bvDgCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_0572.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For drilling holes for grabs and brake components and the like, I prefer my drill press - but an old fashioned (but perfectly serviceable) pin vise works just as well. Two tools that I find are really useful are shown in the photo to the right: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The NWSL True-Sander </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Coffman right corner clamps</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Removing flash</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The most tedious part of building a resin freight car is cleaning up the parts.</span><br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QoZPNjV8g_k/W2NtIuDZTUI/AAAAAAAAEE8/HT24lfhnnBMwhdy51ftQHapySV6yETnogCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QoZPNjV8g_k/W2NtIuDZTUI/AAAAAAAAEE8/HT24lfhnnBMwhdy51ftQHapySV6yETnogCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_0573.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But time and care spent on this task definitely shows on the finished model. Despite what the instructions say, I don't clean off all the parts before I start constructing the model. For one thing, I'd run out of enthusiasm before getting started, and for another I'd likely lose half the parts before getting everything together!</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K9f59U7P9oo/W2NtIo8FYmI/AAAAAAAAEE4/Qe3FrkW4nHoKGoJTHRSx3bM5_Pk8qsevgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K9f59U7P9oo/W2NtIo8FYmI/AAAAAAAAEE4/Qe3FrkW4nHoKGoJTHRSx3bM5_Pk8qsevgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_0575.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If there's a trick to removing the flash it's to be careful to not accidentally remove any detail that should be there. On flat kits it's quite common to find the sides or ends have some detail that needs to be preserved. A perfect example are the rivets on the side of the ends of this car - you might be tempted to sand the edge flat on your NWSL Tru-Sander - but you'd be removing the rivets and other details. The trick is to remove the flash without destroying the detail in the process. For this, I use a razor blade held at a steep angle to scrape away the resin flash. I've found it's sometimes better to use a slightly dull razor blade for this scraping technique. A sharp, fresh blade can sometimes slice right into the resin whereas a dull blade will meet with just enough resistance that you can avoid digging into the part. </span><br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LlmMSiAa9-s/W2NtJMwmKaI/AAAAAAAAEFE/fLLdjmsmPAoqLTC3X3rO_cbrdSUJB4VcgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LlmMSiAa9-s/W2NtJMwmKaI/AAAAAAAAEFE/fLLdjmsmPAoqLTC3X3rO_cbrdSUJB4VcgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_0576.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To remove flash from openings, such as the end of this ventilated boxcar, I use a hobby knife and trim the resin flash to the edges, then use sanding sticks and/or files to true up the openings. </span><br />
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<br />CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-87197429257208933872017-09-03T07:05:00.000-07:002017-09-03T07:05:09.641-07:00Westerfield I-GN boxcar - ready for weathering<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I finished dealing the Westerfield I-GN boxcar, and added an overcoat of Future floor polish followed by a coat of Vallejo Matte clear. I think it makes a nice addition to the "late 1920s" roster. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1IQYTCm5eeA/WawLgmfCGUI/AAAAAAAADlU/YEOQdOn47-UFBkVla5UluInho-EFj7RigCLcBGAs/s1600/image1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1IQYTCm5eeA/WawLgmfCGUI/AAAAAAAADlU/YEOQdOn47-UFBkVla5UluInho-EFj7RigCLcBGAs/s640/image1.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think I'm going to hold off on weathering the car until I get some other half-finished freight car projects completed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-82691635079976179012017-08-22T14:54:00.000-07:002019-10-01T07:23:01.384-07:00Westerfield I-GN Boxcar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1IQYTCm5eeA/WawLgmfCGUI/AAAAAAAADlU/YEOQdOn47-UFBkVla5UluInho-EFj7RigCLcBGAs/s1600/image1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1IQYTCm5eeA/WawLgmfCGUI/AAAAAAAADlU/YEOQdOn47-UFBkVla5UluInho-EFj7RigCLcBGAs/s640/image1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I was sorting and packing some of the smaller items that reside in various small plastic containers, I came across the decals for a Westerfield International Great Northern 40-foot single sheathed boxcar that I'd built almost two years ago. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Having no idea how the decals ended up separated from the car, and knowing full well that it would happen again if I didn't take drastic measures, I opted to spend a pleasant hour or so this past Sunday evening getting the decals on one side of the car. Side #2 has since been completed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the record, and my reference, the car was painted with a base coat of Vallejo "Boxcar Red" sold by Micro-Mark. The Vallejo labels reveals they refer to this color as "Rust." The paint was allowed to dry completely (although the 26 months this paint dried may have been excessive!) before I hit the model with an airbrushed coat of Future clear acrylic (or whatever they're calling it this week). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When this photo was taken I hadn't yet "snuggled"* the decals in place, which is why there's so much decal film showing. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I decal a car I like to leave it on the modeling desk for a week or so - every evening I'll add another application of Microscale setting solution. After a few days of this most of the film disappears. </span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IO-RgHVfumQ/WZyl9OzI_LI/AAAAAAAADk0/Mwu08A-4MwMzyHv5VCaDfZ3oxP3H3P-tgCLcBGAs/s1600/IGN%2BBox1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IO-RgHVfumQ/WZyl9OzI_LI/AAAAAAAADk0/Mwu08A-4MwMzyHv5VCaDfZ3oxP3H3P-tgCLcBGAs/s640/IGN%2BBox1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once the decaling was complete I added an overcoat of Future floor polish, followed by a coat of Vallejo Matte clear. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm going to hold off on weathering the car until I get some other half-finished freight car projects completed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sharp-eyed freight car fanatics will note this car is lettered to reflect lettering styles that predate my typical 1950s roster. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;">No further comment on that at this time. </span> </div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*When I was on the Model Railroader staff we were always debating the best way to describe of process of softening decals using settling solution to get them to conform to the various details, ridges, rivets and the like. Somehow, someone (likely Jim Kelly, it sounds like something he'd come up it!) suggest the term "snuggling" the decals....it stuck.</span></em> </div>
<br />CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-22600262908481100752016-10-03T14:35:00.002-07:002018-10-17T04:51:21.503-07:00Boxcar Percentages Through White River Junction, Vt., circa 1954<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O82ip1Jirzg/VFEtL-JD7KI/AAAAAAAACEY/Huf6KZWURto/s1600/piechart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O82ip1Jirzg/VFEtL-JD7KI/AAAAAAAACEY/Huf6KZWURto/s1600/piechart.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few years back several members of the Central Vermont Railway Historical Society tabulated the total number of boxcars (and only boxcars) going through White River Jct, VT over a several day period in 1954. (The period and locale were chosen because there were relatively complete train lists for that period of time). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I thought this might help guide the creation of an accurate freight car fleet for the layout (by percentage of road name) so I was very interested in the results. After looking the resulting data I'm not convinced it's helpful for modeling purposes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The sample total was 3,605 cars. There were approximately 60 unique reporting marks represented (basically, name a North American railroad of the time and it appears at least once ...)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">By far the most common roadname, with more than 50% of the total, was Canadian National. Since the CV was a subsidiary of the CN, that's not shocking. The inclusion of CV in the "top ten" in this summary is logical (White River Junction is on the CV, after all), but certainly would not be applicable if one was to take this list and use it to develop a roster for a layout set anywhere else in the country.<br />I prepared the somewhat useless pie chart above to include an image with the blog post - I'm afraid there's little useful data to be gleaned from it - except that if you go with a statistical approach to a modeled fleet 3/4 or so of the fleet should be made up of boxcars from the ten railroads listed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The table below shows the breakdown by roadname of most of the remaining 55+ reporting marks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zL6L810-Cf4/VFEt52kWHJI/AAAAAAAACEg/uBVkPkwij_0/s1600/rptmarkstop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zL6L810-Cf4/VFEt52kWHJI/AAAAAAAACEg/uBVkPkwij_0/s1600/rptmarkstop.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Each accounted for far fewer cars - or for a total so small it was insignificant.<br />I noted the percentage of the total by roadname didn't come even remotely close to reflecting the national fleet, although the totals seem to reflect some regional "bias" (greater percentages of New England/Northeastern region road names, but not by much). I was especially shocked at how few NYC and PRR cars (based on the % of these roads rosters compared with the national fleet at the time) appeared in the sample data. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not sure what I learned from this exercise, except that out of a fleet of 100 boxcars fully half should be CN, with almost any other road name represented provided you don't include <i>too</i> many of any one road name. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There's a caveat to all this of course. If one were to model a roster to these percentages and then compare the resulting trains to prototype photos, the resulting car fleet may be defended as somewhat "authentic," but I doubt the trains on the resulting layout would really look right!</span></span>CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-40976533559916419892015-10-26T06:04:00.000-07:002015-11-02T14:05:24.196-08:00The cars of Central Vermont XTRA 471<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Know I haven't posted in a while but my hobby time has been completely consumed by structures and scenery. I'm going to start getting back into freight car modeling in a big way this coming modeling season!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Here's a start - most of this post is cross-posted from my CV blog. </i></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wtv-bx2QYmk/Vi4kHCOxqVI/AAAAAAAAC58/fJL0KCnGENQ/s1600/wayfreight1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="506" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wtv-bx2QYmk/Vi4kHCOxqVI/AAAAAAAAC58/fJL0KCnGENQ/s640/wayfreight1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This post is something of a work in progress. A few years ago I purchased a set of photos (</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">no photographer identified) </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">showing a Central Vermont freight crossing a rather nondescript plate girder bridge somewhere on the railroad's Southern Division. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">These photos inspired my "Williams Creek" bridge scene. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The head end of the train is shown in the lead photo above - with CV 2-8-0 471 in the lead. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's been something of an ongoing project to identify each of the cars in this train with the idea of modeling them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've managed to ID most of them - but believe I may have misidentified the boxcar in the second photo partially obscured by the bush. </span><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DtkIKnInbrE/Vi4kAdHMNpI/AAAAAAAAC50/91oaah9FUMk/s1600/wayfreight2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="500" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DtkIKnInbrE/Vi4kAdHMNpI/AAAAAAAAC50/91oaah9FUMk/s640/wayfreight2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At first glance I saw the Roman style "L &" (all that's clearly readable in the photo, though there is clearly another single letter after the "&") and figured this might be an Louisville & Nashville car, perhaps one of the L&N's rebuilt cars with "reverse" Murphy ends. This seemed entirely logical. L&N didn't have a huge boxcar fleet, but it was a fairly substantial one, and entirely likely to show up in a wayfreight in south-central New England.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8arHHisDkbs/Vi4io47RcBI/AAAAAAAAC5o/wBrPU3mXnN0/s1600/wayfreight2zoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8arHHisDkbs/Vi4io47RcBI/AAAAAAAAC5o/wBrPU3mXnN0/s1600/wayfreight2zoom.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But scanning the print at a higher resolution and sharpening the image in Photoshop reveals a little more about the car. It has a flat end and a pronounced seam at the top of the end creating the appearance of a triangle on the top of the end. I couldn't identify a class of L&N boxcars that looked like the rest of the car with that style end. One group of cars with this end were the 1932 ARA boxcars. But which of those would have "L &" as the reporting marks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The true freight car experts already have the answer of course. And, after doing a little more digging this weekend I'm now of the opinion this is a much more rare (considering sheer numbers) Louisiana & Arkansas 1932 ARA boxcar. As built these cars had a block, almost Gothic style lettering with the roadname spelled out above the reporting marks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This one doesn't have the roadname and the lettering is clearly Roman. Which means this is the second scheme these cars wore, with the "L&A" and car number to the left of the door and a Kansas City Southern herald to the right of the door. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know Atlas makes a 1932 ARA boxcar - and even made one in this scheme. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Guess who can't find one of those anywhere??</span>CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-31686342679081059402015-02-14T07:15:00.000-08:002015-02-14T07:15:28.938-08:00Resin Car Works Web site<div id="yui_3_15_0_1_1423926406234_1425" style="background-color: white; padding: 0px;">
<span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; line-height: 16px;">Eric Hansmann </span>recently posted the following notice on the Steam Era Freight Cars Yahoo Group: </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">"The Resin Car Works website is now open! This is a new venture from Frank Hodina for HO scale resin freight car kits. Our first kits represent ACF Type 27 Acid Tank Cars in both 7,000- and 8,000-gallon versions. HO scale acid tank car models have not been offered before. Pre-production models were displayed at the recent Prototype Rails meet at Cocoa Beach. Check out our <a href="http://hansmanns.org/resincarworks/">website</a> for more details.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">A PDF file to order can be found on the Kits page. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">Resin Car Works has many projects under development to augment your freight car fleet. We look forward to serving you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; line-height: 16px;">Eric Hansmann, </span><span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif, Roboto; line-height: 16px;">RCW web guy"</span></span></div>
CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-76321353270847006692014-12-03T07:32:00.001-08:002014-12-03T07:32:25.286-08:00From Athearn Bluebox to Marble Flat....<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9pfzAGHiet4/VH8rUzvFVfI/AAAAAAAACKI/xR2kxgvkWdQ/s1600/NEBWflats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9pfzAGHiet4/VH8rUzvFVfI/AAAAAAAACKI/xR2kxgvkWdQ/s1600/NEBWflats.jpg" height="242" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Completed flatcars in service on New England, Berkshire & Western. <br />Photo courtesy Rensselaer Model RR Society </span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>By Bill Gill</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Photos by the author unless noted</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hi Marty, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Don't know if this would qualify as prototype modeling or not. I recently detailed a pair of Athearn 40 ft flatcars for the NEB&W to approximate Rutland cars set up for marble service. I detailed and numbered the models for 2792 and 2755 shown in Shaughnessy's photo below, but they are, as is club practice, lettered for the NEB&W.</span> <span style="font-size: large;"> <i>Bill Gill</i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JlRBNRpvpKw/VH8qrmXZISI/AAAAAAAACJ0/yd7qdLO7hUQ/s1600/shaughnessy%2BRutland%2Bmarble%2Bflats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JlRBNRpvpKw/VH8qrmXZISI/AAAAAAAACJ0/yd7qdLO7hUQ/s1600/shaughnessy%2BRutland%2Bmarble%2Bflats.jpg" height="296" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Jim Shaughnessy photo courtesy Rensselaer Model Railroad Society (NEB&W)</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OVB24AF5msY/VH8qrbfzqzI/AAAAAAAACJ4/_F_4Y4nxFOU/s1600/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OVB24AF5msY/VH8qrbfzqzI/AAAAAAAACJ4/_F_4Y4nxFOU/s1600/image.png" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Jim Shaughnessy photo Courtesy Rensselaer Model Railroad Society <br /> Compare the prototype side rivet pattern to the close up of the model below. </i></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fySkxrQsIbA/VH8qq99XnaI/AAAAAAAACJo/u_lz0od8Lpw/s1600/NEB%26W%2BAthearn%2B40ft%2Bflatcar%2Brivets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fySkxrQsIbA/VH8qq99XnaI/AAAAAAAACJo/u_lz0od8Lpw/s1600/NEB%26W%2BAthearn%2B40ft%2Bflatcar%2Brivets.jpg" height="252" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Brake staff detail is scratchbuilt. Similar to prototype (below). (Note: rivets and uncoupling lever not yet added to end and original stirrups not yet replaced)</i></span></td></tr>
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<i><br /></i>CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-18186549319961588822014-11-13T09:58:00.000-08:002014-11-13T09:58:23.247-08:00Resin Car Works Type 27 7K and 8K Acid Tank Car Kits - Update<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Seems like this fall has lots of big news about little tank cars...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I received my Resin Car Works Type 27 7,000 and 8,000-gallon Acid tank car in yesterday's mail, and look forward to building it this weekend. I'll be sure to post some photos of the build on this blog. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the meantime, RCW is gearing up to ship kits.<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Kits will be available direct from the manufacturer's web site (<span style="color: #1f497d;"><a href="http://resincarworks.com/">resincarworks.com</a>)</span> in early December - shipping date is dependent on when the photo etched parts arrive. RCW will accept <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PayPal </span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">or payment by check with a printable order form</span>.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the flyer showing the roadnames</span> that will be offered in the first run of kits:</span><br />
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CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-84512371886823655872014-11-07T09:02:00.001-08:002014-11-07T09:02:20.981-08:00New HO Scale 8K Chemical Tank Car from Tangent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em>I mentioned at Naperville there were rumblings about a couple of new steam era freight cars that "maybe" would be announced around the time of Trainfest in Milwaukee.</em><br />
<em>Awoke to find this posted this morning - Marty</em><br />
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"<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tangent Scale Models is proud to introduce our next ALL-NEW
freight car replica, the General American 8,000 Gallon Acid Tank Car with
Welded Underframe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following World War
II, specialized liquid shippers requested new special duty tank cars, and
General American Transportation Corporation met their demands by producing
specific-service cars such as this 8,000 gallon acid service tank car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the same time, General American switched
from a riveted underframe and riveted tank design to a welded underframe and
tank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While General American’s factory
in Sharon PA manufactured at least three different post-war versions of 8,000
gallon acid all-welded tank cars, these specific prototypes were produced
between 1949 and 1960.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like all Tangent
Scale Models offerings, these tank cars had long service lives, lasting well
into the 1980s in revenue service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Acid
service tank cars were commonly-seen nationwide, providing transportation for
strong chemical compounds, such as hydrochloric (muriatic), hydrofluoric,
phosphoric, and sulfuric acids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Acid
tank cars were rubber-lined, featured one percent expansion domes on the top,
and did not have bottom tank outlets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Tangent Scale Models General American 8,000 gallon acid
tank car is a visually-distinctive model that includes details accurate for
each paint scheme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Note the distinctive
small expansion dome at the top, surrounded by a beautifully-rendered “see-through”
safety walkway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our walkways along the
side of the car are also “see-through” safety tread, just like their
prototypes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As always, our correct
“true-to-life” colors and “hyper-accurate” lettering includes exact fonts and
lettering placement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, our scale
replicas operate as well as they look, equipped with free-rolling all-metal
wheels and Kadee® scale couplers, meaning our models are truly ready to
run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is NOT a pre-order announcement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our NEW Ready to Run replicas are available
NOW at www.tangentscalemodels.com and we are selling these at Trainfest in
Milwaukee on November 8-9.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether
wearing “plain” GATX lease colors or the colors of a lessee, these replicas
will certainly be eye-catchers on your layout!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our first stunning release includes four paint schemes:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">GATX “Black Lease 1952+” in the plain “black lease 1952+”
scheme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This GATX black lease scheme
represents a general lease car in service beginning in 1952 and is broadly
applicable across North America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
available in four road numbers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GATX “Stauffer
Chemical Company” in the distinctive gray and black scheme with a 1953 paint
date and 1949 build date, complete with the Stauffer diamond logo and Victor
Chemical Division lettering, just like the prototype car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These stunning cars are available in four
road numbers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">GATX “The D O W Chemical Company” in the black scheme with
striking yellow graphics including “Freeport Texas” lettering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These nationwide service cars include a 1953
paint date on the side of the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
GATX lease scheme is available in four road numbers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">GATX "White Lease 1971+” in the striking “white lease
1971+” scheme which includes a large black stripe in the middle of the
car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These cars were repainted in 1971,
which of course is modeled after an exact prototype photo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These cars lasted in service into the 1990s,
and are available in four road numbers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Undecorated RTR Black 1949-1951 cars are immediately ready
for decaling!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Undecorated RTR Black 1951-1960 cars are immediately ready
for decaling!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Undecorated Unpainted Kits are available as well for those
who desire to build their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pricing for RTR models is $44.95.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>High-resolution images showing these fine
replicas are available at www.tangentscalemodels.com<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and our site also includes prototype images
for your reference as well."</span></div>
CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4511968298833514620.post-2901457951645663842014-10-24T11:16:00.002-07:002014-10-24T11:45:38.106-07:00One Man's Roster*<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Trevor Marshall has posted a series of four posts to his
excellent Port Rowan blog showing some select members of his roster, including
more than a couple of examples built by co-moderator Pierre Oliver through
Pierre’s Elgin Car Shops** custom building service:</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/?p=5187">http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/?p=5187</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/?p=5199">http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/?p=5199</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/?p=5306">http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/?p=5306</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/?p=5314"><span style="color: blue;"></span></a><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/?p=5314">http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/?p=5314</a></span><a href="http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/?p=5314"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I plan to do something like this with my Central Vermont roster, and encourage others to do the same for their favorite road or subject. What I'm thinking of is a variation of the "One Man's Roster" from vintage issues of MR, especially if it was divided by road or era (ie., "Bill models the Santa Fe in 1948, here's some of his home road cars....")</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you’re interested in sharing your roster
on this blog simply email photos and a description of your <em>prototypical</em> steam
era cars at me at STEAMFREIGHTCAR<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">at</i>GMAIL<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dot</i>COM . (Obviously replace the italized portions of that email address with the standard symbology.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>*Or do we need to be politically correct here and make it "One Person's Roster?" Don't want to discount any female modelers out there. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>**To paraphrase one of those old late night Television ads, “I’m
not only a Elgin Car Shops fan, I’m also a client ….”<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
CVSNEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17875631602890773160noreply@blogger.com2