Category: Freight and Passenger Car Modeling

I enjoy modeling 1949-1950 in both HO and O scale. This category includes posts on building models of freight and passenger cars, cabooses, and other rolling stock in both scales.

Freight and Passenger Car Modeling, O Scale & Proto 485 Comments

No. 81: Progress on Freight Cars – Mar, 2018

Golden1014

My family and I spent the weekend in London at a high school swim meet.  The meet was held at the London 2012 Olympic pool, which was really neat, and we also spent a couple of days sightseeing in the city and elsewhere. My son photographed the sign above at a very deep subway (“Tube”) station in central London.  At one point we had to change trains and we had to take a winding staircase about 12 flights down to one of the deepest stations on the system.  Way down at the bottom there was this sign on the wall.  Pretty cool, eh?  Just wish I … Continue reading No. 81: Progress on Freight Cars – Mar, 2018

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No. 80: Progress on Freight Cars – Feb, 2018

Golden1014

In preparation for this summer’s St. Louis RPM meet I decided to get ahead on a few lingering freight car projects.  I have about 12 models awaiting decals so I decided to get those finished up first, as well as putting finishing touches on a couple of other models. M&StL 24356 This is an old Sunshine models 1923 ARA Box Car kit that I built about 14 months ago.  I painted this car with Tru Color NYC freight car red and applied the decals that came with the original kit.  The decals were very difficult to apply over the door, and it took four … Continue reading No. 80: Progress on Freight Cars – Feb, 2018

Ackley, Iowa Layouts, Freight and Passenger Car Modeling1 Comment

No. 72: Ackley Layout – South Side Scenery Work

Golden1014

This is a long overdue post but I felt it was important to make a record of the work that was done in September and October 2017. My layout depicting the M&StL main line in Ackley, Iowa has a 16 x 2-foot finished area with a 12-foot staging yard on each end.  As of mid-September, I had installed landforms and basic scenery on about 20-22 square feet of the layout.  In early October I began installing landforms and scenery on the last 10-12 square feet of the layout, which depicts the south end of town.  This area of the layout … Continue reading No. 72: Ackley Layout – South Side Scenery Work

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No. 70: Ackley Layout Progress, Nov 2017

Golden1014

After 45 days of working on rolling stock and other projects, I returned to working on the Ackley, Iowa layout just before Thanksgiving. I know, Thanksgiving 2017 is already old news.  I was busy at work and out of town again over the holiday, and the kid’s busy schedule keeps me busier than I deserve, so haven’t been able to post any updates for about three weeks. In the 45-day period that I spent away from the layout to finish other modeling projects, I got a lot done.  I rebuilt my sandblaster and blasted about 25 built-up models to get … Continue reading No. 70: Ackley Layout Progress, Nov 2017

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No. 68: Progress on Freight Cars, Oct 2017 Part 2

Golden1014

‘Round and ‘Round with Cylindrical Hoppers  A long time ago, a friend offered to do a free sound install for me.  I paid for parts but not labor, so in return I offered to weather up some models for him.  He said “Sure, I’ll send you some cars–get them back to me when you can.” I have always thought I do a pretty good job of weathering models.  I expected him to send some box cars or something like that.  But no…he sent four Canadian cylindrical grain hoppers.  I have no idea what to do with cylindrical grain hoppers.  No … Continue reading No. 68: Progress on Freight Cars, Oct 2017 Part 2

Freight and Passenger Car Modeling, O Scale & Proto 482 Comments

No. 65: Progress on Freight Cars, Oct 2017

Golden1014

A quick post on progress of freight car model construction and also construction of the Portage Tower models for Mike Moore’s layout. Proto 48 Models I was able to finish a lot of small projects this week and also contemplate a few new ones.  First I finished installing the running board for an Intermountain 1937 double-door box car that will be finished as an SAL AF-3.  I scratchbuilt the latitudinal running board supports and am not terribly happy with them, but they are much better than the kit-supplied parts.  The running board is an aftermarket part from Protocraft.  The car … Continue reading No. 65: Progress on Freight Cars, Oct 2017

Freight and Passenger Car Modeling, O Scale & Proto 481 Comment

No. 63: Freight Car Modeling, Sep 2017

Golden1014

Progress on model construction has gone very well in the first two weeks of September thanks mostly to a work trip to Stuttgart. I spent four nights in Stuttgart last week and was able to get a few hours of work done every night. The first car I built up while away was an HO scale Tichy flat car from the Central of Georgia Historical Society.  I bought it at the last St. Louis RPM directly from the society table there. The model is part of the society’s “Fix The Flat” program.  Proceeds from the sale of the model are … Continue reading No. 63: Freight Car Modeling, Sep 2017

Ackley, Iowa Layouts, Freight and Passenger Car Modeling1 Comment

No. 61: Ackley Clean Up and a New Project

Golden1014

I’ve been working on the Ackley, Iowa layout for 14 months straight since I began construction on 4th of July, 2016.  Meanwhile a whole lot of freight car projects have been stacking up and there are a lot of models in need of repair and upgrade, so I have decided to take the next 60 days (all of September and October) to complete rolling stock projects. Cleaning Up The first thing I did was clean up the layout so it would be presentable.  I had been doing a lot of scenery work and the room and the layout were trashed.  … Continue reading No. 61: Ackley Clean Up and a New Project

Freight and Passenger Car Modeling, O Scale & Proto 482 Comments

No. 45: Proto 48 Western Pacific Double-Sheathed Box Car – Part 1

Golden1014

San Juan Car Company brought to the O scale market a beautiful Western Pacific double sheathed car some years ago.  This is a model of WP’s distinctive eight-foot interior height cars with modified steel dreadnaught ends.  WP acquired 2,500 of these cars in several order beginning in 1917.  28 were transferred to the WP subsidiary, Sacramento Northern, in 1941.  According to Martin Loftin most of the cars were gone by 1955, but some of them lasted in revenue or roadway maintenance service as late as 1969. Above.  I wasn’t able to get permissions to use a prototype photo in time for this … Continue reading No. 45: Proto 48 Western Pacific Double-Sheathed Box Car – Part 1

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No. 31: M&StL Single-Sheathed Box Car

Golden1014

Back in November I was in Berlin for a ten day work trip and brought along a car kit to work on while I was there. I was fortunate to stay on the Berlin Hilton, and we had plenty of time after work to relax and do some sightseeing.  I also brought along an old Sunshine Models Kit No. 91.16, M&StL XM-1 Box Car and a tool kit in case I had some spare time in the hotel.  I completed the car easily in a few night’s work. M&StL acquired a substantial fleet of single-sheathed and double-sheathed cars prior to the WWII … Continue reading No. 31: M&StL Single-Sheathed Box Car