Ackley, Iowa Layouts1 Comment

No. 117: Moving Ackley

Golden1014

We went to the Netherlands last weekend for our kids’ last swim meet of the year, and on the way we took a short side-trip through Belgium to make a beer run.  We stopped at a Delhaize grocery store in Houthalen on the way to Eindhoven and stocked up.  Here’s my son Jacob, below, with a cart-full of the good stuff plus a whole lot of stroop waffles.  If you’ve never had Belgian beer and stroop waffles, you need to come and visit.  They’re life-changers. Unbeknownst to me, Houthalen is in a mining area.  On the way to the grocery store we drove by this thing … Continue reading No. 117: Moving Ackley

Ackley, Iowa Layouts3 Comments

No. 116: Rebuilding the Bump Out onthe Ackle Layout, Part 2

Golden1014

This post will be more boring than usual.  It will serve as a record-keeping function for me. The last time the bump-out was seen, in Post 112, Rebuilding the Bump Out, Part 1, it looked like this.  The original bump-out was removed so the track could be re-aligned to accommodate two freight customers.  At this stage I had completed the new benchwork, laid roadbed and track, and completed landforms.  Ballasting was underway. Here’s another view with everything cleaned up. I wanted this track to be buried in mud and debris and grass.  I applied matte medium with an eyedropper between the … Continue reading No. 116: Rebuilding the Bump Out onthe Ackle Layout, Part 2

Ackley, Iowa Layouts, Freight and Passenger Car Modeling1 Comment

No. 115: Completing the Yarmouth Models ACL O-16B Auto Car

Golden1014

I was fortunate to have an article posted on the Resin Car Works blog recently.  I completed a C&IM USRA-type gondola and wrote about it at http://blog.resincarworks.com/building-a-chicago-illinois-midland-usra-type-coal-gondola/#more-2062. Frank Hodina supplied most of the information and photos and a few parts for the project, and Eric Hansmann did the editing.  Our St. Louis RPM friend and C&IM expert Ryan Crawford also helped with editing and prototype information.  My thanks to them for all the help. I started this project in January 2018.  I finished the build in a few weeks but the project stalled while I was rebuilding my sandblaster.  It took … Continue reading No. 115: Completing the Yarmouth Models ACL O-16B Auto Car

Freight and Passenger Car Modeling, O Scale & Proto 48Leave a comment

No. 114: Proto48 Freight Car Update

Golden1014

Here’s the view out of my third floor train room window.  It is not fit for man nor beast out.  It’s a good time to get some modeling done instead. We had a big conversation last week on the Groups IO Proto48 list–moderated by master builder Gene Deimling–about the P48 models are people building this winter.  I’ve been working very slowly on a few models with the goal of fully completing four or five models a year.  Here’s an update. Wabash Auto Car This is an essential freight car–the Wabash single-sheathed double door auto car.  I bought this model a couple of years ago from Rails Unlimited at … Continue reading No. 114: Proto48 Freight Car Update

Freight and Passenger Car Modeling2 Comments

No. 113: Salt Weathering

Golden1014

The boys on the Proto-Layouts list on IO were asking about salt weathering, so I thought I’d whip up a quick post on using the technique to weather freight car roofs. I’ve used the technique successfully on a few models.  Here’s one example: The model above is a Sunshine Models 80-series kit of the Missouri Pacific 90000-series single sheathed box car.  Here’s a link to the Sunshine Models flyer on Jim Hayes’ Sunshine Models website: http://sunshinekits.com/sunimages/sun80.pdf.  Man, I wish I had a couple of those Sunshine Frisco cars right about now… I recently applied salt weathering on a Sunshine Milwaukee … Continue reading No. 113: Salt Weathering

Ackley, Iowa Layouts, Freight and Passenger Car Modeling1 Comment

No. 112: Modeling Northern Pacific War Emergency Box Cars

Golden1014

First: Cars for Matt I was finally able to complete and ship Matt Herman’s cylindrical hoppers to him last week.  Matt installed sound in one of my M&StL RS-1s a few years ago and I offered to pay him plus weather a few models in return.  I won’t tell you how long it took me to get these cars completed.  Let’s just say it was a long time. The models certainly aren’t masterpieces from The Weathering Shop, but I’m happy with them.  The white car was the toughest to complete.  Weathering white models isn’t easy.  I sandblasted some of the paint … Continue reading No. 112: Modeling Northern Pacific War Emergency Box Cars

Freight and Passenger Car Modeling1 Comment

No. 111: Modeling N&W Low-Side Gons and NYC USRA Single-Sheathed Box Cars

Golden1014

It has been over a month since my last modeling post.  Work, Christmas celebrations and a ski trip to Austria the week before Christmas kept me busy, plus I spent a lot of spare time finishing up a freight car project for Frank Hodina’s Resin Car Works blog.   Look for that article soon at http://resincarworks.com/. Meanwhile my buddy Jeff Kuebler sent a photo of some of Union Pacific’s engines at the old Missouri Pacific yard at Dupo, Illinois, which is right across the river from south St. Louis.  They were on the way back from special duty moving President … Continue reading No. 111: Modeling N&W Low-Side Gons and NYC USRA Single-Sheathed Box Cars

People1 Comment

No. 110: Tim Stout

Golden1014

Our friend and fellow modeler Tim Stout passed away on December 19th.  He was 52. Above.  Here is Tim, on the left in the blue shirt, with Dave Roeder at the 2014 St. Louis RPM meet.  Tim was the Gateway Division Superintendent at that time. Tim was an active member of the NMRA Gateway Division, serving in many positions over the years, including Division Superintendent.  He was a very active and enthusiastic modeler and railfan.  He was a lifetime member of the Litchfield Train Group and helped maintains the club’s large HO scale layout in Litchfield, Ill. Tim helped with St. Louis RPM … Continue reading No. 110: Tim Stout

Freight and Passenger Car Modeling3 Comments

No. 109: Modeling the SAL AF-1 Box Car

Golden1014

One of Seaboard Air Line’s most famous and most-recognizable freight cars was the AF-1 and AF-2 class “turtleback” auto car.  Sunshine Models released an HO scale car kit in the early 2000s and I was fortunate to acquire one and finish it this year. Above.  Wilbur C. Whittaker photo, Dunsmuir, Cal, 05 August, 1951.  Courtesy Richard Hendrickson. The Prototype SAL received a total of 1,200 turtleback auto cars in two series the 1940s.  The first series of 700 cars were delivered from Pullman (Bessemer, Ala.) in March, 1940, PS-Lot #5617.  The cars featured 10’ 6” IH, Pullman “Turtleback” roof, Apex running board and brake step, … Continue reading No. 109: Modeling the SAL AF-1 Box Car

Freight and Passenger Car Modeling1 Comment

No. 108: Freight Car Projects, Nov 2018

Golden1014

I recently returned from a week-long trip to Tunisia where I spent some time working with the U.S. Embassy and the Tunisian Air Force.  I spent the week in Tunis, which is near the ancient Roman city of Carthage.  When our work was done the embassy hired a tour guide for us and we got a first-class guided tour of many ancient historical sites around Tunis and Carthage. Above.  We were honored to visit the North African American Cemetery in Carthage a few days after Memorial Day.  This is the U.S.’s only WWII cemetery in Africa.  The man in black … Continue reading No. 108: Freight Car Projects, Nov 2018