Several months ago, a friend asked when I was going to update the guide to 1920s era HO scale plastic freight cars resource page. After some discussion, I realized there were several new models to add and a few things to rearrange on the page.
As some background, this guide began when several modelers told me there weren’t many HO scale plastic models that represented prototypes built in the Teens and Twenties. I can’t recall when the guide debuted, but it has grown in the years since.
I spent time over the summer updating the guide to 1920s era HO scale plastic freight cars. As the page content had become lengthy, I added a menu with links to individual manufacturer sections. I also added links so a reader can return to the menu to click on another link. These functions should ease access to different sections of the guide.
Most recently, Scale Trains has brought back a magazine archive that was previously hosted by Exact Rail. Old issues of several modeling magazines are available again as resources. Magazines with model and prototype info relating to specific models featured on the guide have been linked.
Another update relates to a couple of model manufacturers that had transferred ownership. The MTH line is an example as it is now part of the Scale Trains family. Models originally produced by Branchline Trains and True Line Trains are listed under the Atlas Model Trains section. Original manufacturers are noted with several models.
As for new models, Rapido Trains has led the way with five additions to the guide. A couple of these were noted on previous blog posts but not added to the guide until now. I am hopeful we will see additional early prototype freight cars produced in plastic. Let’s hope the current import tariff situation settles down for several companies to produce new and re-released models.
You might notice several new images have been posted to the page. I didn’t realize how many models I had upgraded since the last page update. I hope to eventually feature all the models with newer images and in a larger file size.
Lastly, the guide to 1920s era HO scale plastic freight cars includes models that are out of production. Lots of kits and models are available at train shows, swap meets, conventions, and RPM events. They may also be available via discussion group sales sites and eBay. Keep your eyes open as there are some gems buried among the common stuff, and often at a surprising deal.
I hope this model guide inspires readers to model the decades before the 1940s. You can start a pretty good HO scale freight car fleet with plastic models and add resin car kits to fill some gaps. Please leave a comment if I missed a model or presented incomplete info on the guide.
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Eric,
Thanks for this and the work put into this. This guide was a huge help getting me back into the hobby and more specifically a great guide to one of my favorite parts of the hobby which is freight car detailin
Many Thanks!
Brian
Thanks for all your work in creating this comprehensive guide for us early 20th century modelers.
Thank you for providing this service. I model a freelanced anthracite hauler in NE PA in the early 1900’s, so your list is my “go-to” source for freight car info.
(Camelbacks rule, diesels drool! )
Jim
Just curious, is there a reason resin kit manufacturers are not listed?
I’ve only recently discovered some models from Sunshine I never knew existed for instance (and quickly purchased them).
A good question, John. The plastic freight car guide here stems from questions I’ve fielded from modelers asking specifically about plastic kits, not resin. I do have a similar guide for Westerfield Models kits. Many of the models featured on each of these guides remain in production or easy to find.
I’ve considered making a Sunshine Models guide, but there are two reasons I haven’t. First, the kits have been out of production for many years now. Second, few of the Sunshine Models releases reflect original prototypes built in the Teens and Twenties. Sunshine offered many kits that reflected rebuilds of older prototypes. Details and decals supplied in Sunshine kits followed hardware and lettering practices of the post-WW2 years.
I had purchased a few Sunshine Models kits over the years only to discover they do not fit my late 1926 modeling focus. – Eric H.