What is box car red?

Six cars with new decals are ready for the next step.

Freight car colors are a constant topic with many modelers. We aim to paint our models reflecting the prototypes as closely as possible. The lead photo here represents my efforts on six Accurail USRA double-sheathed box car kits. The photo captures them after the gloss coat dried to seal the Westerfield Models decals.

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Photo gallery

A few years ago, I posted about snapping roster shots of the freight car fleet. This is a great way to practice photo skills and to document your fleet. With online photo galleries, it also eases sharing your models with the community.

I set up a Flickr photo gallery a few years ago and have been slowly adding images of completed and in-process HO scale freight cars. The gallery makes it easy to share photos to encourage others building the same kit. There are currently 89 images posted. I try to add a few new ones every month or two. It has become a personal model display.

I hope you enjoy the site and it inspires you to open a kit box and build something new.


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Celebrating a moment

It was a special day recently on Perry Squier’s HO scale Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern layout. He had been holding regular op sessions using the 1923 calendar. The most recent session coincided with the October 8, 1923, operating date. A one hundred year celebration was held to commemorate the moment. The first train ran with bunting and banners!

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Online model displays

Malcolm Houck displays his HO scale scratchbuilt NYO&W steam locos at the 2023 Northeast RPM.

One of my favorite parts of a Railroad Prototype Modeler meet (RPM) is the model display room. I find great inspiration among the tables of models and always bring home new ideas that move projects on my workbench.

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