Freight Car Models – Page 7 – Notes on Designing, Building, and Operating Model Railroads

Workbench Update – October and November 2020

I’ve been busier than expected the last couple of months. The lead photo is where I left off on the gondola models. Progress has moved forward to expand the freight car fleet.

Shawmut Boxcars

Fellow 1920s modeler Perry Squier recently sent details on his expanding HO scale Shawmut boxcar fleet. Here are his notes and photos.

Ray Breyer’s recent summary of freight cars with truss rod ends caught my interest. The Pittsburg Shawmut & Northern had several boxcars with these unique details in the 8700, 8800, and 8900 series that lasted well beyond the year I model, 1923. A 1904 AC&F builder image of #8700 leads this feature. I wanted to build several of them and needed a source for the underframe. I’ll scratch build the car body to get as close as possible to the prototype.

Pay attention…

I’ve been moving a few models forward on the production line. A pair of Nickel Plate Road wood gondolas have been decaled. With momentum on my side, I was excited to decal a pair of Funaro & Camerlengo PRR GR gondolas next. They are in the lead image, all painted and ready for decals.

Workbench Update – August and September 2020

Yup, this report was filed late. Let’s catch up on a few models that have been moving along.

B&O K class bobber caboose

Ed Bommer models the B&O Staten Island line in O scale. He recently shared photos and notes on his O scale scratch-built B&O C-721, modeled as the prototype looked in 1950. Here’s Ed with the story.

I built this caboose model a long time ago, in March 1983. I was somewhat familiar with the prototypes as I would see them on Staten Island Rapid Transit freights as a boy and young teen. I even got to ride in one for a few miles.