Notes on Designing, Building, and Operating Model Railroads

Shawmut freight car update

I was recently searching for something on my blog and I came across Perry Squier’s posts on Shawmut freight cars he was building. After reviewing his posts again, I realized the final appearance of some models had not been shared. It’s time for project closure!

Upcoming RPM events

As 2022 winds down, here’s a reminder to check the 2023 Railroad Prototype Modeler (RPM) event calendar before you’re swamped with the holiday spirit. It’s a fine time to plan attending one or more in the New Year.

The latest freight car model

With the recent addition of air hoses and wheel spray marks on the car ends, I have finished this Westerfield Models HO scale resin freight car kit. I started building this kit in early June and planned to post regular progress reports. But things went awry and life got in the way. Let’s review the work.

Weathering steps

After building, painting, and decaling a freight car model, it’s time to apply weathering so it looks like it’s been traveling a few thousand miles. The lead image shows the final appearance. Let’s take a look at the steps taken to arrive there.

Automobile box cars

While building an HO scale resin automobile box car kit recently, I began a conversation with Pre-Depression Era model railroaders. We discussed details, fleets, and kits. Fellow 1920s modeler Ray Breyer shared data and a PDF of a PowerPoint presentation he had created.