freight cars – Notes on Designing, Building, and Operating Model Railroads

Virtual RPM – April 2020

A small band of Pre-Depression Era railroad modelers has been busy during this time of social distancing. We encourage each other and assist with prototype and model questions. This blog post is a virtual RPM with photos and details of their latest works. All models here are HO scale.

Looking forward

As a new year opens, sometimes I look at my workbench and am disappointed with the unfinished projects. I was hoping to decal three boxcars in November and only finished one. It’s been a busy time of year with a couple trips to visit kids and grand kids, and prepping articles for Model Railroad Hobbyist. I must remind myself that it’s about balance and perspective as I review a busy 2019 and look forward to another trip around the sun.

Time out!

I can’t believe it is almost mid-October. It seemed like August was just a week ago. The last several weeks have flown right by as several projects have kept me busy.

Photography

I use a camera to document lots of model work. My iPhone is typically used at the workbench to capture details during a build but I also like to snap photos with my DSLR to document stages of construction. It’s more of an official company photographer act. This post leads with a photo of my studio set up in the garage. I keep it simple.

Data

Prototype modelers love data. Sifting through the details of an Official Railway Equipment Register (ORER) can offer insight to many different in-service freight cars. A few months ago, I went through a 1926 ORER and tabulated data on car types for each railroad. It wasn’t as difficult as it sounds.