RPM addendum

I enjoyed another RPM Chicagoland meet recently. A number of Pre-Depression Era modelers (the Pirates) attended, as seen in the lead image. That’s me, down in front. Two Pirates were missing at the time of the photo shoot. It was great to catch up with this group in face-to-face conversations and enjoy meals and drinks together. It’s been nine years since a couple of us began corresponding about railroads and industries of the 1900-1930 decades. We’ve learned a great deal from our collective and advanced our individual modeling skills.

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Prototype Data Files – pt 5

With the recent Accurail product announcement of Fowler box car kits, Ray Breyer got busy and created a Prototype Data file to review the prototypes of the roadnames in the initial kit introduction. Ray also researched the origins of the car design and found some interesting details.

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Tangent Scale Models General American 1917-Design Tank Cars

Dave Parker sent a summary of this fine new HO scale plastic tank car model. Here’s Dave with his impressions of the model.

For about a decade, Tangent Scale Models has developed a reputation for exquisitely detailed and meticulously lettered ready-to-run (RTR) freight cars (and kits) – at reasonable prices. Heretofore, Tangent’s models have largely appealed to transition- and modern-era modelers. The only offerings that (barely) made the cut for 1920s modelers were the 1930 STCX and 1929 COSX three-dome tank cars. A brief review can be found in the guide to 1920s HO scale plastic freight cars.

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Scrap Steel Loads

One of the Wheeling Freight Terminal crew members has a neat method of creating scrap steel loads for gondolas. Here’s Mike Weiss with some ideas you can use on your layout.

Articles in model railroad magazines about making scrap steel loads for gondolas have often not considered industry standards for scrap composition and size. Additionally they usually don’t provide an easy way to remove a load without a wire loop or hidden magnet. We will address both issues in this blog post.

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What’s in the Yard? – 2

The DL&W Freight House in Orange, NJ, December 1920

DL&W company photo, Steamtown NPS, Image #X1689.

Ray Breyer is back with another detailed look at the freight cars in a period image. This time, Ray has three images to use from the same facility and were taken on the same day. Click on any image here to view a larger size.

As an early rail modeler I’m constantly on the lookout for high-quality photos of period railroading, whether it’s my favorite prototype’s infrastructure, rolling stock or engines. I’m also looking for good images in context, showing why things may look the way they do, especially the area surrounding a given image’s viewpoint. Finally, just about any halfway decent period is fair game, since it can highlight rare freight equipment or ‘general atmosphere’ which may prove to be useful when working on my owl layout’s scenery.

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