Thanks for posting this Steve. It's amazing what a difference a scale foot can make!

I can understand that a historical society would produce a 'foobie', but it should be labeled as such, being 'representative' or a 'stand in' or such, and then the buyer can decide if it is worth it to them to purchase the offering.

As an N Scaler, I've come to accept that most of my models will not be more then 'representative' at best. Once in a while, I might even get lucky and come closer. But if I have any doubts about a model, if the manufacturer doesn't provide data about the car's era and prototype, and if I cannot find that information (often thanks to the information on this list), I skip the car. Most times, I'd rather miss out, the find myself stuck with a car that I cannot use due to my own self imposed standards. For instance, I love the post '58 CB&Q Chinese red, and own several cars painted in that scheme, but they are not intended to be used on the layout. I have skipped several of the new N Scale Atlas PS-1 Box cars since I know that they are too modern (or perhaps too rare) for my 1953 railroad.