Also, there is the issue that IM's

engineering plans changed, which I knew, but I was loath to change
the article until I knew what they were actually doing. Now the
article is out and I still do not know what they are actually doing.

The original plan was indeed to tool a "high" and "low" side sill as a sort of
insert plug that the modeler could glue in place to represent one or the other
cars. That was indeed the first version of the plans Bill reviewed, as it was my
intention to do the car that way. We found a number of issues with the car,
including trying to figure out how to get the molds to work and allow us to
have that sidesill as a separate piece. We also redesigned the entire car to
take advantage of some new, better information, and reworking the original
design to run on our faster milliing machines.

Why RMJ ran the article I don't know, as the last I heard Bill S told me he
would let me know before the piece went to press so we could offer some
sample parts (if available, they're not yet) and deal with any of the kit
engineering issues.

By way of update, the design is completed and has been reviewed in house
here. We still have one issue re: the bolts used on the roof rib ends. We can
mold the top or bottom, but not both, easily. Once we have that figured out,
and a higher priority project comes out of the milling machines, the reefer will
be next. (With two HO steam era cars completed in the last six months, the
GPEX milk car and the ATSF stock car, it was decided by the powers that be
to pursue a different project before the FGEX car)

As of next week none of this is my day to day problem of course, but since
these things were frequently seen in trains in New England I really want these
cars for myself. I'll have to make sure to bug Matt about them . . .

Marty