From: "Andy Sperandeo" <asperandeo@mrmag.com>
Reply-To: STMFC@yahoogroups.com
To: <STMFC@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: RE: [STMFC] IM AT&SF stock car kits.
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 09:26:08 -0500

Hi Paul,

Yes, Richard H. is right about the InterMountain sides being appropriate only for single-deck cars. It might be possible to modify them for the double-deck classes, by removing some slats and adding new ones, but I'm not planning to try it any time soon. I still have Sunshine kits to build for those.

On the other hand, it's easy to remove the mount for the short grab iron from the end without the toe holes - I did one car's ends last night - and then all you need to do is drill a new hole in the diagonal post for the longer grab. I'll probably add N-B-W castings too for the grab-iron bolts. Use a staff hand brake and that takes care of the Sk-R.

On the Sk-T and and U, note that the T has the short grab (Ellington page 33) and the U has the long one (Ellington page 35). There are also differences in the end doors, but the kit has both kinds so that's not a problem.

As for that model lettered as an Sk-R in the Warbonnet, I know Richard well enough, I think, to believe he'd tell us to follow prototype photos in preference to model photos. I won't say his car is wrong - he has quite a photo collection, and the Santa Fe was certainly capable of retrofitting an Sk-R to resemble a later car. However, Frank Ellington's book has photos of Sk-Rs taken in the '60s that still show no toe holes and long grabs.

So long,

Andy


Andy Sperandeo
Executive Editor
MODEL RAILROADER Magazine
262-796-8776, ext. 461
Fax 262-796-1142
asperandeo@mrmag.com