Ian Clasper writes:

Just found this gem on ebay,
" Rare WestRail 50-ton flat car, Nickel Plate "

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1726080390

Richard, does this bring back some memories ?????

Nightmares, Ian, nightmares. As a part-time business, Westrail was a
victim of its own success. Sandra and I both had full time careers at that
time and orders for kits piled up faster than we could fill them until we
both were suffering from sleep deprivation. Supplier problems were a major
headache, as well. Our small suppliers like Al Westerfield were great; it
was the big guys who kept letting us down. Walthers once informed us that
it would be months before we got any more trucks, as they were out of stock
and weren't in a hurry to re-run them. Some collector will probably pay an
exorbitant amount for that flat car kit. But if I wanted to model that car
today, I'd find one of Life-Like's styrene kits, which are every bit as
accurate and much easier to build.

Richard H. Hendrickson
Ashland, Oregon 97520