Hi Denny,

It has been quite some time since I've used it, but I suspect your unlabeled bottle of "dark rum" might be Floquil "glaze."  In addition to imparting some luster, as opposed to gloss, to Floquil's otherwise flat finish, I recall it was recommended for making seriously thinned Floquil less "watery."  Wish I could remember exactly how Floquil put it.

Pax,


Ralph Brown

the standard.

What we often call ‘1944’ or ‘postwar’ cars simply have SREM Improved Dreadnaugh Ends, but the standard itself didn’t change. Those just happened to be the latest (trademarked) end they produced. The majority were 10’6” IH cars, but as we know, there were a fair number of 10’0” IH cars built too.

The “proper” terminology is something I’ve been trying to figure out, because some of it is modeler/railfan/historian terminology, rather than from the actual standards. It is helpful to a certain extent, but we are usually using visible components to describe the variants when I believe the standard was more about the dimensions and underframe is than the carbody. This means, for example, that we often omit cars with Pullman-Standard or ACF carbuilders ends from identification lists as if they weren’t AAR Standard cars of whichever type.

Technically, I think that a 10’0” IH car with an Improved Dreadnaught End is a 1937 AAR Standard Car, and one with a 10’6” IH is a Modified 1937 AAR Standard Car, if built before 1947 anyway. After that point it’s a 1947(?) AAR Standard Car.

I know that’s not the terminology we usually use, but what do the experts think?

Randy

Steve. The steel ribs, actually steel bar only appeared on the outside of superior doors. The inside would be flat steel plate. 

See the photo from Gene Greene’s blog post. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/myp48.wordpress.com/2018/01/08/modeling-more-information-on-doors/amp/

Brian J. Carlson 

On Apr 13, 2019, at 4:24 PM, StephenK <thekays100@...> wrote:

I am assembling an old IMWX 1937 AAR Boxcar.   I have an interior detail kit and am planning on modeling the car with one door open.   The wooden floor and walls from the kit will show thru.   But the door that comes with the kit has no detail on the inside.   I know this almost never makes a difference, but it would be cool if I could show the inside corrugations of the closed door.   (It is a Superior door).   I thought about using the outside detail as a mold and  pressing aluminum foil on it, which would probably work but would really be delicate.   

Any ideas?

Steve Kay

Anyone know why the journal lids on this car were painted...apparently silver?
Bob Chaparro
Hemet, CA

On Apr 14, 2019, at 6:51 AM, Denny Anspach <danspachmd@gmail.com> wrote:

I have quite a few of the older square bottle Floquil paints that are still both useful and relatively easy to use. I am running out of Diosol solvent and looking for a substitute peer-grade air brush solvent. In California we cannot purchase automobile grade high quality lacquer thinner that would probably serve, having to make do with hardware store clean up grades (or a trip to Reno). Do listers have recommendations for a good substitute?

Also, I have an unopened Floquil bottle (label gone) the contents of which seems to be that akin in color and thickness of a dark rum. I suspect this is Retarder, but do not know. Any ideas?

Denny S. Anspach MD
Sacramento CA

All of this brings to mind my days of modifying Athearn cars, since they and MDC were the only games in town.  In about 1970 I made a Santa Fe Fe-26 (40' double door box) by cutting up the Athearn model of the Fe-24 50' double door car.  I took one panel out of each side, with corresponding cuts in the roof.  This resulted in a 43' car, but it was distinctive and as far as I know, no one who saw it in that era ever realized the difference.  Even better, it was painted boxcar red as far as I can recall because the Floquil mineral red hadn't appeared yet.

The mention of the 14 roof panels triggered this memory.  I must have cut the panels in such a way as to preserve the spacing of the panels, because I worked with two end-roof-side pieces.

I may still have this car.  All of my Athearn cars that once operated on the club layout I belonged to are in one box somewhere.

Ron Merrick