1. main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
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new email and Facebook page

al_westerfield
 

Because of hackers I’ve had to start from scratch.  My new email address is almmr87@....  My new Facebook page is Al Westerfield, with a top photo of 2 freight cars, and my photo superimposed.  Any of my Facebook friends, will you please send friend requests, so I can get back up to speed.  Thanks. – Al Westerfield

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

From: Michael Gross
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2019 8:40 AM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Chicagoland FGEX Reefer

 

Very nicely done, and very innovative!
--
Michael Gross
Pasadena, CA

 
Re: Chicagoland FGEX Reefer

Michael Gross
 

Very nicely done, and very innovative!
--
Michael Gross
Pasadena, CA
Re: Throwback Tuesday: Varney Metal Freight Car Kits

al_westerfield
 

To populate my new layout, I pick up freight cars with Kadee couplers at train shows.  I try to keep the average at about $4.00 apiece.  One was a Varney metal box car, at least 65 years old.  It took some doing to get the car to NMRA standards, but it runs fine now, and looks acceptable. – Al Westerfield

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

From: Benjamin Hom
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2019 7:37 AM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Throwback Tuesday: Varney Metal Freight Car Kits

 

Lee Thwaits asked:
"My first kits were Varney wood & cardboard & Mantua metal.  When did Varney switch to metal?"


A check of Varney catalogs at HO Seeker shows the wood and cardboard kits (with stamped metal doors and ends and embossed sides) still listed in the 1948 catalog, but the 1950 catalog shows the metal kits.
https://www.hoseeker.net/varneymiscellaneous.html  

 

 

Ben Hom 

 

 

 
Re: Throwback Tuesday: Varney Metal Freight Car Kits

Benjamin Hom
 

Lee Thwaits asked:
"My first kits were Varney wood & cardboard & Mantua metal.  When did Varney switch to metal?"

A check of Varney catalogs at HO Seeker shows the wood and cardboard kits (with stamped metal doors and ends and embossed sides) still listed in the 1948 catalog, but the 1950 catalog shows the metal kits.
https://www.hoseeker.net/varneymiscellaneous.html  


Ben Hom 
Re: Chicagoland FGEX Reefer

Dennis Storzek
 

On Wed, Apr 17, 2019 at 05:53 PM, skibbs4 wrote:
That’s clever with the scribed styrene instead of carving! Nice work, Bob. 
 
That is a clever idea, and the evergreen stock should match well, as I more or less copied the Evergreen grove dimensions when I designed that tool. I might point out that Evergreen "car siding" would be closer for the board width, but it matters little for those narrow panels.

It also occurs to me that harvesting portions of an extra side would be a dead on match for the siding AND include the siding retainer strip along the bottom edge. We do sell extra sides, #420 (yellow) or #421 (white) $2.99 pair, halfway down the parts page on the left: Accurail Parts The Evergreen siding is still likely easier for the ends.

Dennis Storzek 
Accurail, Inc.
Throwback Thursday: Athearn Rolling Stock Ad, Model Railroader, December 1962

Benjamin Hom
 

Athearn rolling stock ad from the December 1962 issue of Model Railroader.


Ben Hom
Re: Chicagoland FGEX Reefer

Lester Breuer
 

Bob a fine model.  Thank you for sharing your method to replace molded on details without carving.  Clever!
Lester Breuer
Re: Chicagoland FGEX Reefer

gtws00
 

Nicely done! Nice solution to the problem of carving off details.
Thanks for sharing
George Toman
Yeah, More Resin Coming

Bill Welch
 

RESINATOR ALERT: Another way to be separated from your money—New Resin Company launches—http://nationalscalecar.com/

Bill Welch
Re: Chicagoland FGEX Reefer

O Fenton Wells
 

Well done Bob, nice innovative solution to the issue and the finished product looks great.
Fenton

On Wed, Apr 17, 2019 at 9:10 PM Tony Thompson <tony@...> wrote:
Your model looks excellent, Bob, no reason to apologize.
Tony Thompson 


On Apr 17, 2019, at 5:12 PM, Bob Chapman <chapbob611@...> wrote:

In recent years, the folks at the Chicagoland RPM have presented a kit or minikit to registrants, allowing them to model a freight car not commercially available. The 2018 minikit was a truss-rod FGEX reefer, comprised of an Accurail carbody, a custom sheet of cast resin details, and custom decals.


Attached is my result -- built as a "layout model" (no museum-quality modeling here!) For the most part, I followed the Chicagoland instructions, with one exception. I have never had luck in scraping off cast-on ladders and grabs from a double-sheathed carbody. No matter how careful, I can't seem to avoid at least one gouge, and almost always end up with ghosts of the ladder rungs and grabs showing in the siding grooves. For this model, I replaced the siding on the ends and under the side ladders and grabs with #2040 Evergreen siding. I shimmed the replacement siding on the sides with .040"-thick styrene strip spacers. The replacement siding on the ends was slightly thinned, then laminated atop the original end siding.


A big thanks to Mike Skibbe, Frank Houdina, Tom Madden, and Ted Culotta, who made the kit possible.     


Regards,

Bob Chapman  

<FGEX 1+.jpg>
<FGEX End 1.JPG>



--
Fenton Wells
250 Frye Rd
Pinehurst NC 28374
910-420-8106
srrfan1401@...
Re: MILW>WP

mopacfirst
 

Today that car sits in a line of other historic cars where it's blocked in, very hard to shoot due to cars on the adjacent tracks.  But at least it still exists.

Ron Merrick
Re: Chicagoland FGEX Reefer

Tony Thompson
 

Your model looks excellent, Bob, no reason to apologize.
Tony Thompson 


On Apr 17, 2019, at 5:12 PM, Bob Chapman <chapbob611@...> wrote:

In recent years, the folks at the Chicagoland RPM have presented a kit or minikit to registrants, allowing them to model a freight car not commercially available. The 2018 minikit was a truss-rod FGEX reefer, comprised of an Accurail carbody, a custom sheet of cast resin details, and custom decals.


Attached is my result -- built as a "layout model" (no museum-quality modeling here!) For the most part, I followed the Chicagoland instructions, with one exception. I have never had luck in scraping off cast-on ladders and grabs from a double-sheathed carbody. No matter how careful, I can't seem to avoid at least one gouge, and almost always end up with ghosts of the ladder rungs and grabs showing in the siding grooves. For this model, I replaced the siding on the ends and under the side ladders and grabs with #2040 Evergreen siding. I shimmed the replacement siding on the sides with .040"-thick styrene strip spacers. The replacement siding on the ends was slightly thinned, then laminated atop the original end siding.


A big thanks to Mike Skibbe, Frank Houdina, Tom Madden, and Ted Culotta, who made the kit possible.     


Regards,

Bob Chapman  

<FGEX 1+.jpg>
<FGEX End 1.JPG>
Re: Chicagoland FGEX Reefer

skibbs4
 

That’s clever with the scribed styrene instead of carving! Nice work, Bob. 

Mike Skibbe


On Apr 17, 2019, at 7:12 PM, Bob Chapman <chapbob611@...> wrote:

In recent years, the folks at the Chicagoland RPM have presented a kit or minikit to registrants, allowing them to model a freight car not commercially available. The 2018 minikit was a truss-rod FGEX reefer, comprised of an Accurail carbody, a custom sheet of cast resin details, and custom decals.


Attached is my result -- built as a "layout model" (no museum-quality modeling here!) For the most part, I followed the Chicagoland instructions, with one exception. I have never had luck in scraping off cast-on ladders and grabs from a double-sheathed carbody. No matter how careful, I can't seem to avoid at least one gouge, and almost always end up with ghosts of the ladder rungs and grabs showing in the siding grooves. For this model, I replaced the siding on the ends and under the side ladders and grabs with #2040 Evergreen siding. I shimmed the replacement siding on the sides with .040"-thick styrene strip spacers. The replacement siding on the ends was slightly thinned, then laminated atop the original end siding.


A big thanks to Mike Skibbe, Frank Houdina, Tom Madden, and Ted Culotta, who made the kit possible.     


Regards,

Bob Chapman  

<FGEX 1+.jpg>
<FGEX End 1.JPG>
Re: Chicagoland FGEX Reefer

Nelson Moyer
 

That’s a nice looking car, and your solution to the molded details is ingenious.

 

Nelson Moyer

 

From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io [mailto:main@RealSTMFC.groups.io] On Behalf Of Bob Chapman
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2019 7:12 PM
To: STMFC <main@realSTMFC.groups.io>
Subject: [RealSTMFC] Chicagoland FGEX Reefer

 

In recent years, the folks at the Chicagoland RPM have presented a kit or minikit to registrants, allowing them to model a freight car not commercially available. The 2018 minikit was a truss-rod FGEX reefer, comprised of an Accurail carbody, a custom sheet of cast resin details, and custom decals.

 

Attached is my result -- built as a "layout model" (no museum-quality modeling here!) For the most part, I followed the Chicagoland instructions, with one exception. I have never had luck in scraping off cast-on ladders and grabs from a double-sheathed carbody. No matter how careful, I can't seem to avoid at least one gouge, and almost always end up with ghosts of the ladder rungs and grabs showing in the siding grooves. For this model, I replaced the siding on the ends and under the side ladders and grabs with #2040 Evergreen siding. I shimmed the replacement siding on the sides with .040"-thick styrene strip spacers. The replacement siding on the ends was slightly thinned, then laminated atop the original end siding.

 

A big thanks to Mike Skibbe, Frank Houdina, Tom Madden, and Ted Culotta, who made the kit possible.     

 

Regards,

Bob Chapman  
Chicagoland FGEX Reefer

Andy Carlson
 

Hi Bob-
That kind of clever problem solving is why I like the STM FC. What a great solution!
-andy Carlson
Ojai CA

On Wednesday, April 17, 2019, 5:12:32 PM PDT, Bob Chapman <chapbob611@...> wrote:


In recent years, the folks at the Chicagoland RPM have presented a kit or minikit to registrants, allowing them to model a freight car not commercially available. The 2018 minikit was a truss-rod FGEX reefer, comprised of an Accurail carbody, a custom sheet of cast resin details, and custom decals.


Attached is my result -- built as a "layout model" (no museum-quality modeling here!) For the most part, I followed the Chicagoland instructions, with one exception. I have never had luck in scraping off cast-on ladders and grabs from a double-sheathed carbody. No matter how careful, I can't seem to avoid at least one gouge, and almost always end up with ghosts of the ladder rungs and grabs showing in the siding grooves. For this model, I replaced the siding on the ends and under the side ladders and grabs with #2040 Evergreen siding. I shimmed the replacement siding on the sides with .040"-thick styrene strip spacers. The replacement siding on the ends was slightly thinned, then laminated atop the original end siding.


A big thanks to Mike Skibbe, Frank Houdina, Tom Madden, and Ted Culotta, who made the kit possible.     


Regards,

Bob Chapman  
Re: Chicagoland FGEX Reefer

BRIAN PAUL EHNI
 

Nice work!

 

 

Thanks!
--

Brian Ehni

 

 

From: <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> on behalf of Bob Chapman <chapbob611@...>
Reply-To: <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io>
Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at 7:12 PM
To: STMFC <main@realSTMFC.groups.io>
Subject: [RealSTMFC] Chicagoland FGEX Reefer

 

In recent years, the folks at the Chicagoland RPM have presented a kit or minikit to registrants, allowing them to model a freight car not commercially available. The 2018 minikit was a truss-rod FGEX reefer, comprised of an Accurail carbody, a custom sheet of cast resin details, and custom decals.

 

Attached is my result -- built as a "layout model" (no museum-quality modeling here!) For the most part, I followed the Chicagoland instructions, with one exception. I have never had luck in scraping off cast-on ladders and grabs from a double-sheathed carbody. No matter how careful, I can't seem to avoid at least one gouge, and almost always end up with ghosts of the ladder rungs and grabs showing in the siding grooves. For this model, I replaced the siding on the ends and under the side ladders and grabs with #2040 Evergreen siding. I shimmed the replacement siding on the sides with .040"-thick styrene strip spacers. The replacement siding on the ends was slightly thinned, then laminated atop the original end siding.

 

A big thanks to Mike Skibbe, Frank Houdina, Tom Madden, and Ted Culotta, who made the kit possible.     

 

Regards,

Bob Chapman  
Chicagoland FGEX Reefer

Bob Chapman
 

In recent years, the folks at the Chicagoland RPM have presented a kit or minikit to registrants, allowing them to model a freight car not commercially available. The 2018 minikit was a truss-rod FGEX reefer, comprised of an Accurail carbody, a custom sheet of cast resin details, and custom decals.


Attached is my result -- built as a "layout model" (no museum-quality modeling here!) For the most part, I followed the Chicagoland instructions, with one exception. I have never had luck in scraping off cast-on ladders and grabs from a double-sheathed carbody. No matter how careful, I can't seem to avoid at least one gouge, and almost always end up with ghosts of the ladder rungs and grabs showing in the siding grooves. For this model, I replaced the siding on the ends and under the side ladders and grabs with #2040 Evergreen siding. I shimmed the replacement siding on the sides with .040"-thick styrene strip spacers. The replacement siding on the ends was slightly thinned, then laminated atop the original end siding.


A big thanks to Mike Skibbe, Frank Houdina, Tom Madden, and Ted Culotta, who made the kit possible.     


Regards,

Bob Chapman  
Re: MILW>WP

Garth Groff <sarahsan@...>
 

Clark,

True, but more or less out of our period. WP bought two 40' MILW boxcars of 1948 vintage for to carry Ammana appliances, I suspect as part of a pool arrangement. They were numbered 3416-3417, and rebuilt with 9' doors, nailable steel floors and Spartan Easy Loaders. The doors carried a steel plate with SEI initials, like most specially-equipped WP boxcars.  One survives at the Portola Railroad Museum as MW 0209. A photo can be seen at https://www.wplives.com/archives/mow/nonrevenue/MW0209.php .

Yours Aye,


Garth Groff

On 4/17/19 2:13 PM, Clark Propst wrote:
A friend was telling me about a thread he’d been looking at on some website? about possible two Milwaukee ribsides that went to the WP. He said the thread never answered the questions of why the cars were on the WP and what their purpose was. Anyone on this list know anything about these cars? Sorry to bother if this transaction took place after 1960.
CW Propst
MILW>WP

Clark Propst
 

A friend was telling me about a thread he’d been looking at on some website? about possible two Milwaukee ribsides that went to the WP. He said the thread never answered the questions of why the cars were on the WP and what their purpose was. Anyone on this list know anything about these cars? Sorry to bother if this transaction took place after 1960.
CW Propst
Re: Mainline Modeler collection disposal.

Ken Adams
 

I just gave away about 25 issues of MM 1983-1987 to Just Trains in Concord (my usual LHS no other connection)  for their old magazine rack. Now to find anyone who wants 20-25 years of Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazettes and is willing to cart them away.

Ken Adams
Walnut Creek California 
18761 - 18780 of 182429