Like others reporting, I have been building wood (and wood and paper) railroad models since I was a child, and as we speak, I have finished three more.  Most in later years have been passenger cars, but there have been a number of freight as well.  It is a very satisfying traditional medium to work with, not the least of which because it can be challenging at times.  Some years ago on this list was a thread of disdain for wood as incapable of being a part of RPM, which for many was a rallying cry for   “We’ ll show you!”, and….we certainly made a try. Very recently I finished/rebuilt an HO 1939 (kit production date)  Comet PLUTO WATER  wood and paper model kit.  For some weeks. it honorably served amongst its resin, plastic, and metal RPM fellow layout cars before being dispatch to a better life in the hands of a fine fellow modeler far away in another state.  

Al, if you are still active here and see this please email: fgexbill(at)tampabay.rr.com

Or check Messenger for the message I sent you on Facebook

Thank you,
Bill Welch

I use .010 brass wire and DO NOT anneal it. I use "Chain" nose pliers to create flat areas and regular needle to level it out the six-eight scale inches handle portion. I think the Chain nose may be same as Michael's 'Bead Landing.'  Think I will try the pliers George Toman refers to. While somewhat tedious, I find wire bending kind of meditative too.

Bill Welch

Michael does an excellent job on all of his models and this is another example of his fine and creative work.  As an alternative I have achieved a similar effect by bending the handle in .010 or .012 brass wire, inserting the legs in the door and securing it with glue from the Bach and then  filing the face of the handle flat.  This could eliminagte much of the breakage.

Jason Klocke lent me one of his Milwaukee Donkeys. We used it during an ops on my layout the other day. It's equipped with a Scale Sound Systems custom speaker. Besides listening to a 'state of the art' speaker I thought you might enjoy some freights cars in their natural habitat? Cars range from plastic, resin kit builds to partially scratch built or RTR.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGh0UyOU4GU&t=28s
CW Propst

As I age, I am narrowing my focus and selling HO kits that I can’t use and/or will never get around to building. I have for sale about 130 items. Most are HO kits (a few are RTR), both passenger and freight cars, including a few brass passenger cars and one brass passenger locomotive, and a copy of the book Pacific Fruit Express, Second Edition. I will be at the joint UP/SP convention in Ogden and will bring any items that someone has asked to see or buy. I am staying at the Hampton Inns and Suites from May 8-May 12. I also will be at the NMRA National Convention in Salt Lake City from July 7 to July 14 at the Little America Hotel and can bring items there. Items can also be purchased for shipping, although I am still determining shipping costs by Priority Mail.

 If interested, please contact me OFF LIST at spenkellogg at centurylink dot net for a PDF listing of the items. Do not use the address of this e-mail, I do not check it while traveling.

 Spen Kellogg

Thank you for the replies.  It is an Alamosa car shop kit.   When I get home tonight I will post some pictures of it.  I am only into the kit for $35.00 so if the build goes into the ditch it isnt a huge loss.

Scott McDonald

If the V-grooves are exaggerated in width and depth, the simple fix is to sand the surface down until they are at the desired profile.  I have a project in the works where I am doing this for a wood roof where the T&G boards are square-edge.  When finished, there will be barely visible (and variable) scribe lines.

BTW, the easiest way to deal with the fuzzy grain problem with basswood is to raise the grain several times with water, sanding with progressively finer paper between applications.  Then a single coat of sanding sealer, although I am not fully convinced it is necessary.  This is how woodworkers deal with water-based (and even alcohol-based) finishing products.

Dave Parker
Riverside, CA

Just FYI some interesting background on another group of D&RGW mill gondolas

Jim Eager wrote the following -
========================

D&RGW 30050-30099 (1st) were built by PSC 3-44 for the Defense Plant Corp, assigned/leased to the D&RGW to handle output from the Geneva Works steel mill built north of Provo by BSC for the DPC. After the War there was a disagreement between the Gov and the railroad over the L-97 UP-design 4-6-6-4s assigned to the Grande during the War. The Grande didn't like them and wasn't going to buy them. The Gov said you don't take the locos, you don't get to keep the gons either, so they went off to the ARR in '47, along with D&RGW 50000-50449,  41 ft gons built by MtVC 10-43. The locos went to the Clinchfield, also in '47.

To replace the 65-ft mill gons the Grande ordered D&RGW 30050-30099 (2nd) from PSC, blt 10-11-48, which were almost identical to the first set, both being AAR-pattern drop-end cars like the Athearn model. The Grande didn't bother replacing the 41 ft cars, instead ordering 52 ft cars D&RGW 55000-55449, built PS 1948-49.



--
*Tim O'Connor*
*Sterling, Massachusetts*

I used to use a piece of keystock to flatten wire in a vice (or a good smack)

The main appearance snag in wood "V" shaped scribing being filled in, is that it results in a shallow dent along the otherwise too deep, too wide scribed line.
Ed Bommer

Chuck Happel wrote:

In the past, I have found it useful to thin sanding sealer to avoid filling in the scribes.

But we agree that scribed siding is exaggerated, and the wood product is even more so. Wouldn't it be an ADVANTAGE if the sealer fills in the scribes? <vbg>

Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA
2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com
(510) 540-6538; e-mail, tony@signaturepress.com
Publishers of books on railroad history

Nicely Done Michael. Those look great.
I use a pair of Xuron Short Nose Pliers 475C to flatten my wire. Others as well but really like these. I find I get a lot of force with these. As noted here by Jim and Tony on annealing I also find in my flatting when I have also used a match or lighter to heat and flatten, that when it cools that it is often much too soft. 
Attracted are a couple photos of the 475C and flattened brass in a couple sizes. Note the 475C has no rust. The shiny parts of the pliers were picking up a reflection making them look rusty
George Toman

In the past, I have found it useful to thin sanding sealer to avoid filling in the scribes.

Chuck Happel

I intend to live forever, or die trying. Groucho Marx

--------------------------------------------