1. main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
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Greg Martin

Schuyler Larrabee
 

With the permission of his family, a report:

 

Some of you may be aware, but the current COVID-19 infection has Greg in the hospital for, now, a bit over two weeks.  He was feeling ill at home, and collapsed, whereupon his wife called the ambulance to take him to the hospital.

Greg’s has several compromising conditions, so the virus is really giving him a tough time.  He’s been comatose most of the time he’s been hospitalized and his brother told me that the reports from the doctors are up and down from day to day.

 

Greg’s contributions to the steam era freight car modeling fraternity need no clarifications from me.  But I hope that we will all l hope and pray for his recovery.

 

Greg has a Facebook page, which is being updated regularly with his condition.

 

Schuyler
Re: New Run: Rapido HO Scale General American Meat Reefer

Todd Sullivan
 

Thank you, Tim, I stand corrected.  My fingers are dyslexic.  I know the difference: SRLX = meat, SLRX = beer.

Todd Sullivan
Re: New Run: Rapido HO Scale General American Meat Reefer

Tim O'Connor
 


Whoa thar, Todd ! Be careful with reporting marks :-D

  SLRX = St Louis Refrigerator
  SRLX = Swift


On 4/4/2020 2:42 PM, Todd Sullivan via groups.io wrote:

Tim,

Thanks, those are great photos and they show exactly what I was trying to describe!  There's one other photo I know about that is in one of the small softcover Anthracite railroad books.  It shows an overhead view of the CNJ yard on the Lehigh River with 3 SLRX reefers.  Since all my Eastern RR books are in storage elsewhere, I can't check.

Thanks again!

Todd Sullivan

--
Tim O'Connor
Sterling, Massachusetts
Re: New Run: Rapido HO Scale General American Meat Reefer

Todd Sullivan
 

IIRC, when Tony bought these Atlas cars, they were the only RTR Swift meat reefer models available.  He was acquiring a fleet of meat reefers for the traffic out of Kansas City.  All other available models were resin kits, and he wasn't going to build 25-30 resin kits for his fleet due to cost and time-to-build.  Back in his Allegheny Midland layout days, I once asked him why he didn't detail and weather all his hopper cars.  He replied that he needed 200 hoppers and was still trying to finish work on the layout.  That was an instant "Oh, never thought about that" from me.  There are a few other SLRX reefers on his current layout, but the Atlas cars really filled the need at the  time.  Such are the compromises when you build a large layout.

Todd Sullivan.
Nose-talgia isn't what it used to be (was Model brake component size comparison to prototype)

Nolan Hinshaw
 

On Apr 4, 2020, at 11:45, Randy Hees <randyhees@gmail.com> wrote:

The late Dave Braun once investment cast a road kill rabbit... It apparently was almost cartoon flat, but very much recognizable as a rabbit...
I remember that one!

He sold it as a piece of art... Apparently the odor when it was being "burnt out" was particularly memorable... not in a good way...
Veterinary creamatoria aroma in a bottle! Dave was a dry one, as well as a master modeler.
--
Ex Sacramento Model Railroad Club downtown behind Beers Books
early member Sacramento Valley Live Steamers
Re: Anyone Want A First Generation SFRD Mechanical Reefer?

Garth Groff and Sally Sanford
 

But Tim,

Didn't C&BT shops do at least one of the SFRD Mechanicals, or were they just plug door rebuilds of earlier classes? I bought a couple of their swing-door cars before Long's had Intermountain make theirs. The plug door cars were too modern for my interests at the time. The C&BT cars had some problems with the add-on parts (especially overly wide running boards), but IIRC the bodies and roof castings weren't all that bad. At least one of my pair was finished with IM parts.

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆


On Sat, Apr 4, 2020 at 2:37 PM Tim O'Connor <timboconnor@...> wrote:

This poll reminds me of practically the same poll taken some time ago, asking us
which early Santa Fe mechanical we wanted. I think I voted for the "weird" cars -
the Santa Fe built some cars with 52 ft or 54 ft length, not like anyone else's.

Different length cars must have made warehouse owners really happy trying to get
a string of cars parked in front of their loading doors! :-D

IMO this will never happen unless someone does it in resin or 3-D.

Tim O'Connor



On 4/4/2020 2:29 PM, Bob Chaparro via groups.io wrote:

Anyone Want A First Generation SFRD Mechanical Reefer?

I am good friends with a person working for a major model manufacturer. His area of expertise is product development.

For years he and I have been discussing the possibility of bringing to market an accurate HO scale first generation SFRD mechanical refrigerator car. The cut-off year would be 1960.

The car would be produced in styrene and probably only in R-T-R form.

From our discussions this project almost came to fruition a few years ago but stalled due to competition from other projects.  

Times have changed and now this has become a real possibility.

There are "foobie" cars offered by Athearn and Walthers, but I share a belief with others that there is a market for a more accurate car.

First, I want to hear from you which first generation mechanical reefer is of most interest to you and specifically why you are interested in a particular car.

Your choices are the following SFRD classes:

Rr-31 (5 cars - 1955)

Rr-54 (30 cars - 1953

Rr-56 (150 cars -1955)

Rr-60 (25 Cars - 1958

Rr-61 (25 Cars - 1958)

Rr-65 (100 cars - 1960)

Rr-66 (100 cars - 1960)

I'm fairly certain there are builder's drawings of all these classes but that will need to be verified.

Factors influencing the manufacturer's decision will be how many paint/repaint schemes are possible (including MOW), and cost of modifying the tooling to produce insulated boxcar versions and cars representing other railroads.

Once the manufacturer selects one of these choices I will ask you to submit your photos, especially those with dates, so the manufacturer can evaluate paint schemes and modifications to the as-built prototype.

If there is enough good prototype information available there is a real probability a specific car will be produced.

Thank you.

Bob Chaparro

Hemet, CA



--
Tim O'Connor
Sterling, Massachusetts

Re: Model brake component size comparison to prototype

Randy Hees
 

The late Dave Braun once investment cast a road kill rabbit...  It apparently was almost cartoon flat, but very much recognizable as a rabbit...   He sold it as a piece of art... Apparently the odor when it was being "burnt out" was particularly memorable...   not in a good way...

Randy Hees
Re: >Early EMD SC or SW Switcher - was New Run: Rapido HO Scale General American Meat Reefer

Donald B. Valentine <riverman_vt@...>
 

Thanks Bob & Tim,

    Never having seen a top down view of one of these critters before I had no idea that the exhaust
stacks were actually located off center. With the dating you have provided the style of vents makes
a lot more sense.

Thanks again, Don Valentine
Southwest Scale Productions Doors

Steve and Barb Hile
 

I am trying to further document the selection of Dan Hall's SSP doors.  I would like to have a picture of the number 610, the 5-5-5 wide-seam "Overland" door.  Just the unfinished door, if possible.  Here is what I am using for the #612
 
 
so something like that would be helpful, if you have one or could take one like this, I would appreciated.
 
Please contact me off-list at shile (at) mindspring (dot) com.
 
Thanks,
Steve Hile
Re: New Run: Rapido HO Scale General American Meat Reefer

Todd Sullivan
 

Tim,

Thanks, those are great photos and they show exactly what I was trying to describe!  There's one other photo I know about that is in one of the small softcover Anthracite railroad books.  It shows an overhead view of the CNJ yard on the Lehigh River with 3 SLRX reefers.  Since all my Eastern RR books are in storage elsewhere, I can't check.

Thanks again!

Todd Sullivan
Re: Anyone Want A First Generation SFRD Mechanical Reefer?

Tim O'Connor
 


This poll reminds me of practically the same poll taken some time ago, asking us
which early Santa Fe mechanical we wanted. I think I voted for the "weird" cars -
the Santa Fe built some cars with 52 ft or 54 ft length, not like anyone else's.

Different length cars must have made warehouse owners really happy trying to get
a string of cars parked in front of their loading doors! :-D

IMO this will never happen unless someone does it in resin or 3-D.

Tim O'Connor



On 4/4/2020 2:29 PM, Bob Chaparro via groups.io wrote:

Anyone Want A First Generation SFRD Mechanical Reefer?

I am good friends with a person working for a major model manufacturer. His area of expertise is product development.

For years he and I have been discussing the possibility of bringing to market an accurate HO scale first generation SFRD mechanical refrigerator car. The cut-off year would be 1960.

The car would be produced in styrene and probably only in R-T-R form.

From our discussions this project almost came to fruition a few years ago but stalled due to competition from other projects.  

Times have changed and now this has become a real possibility.

There are "foobie" cars offered by Athearn and Walthers, but I share a belief with others that there is a market for a more accurate car.

First, I want to hear from you which first generation mechanical reefer is of most interest to you and specifically why you are interested in a particular car.

Your choices are the following SFRD classes:

Rr-31 (5 cars - 1955)

Rr-54 (30 cars - 1953

Rr-56 (150 cars -1955)

Rr-60 (25 Cars - 1958

Rr-61 (25 Cars - 1958)

Rr-65 (100 cars - 1960)

Rr-66 (100 cars - 1960)

I'm fairly certain there are builder's drawings of all these classes but that will need to be verified.

Factors influencing the manufacturer's decision will be how many paint/repaint schemes are possible (including MOW), and cost of modifying the tooling to produce insulated boxcar versions and cars representing other railroads.

Once the manufacturer selects one of these choices I will ask you to submit your photos, especially those with dates, so the manufacturer can evaluate paint schemes and modifications to the as-built prototype.

If there is enough good prototype information available there is a real probability a specific car will be produced.

Thank you.

Bob Chaparro

Hemet, CA



--
Tim O'Connor
Sterling, Massachusetts
Re: Anyone Want A First Generation SFRD Mechanical Reefer?

Scott Kremer
 

I have been talking to various manufacturers for years to try to get anyone to build a first generation mechanical reefer. I model GN/WFEX but I will take anything. The Rr-56 seems to me to be the obvious choice. Not only is it the biggest lot but to those of us that try to stay true a time frame It is the earliest large lot. That means that anyone modeling after 1954 can use the car. if you pick a later date I am out as I model October ,1955. Earlier would also be OK. This would be great.

Thanks,

Scott Kremer
Re: New Run: Rapido HO Scale General American Meat Reefer

Tim O'Connor
 


It's an EMD SC or SW (not sure which, only difference is the frame),
and that's how they were built (over 100 were built)


On 4/4/2020 1:44 PM, Donald B. Valentine via groups.io wrote:
Say Tim, What in the world do the MOP do to that EMD switcher that moved the exhaust stacks off to the
left side and radically changed the roof vents ahead f them as well? Talk abut the Rock Island's Christine,
this is quite a rebuild!

Cordially, Don Valentine


--
Tim O'Connor
Sterling, Massachusetts
Anyone Want A First Generation SFRD Mechanical Reefer?

Bob Chaparro
 

Anyone Want A First Generation SFRD Mechanical Reefer?

I am good friends with a person working for a major model manufacturer. His area of expertise is product development.

For years he and I have been discussing the possibility of bringing to market an accurate HO scale first generation SFRD mechanical refrigerator car. The cut-off year would be 1960.

The car would be produced in styrene and probably only in R-T-R form.

From our discussions this project almost came to fruition a few years ago but stalled due to competition from other projects.  

Times have changed and now this has become a real possibility.

There are "foobie" cars offered by Athearn and Walthers, but I share a belief with others that there is a market for a more accurate car.

First, I want to hear from you which first generation mechanical reefer is of most interest to you and specifically why you are interested in a particular car.

Your choices are the following SFRD classes:

Rr-31 (5 cars - 1955)

Rr-54 (30 cars - 1953

Rr-56 (150 cars -1955)

Rr-60 (25 Cars - 1958

Rr-61 (25 Cars - 1958)

Rr-65 (100 cars - 1960)

Rr-66 (100 cars - 1960)

I'm fairly certain there are builder's drawings of all these classes but that will need to be verified.

Factors influencing the manufacturer's decision will be how many paint/repaint schemes are possible (including MOW), and cost of modifying the tooling to produce insulated boxcar versions and cars representing other railroads.

Once the manufacturer selects one of these choices I will ask you to submit your photos, especially those with dates, so the manufacturer can evaluate paint schemes and modifications to the as-built prototype.

If there is enough good prototype information available there is a real probability a specific car will be produced.

Thank you.

Bob Chaparro

Hemet, CA
Re: Model brake component size comparison to prototype

steve_wintner
 

High quality castings for aircraft engines are usually "investment cast" which is pretty much lost wax by another name. A variety of materials can be used - wax, plastic, stereo lithography or other 3d printed resins. Burn them / melt them out, then pour - under vacuum for highest quality. The plasters used withstand very high heat, so high melting point plastic is irrelevant as long as it burns out leaving no ash behind.  All metals shrink when they solidify, but it's only a few percent. Depending on how it's done, the wax may shrink too. .97*.97 = still only a little bit. If you are making aircraft engines, that few percent matters. 

Aside from jewelry, model railroad gubbins, and aircraft engines, there are cheaper processes for most applications.

Steve
Re: Model brake component size comparison to prototype

Randy Hees
 

One thought... While AB control valve portions are going to be about the same size...  noting that some current portions (there are three parts to a AB control valve, the pipe bracket, the service portion and the emergency portion), The pipe bracket hasn't changed... but some [portions have gotten larger... requiring longer mounting studs...    and there are lots of sizes of brake cylinders... you match them to the car's weight....  So the cylinder on a caboose is much smaller than on a 40 or 50 ton box car, with cylinders for a 70 or 100 ton car much larger...  I am not sure about reservoir size...   

In the era for this list, probably only two common sizes... one for the typical 40 or 50 ton freight car, and one for cabooses... 

Randy Hees
Re: Model brake component size comparison to prototype

Dennis Storzek
 

On Sat, Apr 4, 2020 at 10:36 AM, Ralph W. Brown wrote:
My understanding is that the sacrificial material used to make the molds for casting is, as the name of the process implies, wax, which melts and is absorbed by the mold when it is first heated leaving the void later filled with molten brass or other casting metal. 
Wax was used when the masters were being "spin" cast in rubber molds. For higher production numbers the masters are injection molded from styrene. Precision scale Co. plastic parts are the same; investment casting masters sold as parts. Come to think of it, Grandt Line once sold their parts in brass, also.

Dennis Storzek
Re: Model brake component size comparison to prototype

Tim O'Connor
 



Thanks Drew for the clarification. I'd love to see this done. It seems to be an
almost forgotten art at least for HO models.


On 4/4/2020 11:35 AM, Drew wrote:
Tim,
   I worked in a prototype model during my high school years. We used lost wax a few times. First a master is made and a mold made off that master, the mold was usually RTV rubber. Wax was poured in to that mold to make a second master which did shrink a bit. That wax master was then placed in foundry sand and hot metal poured in to the sand mold. The wax melted/vaporized and metal took its place, hence the name lost wax. It's been 20 years since I last did that but I do recall there was a bit of shrinkage in each step.

Drew Marshall in Philly, PA

Modeling the pre-Depression years.

Sent from TypeApp
On Apr 4, 2020, at 09:15, Tim O'Connor <timboconnor@...> wrote:

As I recall, all Cal-Scale detail components were OVERSIZE because they were used
 for lost wax casting! In that process the plastic parts are for the molds and are
 destroyed in the casting process, and the shrinkage produces parts that are closer
 to scale.
Or am I wrong? :-)
Tim O'Connor
========================================
On 4/4/2020 9:00 AM, Lester Breuer wrote:

A comparison of several manufacturers’ model brake component measurements to Westinghouse prototype brake component measurements prepared by George Toman was sent to me for my use.  I asked George to share his measurements comparison on my blog.  If you are interested in the  comparison measurements, they are now available on my blog I have to share photos and writeup of projects on my Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company. If would like to take a look please do at the following link:

 

http://mnrailroadcab100.blogspot.com/

 

Lester Breuer

--
Tim O'Connor
Sterling, Massachusetts

--
Tim O'Connor
Sterling, Massachusetts
Re: CB&Q 110193 Truss Rod boxcar

O Fenton Wells
 

Excellent Bill, thanks for sharing
Fenton

On Sat, Apr 4, 2020 at 12:30 PM Bill Welch <fgexbill@...> wrote:
CB&Q 110193 Truss Rod boxcar is a Westerfield kit. My modeling date is Oct. 1955 and by then these were probably all gone but I occasionally cheat and so the car has a re-weigh date in 1952. The underframe has not been glued as yet so the body is not yet sitting firmly nested on the U/F. I have also not yet attached the brake wheel. To help keep the turnbuckles taught as well as provide more comfort for someone "riding the rods" a wood plank has been lodged through the four turnbuckles on each side of the underframe. The scratch built Running Board and Latitudinals will receive replacement boards after sandpaper is used to peel some paint up.

Bill Welch



--
Fenton Wells
250 Frye Rd
Pinehurst NC 28374
910-420-8106
srrfan1401@...
Re: New Run: Rapido HO Scale General American Meat Reefer

Bob Webber
 

Not much to that - the vents are as delivered as are the stack locations. 

Early SC switcher, if I recall correctly. Winton powered.


At 12:44 PM 4/4/2020, Donald B. Valentine via groups.io wrote:
Say Tim, What in the world do the MOP do to that EMD switcher that moved the exhaust stacks off to the
left side and radically changed the roof vents ahead f them as well? Talk abut the Rock Island's Christine,
this is quite a rebuild!

Cordially, Don Valentine

Bob Webber

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