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Re: Branchline EZ Kits
John Nehrich <nehrij@...>
Ever since Dennis Storzek said in effect the emperor had no clothes back in
April '82 RMC regarding the mainstay of the hobby, the Athearn car with its undersized doors and CLAWS, I can't see past this feature. Every time I see a model photo and there is a box car door with claws (at least clip the claws, if nothing else), I can't see past this feature. I have this image of the Kilroy was here sketch, only with door claws instead of hands and the slogan "Irv was here!" Of course, the whole point of Dennis's article was how to change this and even salavage the paint scheme, but still, it's a lot of work. In my opinion I would rather accept the Accurail steel box car with its post '49 roof and post '54 ends as a stand-in for the '37 car than either the MDC or Athearn. At least the Accurail car looks like a box car, even if the wrong one, than either these two kits. And I know the MDC is closer in details to the '37 car, but the end is pretty shallow relief - my feeling is that if you are close enough to count ribs, you are too close, and if you aren't that close, the Athearn is better. So I will still hold my breath for the Branchline car. (And I trust them to do appropriate schemes for the car, too, so we don't get an accurate kit with the wrong schemes. - John
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Re: steam era coil steel cars
John Nehrich <nehrij@...>
The coil steel cars like the Bachmann and Walthers seem like an obvious
solution to the problem of shipping coiled steel. It is so heavy you have to load with a crane and you need some sort of weather protection. So why can't we add truss rods and Andrews trucks to the Wathers models? In other words, how did they ship coil steel before these cars back in steam days? Or maybe they didn't? Was it the development of heavier cranes? Wider spread use of 70 and 100 ton trucks? Some development in the auto industry to ship steel in this manner? - John
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Re: Branchline EZ Kits
Tim O'Connor <timoconnor@...>
The 1937 AAR box car has been available from MDC/Roundhouse
for about a hundred years... Athearn's kit is an accurate (and as yet, unavailable in any other form including resin) rendition of the 1940 AAR box car with S-corner ends built exclusively for Illinois Central. If you replace the ladders with 8-rung style, then the car is accurate for SOO and DSS&A. Finally a replacement for the standard Athearn box carTimothy O'Connor <timoconnor@mediaone.net>The first car out in this series will be the pre war (1937?) Marlborough, Massachusetts
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Re: Branchline EZ Kits
John Nehrich <nehrij@...>
AAAAhhhh - The King is dead - Long live the King!
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Finally a replacement for the standard Athearn box car, in terms of similar prototype (the Athearn prototype is still questionable, but in the ballpark of the 1937/1942 AAR car) and ease of construction. Thank you Bill! (But don't let this get in the way of the passenger cars!) - John
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Schneider" <branch@ntplx.net> To: <STMFC@egroups.com> Cc: <byronrose@juno.com> Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2001 7:11 AM Subject: Re: [STMFC] Branchline EZ Kits Jeez, with an intro like that how can I resist.... :>)
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Re: Branchline EZ Kits
Bill Schneider <branch@...>
Jeez, with an intro like that how can I resist.... :>)
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The Branchline "Yardmaster" series kits ("E-Z" has already been taken...) are a new series of kits aimed at the "mass market". They will have cast on details but the details will be as fine as we can make them and include things like underbody brake gear (ala Central Valley/McKean). The hope is to reach some of the market who thinks "all those parts" make a kit too difficult to assemble but still want a well-detailed good looking car. Think of them as our Proto 1000.... The first car out in this series will be the pre war (1937?) AAR 10-0 IH boxcar. If response to this car is decent there will be others. The tooling for this car is complete and has been test shot, but I have no scheduled release dates. (Of course, MR Rose will tell you that even if I did it wouldn't mean anything...) This series will NOT replace the Blueprint Series kits we produce (occasionally...). It is aimed at the quick-build segment of the market. If you're looking for a highly detailed kit of this car with all the extra goodies, buy one from my friends at Red Caboose. If you want something to slap on the layout fast, this is your baby! Bill Schneider Branchline Trains http://www.branchline-trains.com byronrose@juno.com wrote:
ATTENTION ALL. Coming soon to this list will be Mr. Bill
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Re: Branchline EZ Kits
byronrose@...
On Wed, 17 Jan 2001 13:56:26 -0800 (PST) Jeff Aley - GCD PE
<jaley@pcocd2.intel.com> writes: Does anyone have any details on the Branchline EZ Kits? Is this ATTENTION ALL. Coming soon to this list will be Mr. Bill "we-haven't-shipped-that-yet" Schneider, chief honcho and bottle washer of that part of BLT dedicated to destroying the balance of styrene and ABS in the universe. I'm sure he will be glad to answer any and all of your questions about their new kits in complete detail. Honesty is optional at extra cost. BSR PS In case Bill doesn't get to it soon, the answers to your above questions are: yes, no, what about it, much. Don't thank me, that's what I'm here for. ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.
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Re: Troop Sleepers
byronrose@...
On Wed, 17 Jan 2001 12:56:05 -0600 "Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D."
<smithbf@mail.auburn.edu> writes: Hi All,Bruce, MR published a drawing of a Troop Sleeper converted to a service car several years back. I don't have a copy handy for the date but I'm sure it will surface via some kind soul. The drawings included an excellent underbody view showing all the structural members and full brake rigging, both AB sets worth. I'd say it was indispensable to your efforts. There are more than several troop cars still in existence, at least that I am aware of. One is at Union Bridge, Maryland, in the WM Hist Soc collection, an almost virginal car with all its windows intact and riding on AFC trucks. Another is closer to DC in a small station display along with other freight and passenger cars and a small steam lokie. It is in about the same condition as the WMHS car. And one at Illinois Ry Museum. I am told a troop sleeper resides at the B&O musuem in BaltimoreHow about photos documenting the underframe structure and brake systems? Any other information that you think might be helpful would be mostBruce, if that's the same Cannonball kit I saw at Mitchells last fall, why would you waste your time on it? The rivets look like flattened grapefruit halves and the panel line are non existent. It's almost criminal that someone capable of producing scale size rivets hasn't done this car yet. Of course, that statement leaves InterMountain out, doesn't it? But I have been hearing rumors that it will be produced by a capable manufacturer in the not to distant future. Let's all hope. Byron Rose ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.
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Re: Troop Sleepers
Ben Hom <bhom3@...>
Here's the s-mail address and ordering info:
RP Cyc Publishing Co. PO Box 451 Chesterfield MO 63006-0451 Each issue is $20.95 post paid. Ben Hom
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ORER Available
Jeff English
A friend of mine has a July 52 ORER he wants to unload,
asking $75, but I think he might take a bit less. I will relay any offers anyone cares to submit through me (off list, of course). --------------------------------------------------------------- Jeff English Troy, New York Proto:64 Classic Era Railroad Modeling englij@rpi.edu | R U T L A N D R A I L R O A D | Route of the Whippet ---------------------------------------------------------------
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Branchline EZ Kits
Jeff Aley - GCD PE <jaley@...>
Does anyone have any details on the Branchline EZ Kits? Is this based on
their Blueprint tooling, but with cast-on details? And what about their "Yardmaster" series? What's the difference between Yardmaster and EZ Kits? (References: http://www.branchline-trains.com/ezkits/40ezkits.htm http://www.branchline-trains.com/ ). Regards, -Jeff -- Jeff Aley, Development Engineer jaley@pcocd2.intel.com Graphics Components Division Intel Corporation, Folsom, CA (916) 356-3533
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Re: Troop Sleepers
Shawn Beckert
Guys,
For those of you wanting RPC #5 with the article on troop sleepers, you can probably order right from their website if you don't have a hobby shop nearby. They're at: http://hometown.aol.com/rpcyc/rpcychome.html Shawn Beckert
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Re: Troop Sleepers
Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D. <smithbf@...>
John,
You replied: If anyone has this, I'll be glad to post it on our site for futureI'm a little foggy on what you meant? (I'm a little foggy PERIOD, but thats another story!)...Were you referring to additional photos of the cars? I can supply some info on the kitchen car. It is a 1944 ACF product and as mentioned, it is at the Southeastern Railway Museum (http://www.srmduluth.org/). The museum is located in Duluth, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. It is owned and operated by the Atlanta Chapter, National Railway Historical Society and is staffed completely with volunteers. The car is painted in what I beleive to be a later US Army scheme (as opposed to the original Pullman scheme), and I beleive that this car was never modified fo alternative service and has its interior intact. The car can be seen at: http://www.srmduluth.org/Exhibits/misc.htm I will scan the photos I have of this car and create a photopoint site. The staff at the site is really nice and when I asked, they seemed thrilled that I would be interested in taking a really good look at their car. BTW, the photo of Troop Sleeper #7040 on your site looks to be a "Phase I" Pullman troop sleeper (as defined by Cannonball), which makes sense since it is in the first number series (ie built in 1943). The Cannonball kit most readily makes a phase II, but of course, I have to be difficult and model the phase I variation! There are subtle variations like the side sills that distinguish version... Happy Rails Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D. Scott-Ritchey Research Center 334-844-5587, 334-844-5850 (fax) http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/~smithbf/ "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin __ / \ __<+--+>________________\__/___ ____________________________________ |- ______/ O O \_______ -| | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ | | / 4999 PENNSYLVANIA 4999 \ | ||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__|| |/_____________________________\|_|____________________________________| | O--O \0 0 0 0/ O--O | 0-0-0 0-0-0
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Re: Troop Sleepers
Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D. <smithbf@...>
Ben wrote:
Bruce, the latest Railroad Prototype Cyclopedia contains aHi Ben Great! Could you let me know how and where I might get this publication? Regards Bruce Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D. Scott-Ritchey Research Center 334-844-5587, 334-844-5850 (fax) http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/~smithbf/ "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin __ / \ __<+--+>________________\__/___ ____________________________________ |- ______/ O O \_______ -| | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ | | / 4999 PENNSYLVANIA 4999 \ | ||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__|| |/_____________________________\|_|____________________________________| | O--O \0 0 0 0/ O--O | 0-0-0 0-0-0
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Re: Gun Flats
Paul Kattner
I host the Iowainterurbansandstreetrailways mailing list. I will ask
there and see if anyone has information on what type of deck the gun-flat has on it. In all my years of looking at it, I never noted whether or not it had a wooden deck...... Kicking myself..... Paul Kattner --- In STMFC@egroups.com, Bob Johnson <bobjohnson@a...> wrote: Paul,shape of the side sills is right, as are the number and spacing of thestake pockets. The trucks also appear to be PRR Class 2E1F1, although theThe 1937 date may well be correct, but not for an F23. From diagramsand side view builders' photos, it looks like the F23 body rode lower onthe trucks than did the F22. The lower edge of the F23 side sill comesvery close to the top of the arch bar trucks. There's a noticeable gapThe photo of MC&CL #104 shows a gap typical of an F22. Perhaps Byroncan check the detail drawings of these cars to confirm this differenceseveral F22 cars were dropped from the roster in the late 1930's. Many carsof that vintage were sold to railroad equipment dealers who resold themto short lines. The Pennsy probably wouldn't have sold therelatively-new cast steel trucks and substituted the old original arch bar trucks#104 is a PRR car. The castings should have PRR and a pattern numberbar truck wheelbase 5'-7" (which I think is a relatively unusual size)?floor? If it's an F23, this dimension should be 3'-4 7/8". If the carpassed all the other checks and this dimension is a couple of inchesgreater than 3'-4 7/8", then it is probably a former PRR F22 that somehowgot a steel floor. Does the steel floor look like a real steel floor witha multitude of rivets, or does it look like a slab of steel put on for
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Re: Troop Sleepers
John Nehrich <nehrij@...>
If anyone has this, I'll be glad to post it on our site for future
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
reference. - John
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D." <smithbf@mail.auburn.edu> To: <STMFC@egroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 1:56 PM Subject: [STMFC] Troop Sleepers Hi All,web site is next to useless) - anyone have photographs?welcome - I'm building up a train of the Cannonball cars and am at the detailingFranklin __
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Re: Troop Sleepers
ibs4421@...
Ben,
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Is it possible toorder a copy of this publication? Thank you very much. Warren Dickinson
Bruce, the latest Railroad Prototype Cyclopedia contains a
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Re: Troop Sleepers
Ben Hom <bhom3@...>
Bruce, the latest Railroad Prototype Cyclopedia contains a
comprehensive and well-illustrated article on Troop Sleepers and Kitchen Cars. Ben Hom
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Troop Sleepers
Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D. <smithbf@...>
Hi All,
I was wondering if any of you might have information regarding WWII era Troop Sleepers and Kitchen cars manufactured by Pullman and ACF respectively. I have seen the available info at the Cannonball site (selling HO kits) and the NEB&W site. I am particularly looking for diagrams of the underside of the car to locate steam and brake lines. I am told a troop sleeper resides at the B&O musuem in Baltimore (Their web site is next to useless) - anyone have photographs? I know that the Southeastern R museum in Duluth Ga (atlanta) has a Kitchen car - I have photos and will be back there soon to craawl all over that sucker! Any other information that you think might be helpful would be most welcome - I'm building up a train of the Cannonball cars and am at the detailing stage Happy Rails Bruce Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D. Scott-Ritchey Research Center 334-844-5587, 334-844-5850 (fax) http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/~smithbf/ "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin __ / \ __<+--+>________________\__/___ ____________________________________ |- ______/ O O \_______ -| | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ | | / 4999 PENNSYLVANIA 4999 \ | ||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__|| |/_____________________________\|_|____________________________________| | O--O \0 0 0 0/ O--O | 0-0-0 0-0-0
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Re: Gun Flats
Bob Johnson <bobjohnson@...>
Paul,
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The photo of MC&CL #104 sure looks like a PRR 30' flat car. The shape of the side sills is right, as are the number and spacing of the stake pockets. The trucks also appear to be PRR Class 2E1F1, although the angled view makes it a little hard to tell. These trucks were removed from the cars by 1930. However, they were probably put into MW service, perhaps as spares in wreck trains. The 1937 date may well be correct, but not for an F23. From diagrams and side view builders' photos, it looks like the F23 body rode lower on the trucks than did the F22. The lower edge of the F23 side sill comes very close to the top of the arch bar trucks. There's a noticeable gap between the bottom of the F22 side sill and the top of the truck. The photo of MC&CL #104 shows a gap typical of an F22. Perhaps Byron can check the detail drawings of these cars to confirm this difference between F22 and F23. While all the F23 cars remained in service on the PRR into 1952, several F22 cars were dropped from the roster in the late 1930's. Many cars of that vintage were sold to railroad equipment dealers who resold them to short lines. The Pennsy probably wouldn't have sold the relatively-new cast steel trucks and substituted the old original arch bar trucks instead - perfectly usable for MW service. It would be interesting to check a few things to confirm that MC&CL #104 is a PRR car. The castings should have PRR and a pattern number (typically beginning with a V) in raised characters. Is the arch bar truck wheelbase 5'-7" (which I think is a relatively unusual size)? What is the height from the rail head to the top surface of the floor? If it's an F23, this dimension should be 3'-4 7/8". If the car passed all the other checks and this dimension is a couple of inches greater than 3'-4 7/8", then it is probably a former PRR F22 that somehow got a steel floor. Does the steel floor look like a real steel floor with a multitude of rivets, or does it look like a slab of steel put on for weight and/or to replace a rotted-out wooden floor? As you say, a lot of questions, indeed. Bob Johnson Paul Kattner wrote:
The car being stolen is somewhat of a local legend--no way of verifying its
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Re: Gun Flats
Bob Johnson <bobjohnson@...>
Byron,
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Well, there were the following flat cars rebuilt from gondolas: FGR, FGR-1, FGR-2, FGR-3, FGRa, FG27, FG27a, and FG27b. And, flat cars rebuilt from box car underframes - FXL. I don't know of any gondolas rebuilt from flat cars. Would you settle for a gondola rebuilt from a box car underframe - the truly weird GXL? And then, there's the cabin cars rebuilt from box cars - the eagerly-awaited NX23. Bob Johnson byronrose@juno.com wrote:
The pennsy had a way with words that doesn't always follow logic. Like
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