Richard Hendrickson wrote:

Bill, I'm sending you off-list a B/W photo of a red CCLX type 30 tank car. The photo is B/W but clearly shows the black underframe and bottom sheet and the red upper tank, dome, and ends.

Richard, am I right to conclude that you are confirming the accuracy of the Athearn metal tank car paint? I have one of those old Athearn Crystal Car Line red cars also, so would like to be sure.

Tony Thompson Editor, Signature Press, Berkeley, CA
2906 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705 www.signaturepress.com
(510) 540-6538; fax, (510) 540-1937; e-mail, thompson@signaturepress.com
Publishers of books on railroad history

On Jan 19, 2011, at 3:30 PM, william darnaby wrote:

I am painting a Sunshine GATX 8k Type 30 for the Crystal Car Line.
The data sheet has one photo that is dark and I cannot see any
delineation between red and black although the data sheet describes
the upper 3/4 of the tank as red. FWIW, I have an ancient Atheran
metal tank that is a fair representation of a 10k Type 30. It is
painted for Crystal Car Line but the tank is only red above the
lower rivets and between the ends and dome. The dome, the area
below the dome as well as the ends are black. Culotta's tank car
book features a silver tank variant which I can't do because the
decals are silver.

Any opinions? Facts would be preferred <g>.

Bill, I'm sending you off-list a B/W photo of a red CCLX type 30 tank
car. The photo is B/W but clearly shows the black underframe and
bottom sheet and the red upper tank, dome, and ends. It's a J. W.
Brauner shot at Buffalo in 1941 from the Frank Peacock collection.

Richard Hendrickson

I am painting a Sunshine GATX 8k Type 30 for the Crystal Car Line. The data sheet has one photo that is dark and I cannot see any delineation between red and black although the data sheet describes the upper 3/4 of the tank as red. FWIW, I have an ancient Atheran metal tank that is a fair representation of a 10k Type 30. It is painted for Crystal Car Line but the tank is only red above the lower rivets and between the ends and dome. The dome, the area below the dome as well as the ends are black. Culotta's tank car book features a silver tank variant which I can't do because the decals are silver.

Any opinions? Facts would be preferred <g>.

Bill Darnaby

Tim,

The Hygrade’s, Oscar Mayer, Swift and Kingan were made just for you. I expect an order for a four pack each... ;>)

Bill

From: Tim O'Connor
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 5:31 PM
To: STMFC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [STMFC] Re: Rapido reefer



Bill, for those of us who model only AFTER 1954, do you think
Rapido will be doing any repaints or at least post-1954 versions
of these reefers? I know it can be quite difficult to find photos
other than builder photos of such cars.

In fact the only photos I've found are in Gene's "Refrigerator
Car Color Guide":

Dubuque/URTX 63016 (1960 photo, page 113)
Morrell/MRX 5649 (1958 photo, page 66)

Tim O'Connor

We have received many questions about what schemes we are going to be producing on the new GARX wood reefer first shown at Cocoa Beach.

Last night we updated our web site with a listing of the initial offerings, and this information has now also gone out to dealers and distributors. For those interested the information on the cars can be found at http://www.rapidotrains.com/freight2.html and on the paint schemes at http://www.rapidotrains.com/reefer2.html. Please remember that as discussed before the photos are of the first test samples from tooling which is being revised even as we speak.

Also, we have listed road numbers for each offering. Most, but not all, of these are based on photos. If you have any knowledge that any of these numbers or information is incorrect for the scheme listed please contact me OFF LIST. Its not to late to change!

Also, a caveat before anybody else points it out... While all other schemes are correct for the version of the car as modeled, we are aware that the Swift car is in fact a 1936 built car which should have the earlier underframe arrangement with straight side sills and a vertical brake staff. Hmmm... maybe a Shake-and-Take clinic possibility for next year.....?!

Bill Schneider
Rapido Trains

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Bill, for those of us who model only AFTER 1954, do you think
Rapido will be doing any repaints or at least post-1954 versions
of these reefers? I know it can be quite difficult to find photos
other than builder photos of such cars.

In fact the only photos I've found are in Gene's "Refrigerator
Car Color Guide":

Dubuque/URTX 63016 (1960 photo, page 113)
Morrell/MRX 5649 (1958 photo, page 66)

Tim O'Connor

Denny, this looks like it could develop into an excellent resource, but
it also may need some strong auditing to ensure consistent quality and
terminology*.

I looked at just two issues of Mainline Modeler and the quality of the entries
is highly variable. My own notes on those two MM issues contains 2x as many
references and each reference is more detailed. I'm not sure the current format
of the web site will accomodate more detailed references but I hope it will.

If this is an NMRA activity, why is it on this "olimpia.com" website?

Tim O'Connor

* Terminology issues: is it an X-43 or an X43? Is it B&M or Boston & Maine?
And so on, raised to infinity. With hundreds of editors, you can imagine
this could spiral out of control (spelling errors anyone?) and render the
whole thing almost useless.

The only problem that I have with the GARX wood reefer is when I went out to
shovel snow, I started thinking about the cars and started drooling -- ice
cycles formed. I came in, thawed out and then saw this email. I can't wait until
they're released - still drooling.
Jim




________________________________
From: Bill Schneider <bschneider424@comcast.net>
To: STMFC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wed, January 19, 2011 12:50:24 PM
Subject: [STMFC] Rapido reefer

 
With Mike’s indulgence...

We have received many questions about what schemes we are going to be producing
on the new GARX wood reefer first shown at Cocoa Beach.

Last night we updated our web site with a listing of the initial offerings, and
this information has now also gone out to dealers and distributors. For those
interested the information on the cars can be found at
http://www.rapidotrains.com/freight2.html and on the paint schemes at
http://www.rapidotrains.com/reefer2.html. Please remember that as discussed
before the photos are of the first test samples from tooling which is being
revised even as we speak.

Also, we have listed road numbers for each offering. Most, but not all, of these
are based on photos. If you have any knowledge that any of these numbers or
information is incorrect for the scheme listed please contact me OFF LIST. Its
not to late to change!

Also, a caveat before anybody else points it out... While all other schemes are
correct for the version of the car as modeled, we are aware that the Swift car
is in fact a 1936 built car which should have the earlier underframe arrangement
with straight side sills and a vertical brake staff. Hmmm... maybe a
Shake-and-Take clinic possibility for next year.....?!


Bill Schneider
Rapido Trains

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thanks Ed. I was only going by the Youngstown doors shown on the
web page. If I'd looked into my kit box (#1609) I would have seen
the correct Superior doors.

Tim O'Connor

Bill,

Are we going to get a chance to see the final tooling results before we have to place our orders?


Ed

Edward Sutorik

Hi Everyone

Barring a white-out blizzard, on February 7, 8, and 9, 2011, four pieces of railroad equipment will be moved from various places around Laramie, Wyoming, to Railroad Heritage Park located just south of the historic Laramie Railroad Depot. This move was originally scheduled to happen a year ago, but those plans failed to materialize. We sincerely hope that this year's efforts will be successful.

Wasatch Railroad Contractors, the firm that the City hired for this project, subcontracted with Black Hills Trucking, from Casper WY, to handle the moves. Black Hills Trucking will leave Casper at 5 AM on Monday, February 7, with three trucks and two cranes, arriving at the engine between 9 AM and 10 AM. The engine and tender are currently located at 6th St. and Canby St. in LaBonte Park, Laramie.

Between 11 AM and noon, the cranes will move into position, one on each side of the engine, and lift it. Then a trailer will be backed under the engine and the engine will be lowered. The truck, trailer, and engine will move forward onto 6th street and park while the tender is placed on a second trailer.

Between 1 PM and 2 PM the two trucks will head south on 6th street for Railroad Heritage Park, escorted by the Laramie Police Department. The move will take about 45 minutes.

About 3 PM the engine and tender will arrive at the Depot and unloading will begin, a process that will take one or two hours. The trucks, trailers and cranes will then head for the snow plow and bunk car, currently located in Laramie's West Side, just west of Cedar St. between University and Fremont.

Tuesday morning, February 8, the snow plow and bunk car will be loaded onto trailers and moved to RR Heritage Park. They will proceed north on Cedar, east across the Curtiss Street viaduct, and then south on 3rd St. to the Park. If all goes well the caboose will be moved that afternoon. Otherwise, the caboose will be moved on Wednesday, February 9.

Once assembled, the equipment will re-create a 1950s era snow train used to keep the rail lines open in the fierce Wyoming winters. It will be a tribute to the hard working men and women of Laramie and the West who braved the elements to keep the passenger and freight trains running. The train will not only serve an historical function, but it will also be "coherent", meaning that it could have existed in the real world, operating in exactly this assemblage. This is rare for static displays.

It is seldom that one sees any piece of railroad equipment riding on a truck through city streets. This is an opportunity to see an entire train move, albeit spread over several days.

The train consists of the following equipment:

Wedge snow plow – Union Pacific snow plow 900015, now located in Laramie's West Side. It was built in the UP Pocatello shops in 1953 and was converted from a steam engine tender. The original number was 015. It was featured on the cover of The Streamliner, Vol. 6, No. 3, in action blasting through a snow drift near Strasburg, Colorado in 1982.

Steam engine – Union Pacific 535, now in LaBonte Park in Laramie. It was built by Baldwin in 1903. It is a 2-8-0 Consolidation and was originally part of the Oregon Short Line. It worked the Laramie yards and the U.P. Coalmont branch in the 1950s.

Bunk car – built by Ralston Steel Car Company for the U.P. in 1929. It began life as an A-50-12 automobile car, part of series 152001-152500, was converted to a box car in 1940, and then into a six-man bunk car in the late 1940s. An article about the U.P.'s bunk cars, which includes a photo of a car similar to ours, appeared in The Streamliner, Vol. 16, No. 3.

Caboose – Union Pacific 25232, built in 1951 with original number 3932. It is a class CA-5 caboose, one of a set of 100 such cars built by the U.P. in its Omaha shops. This was the first class of steel cabooses built in the U.P. shops. In the 1970s the caboose was upgraded with trucks that gave it a smoother ride. It served on the Maryville, KS, branch until it was retired.


The bunk car actually led to the creation of RR Heritage Park. Two years ago the car was scheduled to succumb to a salvage company's cutting torch. The effort to save it let to a whirlwind of activity which culminated in the Park.

Railroad Heritage Park is a joint project between the Laramie Railroad Depot Association and the City of Laramie. For more details on this park, the equipment, and up to date information on the schedule for the moves see the Association's website at www.laramiedepot.org (Click on "News" for info about the move; and on "About – Railroad Heritage Park" for info about the park and equipment.)

Hope you can be there to watch this once in a lifetime event!
Larry

Best wishes,
Larry Ostresh
Laramie, Wyoming

On Wed, January 19, 2011 11:52 am, dennyanspach wrote:

Can anyone explain or expand upon the new "NMRA-based" periodical indexing
system at <http://www.olimpia.com:8084/magazine-index.html> ? This is NOT
the renewed Kalmbach system, but is a separate effort. That it is
apparently "open source" and is to be available to everyone seems to augur
real promise, and in a separate way, it is a worthy effort for the NMRA.

Denny

I think you pretty much just did explain it. It was started in response to
Kalmbach shutting down their index.

They're also more open to what magazines and periodicals can be indexed,
including on-line ones.


--
Jeff Shultz
http://www.shultzinfosystems.com

Can anyone explain or expand upon the new "NMRA-based" periodical indexing system at <http://www.olimpia.com:8084/magazine-index.html> ? This is NOT the renewed Kalmbach system, but is a separate effort. That it is apparently "open source" and is to be available to everyone seems to augur real promise, and in a separate way, it is a worthy effort for the NMRA.

Denny

Denny S. Anspach MD
Sacramento

Yes... and no. Not likely.

The biggest group with Duryea’s was the Oscar Mayer cars. We chose car numbers that did NOT have Duryea’s. Of everybody buys a bunch of reefers I might talk Jason into offering one at some point down the road, or maybe Ted will do a conversion kit....

Bill Schneider

From: Garth G. Groff
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2011 12:57 PM
To: STMFC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [STMFC] Rapido reefer


Bill,

In your decisions about paint schemes, are you taking into account that
some of these cars had Duryea underframes? Any chance you will do the
Duryea variant?

Kind regards,

Garth Groff

On 1/19/2011 12:50 PM, Bill Schneider wrote:

With Mike’s indulgence...

We have received many questions about what schemes we are going to be producing on the new GARX wood reefer first shown at Cocoa Beach.

Last night we updated our web site with a listing of the initial offerings, and this information has now also gone out to dealers and distributors. For those interested the information on the cars can be found at http://www.rapidotrains.com/freight2.html and on the paint schemes at http://www.rapidotrains.com/reefer2.html. Please remember that as discussed before the photos are of the first test samples from tooling which is being revised even as we speak.

Also, we have listed road numbers for each offering. Most, but not all, of these are based on photos. If you have any knowledge that any of these numbers or information is incorrect for the scheme listed please contact me OFF LIST. Its not to late to change!

Also, a caveat before anybody else points it out... While all other schemes are correct for the version of the car as modeled, we are aware that the Swift car is in fact a 1936 built car which should have the earlier underframe arrangement with straight side sills and a vertical brake staff. Hmmm... maybe a Shake-and-Take clinic possibility for next year.....?!

Bill Schneider
Rapido Trains

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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

Yahoo! Groups Links

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Bill,

In your decisions about paint schemes, are you taking into account that some of these cars had Duryea underframes? Any chance you will do the Duryea variant?

Kind regards,


Garth Groff

With Mike’s indulgence...

We have received many questions about what schemes we are going to be producing on the new GARX wood reefer first shown at Cocoa Beach.

Last night we updated our web site with a listing of the initial offerings, and this information has now also gone out to dealers and distributors. For those interested the information on the cars can be found at http://www.rapidotrains.com/freight2.html and on the paint schemes at http://www.rapidotrains.com/reefer2.html. Please remember that as discussed before the photos are of the first test samples from tooling which is being revised even as we speak.

Also, we have listed road numbers for each offering. Most, but not all, of these are based on photos. If you have any knowledge that any of these numbers or information is incorrect for the scheme listed please contact me OFF LIST. Its not to late to change!

Also, a caveat before anybody else points it out... While all other schemes are correct for the version of the car as modeled, we are aware that the Swift car is in fact a 1936 built car which should have the earlier underframe arrangement with straight side sills and a vertical brake staff. Hmmm... maybe a Shake-and-Take clinic possibility for next year.....?!

Bill Schneider
Rapido Trains

Are the decals for this kit still available? Thanks, Ed Shoben

Al,
Amen to that! When we moved from Illinois to New Hampshire, in 1997, the
local moving company could not get the local labor to help unload the
truck. The driver, his helper and myself unloaded boxes of MR from 1947 to
1997, RMC 1958 - 1997, RMC and MR in custom library bindings with my name on
them in 'gold leaf' (impressive huh?) and Mainline Modeler from Vol 1, Model
Railroading, etc, etc. My wife had been telling me the same thing but
unloading those boxes really drove her point home. We couldn't use a hand
truck as this was a new yard and very soft, couldn't go through the house to
the basement as the builder didn't finish coating the hardwood floors in
time and they were still tacky. It was a long walk from the truck in the
driveway around to the back of the house and down into the basement.
I too looked at eBay, donations to the local MRR groups etc. The
conclusion I arrived at was, perhaps more selfish, first, I kept the bound
MR's from 1947 thru 1962, "my" golden years when I first got into the
hobby, as I still enjoy sipping an adult beverage and thumbing through those
simpler modeling days. Next, I went thru each remaining magazine and cut
out the articles I wanted to keep for reference and put them in manila
folders. I trashed what was left. Now I have less than a two drawer file
but with more information than I will probably ever need. Today, I cut
articles twice a year and only from MR and RMC, since that is all I read
now, except for the Historical Society pubs. Once I made the decision and
started cutting I never looked back, trips to the dump at first were painful
but I moved on. Interestingly enough I have used the files for information
far more than I did the magazines. Easier to access, I suppose.
I hope this helps, as I know from experience how hard it is to finally make
a decision on things we collect.
Regards,
Fenton

On Wed, Jan 19, 2011 at 10:24 AM, <water.kresse@comcast.net> wrote:

I've already had that floor issue happen in the basement floor structure:
The roughing carpenters only put a single 2 x 12 in under the barring wall
holding up a cantilevered second story room (blue prints called for two).
Naturally the 2 x 12 had a knot on the tension side. Yes, crack and sag . .
. and a jammed door into tiled entry hall. Guess what name was given to my
"railroad stuff" . . . starts with "s" also? Had to get the builder to
bring over a basement jack and laminate two more glued in 2 x 12s around the
straightened original board with outdoor decking steel U-straps to hold them
in place.

Not a good way to make your wife happy!

I've been dragging four or five boxes full of mags down the C&O Hertigae
Center at each work session. After they check their needed issues lists,
and the workers pick thru them, they just give 99 percent of them away to
visitors at local events.

Al Kresse

----- Original Message -----
From: "dennyanspach" <danspach@macnexus.org <danspach%40macnexus.org>>
To: "Era Freight Car List Steam" <STMFC@yahoogroups.com<STMFC%40yahoogroups.com>>

Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 2:49:10 PM
Subject: [STMFC] Saving Periodicals (freight car content, "of course")

I am engaging in a long overdue periodic rationalizing of my model
railroading and railroading-content periodicals. I worry that on weight
alone, the flooring will give up the ghost, perhaps even before I do. I
have complete libraries of all RMC's (including predecessor), all MRs, all
TRAINS to 1980, and most R&R' for the past three or four years. I also have
a large stash of the totally-absorbing UK periodical RAILWAY MAGAZINE.

As a pretty deep-dyed prototype steam-era/transition modeler wannabe, my
initial inclination is to keep everything for the past several years
("Current Year", "Last Year", and "Year Before Last"), and (depending upon
periodical) also keep everything prior to about 1970-85. Considering the
many prototype articles in RMC over the past years, they might be spared in
their entirety.

What are others thinking when they may be considering this same move?

What am going to do with everything? I will put up a notice on the Docent
bulletin board at the California State Railroad Museum for" Free periodicals
FOB my home. Cherry-picking encouraged, but only after off my property."
Otherwise, straight to the recycle dumpster.

I have offered these to our good Jeff Aley. I will not recount to you his
rude response, nor the imputed response of his equally-good wife Connie.

BTW, the CSRM library is overloaded -big time- with such periodicals,
should someone question this potential recipient.

Denny S. Anspach MD
Sacramento

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--
Fenton Wells
3047 Creek Run
Sanford NC 27332
919-499-5545
srrfan1401@gmail.com

I've already had that floor issue happen in the basement floor structure:  The roughing carpenters only put a single 2 x 12 in under the barring wall holding up a cantilevered second story room (blue prints called for two).  Naturally the 2 x 12 had a knot on the tension side.  Yes, crack and sag . . . and a jammed door into tiled entry hall.  Guess what name was given to my "railroad stuff" . . . starts with "s" also?  Had to get the builder to bring over a basement jack and laminate two more glued in 2 x 12s around the straightened original board with outdoor decking steel U-straps to hold them in place.



Not a good way to make your wife happy!



I've been dragging four or five boxes full of mags down the C&O Hertigae Center at each work session.  After they check their needed issues lists, and the workers pick thru them, they just give 99 percent of them away to visitors at local events.



Al Kresse

On Jan 18, 2011, at 11:49 PM, Tim O'Connor wrote:

Now, Southwest Scale Products (Dan Hall) makes a 7 panel Superior
door with the uneven panels as Ed described, but it's only a 6' wide
door. However, you could splice two doors easily into a 7' door, or
with more effort, splice three doors into two 7' doors.

Tim,
The 7'-wide Superior doors furnished in the Branchline kits (#1608 and
#1609) are the correct configuration for the X43B box cars.
Regards,
Ed Hawkins

Chuck

The big irony here is that CB&T actually made the correct body
version for the X43B -- DP roof, R+3/4 ends, 10p riveted, 7' door
opening. But then decorated the wrong body for the X43B!

Now, Southwest Scale Products (Dan Hall) makes a 7 panel Superior
door with the uneven panels as Ed described, but it's only a 6' wide
door. However, you could splice two doors easily into a 7' door, or
with more effort, splice three doors into two 7' doors.

But IMO it's not worth the bother. Branchline #1608 is the kit you
want! But if you want Superior doors, you'll have to replace BL's.

http://www.branchline-trains.com/blueprint_series/40boxcars/40aar7/40aar7.html

Tim O'Connor