It is possible that specialty wood items were shipped from New England to the west coast. I’m think of turned wooden thread spools, maybe even toothpicks. Yes the PNW had much lumber, but maybe not

There was an article in RMC a few years ago on making a watermelon 🍉 load for ventilated box cars.

Tony: Not just raining, but a hard rain that splashed and soaked. Just to keep you miserable. David Soderblom david.soderblom@... -- David Soderblom Baltimore MD david.soderblom@...

Group - One good reference is the article, Moving Melons by Rail, by David Steer, Railroad Model Craftsman, Jan. 2014. More about the cars is in Ventilated Box Car, by Robert L. Hundman, Mainline

Thanks all for your info/ideas!

Steve is right, and remember in the steam era there were a lot more refineries than in later years, but of course they were much smaller, which probably makes them more suitable for modeling. Another

Photos: Cotton Transportation Photos from the Jackson County Historical Society: Circa 1910 – Loading cotton at railroad depot,

Well, now, that's a darned sneaky solution to Doug's problem! Todd Sullivan

Doug, I rather doubt that fresh lobsters would make it live to the West Coast by rail, based on years of eating them on Cape Ann north of Boston where my grandparents had a summer house, and on

Doug Paasch wrote: Remember that for awhile in the '50's BAR loaned its reefers to PFE from June 1 to October 1. So there you are! California vegetable or oranges, fresh to Seattle! Tony

I think air hardening green modeling clay is your best bet. You can probably roll a hundred melons while watching a 1 hour TV show. On 7/8/2020 5:22 PM, Claus Schlund

They wouldn't ship spuds or cranberries from Maine to the west coast as Washington and Idaho are spud country, and Washington and Oregon grow cranberries (Ocean Spray). But B&M beans are THE best and

Meant to send this here, but absentmindedly sent it to the old Yahoo group. Anyway.... As mentioned during Hindsight 20/20, we will be conducting some weeknight clinics, as well as further iterations

True on the New Haven. There was the 2-10-2 (hauling Steam Era freight cars... did I stay outta jail Mike?) that threw a tire while on the Poughkeepsie Bridge (gantlet tracked so there was no pulling

Potatoes!!!

American Viscose's first plant was located in Marcus Hook, PA. There is more info here: https://abandonedonline.net/location/american-viscose-company/ as well as at oldchesterpa.com Drew

Bruce I am trying to contact you with plans, but using the address bruce.metcalf@... doesn't go through. Please contact me off list Smithal9@... Thanks

There was a large rayon factory (American Viscose Corp.) in Front Royal, Virginia, served by the Norfolk & Western Railway - which was controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad during our time period.

Hi List Members, Two views for those wanting to model accuate watermelon loads for their steam era freight cars... https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/67030

There are scale drawings and photos in "Mainline Modeler", May 1993, beginning on page 5, by Martin Loftin. Cheers, / Bruce /