Can you share the issue date so I can dig around the online archives? The few images of pre-USRA B&O reefers that I’ve seen have been truss rod cars with a straight steel center sill. The M-15

A really good pair of messages Rich, - saved to my reference file. Thanks for making the time and sharing the photos! Rob

Dear group In 1917 the B&O ordered a batch of steel underframe freight reefers. Plans were published in the "Railway Age" trade magazine. The article stated that the underframe was supplied by

Hello, For a while now I have been experiencing loss of photographs appearing in digests. A comment has been made that only two photographs per message make it into the digest Is it possible to have

That's exactly what happened to this car, Roger. East Buffalo took this ONE car, and rebuilt with all-new everything as a testbed. All subsequent short boxcar orders were built to the standards of

Rich, Really impressive builds. Thank you for stating your techniques on building the cars. Jim Kubanick. Morgantown WV On Monday, November

The sterile blade comment was conjecture, with no scientific proof on my part, to back it up. One thing I still use is the Xacto #17 chisel blades (when I can find them) since I can't think of a

A very interesting photo; if I go by the assigned car number, this is a lot 222-B WUF boxcar built in 1907 by ACF to their lot number 4633. The car as shown would then represent a significant

Rob, You are correct, I only remove the square material where the trucks mount. I have received other private emails asking about the height difference, and sent the following response: I

I had no idea! Thanks for sharing this modification Rich. To clarify - the only modification is removing the square material on the bottom of the bolster where the trucks mount? The first photo has

Lester, You mention grinding the stiffening rib off scalpel blades to get them to fit an X-acto handle. There is another way. I've had little use for X-acto blades over the years, but at one point at

Thanks so much Rich. I never noticed the difference and am very glad you pointed this out. Just say'in....and always learn'in fenton -- Fenton Wells 250 Frye Rd Pinehurst NC

Scalpels and blades are great; however, I can not argue about the fine edge of the Single Edge Razor Blade (SERB). Both tools help to build a better freight car. Lester Breuer

There have been a few requests for information on how I lower the bolsters on the Intermountain boxcars. Years ago I realized that Intermountain boxcars rode too high, especially noticeable when next

Photo: StLB&M Gondola 11050 A photo from the National Archives of Canada: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/CollectionSearch/Pages/record.aspx?app=FonAndCol&IdNumber=3933071 This photo can be enlarged

CN Boxcar 483574 A photo from the National Archives of Canada: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/CollectionSearch/Pages/record.aspx?app=FonAndCol&IdNumber=4453759 This photo can be enlarged quite a

Photo: Photo: NYC&HR Boxcar 100145 A photo from the National Archives of Canada: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/CollectionSearch/Pages/record.aspx?app=FonAndCol&IdNumber=4427342 This photo can be

Photo: Lehigh Valley Gondola 32402 A photo from the National Archives of Canada: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/CollectionSearch/Pages/record.aspx?app=FonAndCol&IdNumber=4026586 This photo can be

Photo: B &O Gondola 262249 A photo from the National Archives of Canada: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/CollectionSearch/Pages/record.aspx?app=FonAndCol&IdNumber=4026584 This photo can be enlarged

Claus, I think you’re correct, however, I misread your statement to begin with, which made me go measure some dimensions on a SERB, and on a handy eXacto blade. My SERB is .01” thick and the