Tony Thompson said, "My comment about the Sunshine tank cars is that yes, they are not easy, but "slow and patient wins the day." It's more a case of them being complex models with lots of constructio

Hi Eric, Very nice cars, each with a subtly different character. Ottawa IL is legendary for it's sand. These should make a a useful addition to your fleet serving the sand quarry. Todd Sullivan.

I worked for Corning Incorporated (formerly Corning Glass Works) for a while. Corning has made a wide variety of products from telescope lenses to kitchen ware to optical fiber to catalytic converter

Hi Paul, Not unless the crew needed the same marks on both sides. Most crews on yard switchers worked on one side of the loco and cars - the side that provided the greatest visibility for all crew mem

And the odor. I guess you'd have to come up with essences of either embalming fluid or decomposing whale to provide in the kit. Phew! Todd Sullivan

Ed Bommer said, "Not just the embalmed whale presumably inside the rail car, but what about that automobile? There seems to be a tow line connecting its back end to the railroad with a whale inside. P

Hmmm, a vaping tank car. Who would have thought ... Todd Sullivan

Yes, I noticed the trolley track and overhead. The photo is a great illustration of how both looked. It does look like the trolley track to the right was being reconfigured or rebuilt. I've never seen

But correct 'Chingish' would be, "Model million pulpwood load begins first stick." No 'a' or 'the' in Mandarin, ditto prepositions. Todd Sullivan who learned Chinglish from my dear wife who is from Be

Here are two aerial photos from the Vintage Portland website showing the Union Station yards and industries. One was taken from the southeast during the 1948 flood, and the second was taken in 1954 fr

Crown Flour Mills was located more or less opposite Portland Union Station in Portland, OR - a little northwest, actually, as Albers Feed was directly opposite the depot. In the 1960s, Crown changed t

I believe that the dock with the 6 masted schooner is at SP's lumber wharf on the Willamette River in East Portland, Oregon. I also think it is more likely that the schooner would be loading lumber fo

Bruce - Got it! I did not know that about the fans, and that will simplify my search for a replacement. Thanks! Todd Sullivan

I built my own probably 30 years ago using 1/8" hardboard for the bottom, sides and back, with triangular cross section molding where the panels joined. I added a vertical slot at the back for a stand

Yes, but this is the USA Spruce Division, and these guys are LOGGERS. Strong men! Todd Sullivan

The Spruce Division was part of the U.S.'s WWI effort to increase war material production. In those days, aircraft were made mostly of wood (spruce) and fabric. That's where the majority of the spruce

Woodchips, most likely for paper manufacture. The SP sent a lot of chips up their line to Portland and on via the NP to Longview Fiber in Longview WA. Todd Sullivan

Tim, Thanks for the correction! I learned the difference from Brian Lippert's post of the National advt shortly after I made my post. Todd Sullivan

This car has a resemblance to Mather stock cars - the diagonal channel at the ends and the bracing on the ends, in particular. Any thoughts, anyone? Todd Sullivan

The trucks are National B-1. Todd Sullivan