Great information!! However, I don't think I'm going to start decalling the reporting marks on the inside of my model boxcars! I don't decal the trucks and underframe and insides of doors, either! Tod

Well, I never imagined that my droll post about lettering the inside of boxcars, truck sideframes, etc., would result in so many posts. They kept me laughing all day - thanks!! It seems that a lot mor

Ayuh, that B&M car looks wicked old - needs a rehab. Nice work on both cars! Todd Sullivan

Hi Chuck, I recently built a 3D printed Utah Coal Route gondola, and had the same problem with half the decal pieces I put on the model. The 3D printing of the model leaves small striations in the sur

Tim's advice is good - thanks, Tim for adding more details and tips. I keep finding that, with today's ever-thinner decals, I cannot reliably slide the decal off in the water and pick it up with tweez

Hi Dennis, To answer your question with one kit as an example ... I just received a P2K ATSF Fe-24 50ft auto boxcar kit that is a Time-Saver kit. The main parts are the body shell and floor / underfra

And the steel weight is separate and securely taped to the bottom of the box. It gets glued to the top of the floor / underframe assembly. Todd Sullivan

I have been looking on the web for several days trying to find clear photos of Santa Fe's class Fe-24 and Fe-28 50' double door boxcars. I have a kit for each (P2K for Fe-24, Branchline for Fe-28), an

Thank you, Tony, Ben & Ron. The photos are very helpful. Todd Sullivan

Hi Brian, What year do you model? Todd Sullian

I guess it depends on how aggressively Hygrade had General American repaint the Kingan reefers. I suspect that it would have taken a few years. You have 5 years between Hygrade's acquisition in 1952 a

And if you do enlarge it, and look at the second car, you can see the original SP&S steel boxcar lettering. Too bad the numbers on both cars are obscured, but the SP&S car is from the 11000-12499 seri

Tim - I looked at the ends and also the height. The SP&S car is taller than the SP car which has a 10'-0" IH, and the GN-built cars for the SP&S had the 10'-0" IH also (13000 series, 12 panel sides, e

For the Pacific Northwest: NPModelers NPTelltale SPSRY Todd Sullivan

Hmmm, never thought about the roof panels not lining up after narrowing the roof. Such a replacement roof (40ft, narrow, overhanging eaves) would also be valuable for modeling NYC System 40ft USRA ste

Hi Jim, I've had superglue glue caps on that took lots of effort to break off, and also superglue that set up hard in a bottle. I currently use Loctite Super Glue Ultra Liquid Control. It comes in a s

Hi Tod, No such thing as being an old fool. I've been in the hobby for over 60 years, and every day I learn something new. That's one of the delightful things that keeps me in the hobby. Todd Sullivan

Yup, still coated black. I decided to try some of Kadee's code 88 wheel sets, but I don't have an operating layout at the moment, so I can't comment on whether or not the wheels still deposit 'stuff'

Hi Jim, Ice reefers were often used as insulated boxcars. Shipping potatoes and seed potatoes is one example, and shipping beer and other beverages is another. I think that other uses in off-harvest-s

Hi Bill, To feed my head, I like to check Google for model freight cars that interest me. It takes some time to look through everything Google Images throws up at you, but there are often very helpful