Charlie, Thanks for those - and for the shots of animals following the ones of the train(s) - certainly demonstrates that the laws of physics don't change. - Jim

... perhaps the best thing to do is to make up your own mind about how much equipment you will/will not have ... and then adjust if your find your crews complaining ... several ways to "adjust" that m

Brian, Although what you say is correct - there are some things you can do to 'mix it up' that lessen how many off layout cars you need/need to swap in and out ... Don't let your crews always take the

Has anyone tried using any of the craft acrylics in their air brush? There are many selections of color. Be careful to not "go cheaper" - for most of them there is a direct relationship between the am

John, In all of the documentation I've encountered so far on this project - I have not seen anything that provides the date built/painted. How do I decide whether or not I can use (want) one or more o

Johannes, I'm going to answer this from a different perspective. First you need to decide whether the car will be used on a layout. If it will then the amount of distance between the coupler face and

Hi, It occurs to me to ask - did any of the RRs/owners convert ice reefers to mechanical by adding a refridgeration unit in the ice bunker section of the car? Don't remember ever seeing a photo of suc

Bob, I've used both Floquil and acrylics (usually "craft paints") in a variety of colors (but always some shade of brown/tuscan/mineral red) and apply them with a brush. I do the 'details' such as doo

Jack, Great work - as always. Did that panel that forms the left wall fold/slide back during operation? If not - how did the operator see well enough to be able to swing the boom to the left? - Jim

Hi, I worked in a salmon cannery in Anacortes, Wa. in the late 50's/early 60's. We received box car loads of cans that were packed into very large cardboard boxes that were on top of a pallet. The dim

Hi all, Bob's post with the UoK links prompts me to ask a general question about freight car distribution. This is not a criticism it is a request for enlightment. I have noticed that many of the phot

Garth, I don't have my ORERs where I can get at them (recent move). Can't you find out info about this car in them going by car number and "go from there"? If you can find the car(s) you should also b

Eric, Bill can always 'model' a wrecked car laying along side of the right of way ... that way the under body details will be easier to see. *W* - Jim in Burlington

Bill, Great work - thanks for posting the photos. I have to admit I cringed when I saw the slotted screws - perhaps they are just place holders for what you will use for the final assembly. - Jim B.

... or how about the ties to the right of the car with round "corners" ... I'm certain they held in the ballast well ... LOL.

Hi, Something I've noticed - not always but frequently enough to use the term "often" - is how freight cars were heavily weathered in the pre-1925 or so time frame and especially so in the pre-1920 ti

Hi, I don't remember ever seeing any flat car deck (from any RR) that wasn't "weathered wood" (grey+brown tones) in color ... both in real life and in photos. Although it is certainly possible that so

Brian/all, These photos seem to be "post 1960" to me. Among other clues I notice that in the last of them there is a guy wearing what looks to me like a fairly modern "safety vest" (yellow/orange). I'

My brother worked in trucking in the 70's, 80's, and 90's. The company he worked for specialized in flat bed trucks. They had one guy in the shop who was the only one who was 'trusted' to re-camber th

Nelson/any one, The magnet wire certainly allows you to get scale size (close enough). Since it is not the correct color what methods have you used - successfully - to change the color? I'm thinking e