The CNW Historical Society commissioned a Superior Brake wheel set almost 20 years ago when they commissioned a special run of the MSTL 53000 series boxcar kit. These cars were repaints and were all g

Photo taken on the MSTL (Lime Creek bridge) just south of the depot, in Mason City IA, 1961 by Soph Marty. Doug Harding https://www.facebook.com/douglas.harding.3156/ Youtube: Douglas Harding Iowa Cen

My family owns a 64½ Mustang convertible. Has always been called that. My stepfather was the 2nd owner, purchasing it from a co-worker. He went with the co-worker to help pick it out when it was purch

Here is what Gene Green wrote about the PM cars acquired by the MSTL 25000 - 25298 A group of 150 used USRA double-sheathed box cars were purchased from Hyman-Michaels on July 1, 1937 and were numbere

Best I can offer is this photo of a gon loaded with horse bones. Doug Harding https://www.facebook.com/douglas.harding.3156/ Youtube: Douglas Harding Iowa Central Railroad

I believe a divided basket means the bunker can be fully filled or half filled, my folding down a “shelf” in the bunker. Doug Harding https://www.facebook.com/douglas.harding.3156/ Youtube: Douglas Ha

Jared here are few photos. Usually they were stacked haphazardly near the tracks or the depot. The stack of doors on the FtDDM&S is an impressive pile. Don’t know the location, but would guess Fort Do

Nice weathering Charlie. There is one small error, not your fault, but rather Branchline's fault. The MSTL herald had three colors, and should have a half red rectangle. As no one makes the correct si

During the steam era most roads west of the Mississippi preferred gons over open hoppers for coal. In winter months they used boxcars, esp the northern roads, to prevent rain/snow freezing the coal. B

Remember that livestock slaughter took place year-round, some plants running several shifts. Slaughter houses also like to keep1-3 days of livestock on hand to keep cutting lines going even if supply

Here are some photos of wood barrels used as containers for food and drink. The barrels are not stained or painted, but note the various staves have variation in color, so a simple stain job will not

Bob it looks to me like older wooden cars in front of some newer all steel (ie taller) cars. Doug Harding https://www.facebook.com/douglas.harding.3156/ Youtube: Douglas Harding Iowa Central Railroad

Tom yes indeed those are piles of beets. If you zoom in you will see the tracks between the piles. Also note the cranes used to move beets from the piles to the conveyor into the processing house. Her

Sugar beets used to be a major crop in Iowa. They moved out as farmers switched to soybeans in the 30s and 40s. Soybeans require more water than beets, so beets moved to dryer climes further west, the

The photo description says 2' bolts. Being this is a lumber train in Oregon, I suspect shingle bolts, for making wood shingles. Most likely cedar. Doug Harding https://www.facebook.com/douglas.harding

Charlie, I finally did some digging and found one of the SLRX cars I did almost 20 years ago, using a MDC reefer kit. Certainly not a detailed model, but at the time it was about the only option for a

Charlie years ago I used the 36' MDC reefer and I think Clover House dry transfers https://cloverhouse.com/Cart/product_info.php?products_id=10176 Not a hi detailed model, but an op session good enoug

I believe Clover House offers twisted wire or cable. Cloverhouse.com There have been several other companies as well, look at ads in the Narrow Gauge Gazette Check Hobby Lobby for bead stringing wire,

Corrosion from salt melt was a significant problem for railroads. This was because all reefers could have salt added to the ice for lower temps. That was the purpose of ice. Meat required a lot of sal

Light Tuscan Oxide Red was a color in the Accuflex line, which is now Badger's ModelFlex line. The color is still available. Doug Harding https://www.facebook.com/douglas.harding.3156/ Youtube: Dougla