Greetings:

I thought I would take this opportunity to say a few words regarding Southern Car & Foundry, the Harriman Headend Car Project, and future projects in the works.

First I would like to say thank you for everyones patience and encouragement with respect to the Harriman Headend Cars and also thanks to those who have purchased the kit. And if you have not received your kits, those who have ordered by mail, you will shortly.

There are four (4) car types that are being issued for the Harriman Headend project. They are #1000- 60' Postal, #1001- 69' Postal/Baggage RPO, #1002- 70' baggage, and #1003 the 60' baggage. All cars are availabe, except #1003-60' baggage. I am speculating a late spring early summer release for the 60' baggage. All other car kits mentioned are available and I plan to have them available for some time.

Price: All car kits are $54.00 plus $6.00 shipping for up to 6 kits. #1003-60' baggage will be $49.00.

Ordering information:
At this stage in the game, I can only accept cash, checks, or money orders. Visa, and MC acceptance is in the future but not the immediate future.
You can make the check or M.O out to:
Jon Cagle
970 Sunshine Lane
Suite D
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
emails:
the3dworkshop@...
jscagle@...

We are working on a web site that details a bit more information on SC&F , current kits and future projects as well. I anticipate the web site to be up by mid March. I will send out a message alerting the masses when the site is up.

The intent of SC&F was to create kits of prototypes that have not been available but fills a void for the prototype modeler, is accurate as processes and materials would allow, and is easy to assemble. The Harriman project is our first release. And as first releases go, there might be a couple of bugs here and there. Like Bill Gates didn't have problems with windows the first time out! It is my goal to improve on the processes as best as possible to create an easier kit to assemble as future projects are released.

Speaking of future projects, we have started the research on the next car project with some tooling already created. Once the 60' car is in production all development energies will be focused 100% on the next car project. Which will be tank cars. And as in the past we intend to keep with tradition and release each new car project at the Cocoa Beach Prototype Rails held during the 2nd weekend in January.

One more item. SC&F is not a full time job, but more of a spin off addition to an already existing commerical model making and prototype company. The intent is for it to grow, but over time. Quality, not quantity. I say that to say this. If I receive an email or letter from someone and there is not a respose within a couple of days, you have not gone unnoticed. With the nature of commercial model making we are under some crazy deadlines at time and thus we are working long hours and sometimes 6-7 days to finish a project. Feast or Famine in this industry. I will do my best to get back with everyone in a timely manner.

Again, thanks to everyone who offered encouragement. A real special thanks goes out to Mr. Tom Madden, Mr. Tony Thompson, and Mr. Mike Brock for the efforts in assisting with plans, diagrams, technical support, and especially from Mike who kept the pressure on for me to finish. (You all should be thanking Mike for these kits, He has been bugging me since the fall of 1999 to do this.)

Jon
SC&F

Jon Cagle wrote:

The intent of SC&F was to create kits of prototypes that have not
been available but fills a void for the prototype modeler, is
accurate as processes and materials would allow, and is easy to
assemble. The Harriman project is our first release.

Jon, would you folks consider offering a Utah Coal Route GS gon? These 2,500
cars were jointly owned by Utah Railway and UP's LA&SL, and were unique to
the west, anyplace that bought Utah coal. Between myself and a couple other
guys, including Shay Stark, we could likely come up with the needed data. I
need well over 20 of these cars, along with a bunch of UP HK-50s, but all I
have now are a bunch of Red Caboose and Ulrich stand-ins.

For those who haven't read anything about Utah Railway, here is an excerpt
from a piece I did about the road in my UP caboose book:

Utah Railway has operated coal trains from mines in east central Utah to a
connection with Union Pacific at Provo, Utah, since 1917. Many writers over
the years have assumed that since Utah Railway operated Union Pacific-design
locomotives, cars, and cabooses, Union Pacific must have been either full or
part owner of this coal hauling line. This has never been the case. Utah
Railway was organized in 1912 as the Utah Coal Railway, and construction
began immediately. Utah Railway's parent company was United States Fuel Co.,
a subsidiary of United States Smelting, Refining & Mining Co., which owned
extensive coal lands in east central Utah. The line was completed in 1914,
and between 1914 and 1917 the railroad was operated under contract by Denver
& Rio Grande.

In 1917, Utah Railway took over its own operations due to the company's
dissatisfaction with the level of service that D&RG was providing. The main
difficulty was D&RG's inability to provide sufficient empty coal cars to
fill the shipping needs of Utah Railway's parent company, United States Fuel
Co. Union Pacific's involvement came because Utah Railway was a major source
of interchange traffic for UP subsidiary San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake
at Provo, Utah. To replace the D&RG operations, Utah Railway approached
Union Pacific for help in setting up its operational and maintenance
organizations, including designing and purchasing rolling stock.

When Utah Railway began operating its own trains on November 1, 1917, after
giving a one year notice as required under the D&RG contract, its new
operating department put into use six 2-10-2 and three 2-8-8-0s of Union
Pacific design. The new equipment also included 1,500 Utah Coal Route drop
bottom gondolas, jointly owned between Utah Railway and the newly renamed
Los Angeles & Salt Lake (then still jointly owned by UP's OSL subsidiary,
and the line's original organizer, Senator William Clark). Included in the
initial car fleet were two wooden cabooses, Utah numbers 54 and 55, with
steel underframes, built to UP's CA-1 design by Mount Vernon Car. These
locomotives, gondolas, and cabooses were purchased through the Union Pacific
Equipment Association, which had been organized in October 1905 by the
Harriman interests for the purpose of purchasing equipment for use by Union
Pacific and its affiliated companies. (Utah Railway also operated four
earlier cabooses from predecessor road Southern Utah Railroad. Numbered as
Utah 50 to 53, these cabooses were different from UP's CA-1 design, and were
not purchased through the Union Pacific Equipment Association.)

A very large majority of Utah's traffic was interchanged with LA&SL at the
also-new-in-1917 joint Utah/LA&SL yard in Provo.

Don Strack

Jon Cagle wrote:

Speaking of future projects, we have started the research
on the next car project with some tooling already created.
Once the 60' car is in production all development energies
will be focused 100% on the next car project. Which will
be tank cars.

Jon,

Please, oh please make it easier to build than the Sunshine
kits! Especially when it comes to the underframe components.

Shawn Beckert

Hi Jon,

I've been told both WP and DLW baggage cars were very similar in appearance
to equivalent 60' harriman cars. I dunno if this is the case or not but I'm
interesting in your opinion of the question. Do you know how strong is the
match? I'm only interested in the WP but no doubt there are others here who
favor the DLW.

Dave Nelson

--- In STMFC@..., "Jon Cagle" <jscagle@m...> wrote:
" It is my goal to improve on the processes as best as possible to
create an easier kit to assemble as future projects are released.

Speaking of future projects, we have started the research on the
next car project with some tooling already created. Which will be
tank cars."

Jon, this is one I know that many of us are looking forward to,
the combination of a well engineered kit and an interesting and needed
prototype has got to be a winner. One thing I think that is going to
be needed is a good set of accurate decals for your future offering.
I bring this up as many of us are aware of a lot of short comings in
the decal lettering for tank car kits available today. Like test
data lettering that is to large and will not fit between the tank
band and tank head on the left side of the car, tank data that is
wrong for the car being modeled, and test dates that do not reflect
the era that you are trying modeling in.

I think that perhaps because your new kit is going to be breaking
some new ground in a choice of prototype, that no correct lettering
yet exists for, that you need to consider producing some good decals
for it. I know that some of use out here are more than willing to
assist you if you are in need of help for this part of your
worthwhile project.

Sincerely,
Jerry Stewart
jrs060@...
Chicago, Ill.