There was a number of emails regarding the upcoming release of the Broadway Limited K7A stock cars. I have to agree with Ben and others that the car definitely has a lettering problem. I compared the reproduction car listed on the site with photos from the PRR photos that I have and the car data lettering is too large. Broadway has spread them over too many of the horizontal side slats. I have also noticed that the pre-production sample on the web site, in addition to the lettering problem, also has ladders that look to be standing out too far from the car side, in addition to the other problems mention on the list before. If you look at the web site, also note that there is no listing of car numbers that are available as they had done with the N&W H2a hoppers.

I wonder if Broadway Limited is using a brass model to copy this car from, rather than using drawings and photos. Unfortunately, if they
are, then we are in trouble! The only K7/K7a that I know of was the Precision Scale brass model issued about 12 years ago which was so bad that they gave them away for $30-$40 each at the National Train Show at the Long Beach NMRA convention later on. The side slats were too narrow to letter the car properly and I know of very few people who had bought them! It is interesting that the Broadway PRR M1a/b's all had the same problem with missing trainphone tender equipment hatches that all the brass models were missing, with the exception of the Challenger models which did not miss anything!

I hope that copying brass models will not be a wave of the future as we already have a lot of equipment that suffers from lack of research. I have a buddy that calls equipment that has cast-on ladders, grab irons and other detail, including parts that are oversized, "HO Tinplate" and he refuses to buy it! I agree with him that it costs the same amount of money to make it right as it does to do it wrong!

Tom Olsen
7 Boundary Road, West Branch
Newark, Delaware, 19711-7479
(302) 738-4292
tmolsen@...

Tom-
The problems with the lettering on the preproduction sample of the K7a have
been addressed.
Through the efforts and help of the PRR Modeling Committee (Greg Martin and
Ben Hom who provided PRR stencil lettering artwork) the
Broadway Limited artwork has been revised.
I followed the article and drawings and photographs in Mainline Modeler for
the original art. The factory did not correctly apply that artwork to
the sample (which is why we have samples for review!)....and in reviewing my
original art it appears that the PRR had a couple of sets of stencils as the
Hundman drawings follow the in-service style lettering but does not match
the builder's photo or the PRR stencil art provided by the committee.
By the way, in working with the factory drawings and comparing them to
photos I am confident that the K7a drawings are very close to the
prototype.....when doing artwork and lining up the various lettering and
heralds, etc.. any errors in proportion of parts and details usually jump
out at you (doors too low on a hood of a unit, louvers in the wrong
position, window locations, etc...). I had no problem matching up either
set of artwork with the prototype lettering....including width of boards and
especially something as obvious as their number and spacing!
Just thought you and the list might like this little insight into the R&D
process for a model and how at least one company (with their posting of the
L&P artwork and preproduction samples) handles development and correction of
art and sample models.
Charlie Vlk
Broadway Limited

Hi Charlie,

I see that you correctly read what I wrote regarding the pre-production model. The key word was "I hope that they did not copy a brass model..."

It just seems that there has been a lot of copying in the past, either from a earlier produced model or from incorrect drawings in the magazines. The failure to follow in service photographs, in conjunction with drawings, instead of only drawings have gotten a number of importers in trouble before. When the BLI M1a/b's came out, what I found the most objectionable missing item was the equipment hatch on the engineman's side of the tender which housed the Trainphone receiver units. Every importer (including Tony/Oriental) made this same mistake in leaving this hatch off on a trainphone equipped tender. The only one that got it right was Challenger. By the time, I mentioned it to Tony, the engines were here and the cost of new tooling after the fact was prohibitive. To retro-fit a brass or plastic model is a daunting project as you have to very careful not to screw it up. Model Railroader, many years ago, ran a small spread on the M1a/b class and had a drawing of an M1a with trainphone antennae on the tender, but no hatch.

The trucks under the new P85b coach which Intermountain did for Ron Sebastian at Des Plaines have a vertical dampener (shock absorber in the center of the truck instead of the leaf spring that was supposed to be there. Ron says he has a drawing showing that truck, but the builders photos that I have from the company files and the in service photos of the cars show that that appliance was not on the car in real life. It is important not to rely on drawings alone.

Rail Classics brought out N8 Cabin cars with the single coil spring truck like many of the N5 classes had. Again, Eddy had a picture of several with that truck, but the majority of the in service and builder photos show multiple coil springs beneath these cabins and in later years, a truck with a single leaf spring assembly under them. The later truck is on an N8 that is in the back yard of a friend of mine. Charlie Carangi (a custom builder here in Newark) has a photo of the truck that Eddy put under his model on one end in the picture and the original truck under the other end, probably the only spare truck available in the shop to replace a defective one. At present I can not remember the truck classes, but I am sure that Ben or Greg will come up with them when they read this!

The production model of BLI's J1 lacks the large cold water line that comes off the centrifugal water pump on the fireman's side of the trailing truck, which goes up to and enters the Worthington feedwater heater box beneath the running board on that side of the engine, just back of the smokebox. This is very prominent in the photos and missing it leaves that side of the engine naked below the running board. I did not expect that BLI would add the flexible connector between the pump and the end of the pipe on a model that is designed to take a tight radius.

Really, I know that it costs a lot of money to have these models made, but as I said before, it costs just as much to do it right as it does to do it wrong. With ready-built equipment, it is even more important to listen and watch before completing the project. Quality control is probably the most important thing going in manufacturing and mistakes have to be caught before they leave the factory or the distribution floor, not after they are sold!

I am very happy that the PRR Modeling Committee are on the job because through their assistance, the modeler will be satisfied that he has spent his hard earned money well, and the manufacturer will gain through an enhanced reputation for making a good product.

By the way, in regard to Eddy Piazza at Rail Classics, it is rare that he makes a boo-boo, rather than an error as his equipment is some of the finest PRR stuff on the market.

I am not above making mistakes either, as recently I said that there were drawings for Shadow Keystones for N8's, but that they did not use them. Of course, that was wrong, as later I found that I had photographed a few in the sixties and they were all over the picture books. That can happen when you are looking at a particular time frame (mine is 1953) when certain things had not as yet come into use. No one is infallible!

Tom Olsen
7 Boundary Road, West Branch
Newark, Delaware, 19711-7479
(302) 738-4292
tmolsen@...

Charlie Vlk wrote:

Charlie,

Now that I am off my soap box. There are a few important questions regarding the K7a's: The N&W H2a's had four sets of six numbers each. How many numbers will be available in the set of four cars? Will there by more than one set and if not, how soon will the un-numbered cars follow? Lastly, have you any idea as to the release date for this cars?

Tom Olsen
Newark, Delaware.

I can't resist saying this about the stock cars "Don't hold your breath"!
;-)

regards,

Andy Miller

BTW Lest you misinterpret that remark, I know nothing about the release
schedule.

Tom
As I understand it there will be one four car set of non-sound equipped
stockcars for each roadname. With the sound equipped units this means there
are a total of six different numbers per roadname in the first production.
I am sure that if there is a torrent of requests there will be more
roadnumbers available in a second production.
Charlie Vlk
Broadway Limited

Charlie,

Will your #867 4-pack with no sound painted but unlettered be painted in your Pennsy freight car color or some other shade?
Frank Brua

Thanks Charlie,

I have a standing order for a dozen "QUIET" K7a's with my hobby dealer, so I guess changing car numbers will be in order. In my time period (late 1953) there were 813 K7a's on the roster at the end of July 1953 as opposed to 515 K8's. Now if we can only get someone to do the K8's!

Tom Olsen
Newark, Delaware

Charlie Vlk wrote:

I don't know what the final paint color will be....Tony handles the final
color determination with the factory and I know he has been in communication
with the PRR Modeling Committee on the subject.
Charlie Vlk
Broadway Limited