Just a thought to throw in the pot (and why I am putting it on the list): there are excellent research publications like Tony Thompson's PFE book and [presumably--I have not yet seen it] Ted Culotta's ARA boxcars and the several series on various class I freight cars, but RP CYC fills a niche between the journal article (short) and a full book. There are numerous topics sufficiently significant to warrant a full treatment in 50-75 pages (e.g., MILW ribside boxcars or B&O wagontops), which really is not book-length.
So I guess what I am voting for is a RP CYC with two or three major features each issue. And I have NO interest in modern freight cars and will stop buying it if those are included in any quanitity (one of several reasons why I no longer subscribe to MM). I am still trying to figure out what possessed me to buy #12 with the lightweight passenger cars (completeness, I suppose); I have to blame myself for that, as you played fair by not mixing other topics of more interest with them.
Also (unlike this list), focus on the prototype of the title; when you try to compete with the general trade press in modelling techniques, the results tend to be HO, and although that may be the majority of your readership, it eliminates all of us who are not.

Jace Kahn, General Manager
Ceres and Canisteo RR Co.

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--- In STMFC@..., "Justin Kahn" <harumd@h...> wrote:

I am still trying to figure out what
possessed me to buy #12 with the lightweight passenger cars (completeness, I
suppose); I have to blame myself for that, as you played fair by not mixing
other topics of more interest with them.

I'm just curious, do any of you guys model passenger trains during the period of interest
(God, I'm off subject, Mike - please forgive me for a second), especially since Branchline
came out with some really nice Pullman heavyweights (thank you Tom Madden) and
Walthers came out with some respectable (and at last useful) lightweights???

Please respond off list to avoid contaminating this fine group with radioactive passenger-
car pollution. Thanks!!!!!

Someone out there MUST have been interested in Budd's shot welding process or how you
can actually cool a car with steam. That took a bunch of research on my part!!!!!! (-:

Pat Wider

On Dec 22, 2005, at 2:39 PM, Patrick Wider wrote:

I'm just curious, do any of you guys model passenger trains during the period of interest...???

Of course we do, or at least I do. To realize my modeling objectives, I have to model five passenger trains, including both lightweight and heavyweight equipment, and I have found RP Cyc's passenger train articles very enlightening and useful. I not only think you should print passenger car stuff, I think you should solicit material from other experts on the subject such as Tom Madden.

Richard Hendrickson

As I am at present working on a HW Pullman and also have been referencing your RPC article, the answer to your question must be YES. So, thank you very much for your work and please keep it up.
Charlie

For my two cents, I think it would be useful to have in-depth coverage of a particular industry and the steam era freight car traffic it generated. The RMC articles on the tractor manufacturing company, and on Decker Meats are two good examples. RMJ did a nice one on a cement plant several years ago that I thought was a good start on understanding the freight flow of a specific industry type.

This would provide information on the proper mix of cars to serve an industry on the layout. For example, for a meat packer you might need two outbound reefers for every inbound stock car (I'm just making this up here), as well as a tenth of a box car for hides, a fiftieth for bone meal, a twentieth of a tank car for tallow, and a fifth of a hopper for coal.
--
Richard Townsend
Lincoln City, Oregon


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Pat, I really enjoyed and value the passenger cars issue. Someday
I hope you'll publish an issue devoted to gas-electrics!

Tim "eccentrically dialectically ecletic" O'Connor

Somewhat late reply...
I loved it. Partly because there was a lot of serious discussion about
materials issues (stainless / carbon / aluminum) which, I might add, I
enjoy reading in this list also when it occurs, and partly because of
the engineering that went into these things. Which is one of the
reasons I read this list, besides my being able to ask serious modeling-
related freight car questions and get real answers.

Ron Merrick, PE

--- In STMFC@..., "Patrick Wider" <pwider@s...> wrote:

--- In STMFC@..., "Justin Kahn" <harumd@h...> wrote:

I am still trying to figure out what
possessed me to buy #12 with the lightweight passenger cars <snip>

I'm just curious, do any of you guys model passenger trains during

the period of interest <snip>

Someone out there MUST have been interested in Budd's shot welding

process or how you

can actually cool a car with steam. That took a bunch of research on

my part!!!!!! (-:

Pat Wider