I just created a new album for the new Intermountain 1939 prototype
ART reefer. Kit has ART style hatches, ART guard rails by the
hatches, correct brake wheel and rivet seam running horizonally along
the middle of the car. I haven't weathered the car yet and posted
photos so the STMFC can see what they look like. This is the original
paint scheme with the single shield. For my time 1954 time period
I'll add some heavy weathering.

Here's a url to the site for ordering.

http://amarillorailmuseum.com/artreefer.html

Charlie, that web site was rather alarming! Do you mean to say that
the ARM kits have now been repaired and come with the correct trucks
and brakes and paint and lettering, or .... what?

Tim O'Connor

Charlie, that web site was rather alarming! Do you mean to say that
the ARM kits have now been repaired and come with the correct

trucks and brakes and paint and lettering, or .... what?

Tim O'Connor

Kits are correctly lettered, now have correct trucks and a detail
sprue with ART style ice hatches, new brake wheel and the four
safety 'fences' that were applied by ART next to the hatches.
Originally the kits were to have no numbers and OddBall was to
supply a decal set for numbers and reweigh dates and locations.
Thankfully (for me) Intermountain messed up and shipped the kits
with numbers. I never did like the concept of adding decals to a
pre-lettered car - just a personal opinion so I'm pleased with the
kits.

Jerry Michels and Ed Hawkins can add more details on what I may have
missed. For a Mopac modeler or Wabash these cars are great and they
got around to many other RR's.

This displaced St. Louisian now has to get back to the Cardinal game.

Charlie

Sign me up for the reduced price kit! Heck I'll even pay a reasonable $ for the correct trucks and detail sprue!
Joe Binish

Following the link below which was given in a recent post there's a
color photo of a group of ART steel reefers.

It looks like the basic color has a little orange in it. Any comments?

On Oct 25, 2006, at 12:02 PM, ed_mines wrote:

Following the link below which was given in a recent post there's a
color photo of a group of ART steel reefers.

It looks like the basic color has a little orange in it. Any comments?

Ed,
The color photo is readily available from Bob Liljestrand at Bob's
Photo. The 8x10 photo was digitally scanned from a color slide. Some
cars in the original photo appear to be quite yellow in appearance,
while others with a coat of dirt "appear" more orange. During the time
up through the early 1960s, all ART reefers (other than those assigned
to ice service), were painted with yellow sides. The new InterMountain
model now available from the Amarillo RR Museum has been matched to ART
paint samples for the yellow sides and freight car red used on the roof
and ends. In due time there will be more information presented about
these cars on the ARM web site.
Regards,
Ed Hawkins

On Oct 24, 2006, at 7:08 PM, cf5250 wrote:

Charlie, that web site was rather alarming! Do you mean to say that
the ARM kits have now been repaired and come with the correct trucks
and brakes and paint and lettering, or .... what?

Tim O'Connor

Tim,
The kits that the MPHS/ARM accepted from InterMountain Railway Company
now have all the correct parts that were originally intended, including
the AAR spring-plankless trucks (same as those supplied in the PFE
R-40-10 kits) and parts trees containing the Universal XL hand brake,
roof guard angles, ART-style hatch covers, and angled corner sill steps
(as compared to PFE's U-shaped sill steps). One task the modeler will
have to do is paint the bottom portion of the side sill (i.e., the
tabs) black. This part was painted incorrectly by the manufacturer, but
is an easy fix. A diagram for masking this part will soon be available
on the ARM website.

The part of the "floor detail" that includes the bolster tabs also
includes the PFE version of the push-pole pockets on the ends. The
MPHS/ARM did not choose to have InterMountain retool this part just for
the minor difference in the shape of the push-pole pockets. Due to the
way the PFE R-40-10 model was designed, the area around the push-pole
pockets on the lower corners of each end should be painted freight car
red (not black as on the part). Paint matching is left to the modeler.

The currently available kits have 8 car numbers from which to choose
and each kit also comes with a set of decals made by Oddballs that
provides a selection of reweigh station symbols and dates. The MPHS/ARM
specifications for the kits called for no car numbers to be printed.
However, 8 car numbers were applied by the Chinese company that works
for InterMountain. No one in China or at InterMountain caught the error
until the kits were shipped to us.

All of these numbered kits are available at a discount price of $15.95
(a 10% discount is given to MPHS/ARM members) due to the manufacturer's
error on the yellow side sill and the 8 car numbers being applied. The
MPHS/ARM has ordered another 200 kits that is now in work. These are to
be produced without car numbers, reweigh and build dates so the modeler
can apply appropriate decals for the various dates the cars were built
from late 1939 to early 1945. They will sell for the "regular" kit
price of $18.95, which will include a set of decals for applying the
modeler's choice of car number, build date, repack and reweigh date.

The assembled models are in China and are planned to be available
sometime in November, as will the new 200 kits currently in work.
Regards,
Ed Hawkins
ART Project Technical Advisor

Ed Hawkins writes:

"The currently available kits have 8 car numbers from which to choose
and each kit also comes with a set of decals made by Oddballs that
provides a selection of reweigh station symbols and dates. The MPHS/ARM
specifications for the kits called for no car numbers to be printed.
However, 8 car numbers were applied by the Chinese company that works
for InterMountain. No one in China or at InterMountain caught the error
until the kits were shipped to us."

"All of these numbered kits are available at a discount price of $15.95
(a 10% discount is given to MPHS/ARM members) due to the manufacturer's
error on the yellow side sill and the 8 car numbers being applied."

The reduced price makes me wonder if the 8 numbers are correct. Are they?

You also say that these cars are "currently available" but then say:

"The assembled models are in China and are planned to be available
sometime in November, as will the new 200 kits currently in work."

So, it sounds like kits are available now...with numbers...assembled models later in Nov. [ I'm not sure about numbers ] and models with no numbers later as well. Is that right?

Mike Brock




Mike Brock

The
MPHS/ARM has ordered another 200 kits that is now in work. These are to
be produced without car numbers, reweigh and build dates so the modeler
can apply appropriate decals for the various dates the cars were built
from late 1939 to early 1945. They will sell for the "regular" kit
price of $18.95, which will include a set of decals for applying the
modeler's choice of car number, build date, repack and reweigh date.

The assembled models are in China and are planned to be available
sometime in November, as will the new 200 kits currently in work.
Regards,
Ed Hawkins
ART Project Technical Advisor

On Oct 29, 2006, at 10:29 AM, Mike Brock wrote:

"All of these numbered kits are available at a discount price of
$15.95
(a 10% discount is given to MPHS/ARM members) due to the
manufacturer's
error on the yellow side sill and the 8 car numbers being applied."

The reduced price makes me wonder if the 8 numbers are correct. Are
they?

You also say that these cars are "currently available" but then say:

"The assembled models are in China and are planned to be available
sometime in November, as will the new 200 kits currently in work."

So, it sounds like kits are available now...with numbers...assembled
models
later in Nov. [ I'm not sure about numbers ] and models with no
numbers
later as well. Is that right?

Mike Brock

Mike,
The 8 numbers applied to the currently available kits are all correct
numbers in the 24000-24099 series. Accurate car numbers for these cars
range from 24000-24449 (450 cars), all of which had square-corner
Dreadnaught Ends. However, build dates vary as the cars were built in
groups from 11-39 to 1-45 (see below). The available kits printed with
8 car numbers all have a build date of 11-39, which matches that of the
builder's photo of 24000 shown on the Amarillo RR Museum web site.

The answer to your last question is affirmative.

The assembled models, available in 8 numbers in the 24000-24099 series
(built 11-39), are in China and should be available sometime in
November. An announcement will be made when these are received from
InterMountain.

Further, two-hundred additional decorated kits will not have car
numbers and build dates applied, and decals are provided in the kits
for the modeler to apply. This is the way the first 200 kits were
supposed to have been produced, but were not due to manufacturer's
error. These kits should also be available sometime in November and
they will sell for $18.95.

The MPHS and ARM are sorry for any confusion about the models, and we
are doing our best to explain the situation since the manufacturer
didn't follow our original specifications.

Build dates from the various groups of prototype cars have been
documented from photos as follows:
24000-24099, 11-39
24100-24199, 10-40
24200-24349, 11-41
24350-24449, 12-44 and 1-45
Regards,
Ed Hawkins