Another year over, so what's up for next year

 It's been quite a year
Started with a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Which was taken care of in April, and my gratitude to the spectacular healthcare professionals that took care of me. I just had my 3rd PSA test post surgery and my levels remain "undetectable" which is brilliant.
I contracted Covid at the St Louis RPM. That was a fun 11 hour drive home feeling wretched.
The post infection symptoms linger still, but we persevere.

The results are that many projects have been delayed. Hard to model when you're laid up.
But new things are coming
The Penn Central G47 and the X79 are ready to go, just waiting on decals from Cartograph.We're supposed to see those in January
The pilot models are done, as you can see here

These 4 kits will be on the website as soon as the decals are in hand.

Also on the workbench

Finally, the pilot model for the Soo Line stock car.
A mere 10 years in the making.
Everything for this kit, but a couple of photoetchings, is in hand, castings is proceeding and hopefully by February, kits will be available on the website

The other fun thing being worked on is a trio of rebuilt boxcars.
I have a real soft spot for rebuilt boxcars, and the models I have coming, I hope will appeal to the community as well.
I'm not going to offer further details just yet, need to make a bit more progress.

So Happy New Year to all
Thanks for your support
Happy Modeling

Plan B for the X79 release

Ready for my decals, Mr DeMille

 The 2 versions of the X79 pilot models are done.
Just waiting for the test run of decals to arrive and then the full order from Cartograph to arrive.

We're having some supply chain issues with the last parts for the G47 gondolas, but I'm ever hopeful I'll get those soon.
With any luck, both kits will be ready for sale in December

Well that got your attention

 I'm delighted with the initial support and praise from the community regarding the acquisition of the X79 and G47 models
It bodes well for the future.
The G41 coil car will be considered if sales of the first 2 cars achieve a certain threshold.
This is not an inexpensive undertaking and with inflation and a potential recession I don't have a lot of room for uncertainty.
As far as the rest of the product line, covered hoppers, X58, etc, is concerned, I see no potential for that
The cars have either been offered in RTR or are about to be.
As always none of this happens without ongoing support from the modeling community and I thank you for your support

It's official!

 Yarmouth Model Works has acquired the masters, artwork, and manufacturing rights for the Rail Yard Models X79 boxcar and the G47 gondola.

Work has already begun on recreating the decals and etchings, and new molds have been started
Exact release date is unknown at this time. But we're hoping within a few months
Be sure to tell your friends

New items from Yarmouth Model Works

 Some new detail parts are now on the website and available for purchase

 http://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/Products/YMW-210

 

 http://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/Products/YMW-382

 http://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/Products/YMW-508

http://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/Products/YMW-218

http://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/Products/YMW-223
 

http://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/Products/YMW-225

 

http://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/Products/YMW-226

http://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/Products/YMW-227

http://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/Products/YMW-228

 
 
 

Ready for the St Louis RPM

 Here are the 4 new kits that will be available at the St Louis RPM at the end of the month

YMW-131.1
39100-39199 single deck stock car
single deck, wood r/b, Duryea underframe

 YMW-131.2
39200-39399 single deck stock car
Single deck, Apex r/b, Duryea underframe

 YMW-131.3
36000-36099 Double deck car
Double deck, Wood r/b, Duryea underframe

YMW-131.4
36100-36199 Double deck stock car
Double deck, wood r/b, AAR underframe

The kits are pressure cast resin with etched, laser cut, 3D printed and plastic detail parts. Decals are custom decals from Black Cat Publishing, and TMW trucks are included
$65.00ea
They will be on the website hopefully by the end of the month

A major life decision

 Nothing like a cancer diagnosis to get one to reappraise one's life direction.
At the beginning of the year I was diagnosed with Prostate cancer. 5 weeks ago I had robotic surgery to remove the offending bit. And all went very well. Almost fully recovered.
Massive thanks to all the medical people who were with me through the process. You guys are stars, all while in the middle of a 6th Covid wave.
A cancer diagnosis has a way of slamming home the point that this life adventure is very much finite.
As a result I have decided that I will be phasing out the custom building aspect of my business.
I have a ton of things I want to do for me
I will no longer be accepting new commissions effective immediately and hope to have the existing commissions done within a year.
Kits and detail parts will continue for the foreseeable future.

My thanks to all those who entrusted me with their resin kits over the years.
It has been fun, mostly. 😏

When it looks this good...

 You just have to share.
These are photos of our Armour Reefer, just completed by George Toman.
What can I say? He makes me look good.
Great work bringing these to life George.
Thanks for sharing

This kit is still available, btw.

Progress on Tulare Ave

 With prostate surgery looming next week, I've been focusing on the layout and some personal projects this week.
I've been able to make really good progress on the first row of houses along the north side of Tulare Ave.

While the houses are not "California" style, they fill in the space and help tell the story. Street running along Tulare Ave. Once fences, hedges and static grass goes, the space will be busy enough to distract from specifics.
There will be another row of houses on the other side of the street as well, and with that, the scene, which is the first thing you see when visiting will be quite striking.
The house colours were chosen from an neat online site I found showing 50s era house colours
5 of the houses are laser cut kits that were once offered by Southern Car & Foundry. They are some of the nicest designed house kits I've encountered. They went together like a dream and the architecture is stunning.
Bug Jon to get those back on the market.

With surgery next week, I will not be at the Indy RPM, but fully expect to be at the NE RPM and St Louis.
See you there

Some new stuff for spring

 To complement the 10'0" IH and 10"6" IH boxcar shells we've recently released, we now have added 5 new ends.
They are;

YMW 2140, 4/5 W corner 10'0 IH http://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/Products/2140E

YMW-2142, 5/5 W corner 10'6"IHhttp://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/Products/2142E

YMW-2144, 4/4 IDE 10'6" IH       http://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/Products/2144E

YMW-2137, 4/5 Sq corner 10'0" IH http://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/Products/2137E

YMW-2151, ACF Carbuilder 10'6"IHhttp://www.yarmouthmodelworks.com/index.php/Products/2151E

All ends are $7.00 a pair and are now available

Soon we will be releasing a number of additions to our sill step offerings, 2 rung sill steps in a variety of configurations. Just waiting on supply chain issues to resolve themselves 

damn Bureaucrats

 The following statement will soon be up on the Yarmouth Model Works website;

Due to changes at US Customs and Border Protection and Canada Post, we are no longer able to mail small parts orders as letter mail. As a result we have to implement a minimum order policy effective immediately.
Orders will now have to be have at least $40.00 before shipping costs are added.
I very much regret having to do this, but the government agencies leave me with no option.

Government sticking it to small business yet again.

Well that only took 2 years

 It's been one of those on again, off again, on again, off again projects.
2 years ago, a client sent me 4 Mullett River Sacramento Northern caboose kits to finish for him.
3 had been started by a 3rd party, but I was tasked with finishing the first 3 and completely doing the 4th kit
Now I enjoy Mullett River O scale caboose kits, but as with all things, they have their challenges.

A few of the things to address
Draft gear mounting. There is no provision in the kits for mounting draft gear, so I cobbled up something to take the Protocraft scale couplers
End railings. The supplied parts did not reflect the tapered vertical stanchions used on the prototype, so cast parts were sourced and railings built up from there
End ladders. The supplied ladder stiles are not at all like the prototype, so custom etchings were done and 0.033 wire formed and soldered to the top of the stiles
Marker light brackets. No parts supplied so I cobbled up something out of styrene and modified some plastic marker lamps so that they can mounted on either end of the car
Lateral running boards at the cupola. Again the kit supplied parts were not reflective of the prototype so new ones were created.
Hand brake mounts had to be cobbled together from Precision Scale parts

Along with the fact that a few key parts were missing from the first 3 cabooses, which required sourcing from a few suppliers
All the windows have real glass panes installed
The client supplied very specific custom mixed colours for each car.
Now we're just waiting for some custom decals that are faded like the prototype and these babies can make their way home

Packing is going to be a tad tricky, but I have a few ideas...

Another Blast from the Past

 I've just had the enormous pleasure of completing 4 very old Storzek kits

These kits were originally manufactured back in 1985! The pattern work is has good as anything we've seen since.
Mind you they are the old metal filled epoxy castings, which are the killers of drill bits, but the detail is fantastic.
The only real concern I had was with the old dry decals, which is where Microscale Liquid Decal film comes to the rescue. The decals will coated with a layer of the film and left to dry. NO splitting or shattering of the decals as a result. Phew.

The DSS&A yellow and red scheme for Merchandise Service is quite striking. Until these were sent to me to build I had no idea of these cars.
So yeah, they were fun to build and finish. Nice way to start the year.
And even after all these decades, we can still say, "Well done Mr Storzek"

The first new items for 2022

 One of the realities of the current manufacturing thinking in the world of model trains, is that undecorated kits don't seem to be worth the effort for the big guys to bother with anymore.
Which is a real frustration for those of us who actually like to build models, as opposed to opening a box and plonking it down on the tracks.
One of the fun things to do is recreate freight cars that have subtle variations from the more common cars, which is where "Mini-kits" come in and other after market parts.
The trial now is finding base kits which one can modify to use for these "mini-kit" projects.
Which is where these new items come in
We are now offering 4 body shells from which one can build those " mini-kits

The first 4 body shells offered are 40' long.

Part #B-10'0 D  10 Panel, 10'0" Boxcar with Diagonal Panel roof

Part #B-10'0 S  10 Panel, 10'0" Boxcar with square panel roof

Part #B-10'6 D  10 Panel, 10'6" Boxcar with diagonal panel roof

Part #B-10'6 S   10 Panel, 10'6" Boxcar with square panel roof

Each kit comes with doors and crossbearers and crossties, but no ends,.
Each retails for $25.00 USD.
Due to the vagaries of the Paypal web system, we can't link the accurate postal rates for all possible purchase situations, so an additional invoice for postage may come to you afterwards.
If these are successful other boxcar options may become available