Count our blessings

So as a result of the work we're doing on the next Yarmouth Model Works release, which I won't tell you what it is yet, I found myself in need of a couple of good views of the underside of a Canadian built 1937 AAR boxcar.
An online inquiry suggested that there were 2 in downtown Toronto as part of a grape wholesaler. So I grabbed the camera and the GPS and headed for the Big Smoke. 21/2 hours later I arrived at the desired location only to find that progress has taken it's toll.
Where the cars should have been, was a condo/apartment block under construction. However slightly south of that location was a pair of boxcars, but not the ones I was looking for. These had plug doors, which for me, made them newer than what I was looking for. As well as I couldn't get to the underframe due to all the stuff that was surrounding the cars.
As I was looking at these 2 cars and getting the hairy eyeball from the dock foreman, I noticed a lone 40' boxcar with a 6' door across the right of way. Maybe it wasn't a wasted trip after all.
I jumped in the van, whipped under the underpass and found myself at a semi-abandoned warehouse with a concrete loading dock. As I approached the car and looked at the details I knew I had found what I was looking for.
8 rung ladders. Check.
Stirrup attached to ladder. Check.
Canadian built 40' AAR boxcar.
The Mother Lode!
I jumped down and pushed through the trees to get at the underframe. The point of the exercise was to confirm the shape of the cross ties, cross bearers and the attachment of the reservoir.
As I crouched down and prepared to photograph the details I realized that under this car was someone's home, as well as another couple of sleeping bags under the loading dock. It was mid-day and none of these residents were in sight, but the moment went from elation of discovery to distinct discomfort. I truly felt that I was intruding in someone else's space.
I quickly took the pictures I needed and got out of there.
For much of the drive home I reflected on the clash of these 2 distinct realities. Me with the leisure time and where with all to look at and model 50 year old boxcars and those poor souls, who for whatever reasons use the same item as a roof.
Ya, we're indeed lucky. And I'm not going to forget it for sometime.

Nice one Ted! Actually credit goes to Bill.

Since I first wrote this post, I've been informed that the actual roof patterns were created by my friend Bill Welch. I'm a big proponent of credit where credit is due, so I apologize to Bill for the error.
I know that Bill is working on some other neat projects and once they are ready, I'll let you know about them. If they're half as good as the roof patterns, we're in for a treat.


I just completed these 4 NYC stock cars for a client. They are Westerfield kits with a difference.
The roofs on these models are not the kit provided roofs, but rather a roof created by Ted Culotta of Speedwitch Media. They represent a reroof done by NYC done in the 40s, I believe.
Interesting that the railway went from a metal roof to a wood sheathing. There's a conversation I would have like to have heard.
The pattern Ted created for this roof is nothing short of spectacular. Just the right level of variance in the individual boards to make it look believable without being overdone. Too many people over-weather wood structures to the point that in real life they'd be falling down.
For a variety of reasons Ted has scaled back some of his Speedwitch activity, but his items can be found on Ebay from time to time. Well worth searching out. 

So a little post script. I found the prototype data sheet and it states that the cars were reroofed in the late 40s and 50s as required.

Things that make me happy.

There are times when my interests and my clients desires come together.
This Speedwitch Media kit, #K118, is a SP A-50-4. The history provided in the kit instructions suggest that the prototype wasn't upgraded with AB brakes. However, well know and renowned SP modeler and railroad historian, Tony Thompson, wrote about this is a recent blog posting on his blog, Modeling the SP. In essence Tony found a number of examples of this class of car that did receive AB brakes. The paperwork that Tony shares has the actual car numbers of those cars converted.
All of this meant that I had to have a model of this car with AB brakes. I've developed an affinity for Automobile cars since I've started modeling the Wabash.
As it turns out Tony wanted the same thing and hired me to build his model for him. We had no photos or diagrams from which to determine the component layout, but we felt that the basic arrangement would serve quite well.

So away I went. A set of Tichy AB brake components, custom made brake levers and some trimmed turnbuckles for clevis' and we were in business.
Tony prefers to decal and weather his cars himself, so I painted the car and sent it to him.
His car is the top image.
It's interesting to see the differences in our weathering styles. Both make for very nice models.
His comment to me,

And thanks again for the fine job building it!

That makes me happy 

Add it to the list

of things I don't understand.

Yesterday I went to the post office to mail a box of parts to my friend Aaron Gjermundson, the talented soul who created the patterns for the Wabash stock car kit I'm selling. The parts are for a upcoming release of another resin freight car kit. More details in awhile. Patience young Skywalker.
It cost me $10.00 to air mail it North Dakota.
Today I mailed this finished car to a client in Alberta.

It cost me $12.00 to surface mail this. Now the box is exactly the same size and in fact the box from today weighs less.
What am I missing here?
I think I need to lay down some more.

Living on the Edge

Necessity can be the mother of invention!
On Friday I slightly sprained my shoulder residing my mother-in-laws garden shed. Aren't I the good son-in-law?
Next on the bench are 4 Chooch O scale cars for a client. Nice looking cars when they're done, it's just that the castings can have overly thick flash which needs to be removed. The roofs in particular can be a real chore. So with an aching shoulder the prospect of sanding off upwards of 0.015" from the underside of the roofs was, to say the least, daunting.
So, I went out on a limb and tried something I've been considering for sometime now. I pulled out the sanding station, stuck in a new belt and with a little trepidation went for it.
Success!
The surface area of the O scale casting is enough to help keeps things in control and with a light touch and repeated checking of progress, within 2-3 minutes the casting is ready. Sure beats the 20 minutes or more that hand sanding would have required.
Now I only did the roofs this way and I would not attempt this with HO scale parts, at least not with 80 grit belts. And this is definitely an outdoors thing. The dust cloud is not welcome in the house.
Now what else needs sanding?
Wonder if I can do the cat's claws this way?

Maybe not.

Kicking it up a Notch

It's been a good week!
Wabash stock car kits have been steadily going to the Post Office.
Lot's of dialogue for the next kit and potential new projects. And I'm still welcoming suggestions. Tell me what it is you'd like to see in resin and multi-media kits. You never know what may work for me and others.
I spent a day in Toronto with my good friends John Mellow and Trevor Marshall, running trains on Trevor's Port Rowan S scale layout. Port Rowan in S scale.

I got this caboose finished.

Silly me I didn't take a picture of the finished car, but you can see another one of these in my Gallery. These are CPR vans from Northern Scale Models. The kits were done by Mullet River Model Works. They are spectacular wood and etched brass kits and create lovely cabooses. As Marty McGuirk recently blogged, they're worth buying one and building just for display.

But the real fun was this car;

A client had sent me this car to build for him. It's an Intermountain 40' AAR boxcar with a Viking roof. The client supplied the C&NW decals from Jerry Glow. From there I upgraded most of the details on the car. A Tichy AB brake set, with wire brake rods and clevis'. Kadee bracket grabs, wire end grabs, DA 8 rung ladders, Tichy Ajax hand brake, cast resin lateral running boards and brass strip lateral supports, Reboxx semi-scale wheelsets, etc. The process, which takes almost as long as building a resin kit, takes a good kit and kicks it up to a great looking model.
After painting the decals went on with only a little trouble. Jerry Glow's decals are very nice and he's got a process where it's viable to create decals on demand. The trouble I have with his decals is that the actual ink used does not soften well with decal setting solution, so getting the actual inked parts to settle over rivets and such can be a trial. What I've found that works, is after initial application with Micro-Scale setting solution and letting that dry, the trouble areas get a little Solvaset applied and after a few minutes I press firmly on the decal with a Q-tip or rubber pad. That usually addresses the problem.
A trip into the weathering shop and voila!
I'm pleased and I expect the client will be as well.
Now to some Chooch O scale boxcars.

Canada Post is STUPID!

So I was in the post office yesterday, mailing off the first batch of kit orders. (Yes, this does mean that I'm actually shipping kits now. Huzza!)
I'm using a standard sized mailing box and wrapping each kit box in brown paper. I took the pile down to the post office and proceeded to process the boxes. The lady measured the package, since now Canada Post has "volumetric" pricing as well as by weight. Anything to get more of our money.
She informed me that the box was too small.
One half of a centimeter too narrow in fact.
Needless to say I was speechless. Gobsmacked as the Brits might say. Stupefied.
Too heavy I see. Too large, I get it. Insured for too much, I understand.
TOO SMALL!? Give me a freaking break.
It's not enough that on top of postal fees we get a "fuel surcharge", and have to pay sales taxes, to be told what size of boxes I have to use is way over the top.
And I know I've received smaller boxes in the past and sent smaller boxes as well.
Solution is shown in the photo. I tape a strip of box cardboard to the side of the box and then wrap with paper and "voila", 9 cms in width.
Bozos.


And a further development on this, late yesterday while I was shipping yet more boxes, I was told that the size restriction only applies to mail to the US. Canada Post is able to deliver "undersized" boxes within our borders, but can't quite figure out how to get them across the 49th parallel.
This in the era of Free Trade and Globalization. Further evidence that government and other public and semi-public agencies are NOT on the side of small business.
I have to go lie down now. :-)