Well the Intention is;

To have these 2 new items ready for the RPM Naperville next month.

First up is this AC&F covered hopper roof mini-kit. This set of castings and etchings is meant to refit an InterMountain Railway Co covered hopper kit to better represent cars used by MP and other roads.
Etchings are in hand and casting is underway. We've had a little hiccup with a hatch dimension, but that will be rectified in a day or so. Price $15.00

 And then there's this bad boy. The NP 39000 series boxcar. We've been working on this for awhile. The etchings are now in hand, so work can now continue on the pilot model.

This car features a rather different brake rigging arrangement which we've worked hard at to recreate. As you can see there are 3 levers, 2 of which are mounted on etched A frames.
A note about this model. The prototype featured a rather unique style of truck, as the prototype photo shows. The closest HO truck out there to this is the Kadee Andrews truck. But to get this model to sit properly on the trucks one will have to modify the Kadee truck some. The bonus of this is that the modified model truck will look more like the prototype. The modification isn't that hard to do and a full description will be included in the instructions. This kit will retail for $55.00
Alright, enough typing back to work. People will want these models.

End of an Era.

Has it really been 48 years? Wow!
George Selios of Fine Scale Miniatures fame has just announced that he is retiring form the kit producing business. The kit shown in the above photo will be his last offering.
Such a debt the hobby owes George. His was a rare talent. Just study the photos of his layout, the Franklin and South Manchester and you will get to see the depth of his skills.
I built a few of his kits over the years. The first was in the mid 70s and it was the reissue of his homage to John Allen. The 2 stall engine house. The finished model is long gone, too many moves as a young man, but the castings are still in my drawers of treasures.
Those kits were a delight. Well designed and the instructions took one step by step through the construction and finishing processes. I learned a whole lot of tricks from those kits.
I didn't always agree with his heavily weathered approach to structures, too many appear to be on the verge of collapse, but I learned valuable weathering and distressing techniques and as a result evolved my own style and philosophy.
Thanks, George. It wouldn't have been as much fun without you.

The CNR Boxcar fleet 1947

 Trevor's comment about being surprised at the number of Fowler boxcars in use got me thinking. 

Below is a chart created by Ian Wilson, well known author and CNR historian, showing suggestions on how to recreate an accurate fleet of CNR boxcars in HO scale. It is rather dated, being over 10 years old, but the percentages are instructive.

                    CNR BOXCARS JULY 1947

Model	Cars	15	30	45	60	75	Comments
Westerfield CPR	17534	4	9	13	18	22	377500 to 379645--86 402000 to 417149--13666 422750 to 426499--3581 438000 to 439099--62 450000 to 450131--68 451000 to 451071--71
Westerfield 4358	1992	1	1	1	2	2	420150 to 422749--1992
Westerfield 4301	2417	1	1	2	2	3	426500 to 428999--2417
Westerfield 4309, 4357 or 4360	2205	1	1	2	2	3	344700 to 346699--108 401600 to 401657--56 429000 to 431499--1920 436000 to 437999--121
Accurail, wood ends	4857	1	2	4	5	6	464000 to 464999--960 500000 to 500492--478 500500 to 503499--2935 514000 to 514499--484
Accurail, steel ends	1191	0	1	1	1	1	461000 to 463999--1191
Sylvan or Kaslo	9504	2	5	7	9	12	503500 to 505850--2307 505851 to 513152--7197
Red Caboose	19120	5	9	14	19	23	471000 to 487764--16623 520000 to 522499--2497
Branchline	0	0	0	0	0	0	522500 to 540759 (6' door) 540760 to 545759 (8' door)
Sylvan (future)	398	0	0	0	0	0	587000 to 587399--398 588500 to 590999 591800 to 592299 598000 to 598499
Other	1516	0	1	1	2	2	573500 to 574696 & 578000 to 579999 (steel frame auto cars)--1516
Miscellaneous	430	0	0	0	0	1	300000 to 337508 & 346865 to 347101 (36' wood cars, truss rods)--41 340200 to 344699, 376400 to 377429, 431500 to 435999 & 439100 to 440278 (36' wood cars, steel underframe)--143 470000 to 470249 (steel rebuilds)--246
	61,164	15	30	45	60	75

Of course these percentages will undergo major revisions as we get into the 50's. By the end of the decade most of the wood sheathed cars will be gone. But for 1951, the era I model, the ratios are close to being accurate.

I also have a secret stash of Red Caboose and Branchline kits. (Everybody remember kits?) So I'm set.

He's back.

As of this morning, my friend and fellow kit maker, Ted Cullota, has relaunched the Speedwitch Media website.
Have a look, he's trying something different to support his activities, and I think it shows great promise.
Ted's kits reset the bar as to what a resin kit should be, and in many ways his work was the inspiration for the kits I offer through Yarmouth Model Works.
Good luck my friend! I hope it works out the way you wish.

Tell me it's wrong!

This little gem came into my possession recently and I managed to get it painted and ready for service in between other projects.

It's actually a MoPac prototype caboose offered by Overland Models, and the box label indicates that it can be used for T&P and the Wabash.
It bears a striking similarity to the 2600 series cabooses owned by the Wabash. Close enough for me, given that there were so many variations in the 2600 series fleet.
I know what details are "wrong". How about you?

CNR Manifest #402

The relationship between CNR and the Wabash was clearly one of longstanding cooperation and goodwill. Take the case of CNR manifest freight #402. Scheduled as an eastbound between Windsor and Fort Erie, and returning west as an extra. It's job was to drop and collect cuts of cars in places like Glencoe, St Thomas and the interchanges at Tillsonberg and Canfield.
During WWII, CNR was somewhat overwhelmed by the major increases in traffic created by the war effort. So much so that the CNR asked the Wabash to assume the duties of hauling #402 across the province. Remember that Canada was at war with Nazi Germany for more than 2 years before the US entered the conflict.
This arrangement stayed in place after the war ended and as a result needs to be reflected in my train consists. So I will require 2 trains, one for each direction, that have a preponderance of CNR equipment, unlike the Wabash trains that have crossed the border from the US.
This works for me on many levels. I get to build more of some of my favorite cars. The Speedwitch Media and Westerfield 36' Fowler boxcars, also referred to as the "Dominion" car. Even into 1951, my modeling year, there were large numbers of these cars in service. According to some data I have from well known CNR historian, Ian Wilson, 1/4 to a 1/3rd of the boxcar fleet was the Fowler boxcar.
I just completed 4 of the Speedwitch offering. A kit that I reviewed for RMC when it first came out and remains a standout in my mind.

The other project that I'll have to do more of is the conversion of the '37 AAR boxcar to Canadian standards. 8 rung ladders with integral stirrups, specific ends like the NSC-1 and NSC-2 and a few other details. These were written about many years ago in Railroad Model Craftsman by Stafford Swain and remain some of my favorite modeling projects.
I could use the TrueLine trains cars, but I don't find that they have the level of detail I'm after. Good thing I kept a few Red Caboose kits when I switched prototypes.

Can you say Unit Train?

 Just finished weathering these 12 aluminum coal gons for a client. That makes half of his order complete. Yes he has 12 more to go. But Pierre needs a little break from coal gons.
These are an interesting car. With the exception of a few appliances, they were built as an all aluminum car. Significant savings in weight. As they aged the bolsters were replaced with steel bolsters which were riveted in place. Can't weld steel to aluminum. I suspect that they found that the aluminum bolsters weren't taking the shocks very well.
Aluminum is useful stuff, but it has one problem. The weld is weaker than the base material, which can present problems at stress points. There's a reason why airplanes aren't welded. .
Smokey Mountain Model Works offered these kits a while ago and they rate a solid "not bad".
The pattern work is very nice. The history in the instructions is well researched. Decals were offered for the as built red lettering and the later green lettering.
Some useful hints were provided for painting. The older cars showed, in prototype photos, a distinct brown hue, while the relettered cars had just lightly oxidized metal showing. All the interiors would have been very bright, as coal is very abrasive as it's unloaded.
The model interiors were painted with Scalecoat Aluminum. The green lettered cars were Floquil Bright Silver with an overspray of light gray and the red lettered cars were Floquil Old Silver with an overspray of Rail Brown. Once the lettering was all applied and sealed with flat finish, the undersides were were dirtied with Rail Tie Brown overspray and the ends and sides were dusted with Grimy Black. Coal is filthy stuff after all.
I'm rather pleased with how these have turned out. Hope the client is as well.

I need to build a few boxcars now. Sort of a system reboot!