It is an interesting question how recently the NMRA standards have been updated, but if they have been essentially unchanged since first promulgated, they would not take into account the fact that trucks over the years have become much freer-rolling than in
the bad old days, as well as less messy lubricants such as powdered graphite and teflon powder.? I don't have my own railroad with turnouts and reverse curves to test cars, but my seat-of-the-pants/what-feels-right is only about 1 1/2 oz for a PRS house car.?
That is six of the ? oz weights I've had on hand for years.? My sense is that 4 ounces is plenty.
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I think we all have come up against this!? I bought several of the River Raisin Milwaukee Road cars from years ago.? Being a fan of the road and given it was a part NASG/RR project, I had to buy as many as I could afford. If i caught the
local way freight of 20 cars, generally half would be ribbed sided cars! ?
So more recently I bought just one of the Smoky Mt. cars that represents the older version of this car.? I started on it a couple of evenings ago.? I'm now trying to determine how much weight to add to a 'sealed car'? I know the NMRA has
it's guidelines, as does SHS for their cars (similar as I recall) but the RR brass car comes in at 12oz naked.? The SMountain version is about 4 oz? So I gathered a couple of large steel nuts as Jim recommends--now I'm at about 7oz.? I just cut up some of
lead type that puts the weight at 10.? my gut feeling says this is a bit too much!? However since this car is resin, also subject to sagging and I don't want to have to dig back into it going either way --add or subtract?? I've had little problem with string-lining
but I generally arrange my cars in mind--something that might be difficult to correct when you have a vintage Regal USRA gondola at about 2 oz during guest operations!? Most of my brass cars outweigh my more typical AM, SHS and SSA cars, though the SSA boxcars
are probably the heaviest (and longest)
Suggestions? or should I stage a contest of sorts? Has anyone else built one (or more?) of these!?
Bob Werre
PhotoTraxx
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Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder
Neither did I.
- Peter.
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On 01/26/2025 01:43 PM, Bill Hawk via groups.io wrote: Thanks for heads up.
I’m registered at ScaleTrains, messages ON, but I never get their announcement emails. Dunno why not.
Bill
--
Peter Vanvliet (info@...)
owner, Fourth Ray Software
Houston, Texas
(personal web site)
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Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder
Thanks for heads up.?
I’m registered at ScaleTrains, messages ON, but I never get their announcement emails. Dunno why not.?
Bill
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On Jan 25, 2025, at 12:47?PM, David R. Henley Jr via groups.io <henley31c@...> wrote:
? Hello all,
? ? Got a nice surprise in my email this morning.? Scale Trains sent an email out showcasing their new products for preorder.? The ACF 40' Wooden Reefer was one of the offerings.? They will be released in eight road names /paint schemes:
?
- American Refrigerator Transit/ART
- Bangor and Aroostook/BAR
- Fruit Growers Express/FGEX
- Orange/Unlettered
- Santa Fe Refrigerator Dispatch/SFRD
- Union Refrigerator Dispatch/URTX
- Western Refrigerator Lines/WRX
- Yellow/Unlettered
The Fruit Grower Express and the Santa Fe will have six road numbers that you can get.? All the rest except for the unlettered will have three road numbers available.? If you preorder by 24 Feb 2025 then the price is $54.99.? The regular price after pre-order is $68.99.? The expected delivery date is October 2025.
?
? ?Not sure how available some of these road names were with SHS and MTH but being a Missouri Pacific modeler I am excited for the ART reefer.? This is the single ART shield herald design.? I only have one like it because a club member custom did it and I was able to buy it from his estate sale after his death.? So for the Missouri Pacific, Wabash, and ART this is an entirely new model.? I know some have complained that Scale Trains has only brought out the same old stuff.? So far Scale Trains has helped this relatively new S scale modeler quite a bit.? I do hope that when they come out with the F7s that they release them again for the Missouri Pacific so I can get different road numbers or even for the Texas & Pacific.
?
? ?So check out Scaletrains.com and preorder some reefers.? Its been a while since they released the steel rebuilt boxcars.? If they see a lot of preorders come in then we might get more models in S scale released from them sooner than later.
?
Regards,
David Henley
?
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I'm not sure how I got these, but the appear to be in excellent condition, but do not have couplers or trucks. $56 for the pair plus shipping. PayPal friends or check. Kevin
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On Sun, Jan 26, 2025 at 10:17 AM, Bob Werre wrote:
I'm now trying to determine how much weight to add?
Suggestions?
Hi Bob.......My layout has generally broad curves and gentle grades.? My personal standard for weight has been two-thirds of the NMRA recommended weight.? It has worked fine for me.? The light cars always have weight added (a load, underbody weights, etc.) to increase weight.? The heavy cars are just run without any weight adjustments.? As a string-lining test, I once ran a long train of heavy cars behind a very lightweight wood flat car coupled to the engine.? It ran once around the layout and nothing bad happened.? After that, I had no worries with my standard weight being reasonable for my layout.?
?
Of course, curve radius, grade steepness, banked track, etc. will all have some effect and so testing seems like a good idea.? My track was always perfectly flat even going around curves.? Banking curved track seemed (to me) like the perfect way to increase the likelihood of string-lining.? I didn't want that and never did have that problem.? I also placed additional weight directly over the trucks as much as possible.? My opinion, worth what you paid for it, is that the NMRA weight advice is WAY too heavy for a well-constructed layout.
?
Good luck............Ed L.
--
Ed Loizeaux
Los Altos, CA
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Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder
The previously-produced SHS & MTH reefers are listed on the NASG
web site:
and
- Peter.
On 01/25/2025 07:53 PM, David R. Henley
Jr via groups.io wrote:
Hello Brooks,
? ? I looked up the achieved Showcase Line webpage.? It looks
like the only road names and paint schemes that SHS offered that
Scale Trains announce today are the Santa Fe Reefer Dispatch in
the orange, the unlettered yellow, and the unlettered orange.? I
cannot check the two MTH catalogs because I need to update Adobe
Flash or some other nonsense to view them and my computer is not
cooperating.? Maybe someone else on the list can say if MTH
offered any of the schemes announced by Scale Trains today.??
?
Regards,
David Henley
--
Peter Vanvliet (info@...)
owner, Fourth Ray Software
Houston, Texas
(personal web site)
|
Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder
On Sun, Jan 26, 2025 at 06:47 AM, Michael Krope wrote:
However, in August of 1980 I saw a wooden car on the Burlington's Chicago racetrack. It had the BN logo as well. Rail historians feel free to chime in and challenge my rapidly diminishing powers of recollection.
However, it wouldn't have had the Westinghouse K brake system these cars are illustrated to have.? The K system was outlawed for interchange for newly built cars in 1933.? Railroads were eventually allowed to retrofit cars with the AB system (after a few delays due to the Depression and effects of WWII) until 1953, when the total ban took effect.
?
Rich G(ajnak)
|
I'm not sure how I got these, but the appear to be in excellent condition, but do not have couplers or trucks. $56 for the pair plus shipping. PayPal friends or check. Kevin
|
I think we all have come up against this!? I
bought several of the River Raisin Milwaukee Road cars from
years ago.? Being a fan of the road and given it was a part
NASG/RR project, I had to buy as many as I could afford. If i
caught the local way freight of 20 cars, generally half would be
ribbed sided cars! ?
So more recently I bought just one of the Smoky
Mt. cars that represents the older version of this car.? I
started on it a couple of evenings ago.? I'm now trying to
determine how much weight to add to a 'sealed car'? I know the
NMRA has it's guidelines, as does SHS for their cars (similar as
I recall) but the RR brass car comes in at 12oz naked.? The
SMountain version is about 4 oz? So I gathered a couple of large
steel nuts as Jim recommends--now I'm at about 7oz.? I just cut
up some of lead type that puts the weight at 10.? my gut feeling
says this is a bit too much!? However since this car is resin,
also subject to sagging and I don't want to have to dig back
into it going either way --add or subtract?? I've had little
problem with string-lining but I generally arrange my cars in
mind--something that might be difficult to correct when you have
a vintage Regal USRA gondola at about 2 oz during guest
operations!? Most of my brass cars outweigh my more typical AM,
SHS and SSA cars, though the SSA boxcars are probably the
heaviest (and longest)
Suggestions? or should I stage a contest of
sorts? Has anyone else built one (or more?) of these!?
Bob Werre
PhotoTraxx
|
Re: Retail Coal Dealer (for sale)
I wouldn't need the coal hopper if you can otherwise move it.? ?
Would $55 make you smile???
Woody?
On Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 04:03:07 PM EST, Ed Loizeaux <loizeaux@...> wrote:
Gents..........
This is the only structure remaining in my formerly bustling city area.? It includes figures, coal conveyors, yellow hopper car, and a sound module with audio of men shoveling coal by hand.? Speaker is inside.? Would someone like to make me a reasonable offer?? It can be shipped safely.?
Email preferred.? Phone works.? ? Loizeaux aht? SBC? //? Global? daht? ?net? ? ? ? ? ?1-650-962-1577
?Thanks.........Smiling? Ed? L.
-- Ed Loizeaux Los Altos, CA
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Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder
When I first saw the word reefer, my heart sank.? We've been billboard reefered to death. But these? Yes lots to buy. This group can be used right up to the second generation diesel era. I only say this because in 1980 I remember a bulletin being posted in the yard office stating there will be no more ice bunker reefers in service. Of course, those were steel cars. However, in August of 1980 I saw a wooden car on the Burlington's Chicago racetrack. It had the BN logo as well. Rail historians feel free to chime in and challenge my rapidly diminishing powers of recollection.
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Re: Retail Coal Dealer (for sale)
Hello Ed
I think I am going to make one of these using my over a hundred years old oak barnwood.
I have boxes of sliced beam wood of all different dimensions
Ten years ago I was going to use a lot of it but never did much other than loads for flat cars
Yours on the hobby
Fun watching your listings
Roger Haag. ?Hendersonville?
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On Jan 25, 2025, at 4:03?PM, Ed Loizeaux <Loizeaux@...> wrote:
?
Gents..........
This is the only structure remaining in my formerly bustling city area.? It includes figures, coal conveyors, yellow hopper car, and a sound module with audio of men shoveling coal by hand.? Speaker is inside.? Would someone
like to make me a reasonable offer?? It can be shipped safely.?
Email preferred.? Phone works.? ? Loizeaux aht?
SBC? //? Global? daht? ?net? ? ? ? ? ?1-650-962-1577
?Thanks.........Smiling? Ed? L.
--
Ed Loizeaux
Los Altos, CA
<1737838531309blob.jpg>
|
Have a short one? Want a long one? Satisfaction guaranteed.........!!
I was thinking of a long flat car?? What were you thinking about?
The previous longish flat car I offered disappeared quite rapidly with offers from several folks.? Since this car is even longer, perhaps it will do just as well or even better.? This car is built from a BTS kit.? I do not know all the prototype details, but I am sure folks on this list will know more about that than me.
This is a finely finished model which, I think, has been discontinued by BTS.? ?Note the rotating axle caps.? Really cool.......
Make your best reasonable offer and see if I smile.? A smile gets you the opportunity to operate this car on your layout without delay.
Private email preferred, but phone works....? ? Loizeaux? aht? ?SBC? //? Global? daht? net? ? ?1-650-962-577
Thanks for looking...................Smiling Ed L.
-- Ed Loizeaux Los Altos, CA
|
Gents......
Here is a new AM RPO for you.? This is a great custom repaint opportunity.? Note the high-rail wheels and AF-type couplers.? Missing two axles, but I will look for them.? No guarantees.
Make me smile with your best reasonable offer and the car will be in your hands swiftly.??
Prefer private email, but the phone works.? ? Loizeaux? aht? SBC //? GLobal? daht? net? ? ?1-650-962-1577
Thanks for looking.................Smiling Ed L.
-- Ed Loizeaux Los Altos, CA
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Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder
Howdy Mike,
? ?Wish my wife would make me order trains.? lol? I ordered the three road numbers myself this morning.? With two different modelers jumping on the bandwagon with all the road numbers so soon maybe they will realized that they need to come out with more Missouri Pacific models.? I look forward to seeing your new reefers scaled up and rolling on your layout, especially behind one of your beautiful brass locomotives.? Currently I'm learning to use an airbrush.? My undecorated Scale Trains steel rebuilt boxcars are waiting to become MoPac boxcars in the boxcar brown color with the "Route of the Eagles" slogan.? Do you have any airbrush tips?
?
Regards,
David Henley??
|
Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder
Hello Brooks,
? ? I looked up the achieved Showcase Line webpage.? It looks like the only road names and paint schemes that SHS offered that Scale Trains announce today are the Santa Fe Reefer Dispatch in the orange, the unlettered yellow, and the unlettered orange.? I cannot check the two MTH catalogs because I need to update Adobe Flash or some other nonsense to view them and my computer is not cooperating.? Maybe someone else on the list can say if MTH offered any of the schemes announced by Scale Trains today.??
?
Regards,
David Henley
|
Re: FS: SHS NMRA GSV Special Run
The NMRA's SHS cars came Hirail with scale wheels included, just like the standard SHS cars.? With the PRS cars, the user specified what trucks to have.? NMRA/PRS HiRail cars came with Ace Trucks, Scale with PRS trucks.
?
Rich G(ajnak)
|
Re: FS: SHS NMRA GSV Special Run
As Don T. noted, most S scale modelers are not big fans of spurious paint schemes (AF-compatible modelers perhaps more so), as am I.
The NMRA famous model railroad series had no particular attraction for me, especially as many of the cars—perhaps except for HO, where?
there are so many options—were pretty much what was available in the minor scales, not always very suitable.
With the closeout, I bought several of each type—at $10 each, I couldn't resist—but some got repainted (the PRS Carstens car was a particularly
odious scheme); others, such as the AM Davies Steel gondolas (Gil Freitag) and Canandaigua Southern covered hoppers (John Armstrong)?
have remained as I bought them, except I did strip and repaint one of the latter, as I needed a donor for a project.? Those schemes were a bit?
more credible.
I have kept an O scale Intermountain boxcar lettered for Delta Route (Frank Ellison) and a Crooked Mountain (Bob Hegge) refrigerator car (one?
of the instances of a poor choice of type).
I own some convention cars, almost all lettered for prototype, and most appropriate types for the road chosen.
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I recall rather well there was a somewhat fuzzy line between a Convention car, a Heritage car, and a more typical Club car.? Furthermore was it a NASG, NMRA, local club or some sort of joint car?? I remember the NMRA offered a
multi=scale convention car for the Astro Rail convention.? S ended up with the AM plug door box with a yellow body and red lettering when it supposed to look like a Rail Box car but missed the boat, a poor rendering but that's all we had!? A couple of our
members bought out the last couple dozen cars at--maybe $8 per!? Not ideal for anybody!? Perhaps some will increase in value e v e n t u a l l y!
Then in preparation for that same convention, the Houston S Gaugers put together a package ?? for a convention car--a 10K tank car!? We all agreed to buy a couple dozen as feeder money, Jettie/Southwind had agreed to many more
with a couple of other interested parties that I've forgotten now.? Our advantage was we needed a tankcar at that time, so it should have been a good seller not to mention all we really had was AF shells, ? I had a personal HO friend who designed them in real
life plus Jack Troxell had additional knowledge about engineering of them.? Jerry Porter, John Verser and Fred?? had just put together the beginnings of Intermountain at that time.
Anyway, and as in recent discussions indicate, Larry Jackman stepped in and derailed that effort along with SHS's efforts!? The HSG lost our bid for that convention so the tankcar was just a pipedream at that point--so basically
everybody lost!?
Over the years, I bought a few of the various convention/club cars, but wasn't invested enough to be a 'collector'.? I have one left that the Cuyhoga club sold that looked like it fit my RR.? An local older gentlemen and long
time NMRA supporter was sitting at a table selling all his various coffee mugs--he hadn't invested for future value either--10 cents each!
Bob Werre
Phototraxx
PS:? with all that being said, I have a PRS covered hopper that was part of the Valley Forge convention.? It's really a nice simple paint scheme. (excellent candidate for repaint)-- Lt gray with the convention logo.? NIB w/o trucks
or couplers.? Buy now to avoid the future disappointment later on!? $16.00
One of our rarest offerings!?
#00425 1999 NMRA Commemorative boxcar GSV 2084. We made less than a hundred which took a bit of work convincing Sanda Kan to produce less than 300, the standard MOQ at that time. But, I knew the general manager Mr. Wai Shing Ting was a NMRA member. So, I told
him S Scalers were not big on non-prototype roadnames, the NMRA will never sell 300 cars! We agreed they could just add the setup costs for less than 300. So, we ordered 90 cars, 84 for the NMRA, and our normal mini case overrun for cars that might be defective….
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Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder
I'm not complaining, but Scale Trains has brought out four new lettering cars just after I painted and decaled the roads I didn't have.? Awhile back I painted and lettered a C&WC car a few months before the Scale Train model.? I just did a grey paint version of the GB&W.? I don't fault Scale Trains, but experience with luck in modeling keeps me from betting on sports.? Which saves me money to buy trains. (8-)
?
George Courtney
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Re: FS: SHS NMRA GSV Special Run
Interesting to learn.? What I have no way of knowing—especially since this turned up as a loose piece—is whether the two SHS NMRA cars came in the usual SHS package with both kinds of trucks.? The AM and PRS NMRA cars I bought did come in the usual boxes, all,
so far as I know, just as scale cars.
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One of our rarest offerings!?
#00425 1999 NMRA Commemorative boxcar GSV 2084. We made less than a hundred which took a bit of work convincing Sanda Kan to produce less than 300, the standard MOQ at that time. But, I knew the general manager Mr. Wai Shing Ting was a NMRA member. So, I told
him S Scalers were not big on non-prototype roadnames, the NMRA will never sell 300 cars! We agreed they could just add the setup costs for less than 300. So, we ordered 90 cars, 84 for the NMRA, and our normal mini case overrun for cars that might be defective….
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Kevin Macomber
Bob Werre
Roger Haag
