Rolling Stock

Updated 7/17/2007 NH Caboose photo.
Updated 1/27/2008 New S Scale Models and brass NH cabooses added!

For a couple of years now a lot of my work is in S scale instead of HO. I do still have a lot of the HO although some of that is being sold or traded (but not the favorite pieces!). I also occasionaly work on models for others, here are photos of the brass NE-5 cabooses I painted for my friend Chris Adams. The first photo shows Chris' two cars and one of mine during painting the last photo shows the car on delivery posed on his layout (under construction).

Here are displays of my S scale models at the New England RPM meets in Collinsville, CT in 2006 (left) and 2007 (right). Unfortunately, I'm generally the only S scaler their (and even the O scale participation was down since privious years). In 2007 I was joined by Jeff English showing his modifications to a PRS 1937 AAR boxcar floor.

This photo shows part of my RPM 2008 display.

Here is the C&NW flatcar shown in the RPM photos above. This car was detailed to follow the actual prototype of the American Flyer toy car - which turns out to be a decent model of the real thing as shown in the Car Builder's Cyclopedia! It is loaded with Johnny Lightning Dodge ambulances following a 1950's photo of a military shipment.

AF conversion C&NW flatcar.

Among my latest projects is finishing a a CNJ F3 A-B set my father started with my help many years ago. The hardest part was converting the Omnicon/Wabash Valley shells to the "Chicken Wire" form. Dad never found a happy solution, so they remained painted but unfinished. I decided that since the prototype used multiple pieces of screening there was no need to find a single piece long enough to cover the full length, an proceeded to make the screens from Scale Scenics Micro-Mesh. I got them looking somewhat finished in time to have them on the NASG display at the CNJ Fest in Liberty State Park (the former Jersey Central terminal in Jersey City).

Fitting the screens was painful! This week, while attending the Amherst "Big E" show, I found that River Rasine was selling the etched screen sets from imported brass F-3s. Oh well, I got a set to use on the B unit which awaits the cutting out and rebuilding of it's side panels! Meanwhile, here are a couple of in-process pictures showing the new parts from BTS and scratch fitted to the shell. Note the unique to CNJ hand grabs and step under the nose MU.

What follows are parts of the old page.

The rail equipment on the layout is composed of commercial equipment; mostly plastic kits with some resin kits (and lots more waiting to be built). All equipment has (or will, when finished) replacement steps, brake rodding, thinned or replaced roofwalks and removed door tracks or scale height doors, as needed. In general I do not carve off ladders and grab irons for replacement. I feel that the doors and the parts that show in silhouette have the greatest effect on the viewer. I try to match the details and weathering to appropriate prototype photographs when possible. There may not be many contest-quality pieces running, but all look better than stock AND I can hope to finish the layout someday. I just don't work fast enough to do everything. The one thing I would like to see for freight car detailing is a more extensive assortment of chalk markings in decal or (preferably) dry transfer. I have the Clover house set, but that provides such a small sample that I use only one or two markings per car whereas some prototype photos show the car side covered with markings in various degrees of fading. I've tried the white pencil and the correction tape tricks, but both produce far too thick a line; as if the worker used a house paint brush rather than a � inch stick of chalk.

Like most modelers I know, my collection of finished and un-finished motive power is a testament to years of being unable to settle on just one subject. The main thrust of the collection is 1950's New Haven, with 3 Atlas RS-3s, an RS-1, a PA, a pair of ER Models FA-1s, P2K and Walters FBs and a Bachmann 44 tonner, all in Orange and Green or Green and Gold paint. The other period of emphasis is "Current" (early 1990's to present) which includes Conrail, Providenceand Worcester and Housatonic power so far. Again, equipment receives some details and modifications to come closer to the real thing, without going "the whole nine yards". For example, two of the New Haven RS-3s are factory painted New Haven orange and green. They received steam generator fittings, cab signal control box (requiring a modification to the handrails on one side), relocated exhaust stack, MU walkovers, and those funny "boxes" that NH attached to the fuel tanks. The headlights were drilled out to fit a DA headlight lens, converting them to single bulb lights. They did NOT get wire grab irons

Atlas New Haven RS-3 model. Here is the Atlas unit, detailed but with factory paint. Accupaint Hunter Green was a fairly good match for the factory color for touchup. The unit is seen passing Cornwall Bridge station.

Here is a picture of an MDC RS-3 in the last (Alpert or Trusty) paint scheme. This was a factory lettered unit. The 1600 gal. MDC fuel tank was somewhat modified to resemble the smaller NH one by adding castings made from an Atlas tank. New haven RS-3 model, left side.

New haven RS-3 model, right side. Another view of the same model. The steam generator equipment is from Trackside Parts and the cab signal box was modified Cal Scale, although I would now use the part from Custom Finishing. Again, the exsiting grab irons were not removed and replaced.

This is a model of NH 0813 made from the Bachmann unit by modifying the hood roof and painting. Bachmann 44 tonner modified for New Haven

This unit in New Haven style paint formerly lived at Essex CT., but has recently be aquired by the NRHS chapter in Willimantic.


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	Here is the Atlas unit, detailed but with factory paint. Accupaint Hunter Green was a fairly good match for the factory color for touchup. The unit is seen passing Cornwall Bridge station.
Here is a picture of an MDC RS-3 in the last (Alpert or Trusty) paint scheme. This was a factory lettered unit. The 1600 gal. MDC fuel tank was somewhat modified to resemble the smaller NH one by adding castings made from an Atlas tank.
	Another view of the same model. The steam generator equipment is from Trackside Parts and the cab signal box was modified Cal Scale, although I would now use the part from Custom Finishing. Again, the exsiting grab irons were not removed and replaced.
This is a model of NH 0813 made from the Bachmann unit by modifying the hood roof and painting.
	This unit in New Haven style paint formerly lived at Essex CT., but has recently be aquired by the NRHS chapter in Willimantic.