Bill Gaver's Pandemic Projects
Back in 2013 purchased some resin freight car kits for the Union, NH Heritage Park Railroad Museum's 1909 era Boston & Maine HO scale model railroad exhibit.
Have been assembling three of the kits, each of which just left the paint and decal shop. Each car with one wheel per truck w/resister for operating on Freiwald TrainController German software computer-controlled layout. Remains for cars to be weathered.
Much of the description below accompanied the car kits.
2. 1890 era Tiffany Refrigerator Car. Tiffany Refrigerator Car Company patented and built c. 4,500 "Summer & Winter" refrigerator cars and leased to various railroads. Tiffany "claim to fame" was design of car and the cooling features which placed three ice hatches mounted in the roof walk w/hatches opening to the car sides.
Decals by Art Griffin. Early photos rare. No photos indicate dark sides. Some modelers claim sides were white, gray, or yellow. Others claim sides were pale green based on 1880's paint color chip called Tiffany Car green. This car done in pale green: 50/50 Polly Scale Dark Green & Light Gray. Roof: Scalecoat II Roof Brown. Underframe: Badger ModelFlex black.
Trucks very unique. Penamint Model's 3-D printed plastic T-82 wood transom swing-motion archbar trucks w/outside brake beams and Intermountain wheel sets.
2. 1890's era Union Tank Line car. John D. Rockefeller first oil refiner to recognize importance of securing own fleet of tank cars. Union Tank Line was a subsidiary of Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company. By 1895, Standard Oil refined 88% of U.S. oil, owned a 6,000 tank car fleet and became a great monopoly.
Car kit produced by Silver Crash Car Works based on 1895 Car Builder's Dictionary. This model lasted well into the teens of 1900.
Car 37' overall w/tank length 32'. Capacity was 8,000 gallons w/tank divided into 5 courses connected by double rivet rows. Recent research suggests car painted fire engine red and lettered in silver. Decals produced by Silver Crash. The car painted Tru-Color Paint Cornell Red.
3. 1902 40' Fruit Growers Express (FGE) Refrigerator Car. First built by American Car & Foundry for FGE, a subsidiary of the Armour Car Lines. This 50,000 pound capacity wood underframe 40' refrigerator car was lengthier than the more standard 36' and occasional 38'-8" reefers of the era. Car kit was jointly produced by Bob McGlone and John Canfield of Virginia Foundry & Model Works, Va. Beach, VA.
Original decals for this car provided by Art Griffin. Failed to locate decals upon completion of assembly. Since Art Griffin decals no longer available, Jim Abbott of Highball Graphics viewing photos of FGE pilot model did a superb job of producing the decals found on this 1902 FGE model.
Some modelers view side surfaces painted as orangy-yellow color, others pale yellow. The yellow surfaces on this model achieved using 50/50 mix of
Badger ModelFlex Reefer Yellow and Gray. Roof and ends Tru-Color Paint Iron Oxide. Underframe Badger ModelFlex Black. A review of early photos indicate no blackened hardware. Trucks: #211Tahoe Model Works archbar.
Ideal project for current virus lifestyle.
Bill