Any one for new cars?

[Tomcat]

Sure,

Keith Wiseman did re-introduce a better version of the old Durango Press kit.
A cast plow does make the assembly a bit easier. I have done the old Durango Press kit
which has a cardboard plow, which is not that difficult to build as it sounds...

Kind regards,
Tom

[railtwister]

A West Side Logging Caboose...?

Cheers, Tom

Hi Tom,

Generally, I don't like resin kits, but Foothill Model Works made a beautiful On3 kit of the Westside Lumber Company short caboose #3 in resin a few years ago. Last I heard, the resin version was discontinued a while back because they were working on doing an injection molded kit instead. I hope that it's still in the works, even though the economy is in the toilet. I bought a used resin one at a train show a while back, and it was very easy to convert to On30 by using a pair of Bachmann Low Frame Archbar trucks and a Kadee whisker coupler with an overset shank in the original FMW cast-on draft gear. With this combination, the coupler height came out right without the need for any grinding or major modification to the coupler box or body bolster.

If anyone is looking for such a caboose and can find one of these kits either at a trainshow or as "new old stock" at a hobby shop, I highly recommend this kit, it is really a masterpiece.

Bill in FL

[gmhtrains]

I model a common carrier narrow gauge railroad inspired by Iowa's Bellevue & Cascade, so can always use more house cars. I favor a steel boxcar and an outside-braced, single-sheathed wood boxcar, both with doors opening to the right.

Gil Hulin

[Tomcat]

Bill,

I´ve done the Foothill Model Works kit for that WSLCo Caboose No.3 a while ago. It´s a beautifully molded little gem. I have it running here. As far as I know, they are still at the injection molded kit, which is not out yet. Hope they will be out with it, I could have another one. They´re just awesome lil´pieces of rolling stock.

Cheers, Tomcat

[S. Calloway]

One thing I have noticed is the amount of people who "freelance" a railroad so as not to be tied to a certain prototype. Many cars or "rolling stock" would fit these wonderfully! Flats with loads,M .O.W equipment. Even poor ,run down, railroads sometimes had to pick up overturned equipment.  Speeders(these have been done else where) but a powered one would be neat! Many options here for not alot of money and equipment that is sorely needed.  What say ye , Mr. Bachmann?                   Dwayne Calloway

[S. Calloway]

One other thing comes to mind...  Structures.  Water tanks, small shantys,20's and 30's era folks and houses,Boston,Revere Beach& Lynn coaches.These went everywhere and were sold to various railroads across the country and could be easily used by many freelance modelers. Bachmann really gave On30 a shot in the arm with there products and has made it at least somewhat affordable. All of the ideas mentioned by everyone here are great ideas!  They are ideas that are affordable in these rough economic times!  I hope Bachmann is listening....     D. Calloway

[railtwister]

I would like to see a model representing a 30" gauge banana car with an arched corrugated tin roof like something that could be seen in Central or South America and the Caribbean, It could be the same size as the On30 stock car with slightly different arrangement on the slats, which should be more open towards the bottom and top of the sides. I believe doors were optional on this type of car as well. The big difference for such a car would be the corrugated arched roof, which done properly, could also be used on the box car as well, to give them a look that would go especially well with the On30 outside frame 4-4-0 and 2-8-0. These, along with existing flats & gondolas (both high & low side), would give a good variety for anyone modeling Latin American 30" narrow gauge.

Speaking of freight car roofs, I wish Bachmann would offer more varied roof styles for their current box, stock, and reefer cars. Different styles like tar paper, canvas, and sheet metal coverings, a Murphy style metal roof, and the above mentioned corrugated roof could even be sold separately as options to vary the appearance of existing cars. And please stop painting all the freight car roofs black! Black roofs should be the exception rather than the norm. Usually roofs were the same color as the sides.

Bill in FL

[Skarloey Railway]

I can see two arguments in favour of having a particular car available in ready to run, or at least ready to detail and weather

1. Your RR needs a lot of one particuar item. If you run a logging or mining RR then you'll need lots of logging cars/disconnects and miners need lots of ore cars. in fact you need twice as many as you think unless you want to be constantly loading and unloading. Being able to buy 20 ore cars or a few dozen logging disconnects will save an awful lot of dull and repetitive kit building.

2. The item you need is going to be a tricky kit or scratch build. Passenger cars and combines and to a lesser extent cabeese fall in this category, and lets not forget stock cars.

[Ned]

Several interesting suggestions.

I'd like some additions to the Christmas cars (but to be fair I'm at a bit of a loss to name what) and the Brewery Reefers.

Ned

[Skarloey Railway]

Bah, humbug

each to their own

[S. Calloway]

Bill,  The roof Idea is a good one! Even scratchbuilding would be easier if we had other roof styles to work from. They offer the frames seperately ,the roofs would be nice too.    Dwayne Calloway

[Royce Wilson]

The outside braced stell box car the EBT had would be a good companion to the hoppers.

Royce

[railtwister]

Royce,

I agree, the EBT O.B. steel box car  is a good choice, and would go well with the EBT hoppers, and I'd buy at least one or more of them, probably more (especially if Bachmann were to produce a small EBT loco, to pull them).

At the risk of getting Dusten B. fired up, I'd also suggest another narrow gauge road whose cars Bachmann could/should consider producing models of is the ET&WNC (Tweetsie). Since Bachmann already has the Tweetsie 4-6-0 Ten Wheeler in their line, cars from this road would be a good fit, particularly the EBT bobber caboose and the highway trailer on flat (TOFC) car, which they have already done in large scale, so the research for those two cars is already in their files. A four wheeled caboose is something the current On30 line is lacking, but both the Tweetsie and EBT had some very nice looking eight wheeled center cupola-cabooses too, although I can see there might be a limit to the number of 8 wheel cabooses needed in On30. The ET&WNC also had some wooden hopper cars that would be unique and interesting as well.

Don't forget, the White Pass & Yukon had auto carriers and container flats (as well as a couple of funky looking diesels) for those wanting more modern cars.

Still, I would like to see a Central or South American banana car to go with the O.F. 4-4-0, and maybe some cane cars to go with the Porters and Davenport gas-mechanical as well as the 4-4-0's.


Bill in FL

[Kevin S.]

I am on board for steel box cars!

Kevin

[Royce Wilson]

Bill,

If you are going to do the South American thing then don't leave out sugar cane.I use to live in south america and there was whole plantations dedicated to this industry.
The neat thing about modeling this region is you can mix,German,British and American equipment.
Those four wheeled sugar cane cars would make a great model and I think the Aussies would be intrested in them also.

Royce