1953 ORER reprint
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
olson185 7j43k gdelmoro Hi all, I'm trying to find out what freight rolling stock is appropriate for the Steam - Diesel transition...but its Freight cars I need a resource for. There is a list of every freight car in interchange for any quarter of any year during that time. It is called the "Official Railway Equipment Register". Ed As far as I have found, digital scans of the Register are available up to 1917 and search term indicies only are avail. after that year. There are also a smattering of copies being sold on eBay for about $50-100. Is there a source I'm not finding?
7j43k gdelmoro Hi all, I'm trying to find out what freight rolling stock is appropriate for the Steam - Diesel transition...but its Freight cars I need a resource for. There is a list of every freight car in interchange for any quarter of any year during that time. It is called the "Official Railway Equipment Register". Ed
gdelmoro Hi all, I'm trying to find out what freight rolling stock is appropriate for the Steam - Diesel transition...but its Freight cars I need a resource for.
Hi all, I'm trying to find out what freight rolling stock is appropriate for the Steam - Diesel transition...but its Freight cars I need a resource for.
There is a list of every freight car in interchange for any quarter of any year during that time. It is called the "Official Railway Equipment Register".
Ed
As far as I have found, digital scans of the Register are available up to 1917 and search term indicies only are avail. after that year. There are also a smattering of copies being sold on eBay for about $50-100.
Is there a source I'm not finding?
Westerfield Models http://www.westerfieldmodels.com/
1885 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1888 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1892 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1897 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1900 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1905 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1911 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1915 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1919 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1925 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1930 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1935 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1940 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1945 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1950 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1955 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1959 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
1965 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
PRR 1888-1926 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $33.00
PRR 1927-1950 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $33.00
PRR 1951-1968 EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON DISK $23.00
PRR SET: COMPLETE EQUIPMENT REGISTER ON 3 DISKS $75.00
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Also check out photos of their products - models of steam era freight cars.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
DSchmittWesterfield Models http://www.westerfieldmodels.com/
I should have mentioned them as well. I don't know if the ORER CD ROMs appear on their website, but they are at the very bottom of the .pdf price list linked from this page.
cuyama DSchmitt Westerfield Models http://www.westerfieldmodels.com/ I should have mentioned them as well. I don't know if the ORER CD ROMs appear on their website, but they are at the very bottom of the .pdf price list linked from this page.
DSchmitt Westerfield Models http://www.westerfieldmodels.com/
Can by purchased on-line in their "secure store" Link is on left side of store page.
ORER's are certainly a great source of information. If you find an available model, or a photo of a car that interests you, you can look it up in the appropriate ORER to see whether that group of cars was in service at the time that particular ORER was published. It will tell you how many cars of that series were in service, and sometimes tell you about the kind of purpose the car served. A modeler who wants to focus on 1950, for example, can get a lot of good, useful information from a 1950 ORER.
The ORER's do not include photos or detailed information about such things as type of trucks, brake rigging, type of doors, etc. For that, you need photos, official railroad equipment diagrams, or detailed descriptions and car histories in books or articles. The various railroad historical societies can be a big help. Unfortunately, some of the best books on these subjects are a little too esoteric to enjoy wide distribution and availability, so you have to snap them up when you can get them.
I highly recommend The Postwar Freight Car Fleet by Larry Kline and Ted Culotta, published by the NMRA, 2006. Also, Ted Culotta's "Focus on Freight Cars" series from Speedwitch Media is a great resource.
Most of us build our roster by balancing what we can afford against what we think fits our theme. As our knowledge increases, we sometimes discover that something doesn't really fit. If we really like the item, we usually just squint our eyes and gloss over the discrepancy. If the incorrect item offends your sensibilities, then it's time to junk it, sell it, trade it, give it to a friend, or convert it. Whatever you decide to do, the Prototype Police won't haul you off to the slammer.
Tom
Some useful books:
Car and Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice - Published yearly for professionals in the railroad industry. Photos and drawings, advertising. Used copies can be found on Ebay, Amazon and other places. Prices $40.00-$100.00
Train Shed Cyclopedia - This series reprinted pages from Car and Locomotive Cyclopedia Used prices about $10.00
Railway Prototype Cyclopedia http://rpcycpub.com/ Each volume has extensive information on specific railroad cars including railroads that operated them, with photos.
In addtion to the steam era freightcars, I enjoy looking at Shorpy:
http://www.shorpy.com
You can search for railroads, freightcars, locomotives, etc., and all sorts of interesting picures will pop up, like this picture:
http://www.shorpy.com/node/47?size=_original#caption
Gary