Can anyone tell me where I can find HO scale logging rolling stock. I can only find On30 scale rolling stock and locomotives, which doesn't really blend too well with the rest of my HO equipment. I have one Shay 3-truck loco, but trying to find specific rolling stock in HO has been difficult. I am specifically looking for a 20' logging tool box car (Walthers has the one I need in G scale), 40' flat cars, and 2-truck Shay locos, as well as support vehicles, etc. I appreciate anything anyone can help me with. Thanks!
Here's a start.
http://www.riograndemodels.com/index.htm
Here's another.
http://www.bantamodelworks.com/
There are others, but I'm busy now.
Depends on what exactly you're looking for, what area and what era. Equipment used on a Minnesota logging railroad in 1910 would be very different from a Pacific Northwest logging line in the diesel era. (For example, Great Lakes region logging was primarily done in the winter.)
A "20' logging tool box car" would be either a late 1800's car and/or a narrow gauge car (like F scale or On30) and not standard gauge. A standard gauge logging railroad would probably use a full-size 36' or 40' boxcar converted to such use, or build a shack on a 36' or 40' flatcar. 40' flatcars shouldn't be hard to find, but they might not come with logs - you might need to add your own logs and stakes. Pulpwood would be carried in bulkhead flats or gondolas, both of which are readily available.
What kind of "support vehicles" are you looking for?? Horse-drawn log skidders, or modern log loading vehicles or logging trucks?? All should be available if you search around. Walthers.com always a good place to start, and/or their catalogue. The new 2011 one will be out later this month.
I get almost all of my rolling stock on Ebay. If you're not in a rush and can wait, great deals are out there and the quality is good.
Roy
If modeling the Little River, that 3-truck Shay is a better choice than seeking a 2-truck Shay. The roster for the Little River in Elmer Sulzer's Ghost Railroads of Tennessee shows that the Little River Railroad had a total of ten 3-truck Shays over the years but never owned a 2-trucker. I've always thought that Little River #110 (Baldwin, 1911), the smallest standard-gauge 4-6-2 (and still operating in Michigan) would make a great subject for a HO model, but it has not been produced to my knowledge.
A company called Oriental Ltd. made a Little River 2-4-4-2 several years ago (they are no longer in production). These may still be found at train shows or via sources such as E-Bay. The Oriental Ltd. models are less expensive and generally better operating than the brass ones (Gem imported a brass one, I recall.) I've never owned one of the brass ones, but I have heard that they are prone to need lots of tinkering to get them working right. I don't see a 20' tool box car in Sulzer's book or in Last Train to Elkmont by Vic Weals, so I'm not sure what that is. In that it is on a somewhat backwoods short line, it is doubtful that it has ever been offered by a HO manufacturer, and is likely something that you would need to construct based on the photos you have.
My HO Winneshiek & Western Railroad leased Little River 2-4-4-2 #126 for testing purposes, leaving the locomotive number unchanged during that period. Here it is riding the turntable:
Bill
Here is a source of first-class scenery materials useful when modeling logging, such as trees and ground cover.
http://timberlinescenery.com/home.php
Mark
Little River;
Unless you are modeling a specific prototype logging operation, their ar several pieces of logging equipment available in HO scale. The Bachmann 40' log car is based on the log cars that were used by West Virginia Pulp & Paper Co./ Mower Lbr. Co. @ Cass, W. Va. Keystone is the current manufacturer & marketer of the old Model Engineering Works log buggies that were used by the Grassee River Lbr. Co. in NY State. They also market the Barnhart log loader. Of course their are the two different log cars that Kadee has been selling for the past 50 years, a skeleton and a disconnect style.The old MDC/Roundhouse "old time" tank car has several uses as a water car in logging.
Their are several brass importers that have made log cars over the years. These can be found at train shows and E-bay. Model Engineering works also made a Grassee River Lbr. Co. caboose that I don't think has been re-issued.The Mantua 4-wheel caboose will also work well.
Freelancing logging equipment will allow you the freedom to go crazy with a lot of other equipment such as Mantua Civil war box cars and flat cars. The origional cars came with typical 19th century trucks that you can update if you want.
This is just the tip of the ice-burg but gives you an idea.
Rivarossi used to make some nice looking log cars can't say if they are still in production or not. They used to come in two car sets and I had a second set in my hand when i bought the tow i have in my work shop and said ah no big deal I'll get tow ore some other time. HA!
Not sure if they fit your bill or not but what about the ones KaDee has? They have three different type form what I could see.
It looks like most of the different logging cars have been mentioned here, so I'll just put in a summary list, or whatever you want to call it.
Kadee:Disconnect log cars (available with logs or as separate trucks)Skeleton log car (I have 3, and they're absolutely excellent)Truss Type log carLogging caboose (very nice little car. Could be used as a "tool car")
Bachmann:ACF 40' log car (1906-1935)ACF 40' log car (1935-1960)
Rivarossi:Skeleton log cars (sold in pairs, out of production, still available in some places)
IHC:Truss type? log car (25' or so in length. Decent model, but needs better trucks. Out of production)
Keystone:Climax log car (adjustable length. Doesn't include trucks, coupler, or logs)Logging caboose (modeled after a Grasse River caboose, which was rebuilt a lot over the years. Doesn't include couplers)
I think those are all the major brands of log cars. The Kadee cars all come as unpainted kits, but they're excellent quality and make very nice models when finished. The Keystone cars are also kits, and they appear to be pretty good quality too. The rest of the brands are ready to run.
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Thanks for the info and itemization! I have bought at least one of each (3 when in kits) to decide what works best for my plans. I spoke to the president of the Little River Historical Association who said that LRRR&LC scratch built all of their logging cars, both skeleton and flat car varieties, so finding one that matches precisely will be difficult. The Bachmann (1906-1935) seems to closely match the flat cars, except that the LRR&LC-made cars only had four stake holders on the sides, whereas the Bachmann have I believe nine. I can cut the others off, then weather them where they would be noticed. I may try to scratch- build a few flat cars as well. I've found that the Wiseman Model skeleton kits are pretty good matches as well. A little mixing and matching might make the layout more realistic anyway!
Thanks agin!!
Tim
Howdy, Tim,
Just got my Walthers sale flyer for October. It looks like there's quite an assortment of log-hauling rolling stock on sale from now until the end of November. You might want to check that out.
Not specifically logging stock, but the 25 ton Brownhoist crane is the twin to one used by my full-scale logger in the post-WWII era. I can't use the Walthers model myself - it's oversize for the scale and over-gauge. The Kiso Forest Railway was 30 inch gauge, and my HOj equivalent is 10.5mm gauge.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in 1:80 scale, aka HOj)