Hey all, it's that time of the week again.... Weekend Photo Fun.
For the new posters, this thread is where we show off our projects for the week{end). For example, here is mine
It is a Bottle/Torpedo car, used in the steel mill industry. My club models the Monongahela Valley during the age of the steel mill, so we needed these to compliment the Ladle cars I already did before. One torpedo down, 2 more to go.
The bottle/torpedo car was another version of the ladle/slag car. It's purpose was to transport molten hot steel product to be poured. Eventually, these were found out of favor, when continous rolling mill began to gain popularity.
The last one in the Pittsburgh area was retired in the 1970s or 1980s IIRC. Sadly the mills didn't last that long in the Monongahela Valley. The main one-Donora Zinc and wire works (Yes that Donora, of the "Donora Smog Inversion") shut down in the 1960s. When it shut down, a railroad went out of business-the Donora Southern, a mill road similar to the Union Railroad. It also killed the town of Donora. Once a town of 13,000ish..... 2019 It's down to 4,500 and still shrinking. The Mill in nearby Monessen lasted until the 1980s, and then it as well came down, hurting Monessen.
You also see part of my layout in the photos. that is a project for another day.
I can't wait to see what everyone else has been working on
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
Jimmy thanks for starting us out with your nice looking bottle car and the history of the area. The PL&E also went under after most of the steel mils closed in the area.
Finished up an Intermountain 40' PS1 kit, painted with Scalecoat II Boxcar Red and Black Paints, then lettered with Mask Island Decals. The CNW purchased thousands of 40' box cars and used them until the 1990's hauling grain out of lightly used branchlines that could not use the 100 Ton Covered Hoppers.
Tangent 52'6" Bethlehem Steel Gondola, painted with Scalecoat II Black Paint and lettered with Tichy Decals. Also installed a pipe load that I picked up off of E-bay as a load. Bethlehem steel built many gons for the eastern railroads and were noted for their toughness, many lasted in service like this one built in 1952 and still in use in Conrail years. The Wabash picked up a number of CNJ gons as the railroad downsized in the 60's.
My SP general freight powered by an SD45T-2 and SD45 with elephant ears, on the Stongsville Model Railroad layout.
Thanks for looking!
Rick Jesionowski
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
Jimmy ..... Thanks for starting Photo Fun. Nice work on the hot metal car.
Rick .... The CNW boxcar and the CNJ gon look great. SP units look good too.
Here are two S&G cars from Kevin. The 40' boxcar is mine and the 50' boxcar belongs to my friend. They are on his layout which is mostly Illinois Central. The yellow Alco S1 is for Cadiz RR which connected with the IC in Kentucky.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Hello, Folks
Thanks for a great startup to WPF, Jimmy. Nice that you picked a "steel mill" theme for this weekend. I sure remember going through the region in the late 1960s and '70s. Things were beginning to slow down but there was still lots of activity.
You have a nice bottle car there. I never got so far as to add the "skull" around the spout... someday maybe
Rick, you amaze me with the volume and variety of cars you churn out. You must have a whole file cabinet full of decals. Impeccable work as always
Lots of color and variety in your scene, Garry! Great work.
I've been so busy with many non-model RR things that I'n starting to get withdrawl symptoms! Unfortunately, my sister passed away a couple of weeks ago and I've been tasked with sorting out her estate and clearing her house of belongings and getting things ready to have the house listed.
Then, if that wasn't enough, I decided to put in a new washer and dryer which is located near the layout. So before I put in the new machines I put a new floor down in the laundry room. While doing that I also decided to correct some plumbing vent lines, install badseboards and touch up the paint in there. I had stuff all over the layout room
Whew. I'm just now getting things back to normal so I can get back to the FUN stuff —
Speaking of steel mill cars, I began building a pair of these little ingot buggies from State Tool & Die.
Ingot_buggy by Edmund, on Flickr
While I was in the mood for mill cars I got out an old pair of Pollock ladle cars and began assembling them:
Pollock_ladles by Edmund, on Flickr
Pollock_ladles2 by Edmund, on Flickr
I like these older die-cast, General Models Co. ladles since they have the Pollock name on them. The State Tool (plastic) copies do not.
I also treated myself to a couple of coiled steel cars this week, too
Coiled_steel-2 by Edmund, on Flickr
Coiled_steel by Edmund, on Flickr
Lots of fun stuff this weekend, fellows. Let's see more!
Regards, Ed
Jimmy: Thank you for starting the WPF thread this week. I see there is a steel mill theme for the weekend, but I have nothing to offer in that genre.
Rick: I continue to be amazed at the top-quality of the freight cars you complete. I wonder if you have a larger collection of decals than I do. I sure like the dark black pipe load in the gondola. Is the Tangent model much different from the Like-Like Proto 2000 model? I have several of the Life Like Cars and like them a lot.
Garry: I love the scene on Gus' layout with both the STRATTON AND GILLETTE boxcars in full view. That layout sure photographs well. You are quite good at capturing a pleasing scene in the images you post.
Ed: The POLLOCK cars definitely stand out better with the big cast on name. I love them. The rusting on the coils in the foreground is very good. Great scenes.
.
I have nothing new to share this week because I am in Georgia and away from all my projects. I have been trying to share new Georgia scenes in the diner this month without turning it into a personal travelogue.
Keeping with Garry's theme... here is an old picture of two STRATTON AND GILLETTE boxcars on one of my friend's layouts. This part of the layout no longer exists and has been removed to make room for a return loop. It turns out that he did not like point-to-point operation as much as he expected he would.
Keep the good stuff coming guys. This is always such a fun thread.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190 Rick: I continue to be amazed at the top-quality of the freight cars you complete. I wonder if you have a larger collection of decals than I do. I sure like the dark black pipe load in the gondola. Is the Tangent model much different from the Like-Like Proto 2000 model? I have several of the Life Like Cars and like them a lot. -Kevin
These are two different cars, the Proto Car is a Greenville Prototype and has 14 side stakes versus the 13 side stakes on the Bethlemhem Prototype Tangent car. I like them both as they are different looking cars and are prototypically correct for a number of railroads. Tangent also produces an ACF welded side 52'6" gon which was used by the PRR and a number of other railroads.
the Proto 2000 Greenville Gon.
The Tangent Bethlehem Steel Gon
The Tangent ACF Gon.
I love how beautiful the Tangent models are.
I have one of their tank cars, and it is a gem.
Thank you for clearing that up so nicely with your reply.
dti406 The PL&E also went under after most of the steel mils closed in the area.
The PL&E also went under after most of the steel mils closed in the area.
It never actually failed. When Chessie became CSX, they started subsuming the various railroads they had trackage rights over. The PL&E was one of them.
This is an XM 40' box for one of my previous free-lance railroads, the Hudson Electric, when I was trying out HO under "the wire". The car was photographed on the layout of a member from another website.
Russ
Modeling the early '50s Erie in Paterson, NJ. Here's the link to my railroad postcard collection: https://railroadpostcards.blogspot.com/
Russ: That is a beautiful boxcar! I love the herald and the lettering, especially the slogan.
Do you still have any decals left over?
Thanks for the comments on my project. There's some good stuff this week indeed.
SeeYou190 Russ: That is a beautiful boxcar! I love the herald and the lettering, especially the slogan. Do you still have any decals left over? Kevin
Russ: That is a beautiful boxcar! I love the herald and the lettering, especially the slogan. Do you still have any decals left over?
Kevin
I think I do, Kevin. I'll be at the bench this afternoon and check my decal container. If so, I'll send you a PM.
Jimmy, Thanks for rolling out the WPF with those interesting and well modeled mill cars. There's a little PA. steel in my blood as my late Gramps worked at the Jones and Laughlin Aliquippa Works mill. He and his family lived in company housing there in Aliquippa. The mill was served by a J&L owned shortline railroad, the Aliquippa and Southern. My guess is the A&S interchanged with the P&LE? One of the few cherished items that survive my Gramps is the mill photo.
Thanks to all the contributors and viewers. Have a good weekend and regards, Peter
Thanks, Jimmy for starting us off this week. Lot's of great work to aspire to this week.
I weathered my turntable this week and I am happy with the way it looks in person but not in the photos I am posting. I was using my daughters' tripod and it broke so I had to just take handheld photos using the flash and that makes the colours a little bright.
A little before and after. Think dull on the colours.
Keep'em comin guys, lots of weekend left!
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Kevin...
I have decals for you but the PM system isn't working. When it gets back up again, I'll give you a shout.
Thank you! I am very excited for another roadname in my fleet of nonsense.
I appreciate your help.
No problem, Kevin, check your PM inbox.