Among some HO freight cars that had been stored for several years, I came across the remains of a covered hopper. I say "remains" because the glue (Ambroid?) holding it together was so old that the car had come completely apart. I found separate, cast metal parts for two sides, two slope sheets, two ends, the frame, and the roof.
I vaguely recall assembling, painting, lettering and weathering this car but have no idea of when. I lettered it P&LE 1257 which might indicate that I finished it on January 2, 1957 - I do recall ginning up freight car numbers that way - but that would have made me only 15 years old and I really doubt I had the skills then to finish this car as nicely as it was.
One thing I do remember about this car is that it was a Selley kit. Bowser has a web page that claims links to seven "Selley Catalog Sheets" but those links all return a "Not Found" error. The Bowser page also says, "Selley items are cast pewter." I don't doubt this; the parts have excellent detail considering their age.
I have replaced the old plastic trucks on this car with E&B trucks and I'm reassembling it with CA. (Yes, it probably should be soldered but my soldering skills are not that good.) It's going to be a very nice car - if somewhat overweight at 7.35 oz - when it's restored.
Can anyone tell me how old this car is?
ChuckAllen, TX
What I can say is this: that the Selley line had a number of items that I do not believe Bowser ever released once they acquired Selley. I remember a rather extensive line of boxcar ends and boxcar doors for example, as well as hopper ends and hopper, well, "hoppers," and I have some metal gondola sides that I believe are Selley in origin. I no longer recall if Bowser ever offered what was perhaps Selley's most famous piece of rolling stock, the Sierra shorty passenger car. All metal! I really regret not saving one of my old AHC (America's Hobby Center) catalogs because they showed many Selley things that I never saw offered by Bowser. Plus there would be other fun nostaliga for circa 1964.
I have MR solid back to 1949 and in 1949 Selley was advertising an "introductory offer" bargain on a set of figures to introduce you to their line of details and parts. So I am thinking Selley got started around 1948. My hunch is that the rolling stock was early 50s. I just found two Selley ore car kits being sold on Ebay but it lists no date. The packaging looks old, but Selley may have kept selling the stuff in old packaging for a long time, who knows.
Here is vivid proof that Bowser did not release the entire Selley line. In the Bowser catalog Selley took up a few pages, maybe half a dozen? But Abe books is offering an old and rare 1970 Selley catalog from when they were still in Florida (so that is I think the original Selley). The catalog has 45 pages!
There might be some lead in old Selley parts and personally I think you are wiser to use CA than to solder.
Dave Nelson
dknelsonThere might be some lead in old Selley parts and personally I think you are wiser to use CA than to solder.
That was another rationalization i used to avoid soldering. The truth, though, is that I've just never develped that skill. Fortunately, it's not as important as it was 40 years ago when so many models were brass or alloyed zinc and lead.