Is the March 2005 MR article "Build a Bumping Post" a Reprint?

[chutton01]

Not a very interesting question I know, but it just kinda bugs me.
The article (on page 70) describes how to create a Hayes bumping post using rail and brass strip/stock. Well, OK, except there are several plastic and metal kits out there already, including a Walthers Cornerstone Kit (12 bumpers - some of different types it looks) on a shelf right next to me.
There is a blurb at the end saying the author, Douglas Smith (deceased, as he is referred to as the late Douglas Smith) was NMRA Master Model Railroader #1 (Wow!) and wrote an article for MR in 1994 (54 years on the right track).
So, all this makes me think this article is a reprint from 10 or 20 years ago (no earlier, as code 83 track is mentioned, and isn't that a child of the 1970s or 1980s?), or perhaps a previously unpublished article printed now in honor of him - if I am off, well I have been wrong before, and will apologize.

Now, for flame material - the article is technically worthless (don't flame yet!), as the 'head', a key component shown in the diagram and mentioned briefly in the Putting it Together section of the article, is not described as to dimensions or shape - the striking face, tension bars, and compression beams are fully described, but the head which joins the striking face and compression beams, and which the tension bars either wrap around or abut, is completely omitted - yeah, you can guess the size and shape from the diagram, but that's not really good. [:(!]

[darkstar974]

i believe that the dimensions for the strikeing plate are .045"x 3/16x1/2 sheet of brass it is in the cutting materials section hope this helps

Dark

[chutton01]

QUOTE: Originally posted by darkstar974

i believe that the dimensions for the strikeing plate are .045"x 3/16x1/2 sheet of brass it is in the cutting materials section hope this helps
Dark

No, the striking plate is clearly dimensioned in the article, as you said - it's the 'HEAD' piece between the striking plate and the compression beams that is omitted.

Actually I did learn the proper names of the various components of a track bumper from this article, so that's good.

[dknelson]

I am long time reader and subscriber and I have no recollection of seeing this article before either in MR or in the NMRA bulletin. That is not to say that it did not appear before in some fashion, just that i do not recall it.
If you like to build things this could be a good project even though very good bumper models are available (and there were probably some good ones back in Smith;s time as well.)

I was told years ago that the late Linn Westcott, long time editor, was very prone to accepting articles which for a variety of reasons never ran. It might be that Doug Smith wrote this long ago and it has just sat in the file for whatever reason. Smith's article on car forwarding systems for model railroaders was a classic and still worth reading today. Even his wife would write an article from time to time -- I remember one she wrote on building a fence.
Dave Nelson

[MRTerry]

No, it is not a reprint.
Best wishes,
Terry

[Anonymous]

I built 4 of them after reading the article. Quick and easy, and I needed them! Thanks MR!

[chutton01]

QUOTE: Originally posted by csxmu

I built 4 of them after reading the article. Quick and easy, and I needed them! Thanks MR!

OK, I stand corrected on the reprint issue.

So, csxmu, what dimension did you use for the Head piece (between the striker and the compression beams - dang, it's good to use the correct terminology here - even when RMC did a 'Perspective' on end-of-track bumpers awhile back they didn't identify the parts)?