July RCW kit updates

Resin Car Works Update, , , , ,

It’s time for another update on Resin Car Works kits!

The CB&Q XM-32 boxcars (Kit 8.01) remain on hold as we await a decal shipment. Up next will be the SFRD Rr-35/36/39/40 refrigerator cars. These will be released at the Santa Fe Historical and Modeling Society convention in Lisle (same place as RPM Chicagoland) on the July 21st weekend. We will post a blog announcement when these kits are available via the Resin Car Works kits page.

A flat car load is nearly ready. This will be an electrical transformer load. Frank did a similar load for Sunshine Models years ago. This new version will be a one-piece kit with some extra crates.

Coming in the fall, we hope to release the Soo 50-foot, steel-sheathed automobile boxcar. If casting goes well, we will try and have the 70-ton Milwaukee Road composite gondolas available.

Looking beyond, a UTLX 6.5K gallon X-3 tank car with two frame styles is targeted towards the end of 2018, or early 2019.

Workbench Wednesday

Workbench Wednesday, ,

CB&Q freight cars

Jerry Hamsmith sent an update on his growing CB&Q freight car fleet. Here’s his report.

I thought I might share some of what I have been working on in terms of rolling stock for my circa 1955 Chicago Burlington and Quincy – Beardstown Division layout. This division linked the southern Illinois coal fields with the major metropolitan areas in northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, among others. In 1955, the Q coal hauling fleet, consisting of 2- and 3- bay hoppers and composite drop bottom gons, was still about 40 percent gons.

Here is another group of drop bottom gons I am currently working on. I do them in batches as I need a large number of them and that speeds up the process. Both steel end and wood end cars are in the current batch. I currently have a total of 33 finished composite gondola cars on the layout.

Here is a photo of one of the already completed cars on the layout. Jerry offers kits for these CB&Q coal gondolas. A PDF of currently available kits and decals can be found on the RCW blog Helpful Links page.

What’s on your workbench?

New Equipco brake wheel parts

Resin Car Works Update, , ,

Resin Car Works has a new HO scale detail part available. Distinctive Equipco hand brake wheels and gearboxes were used on many freight cars from the 1930s and into the 1960s. The parts are 3D prints from Shapeways, printed with the Fine Ultimate Detail material otherwise known as FUD.

We thank Gene Green for his expertise and access to his archive. These parts could not have been produced without his assistance. The brake wheel part follows a late 1930s Equipco design. This is the only Equipco version Resin Car Works is producing at this time.

Please visit the Resin Car Works Decals & Parts web page for more details.

Please note these Equipco brake wheel parts will be made as orders arrive. Delivery to your door may be delayed.