Category Archives: Xxtreme Modeler

Workbench Wednesday

Bill Welch (The Xxtreme Modeler) shared images of a recent project. He’s working on an M-K-T War Emergency boxcar. He’s rebuilding the underframe using a Branchline reefer underframe as a starting point.

Styrene rod was installed for the train line with a 3D printed T-connection for the air line connection to the brake valve. The black dots are Archer rivets.

The body is from an Intermountain War Emergency boxcar kit. Bill has been whittling details off of the car body before the roof is glued into place. This will stiffen the box so the floor can be cut out. Eventually, he will shorten the 5/5 Dreadnaught ends.

Photo from the Richard Hendrickson collection.

Bill works from the prototype and is using this image for inspiration. He has not yet decided if the car will be painted boxcar red or Sloan Yellow, which is how they were delivered from the M-K-T shops.

What’s on your workbench?

Upgrades for Erie ARA 1932 Standard box cars

A portion taken from a 1952 Erie railroad freight car equipment diagram book.

Bill Welch has been up to his Xxtreme Modeler activities with recent projects. Bill sent the following update from his home planet.

I am currently on a styrene kit kick working on eleven different steel box car kits. One of them is an Atlas model of the Erie’s version of the ARA 1932 Standard box car, notable for its singular use of Buckeye ends along with a Viking roof.

Continue reading Upgrades for Erie ARA 1932 Standard box cars

Improving Brake Details

201610_bw_sideview

Bill Welch returns with an Xxtreme Modeler update. Here’s his latest!

The Xxtreme Modeler (a.k.a. “The Reluctant Weatherer”) has gone off the deep end as he attempts to build 1/48 models (O Scale) in 1/87 (HO). For him this means trying to improve the “fineness” of his models by reducing the cross section of the parts he uses to detail his models.

Continue reading Improving Brake Details