A Moldy Oldy

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De Bruin
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Re: A Moldy Oldy

Postby De Bruin » Wed Jul 17, 2019 10:16 pm

I guess I'm showing my senility by not considering a thin folded brass photo-acid etched plate? Sounds like fun until I get back to the realistic number of cars thing.
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J. S. Bach
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Re: A Moldy Oldy

Postby J. S. Bach » Sun Dec 27, 2020 10:16 pm

I have six Cambria & Indiana "bathtub" gons that I bought off a guy in Philadelphia about forty or so years ago. They have a vacuum-formed body with some kind of plastic sheeting inside for stiffening. I need to dig these out and finish them. A really thin spacer between the truck and body bolster will do most of that job as the 36" wheels in Weaver Barber S-2 roller-bearing trucks rub on the underside of the body.

Chris Webster
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Re: A Moldy Oldy

Postby Chris Webster » Mon Dec 28, 2020 12:07 pm

J. S. Bach wrote:I have six Cambria & Indiana "bathtub" gons that I bought off a guy in Philadelphia about forty or so years ago. They have a vacuum-formed body with some kind of plastic sheeting inside for stiffening. I need to dig these out and finish them.


If yours are models of the Coalveyor Bathtub cars that Atlas O also made, then I have two of them as well -- they were part of a TrainZ lot of 6 car projects that sold for $0.99. The car body only weighs 11 ounces, lacks a center sill, but still appears strong enough to withstand O-scale forces on the draftgear. I'll have to try putting them at the front of a train of cast metal hoppers and see what happens...

Chris Webster
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Re: A Moldy Oldy

Postby Chris Webster » Mon Dec 28, 2020 12:28 pm

I'd been meaning to ask about the unit train of Barney Stuemple gondolas that Stout auctioned off:
Forty Four O Scale Two Rail Barney Stuemple Kansas Rail Gondolas

I'm not familiar with the name Barney Stuemple. Did he sell cars or kits?

bob turner
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Re: A Moldy Oldy

Postby bob turner » Mon Dec 28, 2020 1:21 pm

Barney worked in thin plastic sheet. He did good work for cheap. I think he left us two decades ago. Stick with brass or injection molded models for longevity. Opinion.

J. S. Bach
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Re: A Moldy Oldy

Postby J. S. Bach » Mon Dec 28, 2020 6:30 pm

Chris Webster wrote: ...snip... If yours are models of the Coalveyor Bathtub cars that Atlas O also made, then I have two of them as well -- they were part of a TrainZ lot of 6 car projects that sold for $0.99. The car body only weighs 11 ounces, lacks a center sill, but still appears strong enough to withstand O-scale forces on the draftgear. I'll have to try putting them at the front of a train of cast metal hoppers and see what happens...

The Atlas car looks a little different. I guess that I should go out to the shed and find mine. BTW, the guy that sold them was a member of the East Penn Traction Club and I got them at one of the meetings; at his place, I think.

E7
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Re: A Moldy Oldy

Postby E7 » Mon Dec 28, 2020 11:02 pm

Chris Webster wrote:I'd been meaning to ask about the unit train of Barney Stuemple gondolas that Stout auctioned off:
Forty Four O Scale Two Rail Barney Stuemple Kansas Rail Gondolas

I'm not familiar with the name Barney Stuemple. Did he sell cars or kits?


Per his obituary in 48/ft. O Scale News, issue #181 July 2006 release date Nov. 2006:

Bernard "Barney" Stuempel 1915-2006

"His layout overflowed with animation that involved gantry cranes,rotary coal dumps, and of course his automated highway where trucks and cars would always stop for railroad crossings."

"Many visitors were surprised to learn that Barney had created most of his rolling stock, even the locomotives, using vacuum formed plastic. Barney perfected the art of crafting car and locomotive body parts from sheet styrene; he vacuum-formed them using a process not unlike a 1970's children's toy. It was not a simple method, but he had half a century experience with the technique. He created the unit train for Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry...."

The obit also noted that he sold "unpainted, vacuum-formed models of a Thrall unit train hopper and a Thrall TOFC flat car" (less trucks and couplers) at the Chicago-Midwest "O" Scale Meet." It was noted that they usually sold out early the first day.

If you have any interest in the past of "O Scale", I would suggest you give serious thought to acquiring a set of back issues of 48/ft OSN.

Chris Webster
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Re: A Moldy Oldy

Postby Chris Webster » Fri Jan 08, 2021 6:38 pm

Thanks for posting his obituary Rich.


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