Model Train Journal

Rufus said, "Tinplated steel - total scratch build -- actually cost me nothing - free. Best thing I can do with it is to salvage the trucks and couplers, and I can use the archbars. More than a little crude representation of a GLa hopper; maybe 17/64th's as well. Load is actually cardboard."

I asked him to throw the car sans what he wants off of it my way. He did. It arrived today.

One man's trash is another man's art. This thing (made of real steel, none of that unrealistic brass) is a masterpiece of the primitive art of do-it-yourself model railroading. I am so reminded of Grandma Moses. (Grandma Moses art auctions in the $130,000 range. )



Thank you, Rufus.

It does have some of that charm one associates with crafts and all, but it's in a happier home now and that's what matters.

Glad you like it.

webenda wrote: ...snip... This thing (made of real steel, ...snip...

There was a company called Arvid L. Anderson (-sen?) that made O scale hoppers out of steel. I got one done up for ERIE in a group of Weaver hoppers; oddly, it was in a Weaver box that once held an ERIE car. The car numbers did not match, though. They were/are nice cars equal to or maybe a little better than the Weavers in detail. Oh, and a lot less fragile!

I thought the Arvid A kits were all brass?

Pretty sure that the Rail Craft kits were steel

That PRR hopper looks great to me.
Very nice.

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:I thought the Arvid A kits were all brass?

I just checked the ERIE car with a magnet, it must be brass as here is no attraction. I am happy because I learned something today about the Anderson cars, I always thought that they were steel. Note that the label states that the car that would have been in the box was a Bev-Bel product with the road number 862254, the car in the box is 234157. Needless to say, I am happy with my $10.00 brass hopper with KD couplers! Note: I just improved it, I installed IM wheelsets.