From the Firefly Shops

[G3750]

Any idea what you will switch to once the Floquil is all gone?

Alpaca farming.....

They are nasty animals. Every time I see one I am tempted to give them the "wood shampoo".

George

[R.K. Maroon]

Martin's cast hopper was originally manufactured by Scale Model Railways and marketed by Megow, who bought SMR around 1940. Here is a catalog listing:

Megow SMR Hopper.jpg (146.91 KiB) Viewed 5749 times

All Nation wound up with the patterns and sold the car for a while after WWII. Note that the catalog listing says the model was built around a wood block. I see that the sides of Martin's model have holes for countersunk screws. It appears that the frame has some "meat" to accept those screws. Not knowing any more, I would say then that this is probably an All Nation version, as I would guess that A/N would have reworked the kit to eliminate the need for the wood block. This is just a guess -- I have never seen either version.

Jim

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Not knowing any more, I would say then that this is probably an All Nation version, as I would guess that A/N would have reworked the kit to eliminate the need for the wood block.

I can state that it is very highly probable the All Nation version since it can out of an All Nation box for this kit,

[J. S. Bach]

I have a similar car (fished out of the bay):

It seems to be the same kit but not quite as nicely done, especially the windows. Come to think of it it is an old car and the window frames are sagging a bit. Note that I got it with a pair of American Car roller bearing trucks!! I could not find one of my proper-era Lobaugh truck sets so I decided to install a set of Commonwealth trucks; the car was partially up-graded in the 1920s is my story.

[E7]

Not sure why I bought this car other than I just liked it.

Because it fits so well into the era you like? Great job on BOTH cars!

[aterry11]

What is so special about the C&O hoppers? I'ma recollectin somewhere I have a box with the dies and patterns to make a C&O hopper car from brass. I need to check my inventory book and see what box number it is. I'm not a freight guy so what do I know?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

What is so special about the C&O hoppers? I'ma recollectin somewhere I have a box with the dies and patterns to make a C&O hopper car from brass. I need to check my inventory book and see what box number it is. I'm not a freight guy so what do I know?

Not much actually - it's just another hearkening back to an earlier era when such kits were what was available....and now I'm faced with building one of these crude selections of our hobby's history, broken zamac parts, missing parts, and what I suspect I will find to be a box full of good play value.

[DeBruin]

.......broken zamac parts, missing parts.........box full of good play value.

I'm there brother- like a moth to a flame.

Reminds me of that dog in the animated movie "Up"

Squirrel!!

[rogruth]

.......broken zamac parts, missing parts.........box full of good play value.

I'm there brother- like a moth to a flame.

Reminds me of that dog in the animated movie "Up"

Squirrel!!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Well, I survived this adventure....

[Erik C Lindgren]

Beautiful work sir! That load is fabulous!!

Thank you for sharing

[bob turner]

A piece of history, and a beautiful car!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Beautiful work sir! That load is fabulous!!

Thank you for sharing

Pretty much as far as I could take it w/o hacking into the Zamac casting - they were very brittle

Load is just some glued down "coal" (wish I knew where I bought it!) on to some blue foam. Far, far, far better than the interior of this hopper - pretty horrid stuff with beads fo JB Weld on top of the Goo & CA.

No idea what's up next; trying to clear my benches for a bit since I have to make some window valances for the living room windows that match the dining room one and I need my wood shop back - trains have to take a back seat for a bit. Knees are giving me a bit of grief being up in the short ladder painting the crown molding. have to finish that today.........

[Erik C Lindgren]

Your decal work is exceptional. The car looks like a RY Models brass Import. You are a expert builder that's certain.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Your decal work is exceptional.

Those came out a lot better than I expected!

The car looks like a RY Models brass Import.

Well, the camera adds (or subtracts?) a few pounds,

You are a expert builder that's certain.

Agains, just adequate against my own standards - if I had felt it safe to remove the cast in grabs, I would have. As it was, I felt really lucky to clear all of the flash w/o anything fragmenting into a bits of dust. The one stirrup step had to be drilled out repeatedly and I was expecting it to shatter, but I got lucky. I'm sure that i could have done more, but limits of reasonable and reality rule.