New C&S Model Building Offerings, All Scales

[Jim Courtney]

The latest issue of the NG&SL Gazette has many new offerings for the C&S model builder:

The center fold is a new Bob Stears drawing (1/4" = 1 foot) for the CONX tank cars 12, 13, 14, converted from standard guage tank cars in 1919. Photos show CONX 14 in use in Leadville in the late 1930s.


Bill Meredith's Leadville Designs has an ad with some exciting new C&S products: https://leadvilledesigns.com/

The 1900 AC&F C&S stock cars (Type 1 in Brunk-ese) will be offered in HOn3, Sn3 and On3 as a laser cut wood kit. I corresponded with Bill yesterday, the kits should be ready to ship sometime in December. The kit will build the post-1916 car with USSA safety appliance grab irons, so it will also be useful to RGS modelers in all 3 scales. So now both Mike Trent and Jeff Young can add the 1900 stock cars to their layouts in their respective scales.

Brass kits for the AC&F 4' archbar trucks in HOn3. These trucks were used under the 1902 coal and flat cars, and the 1907 (phase 1) boxcars.  Sn3 kits from this truck style are available from Precision Vintage Classics; On3 versions are available from San Juan Models.  

Bill is adding new HOn3 kits to his line, including the DSP&P/DL&G/C&S 27 foot UP built boxcar. (I have several of the Sn3 version of this laser kit--they are beautiful, with full inside framing). Also to be offered is the D&RG B&S 28 foot coal car in HOn3 (Bill offers HOn3 brass kits for the B&S trucks, appropriate for this car and all the B&S 24' boxcars and reefers).

Also planned in HO scale is the DSP&P Truss Bridge, like the one at Estabrook. Two kits will build the double bridge between Buffalo and Pine or the double bridge in Chalk Creek canon.


San Juan Model Co has an ad with the pilot model of their soon to be delivered Conoco tall dome tank car. The models will be offered in HOn3 and On3/30, ready-to-run, in four lettering styles: 1927 black, 1930 black, 1932 silver and green and 1940 black scheme with large CONOCO banner. To view the different paint/lettering versions and pre-order go to the San Juan web site: https://sanjuanmodelco.com/. Unfortunately, the tank cars will not be offered in Sn3.


Adjust your hobby budget accordingly . . .

[nedsn3]

Good info Jim. Thanks. I'm saving my pennies.
Wish San Juan would produce some models in S scale!
Ned

[Jim Courtney]

Looks like Bill Meredith has his new HOn3 offerings ready for sale: https://leadvilledesigns.com/collections/ho-hon3

The HO version of the South Park's Strain Beam Truss Bridge (like at Estabrook), is a beauty!!

[Jeff Young]

Dang, that is nice!

On my Waterton bridge I faked the expanded round ends of the tension rods by adding larger washers — which is surprisingly effective when everything is painted black.  But Bill’s “proper” ones in brass are a definite improvement.

[Jim Courtney]

Hey Jeff, long time no talk.

Don't overlook Bill's 27 foot south Park boxcar. Even though you model the 1920s, the HOn3 kit would be a good starting point for a C&S MOW outfit car:

[Jeff Young]

> Hey Jeff, long time no talk.

I keep thinking I should post an update but I have so embarrassingly little to show…. :(

[Jim Courtney]

I participated in a ZOOM meeting last evening for Sn3 modelers. Bill Meredith was also in attendance.
Bill says he is burning parts on the laser for the 1900 C&S stock cars in all three scales. He expects the cars to be available to sell/ship by the end of December, mid-January at the latest.

[Mike McKenzie]

A ZOOM for Sn3 modelers? Can anybody play? Going to do the NNGC ZOOM on Saturday.

Bought the Sn3 CW strain beam truss bridge some time back, really liked the look. Then later saw it listed and bought a second, having forgotten I bought the first. I think it would be appropriate to combine them for a longer bridge with a stone pier in-between.

Mike

[Jim Courtney]

Like this one?

Between Buffalo and Pine:




The bridge appears to be reinforced a bit, probably to accommodate the big Brooks 2-8-0s.


The ZOOM meeting was hosted by Russ Segner, mostly the folks in the NW Narrow Gauge Group (they did the recent Narrow Gauge Convention and Sn3 Symposium in Seattle in the past few years. This was my first invite. If you know Russ you might ask him.

[Chris Walker]

Jim Courtney wrote

Like this one?

Between Buffalo and Pine:
 

Nah, Jim

I was thinking more of this one....(or is it two?).
 
https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p15330coll21/id/7142
CHS.J925

[South Park]

  OK, I'll bite ..... why is there a neat stack of ties just beyond the bridge,
down in the creek bed ???

[Chris Walker]

I'll take a shot at that SthPark,  with the knowledge that Tiehacks did float fresh cut Ties down streams and rivers but have no idea just how much water would be in Chalk Creek to allow such: I have only visited in Summer and Autumn.

Perhaps that was the case here or the Guy that stacked them there was making a prototype for John Allen to model.

[Jim Courtney]

There is an S scale kit for the straining truss C&S bridge now listed on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Cimarron-Works-CWS-4-Strain-Beam-Truss-Bridge-Sn3-Kit-RARE-OOP/373392706630?hash=item56eff08c46:g:Q5YAAOSw7elf2Qlk

[SteveG]

Echoing what the good doctor said, I've just received one of the Leadville Designs 27' HOn3 boxcar kits, and it's a jewel--beautiful laser cut, etched brass, and 3D printed parts, and great instructions.
I'm hoping there are more kits planned for 1900-1909 era of the C&S roster additions--there really isn't much of anything that I've been able to find for the ASF bolstered cars in HOn3. I've worked up a rough 3D model of the frame and bolsters, but it's nowhere near the quality of Bill Meredith's offerings.

Steve Guty
Lakeway, TX

[Jim Courtney]

Glad to hear the HOn3 kit for the 27' boxcars is as nice as the Sn3 version.
When you finish building the kit, post a photo here as a product review.

[Dave Eggleston]

I picked up three of the HOn3 DSPP kits as well as two of the 24' B&S D&RG boxcars (and two pair of the 10T trucks). Both kits look really well produced, the B&S cars are a full body print with only some detailing required...feels almost like cheating.

[Paul R.]

There are also 2 colorado central 24ft cars in HOn3 by Mount Blue Model Co,which may be useful. Paul R.

[Jim Courtney]

Hey Paul,

I hadn't been to the Mount Blue site for quite a while, thought they only produced Maine 2-foot stuff.

http://www.mountbluemodelco.com/HO.htm

But at the bottom of the page, you're right, two different 24 foot Colorado Central boxcars, an early version of cars 1-8, and car number 1620, one of the UP built 24 foot boxcars. The small photo suggests the model has a laser cut end fascia with the curved underside, a UP narrow gauge trademark.

The latter kit could again be used as a basis for some of the C&S outfit cars during the first couple of decades, like Bob Stears' beautiful On3 model, based on a Leadville Shops kit.

[Paul R.]

Jim,
 I have the 1620 kit, have opened the packet, it is complete with interior. Will make a nice model, covers#1564 to1702 according to instructions. So what period will this car cover? Paul R.

[Jim Courtney]

The Colorado Central UP built boxcars (1880) were numbered 1620-1702 when delivered. I believe that in the 1885 renumbering to the UP system they were numbered 26531-26600.

Maxwell's roster in The Pictorial Supplement . . . shows only 7 cars on the UPD&G roster, numbered 24075-24081. But when the new C&S was emerged in 1899, there were 27 cars of 24 foot length, C&S numbers 7200-7226. Maxwell notes these cars "out by 1912". The June, 1909, inventory only shows one 12 ton car remaining in revenue service, could be a UP built 24 footer or a Litchfield 26 footer, no number provided.

So, in the 1880's, the car would have looked like this pair, posed in the middle of the High Bridge:

https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p15330coll21/id/9854



By the 1890's, during the UP&DG years they would have been lettered like 25468 , a 27 foot car:




In the first decade of the C&S, they would have been lettered like outfit car 070 c.1909:




Several of the 24 footers became outfit cars in the first decade: 023 lasted as a wrecking boxcar into the 1930's, would have worn the C&S block monogram, later simple Roman reporting marks. 7225 was converted to an outfit car in 1905, out of service in 1916, may have had block lettering as well. Outfit car 070 (above) was in water service and also lasted until 1916. Car 7214 was assigned as an outfit car in 1900, but was destroyed in September of 1904.

So, these 24 footers would have been lettered in the Colorado Road lettering in the first decade and only those converted to outfit service would have had a chance at being lettered with the block monogram in the early teens. The Leadville Shops has lettering in HO scale for the 1899-1909 lettering (set CWDHO-27) and HO block monograms for outfit cars (including block lettering for 070) in set CWDHO-32.