Point Pedro
January 2003 Newsletter
Pullman Troop Sleeper Conversions
Last August we announced plans to introduce a number of Pullman Troop Sleeper conversions of types created by a number of railroads to turn the huge surplus of this type of equipment following the end of W.W. II into revenue producing rolling stock. Quite frankly, we have fallen months behind on that project simply because I underestimated the time it would take to prepare everything required for the kits and overestimated the amount of time I would have available to complete the work. If everyone can be a little patient the kits should begin appearing sometime in mid-2003. First out will be the Boston & Maine R.R. #3260 - #3276 series of four door baggage conversions. These should be followed by New York Central two door baggage conversions from the #9200 - #9299 series. Additional conversions are planned for the New Haven and the Railway Express Agency, in addition to which we are now being urged to consider a Baltimore & Ohio version that is very similar to one of those already mentioned. Thus we will just have to see how much time can be devoted to this project between more major things. Some idea of what the B & M two door version should look like can be seen below.
New Standard Car Co. Kit
Many of you have commented positively about our Standard Car Co. #1000 1/2 Door Add-on Kit for the Accurail boxcar. It fills a need to enable modelers to have a good example of a prototype quite common from the 1920's through the 1950's with an investment of only half the cost, and a quarter of the time, required to build one of the few resin kits offered for such prototypes.
Work is now well underway for the next Standard Car Co. introduction. This will be a complete kit for what was arguably the single most common car type in North America from the teens until well after W.W. II. This is the 36 ft. Fowler Patent, single sheathed, boxcar used so extensively by the Canadian Pacific Rwy., and the Canadian National Rwy., with lesser numbers being used by the Erie (6,500 cars), the Susquehanna (500 cars) and the N.C. & St. L (1,000 cars). The CNR, the largest user, had over 34,500 cars of this type, while the CPR had some 1,500 less. Thus it is beyond question that over 75,000 were constructed to this same basic plan. While several variations are planned, the initial kit has been based on the 1923 built CNR version of the #426500 through #428999 series with 6 ft. doors, four channels to brace the ends and a Hutchins outside metal roof. As our first compete car kit, this project has kept things very busy here over the past three months. We expect to have test shots for the body within the next sixty days, however, with the roof and other items shortly thereafter. I think it goes without saying that we are very excited about this project and expect the entire modeling community will be as well.
A builder’s photo of one of the 1923 series cars constructed by the Eastern Car Co. of Trenton, N.S. appears below. Of the 1923 order for 2,500 cars Eastern constructed the first 500 (#426500 – 426999), National Steel Car constructed the next 1,000 (#427000 - #427999) and Canadian Car & Foundry constructed the last 1,000 (#428000 - #428999). As constructed there were some minor variations in cars from the three different suppliers but these had all but disappeared through rebuilding prior to 1940.
As everyone can see, our yard tracks are going to be full for the next few months but we are still always interested in hearing from those of you who use our products. While all letters and e-mails are read as they are received, we rarely have time to respond to each individual note or letter. All such correspondence is appreciated here but please do not take offense if you do not receive a response. Filling order and completing projects underway simply must come first.
Our best wishes to all for the happiest of New Years!
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