Model Railroader August 2021

New Product Reviews Model Railroader is back with another Rapid Review, and this time we’re taking a closer look at Accurail’s new American Car & Foundry 2,970-cubic-foot capacity two-bay Center Flow covered hopper. Read all about the kit’s facts and features to see if it’s the perfect addition for your layout. In addition to a detailed product review, Trains.com members can also watch an exclusive demo video as a benefit of their subscriptions. Expert Tips Everybody wants their rolling-stock operating smoothly, which is why Senior Editor Eric White is here to show you how a little bit of filing can go a long way when trying to fix the pesky wobble on a boxcar. To watch more expert tips and tricks from our staff, become a Trains.com member for unlimited access to all…

If you could travel through time to visit any layout ever made, where would you go first? For me and, I suspect, for many Model Railroader readers, the answer would be, “I want to see John Allen’s Gorre & Daphetid RR.” Born in 1913, John Allen remains a towering figure in the hobby. He combined boundless imagination with immense modeling skill to create his masterpiece – the 24 x 32-foot Gorre & Daphetid Despite its humorous name (it’s pronounced “gory and defeated”), Allen was serious about the art of model railroading. Construction of his layout was his full-time occupation for many years. Allen contributed a series of memorable articles for Model Railroader illustrated with photos of steam trains winding through towering mountains and across tall bridges in a fantasy landscape that seemed to…

Flip that switch (machine) I commend M.R. Snell for modeling a switch heater [June 2021], something which everyone modeling the modern era in the northern states should consider. But as a retired signal engineer, I have to point out that his switch machine has been installed incorrectly. The hand throw lever should be on the side away from the track and the whole machine and junction box should be turned 180 degrees to put the cable junction box end toward the frog. This photo shows the normal arrangement of the machine and the rods connecting it to the track. The trunking for the switch heater would be just off to the left of this photo. David T. Byatt Sugar Camp, Wis. …And flip that pole gate, too I look forward to those articles about…

Electro-Motive Division FP7 and F7B diesel locomotives. Wm. K. Walthers Inc. offers these Proto series models decorated for Amtrak, Pennsylvania RR (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel), Soo Line (maroon), Southern Pacific (gray and scarlet), Southern Ry. (green and white), and VIA Rail Canada (blue and yellow) in two to four road numbers per scheme. The HO scale models have prototype-specific details and a die-cast metal frame. Direct-current models with 21-pin plug are priced at $189.98 (FP7) and $369.98 (FP7-F7B set). Versions with a dual-mode LokSound 5 sound decoder are $279.98 (FP7) and $549.98 (FP7-F7B). Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 414-527-0770, walthers.com Athearn made a big splash recently by announcing three newly tooled HO scale models for its Genesis family of products. A General Electric AC4400CW and an Electro-Motive Division SD90MAC will be added…

Q My layout is set in 1956. I’m OK with choosing appropriate vehicles and diesels for that era, and I learned that yellow stop signs were replaced by standardized red signs in the late 1950s, but other questions remain. When were roof walks on interchange freight cars outlawed? When did railroads give up cabooses? When were diamond crossing signs replaced by crossbucks? And speaking of crossbucks, is there a standard as to which word faces up? Neil Berger A In 1966 the federal government prohibited running boards on new cars delivered after Oct. 1 of that year. Railroads began removing them from existing boxcars and reefers at that time, though generally only when a car was in for rebuilding, so this change was gradual. Running boards were mandated to be removed from…

Cargill Salt, with its vibrant blue walls and sprawling footprint of approximately 50 x 400 feet, is hard to miss along South Carferry Drive on Milwaukee’s Jones Island. Though modeling a scale-sized representation of the industry would have been neat, we simply didn’t have the real estate on our 3'-6" x 13'-10" Jones Island project. However, I was able to model a reasonable approximation of the prototype by using the right colors and re-creating signature details. In last month’s issue, I shared how I modeled what I called the office and warehouse (I’ve since learned it’s the packaging area) by kitbashing a couple of Pikestuff kits. This month, I turned to scratchbuilding to model the bulk area and warehouse sections of the operation. I’ll be honest, scratchbuilding takes patience and time. If…