Okay, it's summer and most people are not modeling (unless it's 109 outside!!!). So, to get the HOn30 guys a little interested in some modeling, here's a few photos of some of my equipment, with some history... This is the result of buying a SR&RL caboose kit, then deciding that it doesn't have the flavor of what you want... My thoughts on this are that the GM of the Ferrocarril de Tropico wanted a larger caboose than the ones he had, and that a wood car would look good.. Wood boxcars are all over Central America, so it would be natural to have a few. If you'll notice, the roof is corrugated metal. They handle the rains better than wood. The only problem is the heat, but since it's warm most of the time, you get used to it. I'm also making up some metal sided cars and ones with boards up half the way and open with mesh to the top for bananas and other fruits. This car is completey scratchbuilt, with full interior. The rest will be closed door cars! Gondolas are useful all over. This one has a load of 20' pipe in it. I kitbashed it from a Bachmann N scale gondola, giving me a 25' car. A little short, but I'll build up a couple more of them then move onto 28-30 foot cars. The pipe load is also custom built. Last is Goose 1, the "Lauren". It's a Railway Recollections kits with DCC and lights. I'm building a trailer for it to haul freight and I plan to add a luggage rack on the roof. I plan to run this as a train for the "locals" instead of the "Yanqui tourists". The Yanqui's will ride on the special steam trains that are under construction. One thing I am thinking about is sound in the trailer for this. I'll have somemore photos before too long. I've got an ugly little 6 axle diesel I've been working on forever. AR
I definitely can see the SR&RL influence in the caboose...the windows! That boxcar does capture the feel of an IRCA car. Is it from the plan the Gazette published back in the '80s? The other Guatemalan road had ex-Oahu Railway boxcars and 2-8-0s, but I haven't been able to find more than a couple photos of them in Central America. The only books I've read on south of the border NG were a book of Cuban steam and Best's Mexican NG. Michael
Yep, I worked off the plans, but narrowed the car abit for the 30" guage. The toughie was the roof! Plastruct came to the rescue with N scale corrugated sheets of plastic that worked great. Adolf Hungry Wolf did a really good book with photos of alot of the lines from Central America. I want to get his Cuba book as well. A fellow named David Rollinson also released a book called "Railways of the Caribbean" that has alot of good reference material in it. It was not released to the US until late last year, but it's a must for someone interested in those railroads. AR
I'm trying to put my finger on which railroad had the railbus which served as the prototype for your model. I'm certain that I know it. (most narrow gauge roads had rail buses). I can think of a few survivors...the Silverton Northern's Casey Jones, the Death Valley's at Laws, CA, 6 of the Galloping Geese (there were originally 8), the M-1, and I think there is one from the SR&RL as well as from the West Side...none of which are similar to your model. If it doesn't have a prototype, hats off to the manufacturer for creating something so realistic! Michael
I'm not sure which railroad if any he based his model on. But it does have the "Mack" feel to it... AR
Great models! I've also toyed around with building a 'Central American' type narrow gauge layout, based somewhat on the FIdeCA in Guatemala in HOn3. I model the Maine 2 footers and Japanese narrow gauge in HOn30, but haven't been very active lately. Hope to see more of your work! -Cody
I'll post up somemore when I get something done! Thanks for the kind words... I love some of the stuff coming from Japan right now. I've save some of the pictures for ideas on my layout. Art
Yeah, I love the Japanese stuff, especially the Kiso Forest Railway. I have some kits from Modelwagen and World Kougei which are etched brass and intimidating to say the least! I haven't made any firm decisions yet but I've been collecting some N & Nn3 North American, European and Japanese stuff that I was going to use for a freelance South or Central American line. I wanted to have some sugar cane operations as well... Again, thanks for posting your work, it may have just spurred me into doing some modeling! Have you seen any of Adolf Hungrywolf's Cuban videos? I have two that I picked up from the bargain bin at my local train store and they're both really good, lots of trains but a good amount of interesting people and culture too. They give you a good feel for the place. The titles escape me at the moment... What are you planning to use for motive power? Regards, Cody
Yeah, brass kits can be something else. I saw a friends kit of SR&RL 19 from Victor's Hobby.. Wow! He asked me if I wanted to build it and I told him not in the next year.. Haven't seen the videos. I should look for them. He has a book I want to get. Glad to give you a nudge. Motive power on the FdT is steam for tourist trains, gas mech for local passenger and diesel for freight. Somewhere around here I have a model of an engine I've been working on for awhile. I need to dig it out and finish it. Art
