Youngstown Conversion Kit Boxcar

Starting in the mid to late 1930s, Youngstown Steel Door Company began offering kits to convert existing composite boxcars (most commonly the two USRA designs) to all-steel construction. The replacement sides included in the kits typically increased the interior width, leading to a distinctive overhang with supports along the side sill. These kits were built to many different interior heights, ranging from 8' 6" to about 10' 6", depending on customer requirements.

The model in the screenshots is patterned after the Atlantic Coast Line O-14-A class.

Status as of December 2015

• additional skins
• level of detail

Russian Decapod

In the lead-up to World War I, the Russian Government ordered over 1,000 of the Ye-class 2-10-0s from American locomotive builders. After the Bolshevik revolution, approximately 200 undelivered examples remained in the United States. The USRA took possession of the engines and leased them to the railroads as emergency power during World War I. Many of the engines which remained in the USA remained in service into the late 1940s and early 1950s.

This model is not yet advanced enough to represent any specific engine. The most likely candidates for road names are WM or ACL. It will not be made as a Frisco version.

Status as of December 2015

• modeling
• research

Baldwin 12-34 1/4 E class 2-8-2

Between the 1910s and 1930s, Baldwin offered many classes of relatively small standard gauge 2-8-2s for logging, shortline and foreign customers. Although measurements changed between the classes, the overall proportions were quite similar. The model is a complete rebuild of my Baldwin Logging 2-8-2 from 2005.

This model is not yet advanced enough to represent any specific engine. However, it will likely be Georgia, Ashburn, Sylvester and Camilla #100.

Status as of October 2015

• modeling