On Building A Freight Car Fleet

A Portion of The Kit Stash

 Like many model railroaders, I have accumulated a large number of freight cars and locomotives over the years.  My early Athearn train set cars and additions from Model Die Casting (Roundhouse), Tyco and Con-Cor were later joined by more detailed models from Intermountain, Red Caboose and others.

My early purchases as I got more serious about the hobby were from hobby shops, and occasionally mail order, as this was before the Internet.  Most were kits, because I had enjoyed building aircraft models and this carried over into my model railroad hobby.  There were a few "ready to run" model purchases, joined by some gifts from family.

When I got even more serious about the hobby, I found other kit manufacturers such as CB&T, Branchline and LifeLike Proto 2000 (now Walthers Proto).  There were even a few exotic (to me) resin kits from Sunshine as well as swap meet finds of other craftsman type kits.

Some of these purchases were spurred by my interest in the Great Northern and other Hill Lines, some by what I had seen on the tracks in real life as a kid, and some by whim.  I did tend to stick with the 1960's, despite temptation in the form of gorgeous looking modern era cars.

For a long time, however, my purchases were only loosely guided by a vague concept of how I might eventually incorporate them into a large model railroad scheme.  Some of this was understandably the result of lack of time to embark on planning and building a layout, or defining what it would even look like.  Some due to the shiny allure of a new model that I happened on and convinced myself I really wanted, without much thought of how it "fit" into any bigger plan.  Some just looked fun to build.

When I began to narrow my focus, and develop an interest in building more detailed models, it was actually helpful in limiting impulse buying.  It has not slowed me down but it has  guided me toward models that I know I really want.  Some earlier buys have been sold to make way for things that better fit where I see myself going.

Recent purchases have tended toward craftsman kits or kitbash opportunities that will challenge and develop my skills.  There are some incredible small makers of resin car and mini kit offerings along with masters of kitbashing who share their talents for me to learn from.

As I am not building a large layout with a big “fleet”, I’m not as much driven to balance my models with car distributions or relative numbers of a particular car as I am  to explore modeling challenges.  I am adding some particular car types in line with my forest products interest.  This includes tank cars, double door boxcars and flat cars.  The Great Northern is my home road, along with subsidiary Pacific Coast, and sister roads Northern Pacific, SP&S and CB&Q so these roads feature prominently.

Wednesday Wanderings

 A few years ago, my wife and I were walking the beautiful riverside trail along the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington.  One of the access points for the trail is next to a business park, the Columbia Business Center, that stands on what was a Kaiser shipyard during World War II.  Some of the shipyard buildings still exist along with many modern commercial and industrial buildings.  This area is rail served by a short spur off of the BNSF main line that also runs along the river and through downtown Vancouver.

The BNSF trackage was once the SP&S main line along the North shore of the Columbia River, and I've spent many enjoyable hours railfanning at various points along those tracks.  The spur in the business park serves several businesses with occasional box cars of various commodities, covered hopper cars for a plastics manufacturer and flat car loads of steel for fabricators and some ship building.

During our visit, we happened on three neat switchers sitting idle on a siding next to one of the buildings.

photos by author

CBCX-565 is an SSB1200, formerly ATSF 2350, which started life as an EMC NW2 in 1937, later rebuilt by EMD to an SW1200 and then to an SSB1200 by the ATSF shops.  It later went to Amtrak before arriving here.

This neat little critter, CBCX-103, is a GE 25 ton industrial switcher that was built in 1942 for Kaiser Shipyard.  You can see how diminutive it is, nestled up against this next locomotive.

With the little 25 tonner just peeking into the photo on the right, GE 86 ton centercab CBCX-102 looks much more imposing.  This loco was originally built for the Pacific Lumber Company in Eureka, California and delivered in 1956.  Despite not having the spiffy orange and black paint job and logo of the other two, this is the youngest of the three.  The centercab has distinctive rectangular chrome framed headlights, shown below in an oblique view that also highlights the orange safety striping.

It's great to see these workhorses still earning their keep with second, and even third, owners, although clearly not seeing daily use.  Finding small railroading scenes like this is a kick and inspiration for my modeling interests as well.  

Attitude Adjustment

 Life gets busy - between work, family and household responsibilities,  it can be a challenge to carve out time to pursue a hobby.  Even when opportunity presents itself, the motivation needed to move ahead with planning and designing a layout or focus on a modeling project can seem daunting.  My list of projects and accumulation of kits and other materials, at times, seems like another task rather than a relaxing activity.

These feelings around my hobby have an ebb and flow, just as they do in everyday life. When this happens, there are a couple of ways I  tend to respond.  If I know that the focus or motivation just isn't there, sometimes its best to do something else.  Getting outside, whether in the yard, taking a neighborhood walk or out in nature, is a great restorative.

Olympic Mountains from Ocean Shores near Grays Harbor

Being outdoors has always been a part of my life growing up and living in the northwest.  I find that I draw energy and inspiration from spending time outside in nature.  This picture shows the coastal mountains I have hiked in most of my life as well as the beach area on the Washington coast near Grays Harbor, where my model railroad is set.  I am constantly inspired by enjoying this scenery, and often return home with new energy.

On a more day to day level, I've found that there are times where I just need to make a start, focusing on one step in a modeling project or activity.  Music can be a great help in getting my creative energies flowing and getting into the immediacy of what is right in front of me, which allows me to relax and become absorbed in the moment, enjoying the craft of modeling.

Bluetooth Stereo System in Layout Room

Last winter I added a small stereo system with bluetooth to my hobby space, allowing me to play favorite tunes from my iPad with decent range and sound.  My musicial tastes range from '60s and '70s to contemporary rock and folk music, with a smattering of blues, funk and other genres.

My personal "music therapy" has added to my hobby enjoyment, and eased the transition from everyday cares to being absorbed in the task at hand.  Invariably, I find that enjoyable time has passed, progress is made, and my mood is elevated.