Waterville & Washington Railroad

We're moving again and it's back to where we were previously assigned.  The good news is that we're looking to rent this time and found a place that is nearly 5000 sqft in size with huge open basement.  The bad news is again, it's temporary for only 2-3 years until we move again.  Hopefully we're able to rent the property.  There will be no excuse to why I can't do any modeling.  I'm going to try my hand at airbrushing and finishing my five T&P 4526 cuft covered hopper models.  The goal is to have the models complete (plus a few others) and ready for the St. Louis RPM meet next year.  I'm going to have to find someone who is good with an airbrush in the area to show me how to do it - plus decaling.  Hopefully I'll post good next week this upcoming week.

I built a Lake Junction Models (LJM) Mopac double privy like the one found at Waterville.  I took photos of it and the LJM Mopac tool house.  The Mopac used the tool house to store equipment for the section crew.  There was a wooden track to store track vehicles inside and also to the side of the tool house.  The double privy was interesting as the Waterville station agent, Milford Godsey, said that he didn't use it unless he had to.  The track workers would occasionally use it. Items were stored in the female side after the passenger trains stopped in November 1960.  Hopefully I can get back to the FMC 4526 models after the first of the year. 

I have removed the rope pulls and the airline brackets.  Plus I sanded down the parting material on the bottom of the center bay.  Next will be filling of the grab iron holes.

My HO scale FMC 4526 model starts with an undecorated Exactrail PS 4427 model kit.   I begin my cutting off the air line brackets and the rope pulls at the bottom of the sides – these are circled in blue in the photo.   I also filled the grab iron holes on the side of the car using styrene rod.    

In 1967 the Texas & Pacific Railroad took delivery from FMC Corporation of 1000 100-ton covered hoppers with road numbers 715000-715999. The cars had a capacity of 4526 cubic feet and were similar in design and had the look of the Pullman-Standard low-side 4427 cuft covered hopper.   Comparing the Missouri Pacific mechanical department freight car diagrams for the FMC 4526 and the Pullman-Standard 4427 diagrams found in the Car and Loco Cyclopedia the vast majority of measurements between the two are within one inch with a few notable exceptions.   One key measurement difference is the inside length of the 4427 is about 7” longer than the 4526.   The running boards are also about 7” longer on the 4427.   Without a better set of diagram I am unable to find the difference where the extra 99 square feet in capacity is located for the FMC 4526.   For my modeling time frame of October 1979, the FMC 4526 made of over 13% of the 7000 plus covered hoppers o...

I'm finally adding a few updates to my future model railroad.  With the assistance and design skill of Robert W. Sprague, my future layout plan has been made. It fits an area of 12 x 40 feet in HO scale.  I won't start construction until I retire my my job in about 10 years.  Attached is the plan.