Although these tank cars look identical, they are not, and therein lies a lot of operational potential. Looking up the placards, I could see that as a minimum, we have diesel fuel, ethanol, and carbon disulfide. The cars need to be blocked in the yard and spotted at specific locations within the Exxon Mobil complex. […]
Weathering this Genesis GP-50 was a two-weekend, twelve-round cage match, complete with dodging a few near disasters. A masterfully weathered model can be a visual game-changer for any scene. However, anybody who’s delved into it can attest to the fact that it can be a very humbling experience, no matter how long you’ve been at […]
A very recent (April 2025) Google Streetview image of Arrow Reload Systems. Note the variety of car types. YouTube videos filmed on other days show a large volume of flat cars carrying steel products. Prompted by a recent email from a blog reader, I thought now would be a good time to discuss operations on […]
For some time, I’ve had the nagging feeling that it’s time for a new adventure, a new primary layout. The question is when and how to go about it. The theme would likely be BNFS’s Harbor Subdivision, shown above. I’ve been wallowing in modeling limbo the past year or so. It’s a place I don’t […]
Tom Johnson just posted an exceptional weathering tutorial on his FB page. He was kind enough to let me share it here. Thanks Tom! (Tom uses a Paasche model H airbrush. Fifty bucks on Amazon) Here are some weathered Incentive Per Diem boxcars for my mid 80’s Cass County and will be spotted often on […]