I had a reason to talk with Kadee in Oregon today. I took the opportunity to ask "Sam" about any plans Kadee has, hopefully, to do their very nice AAR 50-ton 2-bay offset side open hopper car in Frisco colors. Sam responded to me via e-mail with the following comment: "Unfortunately, the SLSF version of the offset hopper has too many detail differences from ours that we dare not do them for not being prototypically close enough. Sam Clarke Kadee Quality Products" I was not aware of the SLSF detail differences ..... need to start looking at some pics to try to understand them. Too bad - the Kadee car in SLSF decor would be pretty neat looking. However, I think this demonstrates how seriously Kadee wants to get their models as accurate as possible. Anybody know what the detail differences are? Ken
Regarding the possibility of additional Frisco HO freight cars from Kadee - per the above posting - I'm going to locate all my pics of the SLSF 50T AAR 2-bay offset hopper cars this week to try to determine what the problems are Kadee's Sam Clarke sees preventing them from considering doing their very nice model of this car in Frisco colors. Does anybody have that answer already? If so. let me know and save me some work. Thanks. Ken
Tried to upload a photo I have of the car but alas it is too big. I will try to reduce it an try again tomorrow.
Bob - I agree. I took a quick look right after I received Sam's message and didn't see what the problem is. But then again, details are subtle and Kadee is particular. I've located the RPCyc articles that really cover these cars and will do some homework this week. I sure would like to see Kadee do this car in Frisco, if they can. It would be a winner! Look how many 2-bay Frisco hoppers Athearn and Atlas have sold - without worrying about the details. Ken
A bit OT, but what was the year built on the SL-SF series? I don't find them in the '43 Official Register. Bob your photo sure looks like an Atlas model I have from about 10 years ago. I'll have to dig it out and verify. Best Regards,
Here's a classic builders photo of the same SLSF hopper that Bob just posted. Kadee would sell a bunch of these! Ken
Chris - SLSF 91600-92099, built 1953 by Pullman Standard, ASF A-3 trucks, Ajax brake. Ken ps - the Atlas red-oxide SLSF car is numbered SLSF 90801, and has a big glaring error on the side sheet at the center. This number is from the next earlier SLSF series vs the car we are talking about, but was also a P-S car of generally the same arrangement. Compare the Atlas to the pics Bob and I posted - you will easily see the problem. Look at the top-center of the side sheet. Oops!
The photo I have is from the Pullman Standard Company. I bought it several years ago at a MR meet in Springfield. The fellow had several different shots of the car. I only bought the one. I wish I had bought them all. The caption on the bottom of the photo says this car was built on 7-10-53 car # 8021 of lot #8093. If you look at the car closely you will notice that the underframe and the back of the wheels are painted whit so that they show up better in the photo.
I just noticed on Ken's photo that the hopper doors are also painted white. This would be a great car to model. I wonder how many "They never had them painted like that" one would get? I may try to do one. The only problem I see in scratchbuilding one is the angle on the offset side. Ohh I see a challenge.
Bob - I think the white paint was just whitewash applied to the car at the builder's shop for purposes of the builders photo. The idea was that details normally hidden would show up better. Once the car entered service, I'm sure the whitewash came off fairly quickly from rain, dirt & grime, etc. Many builders photos - both cars and locomotives, show things painted white. Ken
Here's another (poor) builder's pic, this time of SLSF 92399. This car is from a different P-S series, SLSF 92100-92399 which was obtained in 1954, but is the same car as the SLSF 91600-92099 series from 1953. Notice again the white paint in the builders photo. Ken
Here is another builder's pic of a Frisco AAR 2-bay offset hopper car, SLSF 90538. This car is from an earlier series than the cars we have discussed in the above postings - these being SLSF 90500-90799, built in 1948, by Mt. Vernon Car Company. These were delivered in black paint, with a smaller Frisco herald than the later cars, white on black. Dimensions are similar to the subsequent series of cars. These rode on ASF A-3 trucks, with an Ajax brake. This is the car the recent release of the Atlas 2-bay AAR hopper was decorated to represent for the two Frisco models Atlas offered - SLSF 90690 & SLSF 90705. They are nicely done, but the Atlas car's bottom side sills are not quite correct for the Frisco cars, though this is not a major issue. Fortunately, Atlas has corrected their earlier error on the upper side sheet stakes on their AAR 2-bay hopper car model. Ken
