Updates to OwlMtModels Modular Lumber Load Kits

Time to have more fun with the timber industry, and I don't mean by mixing fingernails and splinters!

OMM 3004 "Narrow" load in Walthers 46ft USRA/G25 PRR Gondola.

For many years now OwlMtModels has offered 'Modular Lumber Load' kits which can be built for most HO-scale flatcars on the market.  In 2017 we launched "Narrow" loads for gondolas and our F-50-series flatcars.

3002 & 3003 "Short-Wide" Lumber Loads

OMM 3002 kit built-up and fitted for Bowser F30A PRR flatcar.

The smaller of the two new kits is designed to fit "wide" deck flatcars shorter than 53ft.  Eastern railroad flatcars and gondolas emptying on the west coast were allowed to reload with loads towards their home roads or any destination east of the Mississippi River.

OMM 3002 Modular Lumber Load on 40ft F-50-16 kitbashed from EspeeModels/Red Caboose F-70-6/7/10

3003 Lumber Load in 2-3-3 configuration on P2K/Walthers AAR WWII Standard flatcar.

3003+3013 Lumber Load in 2-3-3 configuration on P2K/Walthers AAR WWII Standard flatcar.

By adding an additional sprue of 3013 to the basic 3003 kit, the load can be raised to limits of Plate-C clearances.  This is done here by inserting extra panels in each of the units of lumber.

NKP AAR WWII 53'6" flatcar with OMM 3003+3013 load in 2-3-3 configuration.

NKP AAR WWII 53'6" flatcar with OMM 3003+3013 load in 2-3-3 configuration.

ATSF Ft-W with "Cubic'd out" with OMM 3013+3013 in 3-3-3 configuration on Walthers GSC 53'6" flatcar 

ATSF Ft-W with "Cubic'd out" with OMM 3013+3013 in 3-3-3 configuration.

ATSF Ft-W with "Cubic'd out" with OMM 3013+3013 in 3-3-3 configuration.

"Cubic'd out" SP F-70-10 flatcar with OMM 3003+3013 kits in 3-3-3 configuration.

"Cubic'd out" SP F-70-6 flatcar with OMM 3003+3013 in 3-3 configuration

This load is built with each unit taller, filling out to the maximum height of 48".  This car is basically "cubic'd out" as well.  Extra stakes should probably be applied on loads that are this big to prevent shifting and breaking during rough train handling.

Shifted Loads!

How about a load that really has shifted?

If you decided to get more adventurous, you can build a load like this.  The car was really whacked by the switch crew, or it had a bad trip over the division... or maybe those new retarders in the hump yard still need some adjusting.  In any case, that unit of lumber in the top right has seen better days.

It has shifted on its 'stickers' several feet, clearing the center car lateral stake tie-boards, and smashed several lateral board sets on the 2nd level near the A-end of the car. Good thing that's not the B-end or we might be looking at replacing damage to the handbrake!  The center and right second level units have also shifted to the right it looks like, as they are overhanging more on the A-end, reducing the space for a brakeman or switchman to get up on the end of the car.

Shifting Too Far!

Maybe you'll want to have a load that's really sketchy and looking like it shouldn't be moved much more at all.  Maybe 3/4 of the stakes are already shattered?!  Did a whole unit of lumber get pushed off the end of the car onto an adjacent car?  There's certainly a case to be made to make a more dramatically shifted load, if you want to.  Prototype photos of such certainly exist.

This is an earlier step in this load construction - before the mitigation of adding the iron wire and bracing was applied.

In this case, it certainly would be good to get this car to the RIP track at the nearest division point and get the units re-shifted back to a more stabilized position.  The top A-end unit certainly needs to be shifted back if possible.  Another set of stakes need to be added on the A-end if the lower levels can't be shifted back too.

Quick Fix?

To the RIP Track!

The load has been stabilized somewhat, maybe that was the last division point's work, or maybe a brakeman did what he could when he found it.  There's some new longitudinal bracing between the four stakes on the A-end and iron-wire with a scrap 2x4 to tourniquet the wire around the stakes in place of wooden lateral ties.

Retiring 3001 Lumber Load Kit Mold

OMM 3001 kit on a Bowser F30A PRR flatcar with sub-separated units of lumber.

After 8 years it's time to retire the original 3001/3012 Modular Lumber kit mold, as it's wearing out and costing too much to have mis-shots scrapped.  We hope to "retool" a new style of kit to replace the 3001 kit number in the near future, probably in the next year or two.  Once the current stock of 3001/3012 shots are sold, they will be dropped from the website.

We have also retooled the 3011 "Sticker" mold, used in all of our Modular Lumber Load kits, the new version will be included in all kits starting in August, 2023.

The newly tooled 3002/3003 kits will also fit the same models that the 3001 kits have been used on.

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