New Series of Structures from OwlMtModels Under Development

Owl Mountain Models is working on several fun projects which have been behind closed curtains until now.  The Owenyo structures which we need for the demo/photography layout will be made available in very limited production to meet reservations, which are open as of 2023-11-17.  No down-payment will be required, as we're still early in development of the CAD models.  Both HO and S-scale versions are planned to be offered.  Price is currently TBD until designs are finalized and we get quote from 3d printer.

Researching this structure has required many hours studying photos, aerial photos, and modern archaeological measurements.  We want to produce the best kits, balancing details and final finish looks.  This results in currently planning that the upper boards will be stain-able strip-wood, while the bents and lower structural members will be 3d printed with NBW details already in place.  Basic wood-effects should be pretty easily added to the 3d printed resin parts, like the finishing on our plastic lumber loads.

The full length of the trestle with NG approach from level grade over the SG Tell-Tales is over 7 feet long!  That's why we'll be offering the trestle as modular pieces, so that it can be fit onto smaller layouts.  The OwlMtModels photo-demo layout trestle will be shortened to only 4-GS gondolas for the dump section and most of the Approach Trestle will be truncated into the backdrop wall.

High-angle view of the dumping section of the trestle.

Jason's been working hard looking at all the photos he can to check for the details.  The CAD allows all the pieces to be worked out in 3d, resolving and solving questions about the prototype photos, which he's not seen solved in previously published drawings. Hopefully, this will be the best researched model of the Transfer Trestle yet produced.  Research is still continuing in 2023.

Water Tank

Rough CAD rendering 2023-11-17, subject to redesign and detailing

The water tank at Owenyo was moved from Diaz in 1952 according to the Employe Timetable station ans services list.  There's still much more to add to this CAD model, but it will make an amazing little tank for any small engine facility.  The footing should be about 2.5" diameter and estimating about 4" tall for HO scale.

Bulk Loader/Conveyor Shed

Partly drawn as of 2023-11-17 work-in-progress

Another structure which is researched from many photos and modern archaeological research of remains.  This structure will also make a great little loader for boxcars or covered hoppers on any small layout, for those not modeling Owenyo specifically.

Pump Houses

We have some research on the Water Pump House and photos, which should allow a model to be produced.  As of 2023-11-17, Jason hasn't started the drawings for this structure.  The Fuel Oil Pump House will also be made, but research is minimal at the current time, and the CAD model has not been started at this time.

Reservations Contact

Currently, two customers have expressed interest in kits for these parts.  Please show your support by contacting sales@OwlMtModels.com to submit reservation, specifications of what size and scale is desired.

Open Loads (Part 10) - Athearn 40ft Flat with OMM 3002 Lumber Load

Time to upgrade my old Athearn 40ft flatcar with a new 3002 OwlMtModels Lumber Load!

Many years ago I upgraded an Athearn 40ft flatcar and recently I wanted to put a nice lumber load on it from OwlMtModels' new "Short-Wide" series.  While some of my previous Open Load posts have covered more unique loads, this time I want to cover a more 'classic' load, but with it's own twists.

The Flat Car

Originally, the Athearn flatcar I used was one that had some holes in the deck to attach the plastic blocking for the cabin cruiser boat from Athearn.  The old load supports were simply removed from the car by un-snapping it.

New 'Old" Deck

When I upgraded the car with scratch-built deck from strip-wood sticks.  I also cut-down the plastic deck of the car, even with the steel sides.  The SP's 40ft 1949-built F-50-16, which this car was a stand-in for had overhanging deck boards, which were even with the outer edge of the stake pockets.  The deck was cut back around the stirrup and grab-irons around the car's end, so likewise my deck is notched back.

I also fitted the car many years ago with some scrap wood stakes and also glued a piece to the deck to represent some bit of left over dunnage and blocking nailed to the deck.  Thankfully, it's close to the brake wheel end of the car, so it stays out of the way of the upcoming load I will build for the car.  I can always pull out the two wooden stakes if I want to.

Repainting

The next step was to repaint and then decal the model, I believe I used either Floquil FCR or suitable acrylic paint, I honestly don't remember 25-odd years ago when I did it.  I think the decals I used were a mix of MicroScale 87-911 for the road number, and weight data. and probably the "SOUTHERN PACIFIC" in small font from the old MicroScale SPMW decal set.

Weathering

I weathered the car overall with a dark gray road-grime coat, including over the reporting marks.  I probably would have done more 'clerk wiping' of a rag over the road number to keep it more legible.  The car must have had several bad trips in a row to be this dirty in only 1-2 years given that I now claim to model 1949-1953, and the car was new in 1949!

SP 140195 stand-in Athearn car for SP F-50-16 class car, built in 1949, set up as idler car for over-length gondola load.

In this condition I had the car in service at LMRC for about 20 odd years.  The only real damage was the plastic Tichy brake wheel was broken when I brought the car home.  While it was not accurate for the SP's prototype 40ft F-50-16s, this car acts as a stand-in.  Note that I've posted an article on kitbashing a more accurate car from Red Caboose F-70-7 kit - SP 140234 (Part 1) - Kitbash RC F-50-16 from F-70-7

The Lumber Load

The new OwlMtModels 3002 "Short-Wide" Modular Lumber Load kit is slightly shorter than the 3001 kit from 2015, are ideal to build a load for this car. 

I decided to do a 'messier' load than some of the ones I've built before.  That is a load which isn't exactly stacked cleanly on the length of the car.  Instead I want the upper units of lumber to have shifted and started to impacted into the adjacent stack, but not so much that the boards are damaged or the stakes being broken.

Other end showing.

This load can be shifted around in and out one stake pocket on this car to get more separation between the load.  When close-fitted on the car, the load has started to shift towards the far end, so the train crews should probably keep an eye on this car!

The random-end lumber loads

One of the fun parts of the OwlMtModels lumber load is the busy look of the 'random ends' of the lumber stacks.  This end-view also gives a good angle to see that on this load I left the lateral wooden bracing about 3-4" above the main part of the load.  The longitudinal board bracing was also done with some shorter fragments.  Either to simulate repairs or the original shipper not having enough of the length that they would have ideally had to match AAR standards.  There is photo evidence of some prototype cars being even more jury-rigged than this car!

I'm still working on making my loads with "wonky enough" bracing to match the photos I've seen.  So I've actually been sticking "to the book" more than some loads had.  Although, to be fair many single-car/load photos were actually to document something wrong, so maybe those photos were documenting the poorly braced loads.  So there's always room to critic your work and look for ways to make it more prototypical.

Wood-Color

The final color adjustments was made with Apple Barrel 21186E Golden Sunset, and then a wash of darker gray-brown. to make more accent to the board edges, etc.  

I did some wash on the lumber load to make it more orange.

I like this combination of coloring and accenting wash.  This load is also a fun one to swap around to change the look of it.  If a group of 2-3 loads are finished at the same time, then the stacks could be shuffled between cars, and not kept as a 'set' for a single car, which would obviously vastly increase the lumber of combinations that could be seen on consecutive load/empty cycles.

In Closing

This has been a good old reliable flatcar from 'old school' model railroading with classic tooling.  With a little bit of work, they can be brought up to fairly modern standards and the addition of the modern load brings it in-line with my other examples in my flatcar fleet.

Jason Hill

Related Articles:

SP 140234 (Part 1) - Kitbash RC F-50-16 from F-70-7 - Kitbashing a more accurate F-50-16 flatcar.

Open Loads (Part 8) - Modeling High-Tension Steel... - How to use Chart Tape for Steel Banding.

Open Loads (Part 7) - Shifted Lumber Loads - Modeling unique loads which have shifted in transit.

2023 November News Updates - A Month of Conventions & Shows

Shaking off the Covid-webs with a quick stop on the way to Bakersfield at Walong Siding. - a.k.a. Tehachapi Loop.

It was great to see everyone at Bridgetown RPM in Portland Oregon in early October and at the end of the month with the SPH&TS Convention in Bakersfield, California! Thanks to everyone for chatting and showing their support of OwlMtModel's new Decal offerings and the newly tooled Short-Wide Lumber Loads!

OwlMtModels table at the Bakersfield convention with a full table of products and models to look at and talk about!

The sales from the two October conventions allowed me to check out without the hotels breaking any knee caps or keeping me to wash dishes. It even allowed me to pay for the fuel to get home!

Piles of products to ship out... (Photo from Sept, 2017 F-50-series flatcar kits) - The orders for 3002/3003 lumber loads and decals has been almost this heavy!

The OwlMtModels crew is working all weekend to get the orders that came in during the second half of October ready to go.  Several items in the decal line are out of stock for a week or so, but we expect to have those back in-stock and shipped by mid-November.  Sorry for the delays.

Conversion Kits for Bachmann-Spectrum 2-8-0 to SP/Harriman C-class

Currently, we're waiting for the molds for the invests to be remade. This should be done during November, and hopefully test castings for the rods/yokes/crossheads/guides done before the end of the year.

Pilot Model for conversion parts.

Once we have those, we can go into production with the cylinder 3d printing and production run of white brass castings for the metal parts.

SP B-50-8/10/11/13/14 Series Conversion Kits & Supply Car Doors

Thanks for the continued interest in the conversion parts for the Accurail 4000-series kits to be converted into SP Boxcars.

Currently, I need to do some redesign to resolve 3d printing issue with the trial ends that we had made this summer. Now that I'm back from the SPHTS Convention and Bridgetown convention, I should be able to put some time into getting these conversions into production.

Thanks for everyone interested in these to put in their reservations now, so we can get a feel for how many sets we need to produce for the first batch.

New Products Coming

We have several new projects that are in the works as well in the background, which we've not announced. I'm sure all our SP modelers will enjoy our up coming projects.

We also have a new Lumber Loads, which we'll hopefully have ready by Early 2024, so remember to subscribe to this News Blog for updates on New Product Announcements! These shouldn't be so much of a surprise, as Jason's been talking about them at the in-person meets this year! So those folks attending were able to get some "behind the curtain peeks."

How Square is OwlMtModels Now?

OwlMtModels' store-front on Square's site.

Lastly, the conversion to Square for our on-line sales has been fairly smooth. A few minor shipping charge issues with getting the rates to calculate correctly, but those have mostly been solved now. Thanks to everyone who ordered in October and act as testers for the new Square storefront.

Navigation Page with-in the Store Front - Choose type of product on the left by category.

I am also planning to go back through the main OwlMtModels website and rearrange everything there. Hopefully it will become easier to navigate that site, and also incorporate links to this blog, video tutorials, and the Square On-Line Storefront as well.

Happy Modeling!
Jason Hill