Owl Mountain ModelsWe at OwlMtModels have been very quiet about what we've been working on hard the last year or two. Here's what it is!
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The kits will be injection-moulded plastic in-color, with correct trucks for the class, and brake systems as noted below. Some details are brass castings and etchings. Custom decals are being designed and made at this time.
OwlMtModels will be announcing these kits officially when the kits are here and ready to sell. Please drop us an email or call us with comments or to be notified when we do release the kit. We will be making the announcement of the kits being for sale in several yahoo groups and model magazines when they are ready.
One of our first pre-production models assembled and painted. These decals are not from the new custom sets we're having made for the production run.
SP F-50-5 class cars were built in 1916. This class totalled 925 cars; 498 for SP, 2 for CP (later folded into the SP numbers), 50 for NWP, and 375 for LW (which were Texas lines cars, later T&NO).
SP F-50-8 class cars were built in 1923. This class totalled 350 cars; 200 cars for GH&SA (later folded into T&NO) and 150 cars for PE, which were folded into the SP roster in 1951.
SP F-50-9 class cars were built in 1924. This class totalled 450 cars; 300 cars for SP and 150 cars for PE, which were folded into the SP roster in 1951.
The OMM# 2002 kit will have the standard SP F-50-sides, AAR/ARA T-Section Trucks, late style endsills, AB-schedule brake systems, and double I-beam centersills. Some kitbashing will be required for the PE cars which were modified for 45-foot radius operations.
Very early test shots of the sides and deck of the F-50-series kit with a partly built up and painted F-50-10 behind it.
SP F-50-10 class cars were built in 1927. This class totalled 450 cars for the SP in two number series.
SP F-50-12 class cars were built in 1928-1929. This class totalled 500 cars for the SP.
The OMM# 2003 kit will have the standard SP F-50-sides, AAR/ARA U-Section Trucks, late style endsills, AB schedule brakes, and double I-beam centersills.
F-50-4 class cars were built between 1910 and 1914 for many of Harriman's associated roads before the breakup of the associated lines in 1913. This class totalled 2050 cars; 110 for O&C (later folded into SP roster), 100 for NWP, 120 for UP with sideboards (see below), 180 for OR&N (UP subsidiary), 484 for CP (later folded into the SP), 160 for PE (folded into the SP roster in 1951), 64 for SP lease to SPdeM with sideboards (see below), 16 for the Arizona Eastern (AE), 250 for the GH&SA (later T&NO), and 566 for the SP (proper).
The F-50-4 class was unique because of the single I-beam centersill designed by Bettendorf. Many stories have gone around over the years that the F-50-4s were flawed with their Bettendorf underframes, however it would seem that they remained in service on the SP in large numbers until the same 1949-1952 dates as the cars built 15 years later. The UP F-50-7s still used the Bettendorf single-beam design into 1927 with "sister plates" on the underframe to strengthen the failure points. It is likely the earlier F-50-4s were retrofitted with these plates as well. When exactly these improvements were done is not clear. OwlMtModels will be doing this class at a later time with a new set of tooling for the underframe and brake parts. Announcement times for this kit cannot be known at this time.
These will be small mini-kits which can be added to appropriate F-50-series flatcar kits to make unique and special assignment cars.
"Beet Rack" - Blackburn-style (1930s-1950s version) - This rack sat on top of the car with turnbuckle rods to the corners of the car. The Blackburn design had four large side doors and no vertical stakes mounting in the stake pockets. This rack was in regular service until the G-50-20 and G-50-23 cars were delivered in 1949.
Picture from several years ago of our early rendering of a Blackburn Rack. These will be injection moulded with wire tie-rods. We also plan to made a removable 'beet load' and side pieces to make the car look correct when loaded!
SP 36" Sideboards (SP Style) - These should be added to cars modeling SPdeM and UP F-50-4s as-built. Many T&NO cars had sideboards fitted for stone loading and other assignments.
Picture from several years ago of our early rendering of a the SP 36" Sideboard set. These will be injection moulded with wire tie-rods and etchings for the internal braces.
OwlMtModels is also looking forward to our next Modular Lumber Load Kit to go with the new F-50-series cars. This will be a "Narrow" lumber load suitable for gondolas and the narrower F-50-series flatcar decks.
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There are some other interesting add-ons were are considering and our friends in the modeling community have asked us to look into. While we may move forward on them at some point, we are focusing on the main car kits and the add-ons listed above as our priority.
OwlMtModels in the future hopes to continue to expand this series of models based on the F-50-series flatcar. Which of these projects will get enough interest to justify injection molded tooling is a bridge we will come to after the current F-50-4,-5,-8,-9,-10,&-12 kits are released.
Some ideas are SP LF-50-4,-5,-8,-9,-10,-12 type logging flatcar and SPMW Wheel flat (with wheel racks).
More research will be needed on the UP roster of flatcars for these classes of cars. From what information we do have, there were over 1500 cars in these classes. These cars had different side sills and end sills than the F-50-4 and SP designs, so these UP classes will require extra tooling to produce.