Why no Northern Pacific R-40-25 from Speedwitch?

 

Interestingly, this exact car was also photographed by Will Whittaker at a different time and place!

I get that question a lot. It's a valid query since they are the same car, right? Well... at first blush, the NP cars were a lot like the PFE R-40-25. They had the same welded underframes and details, same Murphy diagonal panel roofs, same Improved Dreadnaught end type, and other corresponding details, as well...

... however, the Northern Pacific cars were equipped with push pole pockets as seen inside the red highlighted squares above (click on the image to see a larger version.) That resulted in a couple changes to the lower corners that made the lower corners virtually identical to those of an R-40-23. In a cascading fashion that resulted in these R-40-25 clones having different sill steps, different attachment for the bottom of the ladder stiles, and different lower corners all around, as compared to the PFE R-40-25. In the aggregate, these differences result in a different, albeit subtly, but different nonetheless, end, that I have yet to offer. That will change in the not too distant future, though.

The Northern Pacific cars did have different bolster tabs than the PFE R-40-25s. On the NP they appear to be more akin to those on a PFE R-40-26. That is not out of bounds given that the R-40-26 underframes were virtually identical to the R-40-25, save for details like the bolster tabs. 

Note that the brake step is silver, like the roof... an interesting detail for sure

Presentation file from Naperville

 Here is a link to the presentation file from my talk at this year's Chicagoland RPM at Naperville. There are some changes from the same topic that I presented a few weeks back at MARPM.

Pennsylvania Railroad G32 Gondola

 

I recently completed a Plate C Model Prototypes Pennsylvania Railroad G32 welded gondola.  I profiled my initial purchase here. The complete writeup of my build as well as changes I made will be in a forthcoming The Keystone Modeler (and would already have been if I hadn't been so distracted by other things... sorry TKM team!) It's a fine 3D printed model and I thoroughly enjoyed finishing it. More in TKM soon... and thank you to Todd Hermann for use of his Catasauqua Branch layout as a photo shoot location!

Mid-Atlantic RPM 2026

 

This amazing model/scene is the work of Tore Hjellset who is not only an excellent modeler, but made the trek from Norway to attend! The model is a Precision Scale kit with Artitec vehicles and figures and chains, hammer, and axe from Weinert. Well done!

I posted yesterday about my presentation at the recent MARPM event. I also promised (threatened?) to post some photos I snapped in the display room. Those are interspersed here. I would also like to comment in general about the high quality of the presentations that I was able to attend. The slate of presenters was strong and every clinic I saw was informative and well presented... not a clunker among them. I came away more informed, made some new friends, and am thoroughly inspired to push forward on my own projects, which is what attending RPMs is all about. Look for one in your neck of the woods or even travel to one.

Greg Wiggins modified a Funaro & Camerlengo (F&C) PRR F22 kit to replicate this Clarendon & Pittsford marble service flat

Jim Dufour always brings plenty of models with beautiful supporting documentation. This is an in-progress C&EI 'War Bonds' 1937 AAR box car previously offered by Des Plaines Hobbies, with Viking roof. Jim made a pattern for the Creco door. Other details include Yarmouth runnijng boards and ladders, Tangent Klasing hand brake, Tahoe trucks, and National Scale Car placard boards. Whew! 

I'm not even sure what the prototype is for this, but it got Gerard Fitzgerald excited! Model by Jeremy Zablocki

These two beautiful buildings represent 429-423 Front St. in Catasauqua, PA circa 1955 as built by Todd Hermann

There were 3D printed models in the house, including this WP stock car from Lines West as modeled by Mat Thompson

I love Death Valley so Trona is town and railroad near and dear to my heart. This ex-SP unit was modeled by Kinzer Hurt

Matt Hurst always seems to be kitbashing something. This is an Atlas USRA rebuild that he is detailing to model an ACL O-16 rebuilt USRA box car

Mark Gionet started with an F&C overhead bunker, 8-hatch CN reefer and added Atals trucks, Smoky Mtn draft gear, Tangent lift bars, Kadee running board and brake hand wheel, Detail Assoc and A-Line steps, Yarmouth brake step, Cal=Scale steam and signal line hoses, and Plano hatch supports... whew! Oh, CDS lettering too

Mark also brought this Red Caboose box car with Speedwitch parts and lettering (I highly approve!) plus Tahoe trucks

This nicely weathered Tangent tank car is the work of Steve Raqué

Steve also had this G32B, a 3D printed model from Plate C

John Frantz weathered this Bowser F30A and added reweigh and lube stencils plus ACI barcodes from Tangent

Lou Papineau brought his usual large number of resin models, including this F&C composite CNJ gondola

Presentation File from MARPM

I attended this past weekend's Mid-Atlantic RPM in Linthicum, Maryland. For several days prior, I had been experiencing insanely debilitating allergies. The trip down by car seemed to clear them up. However, I kid you not, once I was back in the Hudson Valley driving home Sunday evening, they came back with a vengeance and have not abated, even though I have been taking every med known to allergists. I am hopeful if they're not gone by next week, a trip to Naperville will relieve them!

Back to the RPM. I presented a clinic on the SP's forty-foot postwar box cars. The file may be found via this link. As time permits, I will also share some images that I captured from the event as well as a general write up about my expeirence (all good!)