Bridgetown 2023 RPM Meet - GN Plywood & Unlettered Tangent B-50-28 Boxcars for the Jawbone Branch

SP 4230 leads OCM-7 through the snow approaching Oakridge with a heavy consist of open lumber laden gondolas and flatcars. - Bob Zenk photo

I want to just do a quick report on the Bridgetown RPM meet in Portland, Oregon this month.  I enjoyed visiting with everyone who attended.  Thanks to Bruce Barney, Rod Loder, and the rest of the crew that was able to get the event set up at the Airport Shilo Inn at the Portland airport.  As always, conversations were fast and everyone seemed busy!  I was last able to attend the first Bridgetown RPM meet in 2018.  So after 5-6 years it was great to be able to visit friends again in the greater Pacific North West area.

The second consist I brought is a Valley extra freight with a classic "Deck" & a work consist with a 2-8-0 and a couple SPMW bunk cars, covered previously in early October 2023. - Bob Zenk photo

The models I brought to the meet included a ~40 car OCM lumber train with about 80% of the cars loaded with OwlMtModels Modular Lumber Loads.  The other consist pulled by SP 3666 was a San Joaquin Valley consist with three OwlMtModels Blackburn Sugarbeet Racks on F-50-series flatcars, a Red Caboose composite GS gondola, and the NC&StL Accurail 36ft Fowler boxcar kitbash I recently posted about here.  Unfortunately, I ran out of time during set up to pull out another 10-15 cars which I've been posting on the blog here, which would have included the NP 11661 double-sheath boxcar, a couple of UTLX tank cars, etc.

As my Jawbone Branch really isn't set up to show, let alone photograph, full freight consists of 40-50 cars, it was nice to get out and see some big consists again.  I'm hoping to remember my tripod so I can photograph the full consists at the SPH&TS convention in Bakersfield later this month!

Bob Cromwell's F-50-2 with OwlMtModels Lumber Loads

When I was able to go walk around the other vendors tables and model display tables I found Bob Cromwell's SP F-50-2 (printed by one of his friends many years ago) with a partly built up OwlMtModels 3004 lumber load on it! - Looking good Bob!

I look forward to seeing how Bob wraps this one up with all the stakes and bracing!

Bob's other models included a large number of tank car models from the 1920s and 1930s, all very nicely finished.

Remember that RPM meets are for you to bring your incomplete models to discuss and chat with others about.  It's not all about bringing "finished" models to show.  But like so much in the hobby, there's still stuff to do on the models.  This aspect is one of the main reasons I highly prefer attending RPM meets over any form of 'contest'.  Many of those that come to the RPM meets could and I'm sure have easily one 'contests' that they've entered.  And quite frankly, winning isn't worth it if you don't have friends to share it with.  So RPMs are a place to enjoy, and leave the competition outside.  The only one you're truly competing with in modeling is what kind of modeler, what kind of a person you can become.

GN "Plywood" Boxcar

For the last couple years I've been keeping an eye out for GN Plywood boxcars after seeing the photo below at Little Lake (Consist Photo Analysis (Part 2) - Owenyo Local, Circa 1950), with the train pulling a couple of GN boxcars near the rear of the consist.

SP 2751 at Little Lake 1950  by Serpico (little_lake003_sml) - Owens Valley History,com - Cropped & Enlarged Consist

While the model doesn't have the Superior-hybrid door of the newer announced IMRC run, which I think is what's in the photo at Little Lake, it was on sale for 50% off from Portland Whistle Stop!

GN "plywood" boxcar with Youngstown doors by IMRC.

I like the oddity of having a bright orange boxcar in regular service able to add some "spice" to the fairly 'boring' consists expected on my Jawbone Branch layout.  Yes, occasionally PFE reefers show up, but this adds a bit as foreign boxcars can roam around in the high desert too.

The red and white herald over the orange side is certainly interesting in the lack of contrast normally associated with the GN's paint schemes.

This car is shown in the new scheme from 1947 "as-built".  I may decide to dig up some black reporting marks and put some on, as the 'new' version doesn't appear to have any tare data, expecting anyone needing it to look at the right side data block for the build date.

This 3/4 view shows the A-end's post-war style of Dreadnaught end and plain rectangular panel roof.

I'm not sure how much weathering I'll be wanting to put on this model.  Maybe just enough to highlight the screw details at the panel joints to show that it's not the normal riveted construction.  As my modeling era targets 1946-1954, this car's 1947 build date keeps it mostly in the first few years of the car's existence. 

Left side view of GN 10784 with basic weathering that I'll show in the upcoming blog post using AppleBarrel acrylic paints and some Gel-pens. - Still subject to some revisions and adjustments to the weathering!

Thus the paint shouldn't be 'falling off' yet by any means.  Although I could do a little chipping here and there along the edges of the plywood panels.  I'm sure I'll cover a weathering post specifically on GN 10784 when I get to working on this car specifically.

SP 102856 - Tangent B-50-28 Unlettered - Youngstown Door Boxcar

SP 102856 Bags of Gypsum Owenyo CA Transfer Docks - owensvalleyhistory,com - (sp_narrow_g44b_sml)

Owenyo is certainly the focal point of my Jawbone Branch layout, with probably 80% of the freight traffic heading to or from the transfer platforms or the transfer trestle.  These two photos from 1954 show the three year old car starting to weather some, notably the herald is starting to have some paint failure.

SP 102856 post-war B-50-28 boxcar SPNG Owenyo Transfer Dock 1954 - owensvalleyhistory,com (s-l1600_ebay01_sml) - (Cropped to show only boxcar)

Tangent has offered painted, unlettered versions of their RTR B-50-28 boxcars.  I was able to get one to do the car above.  The car should be the focus of a future blog post when I get around to doing it.

Painted SP FCR version of Tangent's B-50-28 boxcar with 7ft Youngstown Doors.

In my first review blog of Tangent's new B-50-28 boxcars, I introduce these models. New Tangent SP B-50-28 and T&NO B-50-32s - Review

This is the info for the unlettered version of the boxcar I've picked up for the SP 102856.

B-50-28

Built 9-12/1950 thru 6/1951 *
SP 102100-103599, 1500 cars <- Tangent's current offerings - 2023.
SP 104100-105099, 1000
SP 105100-105599, 500
T&NO 59750-60249, 500
T&NO 60250-61249, 1000

Modeling SP B-50-series Boxcars (Part 2) - Post-War All-Steel - Roster including SP 102856

SP Post-War 7ft Boxcar Decals by Dan Kohlberg

Daniel Kohlberg was holding down the Tangent Models table and on the side his selection of decals for use on the unlettered Tangent B-50-28s.

Daniel Kohlberg's catalog of decals he offers - Page 1

It was enjoyable to talk with Dan for a few minutes while I was away from the OwlMtModels table.

Daniel Kohlberg's catalog of decals he offers - Page 2

I picked up his set for various SP B-50-28+ series cars for $12 and will be looking forward to decalling one of my unlettered Tangent B-50-28s.

Dan Kohlberg's SP Post-War boxcar decal sets.

Reverse side of SP Post-War boxcar decal set, which shows lettering diagrams.

I look forward to sitting down and finishing the RTR-pre-painted, unlettered B-50-28 as the car in the photo.  I like having a prototype weathering/details photo to aim for.  I feel it actually makes modeling the 'typical' prototype easier when you have a specific target to make yours look like. - Maybe I should finish other projects I've already started first?

In Closing

One of the Proto:48 modelers at the RPM brought a Fowler 36ft CP boxcar.  I'm building a Westerfield one in HO, so you'll find inspiration in other scales too!

I would encourage all modelers to are interested in prototype modeling to attend one of your local RPM meets, which are held all over the USA on regular basis.  They are not "contests", but more a forum where fellow modelers can get together and share the hobby, discuss modeling techniques, products, skills and help one another become better modelers.  If nothing else, bring your cell phone camera and take pictures of weathering and interesting things that you might like to model someday.

As one of the attendees (railstiesballast) posted on TrainOrders.com recently:

"A fun day, with great clinics and awesome modeling on display.
As an SP fan (and former employee) I could not resist getting a couple of Tangent's new SP B 50-28 40 ft. cars with 10-foot wide doors, with their distincive yellow stripe. (See their photo on their thread.)
Here is one of the more imaginative models, an Owl Mountain Models lumber load that has shifted during transit. I have see a lot of these, but simply never thought to make a model of it.
I wish I had recorded the name of modeler who shared it, can anyone comment?
I highly recommend attending these gatherings, they always explore new territories in the art and science (e.g. 3-D printing) of model railroading, and offer a great time to catch up with friends."

SP 79934, F-70-3 kitbash in-process, photo of my load just after I finished it last month.  Railstiesballast's phone-pic was of this car & load.

He posted a photo of one of my shifted OMM 3001 Lumber Loads on a not-quite-finished kitbashed F-70-3 60ft flatcar.  I'm not active on Train Orders, but the community jumped in and answered the question.

"Thank you for the info, and well done Mr. Hill.
I have several of his kits, but have lacked his imagination, my stacks are straight.
What is not obvious in the first photo is that it was a part of a 40 (?) car SP lumber drag with many open loads, being pulled by a Cab Forward.
An excellent contribution to an Oregon modeler's meet."

It is good to see 'railstiesballast' has received some inspiration to up his game of modeling what he saw for years working on the SP, not be limited to "what the instructions say" on the box!  I hope we all can keep our modeling fresh and dynamic, and visiting with fellow modelers will certainly help do that!

Jason Hill

Related Articles:

Consist Photo Analysis (Part 2) - Owenyo Local, Circa 1950 - featuring GN "Plywood" Boxcar

Modeling SP B-50-series Boxcars (Part 2) - Post-War All-Steel - Roster including SP 102856

New Tangent SP B-50-28 and T&NO B-50-32s - Review - My first review of Tangent's new B-50-28 boxcars

Open Loads (Part 7) - Shifted Lumber Loads - Modeling unique shifted lumber loads - Think outside the modelers box, but inside what the railroaders every day experiences were.