I am building my very first layout and am seeking kits to build rolling stock for the 1860's (Civil War Era). I know that Mantua makes a few but I would really like to find additional kits, preferably undecorated. So far it looks like I'm looking for the impossible to find. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Alkem Scale Models: Finescale HO and N Scale Kits and Detail Parts for Model Railroaders 19th Available Century Freight Cars If you are going to do this correctly, only link & pin couplers. CW figures. Musket Miniatures lex
Seeking HO Early Era Rolling Stock Thanks Lex, you provided me with a lot of info. it is going to take me a while to look at it all. Agan, Thanks:thumbs_up:
MDC/Roundhouse before Athearn bought them out once made their "Old Timer" series of freight cars and also made some passenger cars that would fit your time frame. Swapmeets are about the only place you will find them now. Good Hunting
Be advised, the MDC/Roundhouse are more for 1900, not CW. Some old time MDC/Roundhouse kits are still available. I have bought from the below site. Do not include wheels. Buy separately. eBay Store – RIVER CITY RAILROAD RCR: Search results for. The Athearn/Roundhouse site. Roundhouse Trains I have the 4-4-0, 2-6-0, 2-8-0 which are circa 1900. Model Power has some Mantua old time rolling stock. TRAINS - MANTUA CLASSICS (HO) lex
You might want to check out John H. White Jr's American Railroad Passenger Car, Freight Car, and locomotive books. They'll help you to identify what fits and what doesn't quite a bit faster than photo studies alone. I agree with lexon's list, although (as someone using L&P's in O-scale) I don't recommend HO L&P's except for display. I would suggest completely ignoring everything that Roundhouse/MDC has ever offered. They are nice cars for post-1900 modeling...but not remotely close for even the 1870s, let alone the 1860s. The rate of change was far more pronounced between 1865 and 1905 than during any other era. You can also consider to learn about scratch building. As someone whom mostly builds my rollingstock from scratch, it isn't as tough as it sounds. Further, you can purchase commercial detailing parts which pretty much make it little different from assembling craftsman kits. Michael
There is a online company called Bitter Creek who bought BC Models when th owner passed away. The Bitter Creek owner is still re-doing the kits, 1860 to 1910. I have a 1870 UP photographer's car kit from BC Models I assembled some years ago. Below is a link to the BC Models catalog and will show you what Bitter Creek may supply, hopefully, this year. Scroll all the way down to the lower right and look for BC Models. Literature Page 26 The Bitter Creek site below. His rolling stock is not ready yet but parts and trucks are available. BITTER CREEK MODELS Locos for CW, 1860, will probably only be the tender drive Mantua General. IHC use to have a tender drive 4-4-0. Not sure if it is available anymore. Bachmann has some tender drive locos that have been improved the last three years from what I have heard. IHC and Bachmann might be around circa 1870 to 1880. I have a couple 1980s Bachmann tender drive locos that run pretty good under DCC but they have can motors and all wheel pickups on the tender. 1850 Winans Camel with 1860 General in back ground Maybe give you some ideas.
B-man's wood burning-Radley Hunter stacked 4-4-0 (the Jupiter model) is based on an 1869 locomotive. I consider it to be fine. The General is actually a more modern version...the original was outside frame...but it is fine for depicting engines of the era. The IHC engines are of more modern prototypes...mid-1870s and they aren't HO scale. They are 1:76 scale, 13% too large. Rivarossi used to offer the same engines. The straight stack version that lexon posted is a hybrid 1875-1910 look. Rio Grande Models has some potentially useful items... http://www.riograndemodels.com/HO.htm Michael
Forgot to mention, the Camel is grossly over size. I use a MDC old time 2-8-0. It captures the flavor of the era. My locos are based on what they might have looked like in the late 1890s. The Photographer's car and UP 119 restored at that time and visiting my railroad. The Camel much modified after all the years. The B&O kept two or three into the late 1800s. Some Camels did not have the sloping firebox. lex
Lex, I was wondering what you used...I guessed correctly. I had guessed that it was an MDC old time 2-8-0...I have one for a Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District 2-8-0 conversion (new cab, boiler, and details). I will team it up with a similar HOn3 F&CC conversion (basically just the frame, drivers, and drive train being retained) I love those Winans camels. I wish I had the cash laying around for the brass ones that Factory Direct Trains is releasing... Factory Direct Trains - Model Trains, Railroad Accessories, HO, N, G Scale - Winans Camel Locos Buddy L, those were classic for the 1860s! Michael
I built my cab out of thin styrene since the author of the Camel article in RMC Sept. 1999 provided reasonable dimensions for the cab. I used a band saw and cut off the steam dome and sand dome. With a Dremel I smoothed out the boiler and used the "Green" stuff to fill in. I made my own Camel style steam dome which you know where quite large diameter and was positioned just inside the front of the cab. I used a PSC old time rectangular sand box, PSC tender tool box and small diameter brass wire. The steps and windows where purchased. The roof on the tender is from an unpowered MDC Climax with a little brass wire and brass strips. I installed outside brake beams on the tender trucks. The two water pumps where built using brass tube and Cal scale old time check valves. The pump rods are not movable. The plastic smoke box wrapper is carefully sawed and removed. I then turned the smoke box wrapper around and epoxyed it back in place. This gives the illusion of a short old time smoke box. Noticed the stack does not line up with the cylinders. The side saddle headlight I have seen in some photos of Camels. The figures are from Yardbird Trains who has nice selection of HO scale locomotive crews. I had a shelf with oil can and a few other items to mount about the firebox door. I know I took some liberties but I like the results. Needs decals and the whistle lowered. lex
