Picking On The Little Guys

RI541

Member
Well guys I seemed to have a temporary derailment going on. I have managed to scan it a file now I need to get it from the file to here I used the brouser at the bottom of the reply page but it didnt work I edited some replys that didnt work.

I'm going to keep trying I wont let this box of wires get the best of me oh where'd that bat go????????????:(
 

IMRL393

Member
Mike -

Thanks for the info on the E8 (and a photo, no less!). Might have to look for one someday on e-Bay.



Shane -

Computers - can't live with 'em, can't get to the Gauge without 'em! Good luck!

Just saw your motive power list (I went to page 2 FIRST, then back to page one!). You have a nice collection!


Guys -

What has been really helpful to me in selecting my RI equipment has been two books:

"ROCK ISLAND Diesel Locomotives (1930-1980)" by Louis Marre

and the

"Rock Island Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment"
by Hile, Hickcox, and Miller.

Have you ever seen these books ??? Do you have others ???

The other thing has been Jeff's web site:

http://www.rockisl.com/

I assume you have seen it - if not, check it out !!!


Later!

- George
 

rockislandmike

Active Member
Gggrrrr.....a copy of the Marre book was on eBay last weekend. I kept reminding myself to go and bid on it the night b4 (the auction ended at some ungodly hour Sunday morning), but of course, poof, forgot until Sunday afternoon.

Sigh......it looked really good.....
 

RI541

Member
George,

Yes I have those books,I also have Rock Island Recollections and Rock Island diesel 1948-1964 this are my railroad bibles.

When I go to train shows I look through the older magizines to find any thing on the RI.

If you look in your diesel book on page 76 you'll see one of the locos i'm working on. I have an Arnold GP7 lettered for the NKP,it has the yellow strips i was looking for all I need to do is remove the NKP lettering and slap a RI herold on the front and rear.

The other one is on page 93 you'll see the green and yellow this looks like an easy paint job.

Shane
 

IMRL393

Member
HEY !!!

No fair answering before I'm done editing!!!

;)

You guys are FAST !

Anyhoo, my edit said:

"The other thing has been Jeff's web site:

http://www.rockisl.com/

I assume you have seen it - if not, check it out !!! "


Shane -

Those photos must be in the "1948 - 1964" book ???

The pages you gave don't match my "1930 - 1980" book.



Mike -

Yeah - why do those auctions have to end at weird times ? Not all of them, of course - just the ones you want to bid on!

Better luck next time!

The Marre "1930 - 1980" book (which is mostly B/W, but has a lot of information) is available from:

http://www.goldenvista.com/

for about $20 plus shipping. They have some other RI books, too!

Search by "Rock" to find them!


- George
 

RI541

Member
George,
I was editing my letter when I got booted just got back .
Yes you are correct I miss read your letter sorry

shane

ps working on another note for you and mike
 

RI541

Member
George & Mike,

I had this letter and a correction to george half written when I got booted so here it is again.

Crown came out with an aluminum box car #20061 and Varney also did #200437 The Crown car numbers are correct but not sure on the Varney.This car is on pg 33 in your passenger and frieght book.

Athern came out with a nice 3 pk of the Pullman green express cars I have the set and glad I got it.(These are on pgs 32,33 and 34 )Its in storage now.I also have the two aluminum cars I mentioned Their on the "shelf". I think that these would be worth looking for at the train show.If you want I can look around here to see if I can get the Athern set I havent seen any of the aluminum ones for a while although I did see one in S-Scale at the last show.

still woking to get a picture of my RS3 on here

Shane
 

RI541

Member
George & Mike,

Here two more site I frequent:

http://www.rits.org/
this ons not as good as Jeff Prince's but well worth the trip the other is a forum abut the RI, Lots of Blue fans

http://www.railroad.net/forums/rock/

Both of these you'll enjoy.

The last train show I went to I was Able to pick up some old stocks and bonds.My biggest score was a book of matchs,red with a white herald,complete book to boot,a few years ago I saw a yellow with a red herald rag I should have bought it I'll never see it again.

Ive got some other sites Ive been to I'll look for the addresses and get back to you.

shane
 

IMRL393

Member
The HO Crown car was on e-Bay a week or so ago - was bidding on it until the price got too high! As you say, it's very accurate with the photo in the F&PE book - almost makes me wish I had "uped" the bid. I must try to find one at Galesburg - if I have money after getting (hopefully) an Atlas RS-3. Wish other boxcar makers took the pains to get the series number right!

The Varney number must be wrong, as the ROCK only had 10 of these cars 20060-20069 (According to RI F&PE - I LOVE this BOOK!).


Shane, I envy you those Athearn greens!
I've been looking for them everywhere!
Let me know if you see any in HO scale - maybe my daughter will loan me the money from her allowance!

She always somehow seems to have more than me !!!

:rolleyes:

- George
 

RI541

Member
George,

Just uot of curiousity do you rememer what the bid was when you left?

I think I paid either 5 or 7 dollars for mine.

I saw a set of the Atherns a couple of years ago in one of my favorite stores but the guy past away a year or so back,He had a partner in mass and they where setting up a web page I'll try to locate it,If his partner is anything like he was he can get me a set.

Theres also a big used train store somewhere in this state he went to to get his supplies but I cant remember the name of the town its in I'll have to look for that too.Could be worth a road trip.

I think I can find you a set somewhere Ive got enough connections for trains.Most of them are about 50 miles away but worth the trip,but now I can e-mail some of them.I'm going north tomrrow I'll look there to,He has a full collestion of athern cars I'll let you know what I find.

Shane
 

RI541

Member
Hey guys

I figured it out actualy Rory G. helped me.

Sorry the picture is so small I'll work on that now that I know what I'm doing.

That was a picture of my Life-Like SW9/12 #541

I'll try to enlarge it now, heres a small picture of my RS3

Shane
 

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RI541

Member
I hope this isn't too big

as you can see I still need to put on kd couplers and some hand rails If I dont forget I'll get them tomrrow

Shane
 

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RI541

Member
Well I seem to have this beat

Here is some rolling stock

The caboose is an Atlas,the box car is a Micro-Trainsand the snow plow is a Walthers These where done before I got my spray gun so their not perfect,I did notice that after I enlarged them that I've go to paint the coupler hose's

Please tell me your honest opinion I can handle constuctive critisitism just remember they are N-Scale.

Shane
 

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rockislandmike

Active Member
Kewl, a snow plow. That's my fave, btw. I'd like to add some snow plows to my roster at some point. Living in Canada, just sort of gives things a homey feel.
 

IMRL393

Member
Hi Guys!

Nice snowplow, Shane. The Rock had many here in Iowa - but wouldn't have needed them much THIS winter (so far!). I wonder why model makers don't make the old tender snow plows? There is a photo of some in the F&PE book (pp 114-115). Even one shown in BLUE - so they used them up to the end. I have a booklet by Philip Hastings called "Remember the Rock". It shows a tender plow with a GP38-3 (b/w photo - but blue scheme) and a SP40-2 (R/Y speed letter scheme) clearing Iowa snow in 1979.

Of course, I also don't understand why they don't make the BLACK (with blue "R") hoppers, gondalas, and coil steel cars. They are really sharp looking!

Shane - I think the bid on the Crown car was somewhere between $14 - $16. Don't know what the final bid was. With shipping of ~$7 on top of that, I thought it was a bit much!
Hopefully will see a cheaper one (Galesburg will have a tough time coming up with everything I want!).

I keep talking about Galesburg as if I knew you know what I'm talking about. In case you don't, Galesburg, Illinois, (which has an AMTRAK station on the BNSF line to Chicago, and is served by the Chief and the Zephyr) has a Rail Road Days every summer. One of the local colleges hosts a big model RR show (as a fund raiser) during that weekend. Also BNSF usually has several locos on display, to "tour", and to ride. It's a great mix of real and model trains. So if you are ever in the MidWest about that time, it's worth dropping in!

- George
 

rockislandmike

Active Member
Speaking of, did the ROCK operate any tank cars??? I've been looking around for pics on the web, and cannot find any, nor are there any in the Walthers catalogue. This seems very odd to me.
 

RI541

Member
Hey Guys,

Just got back from the Caboose Corner in Bellows Falls VT. He has some athern and Atlas RI in HO the Atherns were between 5 and 9 dollars The Atlas was 20 all are nice cars.

Heres his E-mail address if you ask him he could get you a list it might take a day or two.
he does do mail order.

cabcorjc@sover.net

He also told me that if I can find the Athern number for the express three pack he might be able to get me a set.
I might go to Mass Tomrrow and see whats there.He doesnt have much HO mostly N-Scale but thats my kind of store.

Mike,
As for the RI having their own tank cars most people will tell you they didn't but in fact they did but not very many,theres a picture in the Frieght and Passenger book on page 9 you cant see much of it but its # is RI95460 Thats the only picture in the book But Ive got a magizine somewhere with better pictures an definitions in it I forget how big they were I'll have to look for it since I have 4 tank cars in the Paint Shop.

Thanks for the compiments. The snow plow is one of my favorites too,even if it doesnt match any proto types.

Shane
 

rockislandmike

Active Member
You're not the only one that went shopping today. My big find of the day was the perfect units for the "shoe shopping excursion" passenger cars that my wife wants as part of her railroad. But since she hasn't picked out colors or logos yet, I just wrote the details down so I wouldn't forget. And then I bought another RI boxcar from Athearn (RTR).
 

IMRL393

Member
Sharp looking on that tank car, Shane - I hadn't noticed it before!

The photos in that book can give a lot of information - even when it isn't the main "focus" of the picture! Ya gotta pick up a copy sometime, Mike!

Shane - if your dealer can find the Athearn green boxcar set for a fair price, I will definitely buy it!

I think I will have the majority of the tank cars and hoppers on my layout associated with certain local industries instead of the RI. Have an ADM hopper, a DuPont tanker and hopper. ADM and a DuPont plastics site are just up the river on the old RI track in Clinton, Iowa. Of course, I have the Clinton Corn Products tank car. Want to add a black ADM tank car - Shane has the advantage here as there are lots in N-Scale, but very few in HO - I don't know why because I see them all the time on the IMRL. I have the ADM decals - just need to get an undec. tank car to put them on. Maybe that's how you could get a RI tanker, Mike!

Alas, no new cars today - of course, I got the Atlas RS-1 in the mail last Wednesday, so can't really complain! It is a nice runner! One of the old Atlas-Kato models.

- George
 
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