Opening the Railroad Modeler Box, Part 1: The Spirit of '74

The full run of Railroad Modeler magazine except for special issues.
Those yellow stickies mark things I want to write about.

I've written a little about Railroad Modeler magazine in the past, especially in regards to E. L. Moore's career. It was RM that revived it and marked the beginning of the 3rd and last stage of his presence on the national model railroading scene. And a very successful stage it was. 

As I was writing about John Olson's Cielo Lumber Co. layout I began to think I should pull together all my notes and references on RM and try to write something substantial about it. I won't be writing about it as an insider, but as merely a reader, a reader with a history.

I don't think RM is all that well known in the general model railroader population. Maybe amongst those of, well, a certain age like myself. And if it is remembered, feelings about it seem to be mixed. That's an unfair assessment in my opinion. There's a lot of mundane stuff in its pages, but there's a fair share of innovative gold too.

When the magazine was a going concern between 1971 and 1980 (well, I think it ceased publication in 1980, I need to verify) I only saw and read the 6 issues from January 1974 to June 1974. After that I never saw it again on newsstands up here. The next time I came across it was in a gentlemen's basement who wanted to get rid of his collection to someone who would take it off his hands; no charge, just rid him of it. That someone was me, and that collection is shown in the lead photo to this post. It wasn't until I got it home, re-bagged the issues in acid-free sleeves and boxed them in a clean carton, that I realized it was a complete collection. That was in 2017. I've studied the collection a lot in the intervening years thinking that one day I'd write something about that old magazine. Well, that day has come. Ok, that year has come because the story will roll out over the year.

Railroad Modeler covers for 1974
Row 1: Q1 | Row 2: Q2 | Row 3: Q3 | Row 4: Q4

Where to begin? Conventional wisdom says to begin at the beginning, which in this case would be with the first issue, September 1971. Be that as it may, I'm going to start with 1974 because it was the January 1974 issue I first came across, and June 1974 was the last I saw back in the '70s.

Oh, before I continue I should mention that RM published indices of the contents of each year. I'm in the process of trying to figure out how to get Gemini to read the index pages so I can convert them to nicely formatted tables of plain text, which would be quite useful when it comes to performing searches. Once I get that figured out I'll post the results here. 

Bird's eye view of the CP&I layout in the February '74 issue of RM

Ok, back to regularly scheduled programming. 

Back in that January to June '74 period one other project that caught my interest then was the RM project layout, the CP&I, that ran from January to July - I never saw the last instalment. I must admit it wasn't until the second instalment in February that I was hooked, and it was the two-page, overhead view of the entire layout that grabbed my attention.

Looking back, I think the layout's purpose was merely to showcase what could be built with standard, off-the-shelf model railroading products. I was too young and naive to consider that in those days, I was simply enthralled by that overhead view and paid attention thereafter to the rest of the series. I still like that photo regardless of possible ulterior motives, and have been a fan of complete, overhead layout shots ever since. 

Apparently CP&I stood for Cahuenga Pass & Interbay RR in the series
I assume Cahuenga Pass was named after Cahuenga Pass in Los Angeles where Challenge Publications was located.
The authors also note CP&I was chosen to fit the acronym for Challenge Publications, Inc.

Interestingly, I hoped that the CP&I would be a little layout so I might discuss it in the Little Layouts series, but no dice, it measured 8' long by 3-1/2' wide, just a tad smaller than a standard plywood sheet. I'd say that tad wasn't taddie enough to qualify as a little layout: omnivagant, yes; little, no.

According to the January '74 issue the CP&I was on display at the 1973 Model Railroad Industry Association show in Orange County. If there are any readers here who saw or operated it, please leave a comment as I'd like to know what you might remember.

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Digressions

The issues of April '74 ordered from left to right by increasing cover price:
60¢ | 65¢ | $1.00 | $1.25

April 1974 was a very intense model railroading time for me :-) I built E. L. Moore's RMC Paper Company that appeared in the April issue of Railroad Model Craftsman, and I built Peters Sausage Co. in N-scale (sadly, it has been lost to time) that appeared in the April issue of Model Railroader, and I schemed about how to buy an issue of The Spirit comic, but alas, I had run out of money buying model railway magazines :-) 

On every trip to the newsstand over the next few months The Spirit continued to intrigue me, but I always left unfulfilled. Until a few weeks ago when I stumbled across a copy of The Spirit #1 from April 1974 at an online reseller. It was an excellent price, so, obviously, I bought it and wasn't disappointed. Coincidentally, the first story in it is called The Last Trolley; oddly appropriate for a streetcar aficionado. 

The world of print magazines was a fascinating one for me, and continues to be even in its death throes.

Way Out Layout Runabout, Part 2: Revival

I’m working on reviving the Way Out Layout. It’s not glamorous work, and even though the track is clean and trains now run, the layout’s not a pretty sight. And won’t be for a while as revitalization continues.

The Lengthy Lineage of Little Layouts, Part 2: Source track plan for John Olson's Cielo Lumber Co. layout

Top: Model Railroader, March 1972 | Bottom: Railroad Modeler, January 1974.

Galen did some excellent detective work and told me in the comments to the first post of this series that the track plan to John Olson's Cielo Lumber Co. layout looks to be derived from a section of Robert Silas' Sagatukett River RR track plan that appeared in the March 1972 issue of Model Railroader. As you can see in the above illustration, the similarities are indeed very similar, as Yogi Berra might have said :-)

I asked Galen how he figured this out and he noted:

"It was a combination of your sketch and Olson's comments in the article that did it.  Something he said about the spacing and how "you can spend forty-five minutes to an hour on just a single problem".  Your sketch is "upside down" so to speak but it removed the structures enough that the basic track geometry was clearer.  I've tried the switching scenario mentioned in the original article and it really would take forever and a day.

I'm loathe to admit I've probably spent more time perusing the track plan collection book that the Sagatukett plan was included in than I should have, but I like studying these plans.  For some reason this one stayed with me ..."

In the June '72 issue of Model Railroader, a Mr. Alan L Bates wrote in to comment on performing switching operations in the town of Equinox, the town the source track plan services:

"It would be hard to come up with a more ideal example of how not to build a railroad, either prototype or model, than the town of Equinox on the Sagatukett River RR in your March issue."

Mr. Bates then elaborates on the time consuming complexities of performing operations on that track plan, at one point suggesting operations on said track plan would "at worst could cause mass misery among the others attending the session [JDL: the operating session] with resultant ulcers, drunkenness, and riotous behavior." Clearly this track plan needs to come with a warning label :-)

Desert Dodge Do-Over, Part 7: Impatience & Frustration

The body was brush painted with mixtures of Golden acrylic products:
So-Flat Permanent Yellow, Fluid Benzimidazione Yellow Light, & High Flow Titanium White 

I'm taking a very different approach to finishing the Desert Dodge than I'm taking with the RDC-M. With the later project I'm being careful about getting the body seamless and the sprayed on paint smooth and uniform. With the Dodge though, I'm brush painting it and not being too picky about whether seams from body sectioning are visible. It's not a bad look, but it won't be any contest winner. I just want to have some carefree fun with this project to get me through some tough winter weather.

There are some ugly joints that will need attention.
I'll be sneaky and make use of strategically placed decals :-)

Attaching the box and cab to the chassis though wasn't fun at all. I thought the chassis warp was mild and wouldn't pose a problem. I was dead wrong. There was a mighty struggle to get everything properly lined up, seated, and glued together. It took three attempts! 

I threw caution to the wind when applying the clamps on the third (!) attempt.

There're are some ugly joints that will need attention. At this stage base coats of paint have been applied and there's lots of detail work and finessing to go. 

The front fenders had to be superglued to the chassis.

I seemed to be cursed building old kits that have been repopped. The GMC Jimmy, Revell Turismo, the Engine House, and the P-38 Lightning were all struggles. I go into these projects thinking I'll get a big hit of sentimental nostalgia, but wind up only getting a little hit of nostalgia accompanied by a massive headache.

I'm going to take a stab at detail painting and cleaning things up before moving on to building the roll cage. Stay tuned! 

An E. L. Moore sighting in France!

Screen capture at around 4:15 in 2 Pieds au Colorado

In yesterday's post about the 'Two Feet in Colorado' challenge I noted in the fine print that I thought I saw an old E. L. Moore designed kit on one of the modules. Take a look at the module by M. Guy Knox at around the 4:15 mark. The opening photo to this post is a detailed screen capture of the building in question with, ta da, the Grusom Casket Co. main building (aka the Ramsey Journal Building with different window frames), called out with the red arrow.

It's still amazing to me that here a quarter of the way through the 21st century these old kits keep popping up.

Two Feet in Colorado

In my last post I started talking about little layouts, and I said I wasn't going to talk about what's going on today in the field, but I was so charmed by the little modular dioramas in Voie Libre's 'Two Feet in Colorado' challenge I thought I should link to their video. It's auto-dubbed in English, although it's somewhat robotic. Try to overlook that and focus on the little dioramas as they're excellent.

P.S.: For the eagle-eyed I think I see an E. L. Moore designed plastic kit on one of the dioramas.

The Lengthy Lineage of Little Layouts, Part 1: Introduction

Aerial view of John Olson's HOn3 Cielo Lumber Co. | Source: Railroad Modeler, Jan '74

This essay rambles a bit, but it does eventually get to the point. If you’re ok with that, let’s get on with it.

A week or so ago I was informed of the passing of model railroading legend John Olson. I wrote a little about his work while I was deep into building the Mount Lowe layout. Although I didn’t personally know Mr. Olson, the report of his death struck a chord with me. It was the passing of a significant figure in my early model railroading education. I read a lot of old model railroading magazines and books, so I think a part of my mind unconsciously believes the modellers whose projects are showcased in those publications are still out there in their prime doing fantastic work so that sheltered part of my mind sometimes gets hit hard when faced with reality. 

Olson’s HOn3 Cielo Lumber Co. layout that was featured in the January 1974 issue of Railroad Modeler was the first layout I ever obsessed over. I thought everything about it was great: the photos, the little model buildings, the rolling stock, the scenes, and the text. I read the article many times and studied the photos obsessively. Even today I like to go back to that article now and then. I still get a hit of pleasure from it. Of course Mr. Olson went on to do bigger and better things, but the Cielo Lumber Co. has a lasting charm, and wouldn’t be out-of-place in today’s world of model railways

When events like John Olson’s passing happen it tends put other things I’m thinking about at the time in a different light. Take the Cielo Lumber Co. layout, it’s a little layout, not a micro, but little, especially for the time when a little beginner’s layout was generally considered something that filled a 4’x8’ sheet of plywood or a ping-pong table. In those days little layouts like Cielo weren’t unheard of, but weren’t where the mainstream action was. Cielo also reminds me that when I was deep into E. L. Moore research in the old magazines I’d often stumble across articles and photos of perfectly decent little layouts. 

Track plan of John Olson's Cielo Lumber Co. | Source: Railroad Modeler, Jan '74*
At first glance it looks like it has 3 wyes, but there's only 1.

E. L. Moore himself even built one - a 30 inch x 30 inch one called the Enskale Hoentee - as a project layout for Railroad Model Craftsman in 1968. In that post-WWII era many model railroaders also struggled, as many do today, with their desire to have a layout. Back then many didn’t have much room for one because they were living in apartments, small houses, or trailers, or they didn’t have the cash for a basement-filler. E. L. Moore was in that category. He lived in a small apartment and had quite a modest income. His famous Elizabeth Valley RR was only 4 ft x 6 ft. That’s still rather large by today’s standards of what a small layout often is, but it fit in his apartment and generated so much interest from readers that he had postcards printed up with the EVRR track plan on them to respond to inquires about the pike. 

But, as I mentioned, Mr. Moore wasn’t the only model railroader doing small layouts in that era. I’ve mentioned a few here, but I should write more about the others I’ve seen, and follow up on a few leads that I’ve set aside “for another time”. While it’s true that large layouts dominated, little ones had a presence, and lots of creative thought went into them. 

I sometimes encounter YouTube videos where the hosts will list not having room for a layout as one perceived reason the hobby doesn’t have much of an uptake with younger modellers. The argument seems to be implicitly based on the assumption that the large layout is the thing being desired. To me this demonstrates a lack of knowledge regarding the fantastic array of smaller model railways that are being built today, and the long history of little layouts. I’m not going to try and educate people on the state of small layouts in today’s scene. Just go to YouTube, The Micro Model Railway Dispatch, or Voie Libre, and you’ll be well on your way to educating yourself about projects in this fascinating field. 

Here, I’d rather talk about many of the older little layouts from say 1945 to around 1980 that were covered in magazines, but aren’t all that well known, or known at all. Many of those are even more viable today because we have much improved technology right across the board to implement and riff on them than they did back then. Frankly, the more ideas one is exposed to, the more depth you have to work with when designing your own layout. I’d bet AI doesn’t know about any of those classic little layouts, so it’s up to us humans to step up to the task of bringing them to light. Hopefully AI will one day incorporate that knowledge into its databases to share with others - well, I can hope :-)

Paperclip-7
Little layout thinking applied to a Scalextric 1/32 scale slot car track**
Size is approximately 200cm x 130 cm

What do I consider little? I don’t have hard and fast dimensions for you other than the layout should be considerably smaller than a standard 4’ x 8’ sheet of plywood. Micro-layouts are the smallest in the category, with the largest being around 4 sq. ft. in area. I should note I’m not talking about modular layouts, but self-contained, stand-alone little worlds. Over the years I’ve taken a stab at defining some different classes of little layouts, usually with tongue firmly in cheek, such as MCM-7 and the Anti-Layout. The only definitive thing I can say is "I know one when I see one" :-)

One other thing I like about little layouts is they open the door to pleasant activities and learning that is distinctly human and, so far, inaccessible, and maybe incomprehensible, to AI. And before we get too far into this, I’m not saying they are a gateway activity to STEM or STEAM. I don’t have something so instrumental in mind. Someone of course might attribute model railwaying as their introduction to a professional career, and that’s all well and good, but boosting career prospects is not the point I'm trying to make. It’s the idea that mind, body, and soul all come together to make these little layouts that aids being a human being. This happens with large layouts too, but the advantage of little ones is that they’re lower cost, easier to complete, and you can build several different ones to a high degree of completion in the time it would take to build a moderately detailed, moderately sized big layout. ‘Moderately sized big layout’, sheesh, there’s another thing I’m going to have to define, but for now I’ll assume you know what I mean. This all helps to speed learning so you can develop deeper, more sophisticated layouts relatively faster. And you don’t have to trash your finished layout to make way for a new one, which always seemed like a colossal waste to me. 

Ok, I've rambled long enough. It's been a long way of saying that I'm thinking about writing on little layouts I stumble across from the pre-micro-layout era, and maybe throw in some posts about things I find in Railroad Modeler too as I think it's an under appreciated magazine from the past. There're are also a few topics about the intersection of AI, model making, reading, and writing I'd like to dive into, so stay tuned, and thanks for hanging around until the end!

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Digressions

* In the article Mr. Olson states he derived the track plan from "an old issue of MR". He doesn't specify which old issue.

I thought, ok this seems like a problem in topology. Maybe if I give Gemini the track plan it can try and pattern-match its lines to other track plans it has access to. The track plan's lines may need to be stretched, strunk, or bent, but that's topology for you and that laborious work should be something AI can do far better than me.

Gemini gave very authoritative sounding replies to my question, but in the end what it told me it had made up, which I discovered after checking the sources it recommended.

It recommended an article called A Wye for Small Spaces by Linn Westcott in the Nov '57 issue, and A Wye for Small Spaces (yes, the same title as Westcott's article!) by Gordon Odegard in the Nov '64 issue. Neither issue had any articles by either of them that even came close. Gemini also said they could be found in the classic book 101 Track Plans for Model Railroads and that too proved false.

While I'll need to do some good old fashioned research to find the source, I didn't mind the wild goose chase. I found some interesting articles in both those issues I'm going to write about here. So, even though I don't care for the blatant making things up stuff that AI does, I often find in its randomness some interesting paths to follow.

**I got into model railways via slot cars. I've recounted the story many times, but I'll simply summarize it by saying: 1/32 Scalextric & Eldon slot cars -> E. L. Moore -> model railroading. 

I got to wondering if I could design a slotcar track for 1/32 scale cars and Scalextric track with a footprint no bigger than 2m x 1m, which would fit in the back of my SUV with the backseats turned down. I came close.

I used the app Railmodeller Express to design what I call the Paperclip-7 layout, named as such because it looks like a paperclip and the scenery will be reminiscent of a wild stretch of Ontario's King's Highway 7. Whether or not this layout will work is up for debate. 

If I ever build this thing, you'll be the first to know :-)

The Mount Lowe Railway Alcove

The stand rotates so all faces can be made visible.

RDC-M, Part 2: Waiting for Spring

First round of gap filling with Perfect Plastic Putty plus adding styrene trim.

For me, smoothing and finishing a sectioned shell is a rather lengthy process of filling gaps, smoothing with sanding sticks, papers, and files, priming, and repeating the process until the shell looks more-or-less seamless. This is the process I followed with both Variation #3 and the Jigger.

Starting to fill the gaps in the roof

The problem here is it's the dead of winter and spraying primer outside is out of the question, and I don't spray paint inside the house, so further work on the body is going to have to wait for spring to arrive.

While I wait for winter to end, I'll move onto building the chassis so when spring does arrive it won't be long until I have a running RDC-M. Stay tuned!

Way Out Layout Runabout, Part 1: A Man With A Saw Thinks Everything Needs Cutting

Top: Before | Bottom: After

I have saws and cutting with saws on my mind these days. First it was the Desert Dodge's roof, then the Desert Dodge's pickup box, next it was the RDC-M's body, and now it's the beach on the Way Out Layout. 

A black Sharpie pen was used to mark what needed to be cut off.

Construction on the Way Out Layout has been stalled for a very long time. I tried to think of why over the Christmas holidays. I realized one stumbling block was I was probably never going to finish detailing the beach area. I had lost interest and it was holding me back. So, I got out a Sharpie pen and drew a black line around the area I had no interest in.

A tool-box saw does the deed

As I've written about before, I have a number of small layout projects in mind for this year, and although my thoughts haven't settled and gelled on how to proceed yet, all will need the Way Out Layout for test running vehicles and trying out landscaping techniques. So, I thought I'd fix it up and get rid of whatever was annoying me about it. That included cutting off parts that seemed irrelevant. 

All that's left of the beach is a trash bag o' foam pieces.

Although the layout's base board was built up from styrofoam, it was surprisingly tough to cut through.

Once the desired landscape was removed I smoothed out the new rough foam edges with a rasp and painted them with black acrylic paint. 

Strangely, I'm glad the front edge has been sectioned.

The next thing is a general layout tidy-up and to test run some locos and streetcars.

Yes, the posts are still quite random here, and I expect them to stay that way until I settle on a new direction. Stay tuned!

Layout planning tool for layout 585 3 aka Taronna

The advanced layout planning tool has been created!

Now that the Mount Lowe layout is done I've been starting to think more seriously about the Taronna layout. About the only constant that has washed through my mind on this has been that I'd like it to fit on top of the family room coffee table. That little table has been the support for all the small layouts I've built recently - well, other than Mount Lowe - that I've thought of naming an new layout genre after it, MCM-7 :-)

The basic, unlayouted coffee table.

The Taronna layout will likely take up the coffee table's entire surface, and maybe even overhang a little. Since the area of the coffee table is a little under 7 sq. ft., it won't classify as a micro, but that doesn't concern me as the goal is to have a layout representation that reflects my Taronna memories, not to have an 'official' micro version of them.

Advanced tracing process for creating the advanced layout planning tool.

It's going to be a very tricky layout to design. So far I haven't even come close to capturing the look and feel I'm after by just doing drawings in my sketchbooks. Instead I'm going to try 3D design with actual track and buildings and what-not to see if I can make any progress.

Test fitting the wilderness retreat mockup layout for size.

While I had things pulled out for making the layout template I tried having a look at the mockup for the wilderness retreat layout I made last year when I was learning how to use my new rail-bender. That layout is a micro, but I'm not happy with its design either.

Dissatisfaction with layout ideas I've been kicking around awhile seems to be a theme for me as I start the new year. I have a lot of things on the go and will write about a few here, so for some time the blog will be a hodgepodge of notes until something gels. You've been warned :-)

Desert Dodge Do-Over, Part 6: Drivetrain AI & Parts Bin Mentality

In the last episode I shortened the chassis to fit the shortened body. Saws were drawn; glue was squirted; RDCs were dreamt about; all ended well.

The next thing I decided to do was install the drivetrain. This involved shortening the driveshafts and lowering the engine a little so its transmission would line up properly with the transfer case's new location. This doesn't sound like much, but it turned out to be a tricky sort of job. In the end I couldn't get all the drivetrain elements lined up as I had hoped so I simply connected the partially lowered engine to the transfer case with a highly unrealistic, cobbled together drive shaft whose universal joints are an insult to hotrodders everywhere. 

The kit's driveshafts were cut, shortened, and glued back together.
The transfer case mount and the engine mounts were lowered.

Again, while I was doing this work I thought back to when I first tried this project when I was 12 and realized once again I could not have done it back then, and that this phase of construction is so involved and convoluted I can see why it was glossed over in the article. I'm doing a bit of glossing over here myself, but at least I'm showing you what the underside of the vehicle has ended up looking like, and giving some hints about how to proceed if you're crazy enough to tackle this project.

Speaking of crazy, since there appeared to me to be information missing from the article I decided to ask Gemini to summarize the article and see what it might find. No, I haven't lost my ability to think, I was just curious to see if it could actually 'read' a jpeg of the article and see what it had to say about it. Here's the summary Gemini gave:

The article, titled "A Desert Dodge," was written by Bill Wright for the September 1972 issue of Car Model magazine. It provides a step-by-step guide on how to take MPC’s then-new 1/25 scale "Baja-Brute" Dodge Adventurer SE kit and modify it into a more authentic Mexican off-road racer.

Here is a summary of the article:

Background and Context

The author opens with a brief history of off-road racing in the Southwest, noting the transition from modified "junkers" and VW-based dune buggies to the professionalization of the "Baja 1000." He highlights how major manufacturers (Ford, Dodge, etc.) began entering the fray, leading to the release of specialized model kits like the MPC "Baja-Brute."

The Project Goal

While the MPC kit provided a good base, the author argues that serious off-road racers are even more modified than the "out of the box" kit suggests. The goal of the build is to "shorten" the truck and add a custom, heavy-duty external roll cage to match the real-world racers of the era.

Key Modifications

The article details eight specific steps to achieve a more "pro" look:

• Sectioning the Body: To make the truck more agile, the author instructs to cut one full inch out of the stock pickup bed and shorten the chassis and drive shaft accordingly.

• Custom Roll Cage: Using K&S brass tubing (1/16, 3/32, and 1/8-inch), the author explains how to bend and solder a complex "exoskeleton" roll cage that wraps over the roof and into the bed.

• Weight Reduction: The roof is "sliced" from the roll cage (likely referring to the interior clearance or thinning the plastic) to simulate racing weight-saving measures.

• Scratch-Building Details: 

* Screen Mesh: Used on the roof cage for cargo/spare tire storage.

• "Flex-Straw" Intake: A clever "low-tech" tip where a plastic drinking straw is used to simulate the large air cleaner hose running from the dashboard to the engine.

• Air Cleaner Housing: Cut from thick plastic or wood to simulate the housing that protects the carburetor from desert sand.

• Finishing Touches: The build uses decals from a "Duster" kit and adds spare tires and off-road lights to the rear cage.

Summary of the "Baja" Style

The article concludes by noting that these modifications simulate the "funny car-style" tube chassis machines with fiberglass bodies that were winning the Baja 1000 at the time, elevating the standard kit from a "street-legal" 4WD to a dedicated racing machine.

It's quite a decent summary actually. I was glad to read in the 'Sectioning the Body' bullet point Gemini interpreted the text the same as I did that the instruction is to cut an inch out of the pickup bed. Unlike Gemini though, through the experience of building the model I can figure out that cutting out that inch is too much when the resulting bed is compared to the article's photos. In fact if I had paid more attention to the photos instead of the text I would have twigged that the text was wrong. Gemini didn't come to that realization and I don't think it can.

I glued on some bolt greeblies to suggest detail.

Since the instructions for modifying the chassis and body are missing - the subject of this post and the previous one - I asked Gemini to tell me what was missing. I wanted to see if it noticed that, and to see if it noticed any other missing instructions. Here's what it told me:

Based on the era of the magazine and the "pro-modeler" style of Bill Wright, the article is remarkably complete for its time, but it does leave out a few technical "connective" steps that a modern modeler might find challenging.

By 1972 standards, this was a high-level instructional piece. However, if you were trying to replicate this build today, you would likely find gaps in three specific areas:

1. Structural Alignment (The "Chassis Sectioning")

In Step 1, the author mentions removing an "equal amount" from the chassis and the rear drive shaft after sectioning the bed.

• What’s missing: He doesn't explain how to reinforce those cuts. Simply gluing two ends of a plastic chassis or a thin drive shaft together creates a very weak "butt joint" that will likely snap. A modern guide would suggest "sleeving" the drive shaft with a brass tube or using plastic reinforcement plates (gussets) on the chassis rails to ensure the truck doesn't sag in the middle.

2. Soldering vs. Gluing Brass

The article suggests that the K&S brass tubing can be "soldered or epoxied together if you clean the joints."

• What’s missing: Soldering brass to create a roll cage is a specific skill. The author doesn't mention the need for flux or how to "fish-mouth" (notch) the ends of the tubes so they sit flush against each other. If you just touch two round tubes together and apply solder or epoxy, the surface area is too small for a permanent bond.

3. Interior and Engine Integration

The guide focuses almost entirely on the exterior "look" of the Baja racer.

• What’s missing: * Step 8 discusses the air cleaner housing and hose, but it doesn't detail how to modify the hood to accommodate these parts or how the "Flex-Straw" passes through the firewall without interfering with the dashboard.

There is no mention of interior modifications, such as removing the passenger seat or adding racing harnesses, which would be standard for a truck of this caliber.

Is it "Complete"?

Yes, for the 1972 hobbyist. During this era, Car Model readers were expected to have a "parts bin" mentality. The article provides the difficult creative solutions (the measurements for the body and the design of the cage) and assumes the builder has the basic mechanical skills to make the pieces stick together.

It’s a perfect example of the "kitbashing" philosophy that E. L. Moore and his contemporaries championed—using everyday items like drinking straws and window mesh to solve complex modeling problems.

Regarding Gemini's advice for chassis sectioning, the part I've been dealing with recently, its advice is true, but generic. As you've seen, I didn't follow that advice. I used butt joints to hold the drive shafts together, and didn't use sleeving. The resulting joints I made are quite strong and rigid, it just takes a little patience to hold the pieces together while the glue is setting up. Also, I didn't reinforce the chassis as again the glue joints are quite strong and the entire unit of chassis and body will be quite strong when it's finally all glued together. I guess it's an experience thing, the modeller needs to apply their knowledge to the problem at hand and proceed with what seems appropriate. In this case, the model isn't subjected to any loads other than casual handling, so lots of extra reinforcement isn't required, just careful fitting of parts and solid gluing.

The E. L. Moore reference at the end is odd, but Gemini has run E. L. Moore requests for me before and I've added an note to it that I have a significant E. L. Moore database, so Gemini seems to inject Mr. Moore wherever it seems appropriate to it. I don't completely disagree with it's assertion about E. L. Moore as he did use everyday items now and then, but he certainly wasn't a kitbasher, that was an Art Curren speciality.

Chassis was base coated with Vallejo Model Color Black Grey

Gemini concluded its response about missing instructions with this question to me:

Would you like me to look closer at the photos to see if I can spot any "unspoken" modifications to the interior or engine bay?

To which I said, Yes. It then generated this:

After a closer look at the photos and researching the original 1971 MPC kit, I’ve spotted several "unspoken" details that Bill Wright included in his final build but didn't explicitly describe in the text.

If you are looking for the most complete picture for your E. L. Moore dataset, here are the subtle additions visible in the images:

[JDL: No, I don't know why it again mentioned my E. L. Moore dataset. It seems to think everything I ask it has something to do with E. L. Moore. Ok, well, yes to me all roads lead to E. L. Moore, but come on :-) ]

1. Interior Strip-Down

While the text mentions the "Baja-Brute" kit as a base, the photos of the finished model (specifically Step 8 and the final profile views) show a very sparse interior.

• The Dash: In Step 8, you can see the "Flex-Straw" intake hose disappearing into the dashboard area. Real Baja trucks of this era often had their entire heater core and glove box removed to save weight and make room for radio equipment or specialized gauges.

• Seats: Though not detailed in a step, the final photos show low-back bucket seats. The original "Adventurer SE" trim usually featured a plush bench seat, meaning the author swapped these out for "racing" buckets, likely from his parts bin.

[JDL: No, the seats in the model haven't been replaced with bucket seats. The kit's original bench seat is still there.]

2. Chassis and Suspension "Lift"

The final photos show the truck sitting significantly higher than a stock 1972 Dodge.

• The Secret: If you look at the wheel wells in the final assembly shots, there is a massive gap. This suggests the author likely performed a "suspension lift." In 1970s modeling, this was often done by adding small plastic spacers (or "lift blocks") between the leaf springs and the axles—a common modification that Wright likely assumed his readers already knew how to do.

[JDL: A good observation and this is what I did being schooled in the 70s as I was.]

3. Engine Bay "Pass-Through"

Step 8 is the only mention of the engine, but it’s a crucial one.

• The Missing Cut: To get that "Flex-Straw" from the air cleaner (in the bed) to the carburetor (under the hood), Wright would have had to cut a hole through the rear firewall of the cab.

[JDL: Wright's modification was more show than the go suggested above.]

• The Airbox: He mentions simulating the air cleaner housing with plastic or wood. In the photos, this looks like a large "canister" style filter. This was a classic "Pre-Cleaner" setup used to spinning out heavy sand before it reached the engine.

4. Exterior "Survival" Gear

The final photos show several items that aren't in the "How-To" list but are vital for the look:

• Spare Tires: Two full-sized spares are strapped into the rear cage.

• Fuel Cell: There is a cylindrical object in the bed near the air cleaner that likely represents a high-capacity fuel cell, essential for the long stretches of the Baja 1000.

• Rear-Facing Lights: Small spotlights are mounted to the top of the roll cage, facing backward—used by racers to let trailing drivers see them through the thick dust clouds.

Gemini wanted to do more at this point, but I had had enough. 

I don't think I'll be asking Gemini for help with interpreting scale modelling articles anytime soon, but there were a couple of interesting things that came out of this for me. 

First, I was struck by an overwhelming sense of how much things have changed since I bought that issue of Car Model in the summer of '72 at the Painted Post Smoke Shop. It's not like I didn't already realize this on an intellectual level, but it hit me at a visceral one as I asked this thing, this simulation of human thought, about something from an era where things like it didn't exist. It's a freaky feeling I need to examine some more.

Have a look at the passages on bricoleur and bricolage.

Second was Gemini's introduction of the term "parts bin mentality". It rather dances around this phrase, but from its use the meaning has something to do with a modeller having some experience with kitbashing and feeling at ease using carefully chosen everyday items in a model. I'll agree with it in that specialized things like photoetched and 3D printed parts weren't available so creative modellers had to find other ways to build the things they were after, and repurposing everyday items was one way. For this approach though I think Claude Lévi-Strauss' use of the term bricoleur and bricolage, that he develops in his book The Savage Mind aka Wild Thought, are more accurate and descriptive of the long history of this type of modelling, art, and, ultimately, understanding. Bricoleur and bricolage are worthy of their own post, so I'll leave further discussion for the future. Maybe Gemini will update its vocabulary in the meantime :-)

The cursed GMC Jimmy compared to the Desert Dodge
The Dodge looks like it'll be much taller.

For my immediate future though I'll be moving on to preparing the body and cab interior for attaching to the chassis. Stay tuned!

RDC-M, Part 1: Samurai Sectioning

Top: Athern's RDC box-stock body shell  | Bottom: After sectioning and gluing

RDC-M =

RDC-Mini ?

RDC-Micro ?

RDC-Munchkin ?

???

In the last instalment of the Desert Dodge series I hinted I needed to overcome my reluctance to use my saw to create a miniature RDC; an RDC-M of sorts. Spoiler Alert: Reluctance Overcome!

I had 2 RDC shells by Athern I bought back when I was working on my Le Grand Defi entry in 2024. These are the old RDC models they made of the RDC-2, the combination passenger and baggage vehicle. A complaint I'd hear about the Athern model was it was considerably shorter than the prototype and not too detailed. I have one that runs that is quite decent, but sure, a modern-day Rapido version is far more prototypical and sophisticated. 

I bought these shells because I had an idea for a radically shortened RDC, but my hesitancy about ruining a perfectly good shell got in my way of doing anything.

Shimomura Alec Hyper Cut 0.15 Pro-C saw

Before I got started though I thought I needed a much better razor saw than I used to section the Desert Dodge. I used an Excel saw blade in an X-Acto handle. It was new and sharp and worked fine, but I thought the blade would be too thick for sectioning an HO scale body with any kind of precision. After a bit of searching I found what I was looking for at a local hobby store that specializes in Gundam and related kits, not model railroad stuff, so this was new territory for me. I bought a Japanese Shimomura Alec Hyper Cut 0.15 Pro-C saw and it's fantastic. As we'll get to, I made some screwups while sawing, but they weren't the saw's fault, they had to do with me misplacing the cuts. 

Building Plastic Railroad Models has excellent material on sectioning and kitbashing.

Also before starting I read through a few of my old model building books looking for some words of wisdom about sectioning a shell. I found the most useful one to be Building Plastic Railroad Models by Robert Schleicher, published in 1979. If you can find a used copy I highly recommend it. It's still quite relevant on fundamental techniques even today, and it's presented in the high quality style that Kalmback Books was known for.

Cuts are marked with Tamyia tape. 
White gloves optional :-) The dry air this winter is playing havoc with my hands. I had some hand cream on them when I took the photo.

Well, a good saw and good advice aside, I still made a silly error right from the get go. I decided to make the end cuts through the corrugated roof as I thought I wanted fairly wide ends. Later, when I was cleaning up the cuts with sand paper I realized I'd never get the roof to look seamless over the corrugated section. 

An end section re-marked to cut off the corrugated stub.

So, I re-marked both the end sections and cut off the stub with the remaining corrugated roof. Under the tape is the smooth roof. I though cutting off that remnant would be tough, but the saw is so sharp and thin it cut through like butter; no problem at all. 

Elastic bands were used as clamps to hold the pieces together while gluing.

After cleaning up the cuts with some sanding sticks and blocks the three pieces were glued together with styrene cement.

Photographed right after the elastic bands were removed.

And there it is. It needs to be cleaned up a bit before priming, but it doesn't look too bad at this stage. There's still plenty of work left on this project, but at least the major psychological hurdle is behind me.