Riffing on Cerny & Hayden's lunar loco in OO scale

A lunar locomotive inspired by Cerny & Hayden's Apr '78 MR April Fool's project.

A couple of weeks ago Steve was telling Debra and me about Lego's upcoming release of the moon rocket from Tintin that was featured in the albums Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon. This lead to a fairly wide ranging discussion, and me being me, I started to wonder about the feasibility of building a small, maybe micro-sized, futuristic lunar model railway. And with April coming up this lead me to again think about the article A lunar railroad you can model by Alan Cerny and Bob Hayden that appeared in the April 1978 issue of Model Railroader.

Once a scale was settled on I started to work out dimensions to fit the drive unit,
and look right when an astronaut stood beside it. The loco is unmanned.

After that initial discussion I started to think long and hard about a freelanced little lunar layout that would incorporate, and maybe showcase, Lego's Tintin rocket and the Cerny & Hayden train. To make a very long story short, I eventually settled on a layout that included the rocket, elements of the C&H train, as well as the excavation site in the moon's Tycho crater where the monolith is discovered in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Yes, you read that right: Tintin, C&H, and 2001 in a single layout :-) If I can get the locomotive, train, and track to pass various layout feasibility tests I have in mind, I'll post the layout plan, but until then it's all highly questionable as to whether it will work. Regardless, this gave me a good excuse for trying my hand at making an operating version of the C&H loco as I've wanted to do for 48 years!

These figures are molded in some hideously soft plastic.

The first question that needs to be dealt with is scale. I won't keep you in suspense: I chose OO, 1/76 scale. Why? Well, there are two reasons: one technical, and one artistic.

The technical one is easy (although not completely separable from the artistic one): I have 2 boxes of Airfix OO scale astronauts, and an HO motor bogie from BD Concepts (16.5mm gauge with a 34mm wheelbase).

And then there's the artistic reason, which gets down to questions of size and viewer relatability. 

Let's start with the Tintin rocket. It sure isn't OO scale. The Lego website states it's 49cm tall, and the official Tintin site states that according to Tintin canon the 'prototype' stood 75m tall. So, this puts the Lego model at 1:153 scale, which is in the range of the various N-scales that are used throughout the world: 1:148 to 1:160. If the Lego rocket was in OO this would put the prototype at 34.7m tall, considerably shorter than 75m.

Does this height discrepancy matter? As you know I've posted a lot about Selective Compression over the years (for example, see: Selective Compression [alternate], Selective Compression [alternate #2], Use small to seem large, and Selective Impression) and its application to make big things still seem big on a layout even though rigorous adherence to scale is violated. Recall that I'm still trying to build a TD-Centre replica for an HO-scale micro layout, and if I was rigorous about scale an HO scale model would stand nearly 8 feet tall! So, the answer is, the rocket needs to seem a lot taller than surrounding elements, especially people, even though it is considerably shorter than its 'prototype'. Given that the Lego rocket stands 490mm tall, and the astronaut figures are around 20 to 25mm tall, that relative height requirement is meet. 

Also I should point out that the rocket itself makes it easy to play this game with scales because of its lack of visible size markers like windows and hatches. There is a lower hatch on the fuselage, down near the fins, but when closed it disappears into the red-and-white checker board pattern. 

If I had stuck to N-scale I think the non-rocket elements on the layout, especially the people, would be too small to be relatable to viewers. There'd be a giant rocket and everything else would be teeny-tiny. As well, I don't know how I'd build a C&H train that small.

So, compromise and judicious balancing of layout element sizes is the order of the day.

The BD Concepts motor bogie used to drive the lunar loco

The article states the C&H loco is built to 3/8" scale, which is roughly 9.5mm = 1ft. OO-scale is 4mm = 1 ft, so my model is considerably smaller than theirs, and my model's size is driven by the size of the BD Concepts motor bogie I used: their 34 mm wheelbase unit. They have smaller ones. I used their 28mm unit in the Spumoni Flyer. I only had the 34mm one on hand, so that was that. My choice makes the loco longer than C&H's.

The loco is built up from 3 styrene boxes cut from 0.020" thick scraps:
a rectangular box that covers the drive unit,
a box with trapezoidal ends that sits on top, and
a funny shaped 'nose box' that's stuck on the front.

Ok, you're at 30Squares, and you know I'm interested in the backstories to old model railroading projects, and this one had a strong pull :-) I've wanted to build it for a long time, and looking back, 1978 was a rough year for me, so there's a little bit of nostalgic retrospection going on in me with this project.

I got a little confused when I started searching for Cerny references in the Model Railroader archive because there was mention of an Elmer Cerny and an Alan Cerny. It turns out Elmer was Alan's father. Elmer was an exceptional draftsman, and had a career in the pages of MR as a contributor of highly detailed drawings of locomotives, rail cars, buildings, and other structures.

Two nuts from my cast-offs box were glued in for weight.
The hatch panels are cut from scraps of 0.010" thick styrene.

It appears Elmer's first contribution was a letter to the editor in the December 1952 issue. From what I can tell his first full length piece in MR was an article called Build the Bartlett Building Materials Warehouse in the September 1970 issue. 

State of construction at the end of day 1.

From then on Elmer Cerny was a fairly regular contributor of exquisite mechanical and architectural drawings until the October 1978 issue. MR had very high drawing standards, and Mr. Cerny's work was one of the cornerstones of that tradition. By my count it looks like he contributed 13 articles and/or drawings throughout the 1970s.

The top of the rectangular box is made from 0.040" (about 1mm) thick styrene.
The opening is sized to accept the drive unit mounting clips.
I explained how to attach one of these drive units here.

Mr. Cerny contributed a number articles of a type of what I might call, building profiles. In these articles he'd present photographs of a building that caught his interest, describe it and talk about it, and include fine architectural drawings that would allow a modeller to build an accurate replica. So, in some ways, MR was at times playing the role of an architectural historical archive.

Jumping ahead in the build sequence: here is the drive unit clipped into the opening.
I haven't decided on how I'm going to couple cars together, so no couplers yet.

Alan Cerny, Elmer Cerny's son, was a MR staff member in the Art / Layout department. His first appearance in MR's masthead, under the Art / Layout heading naturally, was in the February 1976 issue. His name continued to be listed there up until its last appearance in the January 1979 issue when it looks like he left the magazine.

State at the end of day #2.
The nose box was also built of 0.020" thick styrene.
The bumper is a piece of 0.060" x 0.060" styrene strip.

His name is listed as a collaborator on a few technical drawings that appeared in MR over the years, but his splashiest bylined contribution during his tenure I think was the lunar model railroad article.

The other side of the shell at the end of day #2
The greeblies came from various kit leftovers:
The antenna, front lights, and camera are from a Moonscope kit.
The lifting hooks are from a Sikorsky Skycrane kit.
The lifting handholds are from some long forgotten airplane kit.

The article seems to have gotten a lot of play. 

It was mentioned in Russ Larson's April editorial. Reading that editorial all these years later makes we wonder if MR okayed this project to capitalize on the excitement created by Star Wars, which was released the previous year, and since they noted that Cerny was "caught up in the current space fantasy craze" maybe he was just the guy for the mission :-)

Rare behind the scene view of 30Squares' scrap and greeble bins
located deep in the bowels of 30Squares' secret construction facility :-)

The Bull Session column in the May '78 issue has a lengthy note in the tradition of those book and magazine articles that were published in that era that had titles like The Making of 2001, The Making of Star Trek, and the Making of Star Wars. This bull session note was their The Making of The Lunar Model Railroad. The author mentions the idea of lunar railroading was kicked off by Bob Hayden on the afternoon of 28 October 1977, which would indeed put it in the midst of the Star Wars craze. 

State at the end of day #3: A horribly bungled paint job that had to be stripped!
I was giddy with joy at being able to spray paint outside on a day with summer-like temps.
It was windy though, and I held the spray can too close for too long to the shell and....
blobby paint resulted.

And there were other things going on in the culture that may have also fuelled interest from MR. The lunar model railroad article notes Stewart Brand's book, Space Colonies, which was published in September 1977, as a reference. Also, Gerard O'Neill's highly influential book, The High Frontier, was first published in January 1977, and in paperback in January 1978. Star Wars itself was released at the end of May 1977. There was a positive space vibe in the air at the time, so maybe MR was looking for a little piece of the action.

State at the end of day #5, the final day of construction.
Day #4 was spent repainting the shell with a brush!
And doing detail painting and decaling.
On day #5 all that was left to do was snap in the drive unit....and voila!

The June and July '77 issues contained a number of positive letters from lunar railroad fans in the Railway Post Office column. One correspondent, a Mr. Thomas G. Levy, noted: "If the lunar train concept and modelwork had been in existence before 1968, it would have undoubtedly been included in the lunar surface footage of the motion picture "2001: A Space Odyssey." It would be an excellent idea to be included in the upcoming movie "Star Wars, Part 2"". Challenge accepted :-)

The paint stripping wasn't perfect and left a rough surface.
I rather liked it and just painted over it.
Maybe it's some sort of thermal coating that's been eroded by moon dust :-)

Another correspondent, Mr. Dan Swearingen, noted that some of the components used looked like those in his old Erector Set, and one proposed shipping container looked like a sardine can. Mr. Donald L. Ward commented that: "...the lunar railroad was excellent! Previous attempts at "April foolery" have been just foolishness, but here is an article filled with creative imagination." Overall the response, well at least those published, was quite positive.

I think that greeble on the right is a starter motor from a car model :-)
I haven't figured out what to do about couplers.
And weathering, that'll be much later if a layout comes to pass.

There's a brief biographical note about Alan Cerny in an article that introduced MR's then current staff in the August '78 issue. It notes he had a longtime interest in model building and art, and that he studied at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. The article also says he regarded model railroading as "a renaissance hobby in which you can learn about the world and yourself - "about your skills and limitations.""

Looks like the Dodge boys had a hand in this thing.
Ugh, I see areas that still need touch-up.

It appears that Alan Cerny's last 20th century appearance in an MR article was in the March 1983 issue as the winner of a MR layout planning contest. The intro to the article notes "Many MR readers will remember Alan's byline from his imaginative article, "A lunar railroad you can model", in the April 1978 issue." It also notes he was then employed at Signode Corp.

Out for a spin on the Way Out Layout.
It runs well.
I need to post a video.

Well, that's that. Next I'll either try my hand at a couple of lunar freight cars, or try some tests to figure out what the minimum curve radius is this thing can handle and what sort of grades it can climb.

While you're waiting for me to make up my mind, I'll leave you with the Deodato hit from '73:

The Brandywine Transit Co. and Me

After writing the post on the genesis of the Mt. Lowe layout, the project that took 10+ years from desire to finished layout, I got to thinking about how long I've been thinking about building a layout inspired by the TTC's streetcar network. So far it's been 50 years! 

From very early on I've been thinking about a TTC layout. Maybe from around '74 or '75, I can't say for certain other than when I saw the May '75 issue of Model Railroader at the local smoke shop newsstand with The Brandywine Transit Co. emblazoned on the cover I thought maybe this was the project to tell me what I wanted to know about building a streetcar layout.

It turned out I was rather disappointed.

So fast-forward 50 years. I went searching for information about The Brandywine Transit Co. online. There was almost nothing, but there were the usual AI findings at the top of the search results. They were rather sketchy though, not to mention pathetic and misleading. I decided to go and look up the BTC articles in my old magazines to properly get an idea of the big picture, and do a little reminiscing. The feel of the paper and the odour from the pages was enough to induce some mild time travelling :-)

I was surprised to find that the series was much longer than I remembered. There were 15 articles altogether from the May '75 issue to May '78. The first 10 dealt with construction of the layout, and the last 5 showed how to build some buildings and rolling stock. Here's the list:

May ’75: Part 1: Building the benchwork and plotting the plan

July ’75: Part 2: Beginning the tracklaying and overhead construction with the hidden interurban laps

Sept ’75: Part 3: Continuing with the tracklaying

Nov ’75: Part 4: Modeling the streets and sidewalks

Jan ’76: Part 5: Wiring the city division

Mar ’76: Part 6: Building prototypic controllers and wiring the interurban division 

May ’76: Part 7: Carbarn construction

Aug ’76: Part 8: Passenger terminal construction

Sept ’76: Part 9: Overhead wire construction for the city division

Oct ’76: Conclusion: Catenary construction for the interurban division

Feb ’77: Build a block of stores

Mar ’77: Old-time gas station

July ’77: Trolley-stop luncheonette

Feb ’78: Build a modern block of stores

May ’78: Build a trolley work train

I should also mention that there's a brief biographical note about the series' author, Walter R. Olsen, in the Aug '72 issue. He was an up and coming star at the time. Among other things he had written a popular series on how to build an N scale layout in a coffee table, called the East Glasstop R.R.. It ran in MR from Dec '70 to Apr '71. The biography also contains this rather interesting quote: "I don't care about operation at all. Once a layout is finished I usually run it only for visitors until it is torn up to make way for a new one." I'm more-or-less of the same mind, except for the tearing up part - ok, I have done that, but I like to think it's the exception and not the rule with me :-)

The BTC and series is a master class in how to properly build a traction layout with 1970s model railway technology and methods. I don't think I'd be exaggerating to say it was one of the best layout construction series MR published in the 20th century.

So why was I disappointed? 

In retrospect there was nothing wrong with the series. The problem was with my expectations. In Toronto the streetcar system was and is a fully operating, modern day transit system. The BTC was a somewhat old time system set in 1949 and wasn't urban. As well, it was too advanced and expensive for teenage me. The fit wasn't there.

Once 1977 and 1978 rolled around model railroading was slipping to the back burner. I had other things to do and other interests. These days I have the elements for a TTC inspired layout and some experience. There might be a fit now.

Casting Call

Collection of latex rock molds so far

I've been busy making rock molds.

Flat ones and 3D ones. 

Several types for several scenes. 

Flat ones for sheer cliff faces. 

Chunky ones for ledges and outcroppings. 

And extras in case I bungle the casting process.

Two modules for a shelf layout. Parent's backyard in Scarborough. 1977. Polacolor.

In the summer of 1977 I spent some time learning how to make rock molds from latex and casting rock scenery in plaster. 

Both modules didn't survive a 1978 move across Scarborough

The method I used was taken from Bob Hayden and Dave Frary's two-part article, Casting rocks from plaster, that appeared in the Dec '74 and Jan '75 issues of Railroad Model Craftsman. The first part deals with making latex models from rocks, and the second is about using the molds to cast plaster rock formations and arranging them on your layout.

The Jan '75 issue also had the first instalment of John Olson's Stop Gap Falls series. It made quite an impression on me and resurfaced in my mind when I started to work on my two modules in 1977. They don't have the drama of Olson's, but they were to be representative of somewhere in northern Ontario, not the Colorado Rockies. 

A couple of garden border rocks were pressed into service for some molds

Back in the 70s I followed Hayden and Frary's advice on where to make molds:

"This [JDL: making a latex mold of a rock] can be done either on location in the great out-of-doors, or on your work bench using a chunk of rock hauled in from the boonies. All things considered, bringing a five or six pound rock indoors is the better option ..."

This time around though I figured I'd follow John Olson's:

"I've made many [JDL: rock molds that is] in the field, working on rock faces that were far too large to attempt to take home. Rock mold expeditions make fun family outings. Besides, you'll ensure that your molds are like no one else's - unless they happen to discover the exact same rock you did, and that's highly unlikely!"

Making sheer face molds from a retaining wall. Pre-gauze state.

The latex came in a small jar from the local art supply. The procedure is pretty standard: brush on 4 or 5 coats (let completely dry between applications) on a clean rock surface, then apply a layer of medical gauze with latex brushed over it, and when dry apply 3 to 5 more coats of latex depending on the thickness that has built up. After everything is dry, carefully peel the molds from the rock. Go slow and easy and they won't tear. On a nice, sunny summer day the whole job to make 6 molds takes from just after breakfast to just before dinner. There are many places on the internet that explain all the details for making rock molds, but this is the gist of it.

After application of the gauze and latex layer.

Strictly speaking, authenticity-wise, I should have flown to California, hiked up the San Gabriel Mountains, and made some molds near the Mt. Lowe Railway roadbed. Even though I'd love to do that, it wasn't an option, so I looked around for some suitable stand-ins here in Ontario.

One problem with making molds in the field is that if you run out of latex you're done. I found some rather interesting 3D rock shapes while working on those sheer face molds, but I didn't have enough latex on hand to make more molds than those already in process. That'll be for another outing.

Somewhere along the Mt. Lowe trail in May 2015

Kelley's Folly and E. L. Moore in 1977

Left: Karl Osolinski's interpretation of Kelley's Folly | Right: E. L. Moore's original model

Back in July Paul sent me some photographs of a masterful interpretation of E. L. Moore's Kelley's Folly project by Karl Osolinski. Karl granted permission for me post his pictures here. 

Well, longtime readers will know I was on an extended hiatus in the summer, and when I returned to the saddle in September I had forgotten about Kelley's Folly. A few days ago Paul reminded me, and I started to feel bad that I had ignored this stunning model.

But, you know, I'm thinking it might have been good that I put off this story until now, even if it was caused by forgetfulness, because Kelley's Folly is a 1977 story. And a major one at that. Here's the headline:

Kelley's Folly was the last story E. L. Moore ever submitted to RMC

1977 was at the end of Mr. Moore's publishing career. He only submitted 3 articles to MR and 2 to RMC that year. The first one to RMC was The Firecracker Foundry, which became his very last published article appearing in the July 1980 issue, and the second, his last submission, was Kelley's Folly, which was published in the January 1979 issue. 1978 only saw one submission, and that was the North Conway Depot article to MR. E. L. Moore died in August 1979.

Hey, since we've come this far, let's take a trip back to 1977 to get a sense of how Kelley's Folly came to pass.

As I mentioned, Mr. Moore submitted the manuscript for the Firecracker Foundry to Railroad Model Craftsman sometime in 1977. There isn't a cover letter for this project in the archive even though the original typescript still exists. However, it looks like it was submitted in the spring of 1977. Later, on 26 May 1977, he sent a letter and photos off to Tony Koester at RMC to see if there might be any interest in the Kelley's Folly project: 

May 26, 1977

Tony Koester, Editor,

Railroad Model Craftsman,

P. O. Box Drawer 700,

Newton, N. J.

Hi Tony . . . . . . . .

Well, looks as though my "swan song" got side-track somewhere along the way. Anyway I'm sending you in somewhat abbreviated form, a resume of the beginning of KELLEY'S FOLLY, 2200 words, three photographs and four sheets of drawings, to see what you think of it.

My goddamed legs are going to remain numb but I can get around pretty well . . . worse is my numb finger tips . . . I gotta watch the keys pretty closely and still make mistakes . . . but I manage.

Why the hell do I have to spend all the time I do on those cussed drawings (except in the interests of accuracy) when you have them done over anyway. Still it ain't really work, just tedious, since I can sit in my easy chair and do them. But dammif I gotta move around a lot to photograph the stuff and printing the pictures is a helluva strain on the gut. I type a couple of pages then go lie down a while, then type a couple more but they eventually all get typed. It's much more fun writing longhand in bed. But hell, I got no complaints, much, I eat well, got plenty of leisure, lots of books and don't get up until I get damned good and ready . . . except to feed my cats. When they get hungry they won't let me sleep.

E. L. Moore.

525 Oakland Ave., Apt 3

Charlotte, N. C. 28204

Enc. 3 photos, resume on backs.

I believe the 'swan song' to be the typescript for the Firecracker Foundry. Mr. Moore was 79 when he wrote the letter.

On 10 June 1977 Tony Koester replied with a postcard filling in E. L. Moore about what happened to the Firecracker Foundry and expressing an interest in Kelley's Folly.

June 10, 1977

Dear E. L.:

We are indeed interested in the Kelly's (you said Kelley's?) Folly material. Frankly, after the MR piece on the fire, the other recently received material from you is too close at first-glance to publish right now. I will thus be happy to have something which is entirely different. The signs of weathering and age are also of interest.

The accuracy of your drawings is appreciate [sic], in that we can usually trace them directly. You could do them only in pencil, however, and save the inking time.

Thanks for keeping us in mind, E.L.

Tony.

The 'MR piece on the fire' is the infamous Cannonball and Safety Powder Works that appeared in the April 1977 issue of Model Railroader - yes, 1977 was a curious year for E. L. Moore.

Once Mr. Moore heard of RMC's interest in Kelley's Folly he sent off the complete article:

June 16, 1977

Tony Koester, Editor,

Railroad Model Craftsman,

P. O. Drawer 700

Newton, N. J.

Hell, it's not my fault M R chose to publish that thing in their May issue . . . they've had it in their files two, three years awready [sic] yet.

Anyway here's KELLEY'S FOLLY, 2200 words, three photographs, four sheets drawings . . . they ain't got nothing similar to this, although they've got stuff dates back six, seven years . . . . 

Hell man I couldn't send in a drawing just done in pencil . . . take these for instance . . . they wouldn't look right except in good black and white . . . so I guess I'll stick to pen and inking 'em.

You're steadily making improvements in the old magazine . . . it's come a long way in the past few years . . . more power to yez!

E. L. Moore

525 Oakland Ave., Apt 3

Charlotte, N. C. 28204

That stuff that dates back six, seven years I believe he is referring to are what we now know as his lost articles. 

E. L. Moore signed his Kelley's Folly model on the bottom

It's great to see what Karl Osolinski has done with this classic E. L. Moore project from '77.

As I keep saying, 1977 is the year that keeps on giving.

Edward C. Steinberg, Kitbasher Extraordinaire and Legendary Model Railroader

Steinberg has 3 articles inside, but no mention on the cover 

I began reading through the model railroading magazines of 1977 with one from January 1978. The January 1978 issue of Model Railroader to be specific. Long ago, and long forgotten, I had stuck a Post-It note to the top of page 58 to remind me where E. L. Moore’s Village Store article was, so when I was getting started on this reading adventure the doofus in me went straight for the little yellow flag sticking up amongst the field of pages on the shelf to see what I had marked, thinking that was the start to 1977. I wandered through the rest of the issue after saying hello to that old E. L. Moore article and was surprised to stumble across 3 different construction articles by the same author, an author who wasn’t E. L. Moore. It’s rather unusual to see 2 construction articles attributed to the same writer in an issue, 3 is rare indeed. The author was Edward C. Steinberg and all 3 articles dealt with kitbashing. I tend to think of Art Curren as MR’s kitbashing guy, and the leading light in kitbashing in general during that era, but I got a bit of an education when I went to look for more articles by Mr. Steinberg*.

I went to the MR archive, as well as the annual indices for Railroad Model Craftsman and Railroad Modeler, to see what he had published in the way of kitbashing and scratchbuilding articles in the 1970s and throughout the 20th century**. Here’s what I found (I’ve noted in () after the title what sort of article it is): 

1975

April: (MR) So you need a heavy-duty depressed-center flatcar! (kitbash)

May: (RM) The Great Coal Elevator (scratchbuild)

November: (RM) Quick & Easy Flat Cars (kitbash)

1976

January: (MR) Scratchbuild a loading platform (scratchbuild)

May: (MR) Stretching gondolas: 50’ + 50’ = 65’ (kitbash)

October: (MR) Bash a convertible bulkhead flatcar (kitbash)

December: (MR) A growing family of boxcars (kitbash)

1977

January: (MR) Model a contemporary lumber rack (scratchbuild)

February: (RM) Freelance Railcrane (kitbash)

    (NMRA Bulletin) Covering Stretched Mill Gondolas (kitbash)

March: (MR) Heavy-duty flatcar (kitbash)

    (MR) Levine Brothers Iron Works (scratchbuild)

May: (RM) Giant Hoppers for Coal (kitbash)

July: (MR) A large industry for a small layout (kitbash)

    (RM) The Super Tanker (kitbash)

December: (MR) Scratchbuilding a turntable (scratchbuild)

1978

January: (MR) The Eastwyck & Fensterstock Construction Co. (kitbash)

    (MR) Bash a transfer caboose (kitbash)

    (MR) Compound kitbashing to produce a feed mill*** (kitbash)

February: (MR) The big truck bash (kitbash)

    (RM) Dynamometer Car (kitbash)

March: (MR) Scratchbuild a depressed center flatcar (scratchbuilding)

April: (RM) Build a Bunch of Bathtub Gondolas (kitbash)

October: (MR) A diesel-powered rotary snowplow (kitbash)

    (RMC) Kitbashing a well-hole flat car (kitbash)

    (RM) Wartsboro Coal Elevator (scratchbuild)

November: (RM) Build a Railroad Magazine File

December: (MR) Modeling a bulk oil distribution terminal (kitbash)

1979

February: (MR) FA’s, Sharks, and Kadee couplers

March: (MR) Modern chemical tank cars (kitbash)

June: (RMC) 3 into 1: A Large Industry from a Smaller Trio (kitbash)

August: (RMC) Portable coal crusher

September: (MR) Toy parts into flatcar loads in one easy lesson

October: (MR) Mahjek Furniture Company (kitbash)

    (MR) Building a modern 60-foot automobile parts boxcar (kitbash)

December: (MR) Building a waffle-side automobile parts boxcar (kitbash)

1980

January: (MR) Safety-cage ladders

February: (RMC) “Standard Freighthouses (kit bash)

March: (MR) Build a wreck train (kitbash)

    (MR) A photo in the sporadic It Ain’t Prototype feature

August: (MR) The Greycourt interchange yard

    (RMC) Trackplan for the DLE&W

December: (MR) Building the Green River RR.: 1

    (RMC) An industry with heritage (kitbash)

1981

January: (MR) Building the Green River RR.: 2

March: (MR) Building the Green River RR.: Conclusion

    (RMC) Multi-level benchwork for the DLE&W

July: (RMC) Americanizing Wiking Trucks (kitbash)

October: (MR) Build a concrete plant (scratchbuild)

1983

January: (RMC) N&W-style caboose (kitbash)

1987

December: (RMC) RMC’s annual index says there was a Steinberg article published this month, but I couldn’t find it.

1994

August: (MR) Modeling Maxon Mills (scratchbuild)

2000

July: (MR) The shops at Marian Eddy**** (kitbash)

Although the article list is probably not a complete record of what Mr. Steinberg published it does strengthen the argument that he was a leading light regarding scratchbuilding and kitbashing from a period extending from the mid 1970s to the early 1980s, not to mention a major writer in model railroading. It looks like Mr. Steinberg’s heyday was in the late 70s, with 1978 being his peak year. Here’s a count of how many articles he published by year:

1975: 3

1976: 4

1977: 9

1978: 12

1979: 8

1980: 8

1981: 5

1982 to the end of the 20th century: 4

As you can see, his articles kind of petered out in the early 1980s.

Steinberg’s kitbashing articles are rather different in approach than Curren’s in a couple of ways. First, Steinberg’s appear to use prototypes for inspiration and design, and Curren’s kitbashes seem to focus more on what interesting assemblages can be made with available kits. I wouldn’t say one way is better than the other, just that they’re examples of two ways to kitbash.*****  Secondly, Steinberg did a lot of freight car kitbashes, again focused on replicating, or at least being inspired by, prototypes, and Curren’s work focused on structures.

MR carried a brief biographical note in their Dec. ’76 issue about Edward Steinberg. In it Mr Steinberg is quoted as saying, “I am more concerned with plausibility than with authenticity or correct prototype. I try to do what seems reasonable for my railroad, whether or not it may be ‘correct’. The purpose of the whole thing is to please myself. Ultimately, I suppose, I want to produce an operating miniature railroad. More than half the fun, however, is getting there.” This philosophy apparently didn’t go down well with some readers at the time. One correspondent in MR’s Aug ’77 issue complained that, “Kitbashed freight cars by Mr. Steinberg: These articles are reminiscent of the stage of development that model locomotive construction articles were back in the 1940’s. There is just talk of a prototype, but no photo of the prototype for those who want to decide for themselves whether the model has a close enough appearance to the prototype to suit their taste.” Another correspondent, from Sweden, in that same issue seemed to concur, “And Mr. Steinberg’s kitbashing techniques are good, showing how simple it can be to create variety in a freight car fleet. But without better prototype information included, freight car modeling will remain in a stone-age stage lacking all its potential appeal.” If you look at Mr. Steinberg’s complete works - with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight from this point in the 21st century :-) - many of his freight car articles do contain prototype photos, so you can judge for yourself. 

Maybe those comments were simply a sign-of-the-times. That was the era when the movement in model railroading to model prototypes as closely as possible was emerging, and 1977 saw the release of the first issue of Prototype Modeler magazine to cater to that market. I guess I’m more sympathetic to kitbashing whose concerns are with plausibility than high fidelity to prototypes as I came to model railroading from model car building where building plausible custom vehicles, and sometimes very wild ones, wasn’t unusual. 

Portrait snippets sourced from MR | MR | Obiturary

MR’s biographical note also mentions he was 34 at the time, and worked as a city planner. Mr. Steinberg died in 2018 and his obituary gives a little insight into his professional life. It’s noted that, “Ed earned a B.A. from Columbia College and an M.S. in Urban Planning from the School of Architecture & Planning at Columbia University. He began his professional career in 1966 as a planned [JDL: I think they mean ‘planner’] for the N.Y. office of the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. He came to White Plains [JDL: in New York state] in 1970 to work for the Urban Renewal Agency, where he was later named Director. In 1985, he was appointed Commissioner of Planning for the city.” This may explain the drop off in articles in the early 1980s. He was moving up in his professional career at that time. His background in urban planning may also account for his interest in a more nuanced approach to kitbashing and scratchbuilding as opposed to a literalist one.

Before I leave you I should mention one more 1977 kitbashing story I found while researching this post. There’s an article by George P. Landow called The P. J. Macktez Woolen Mill in the May 1977 issue of MR. It uses the plastic kits of E. L. Moore’s Machine Shop and Gruesome Casket Co.. Well, so what you say? They were used all the time back then. Well, it’s the number of Machine Shops that’re used: 14 (!) by my count (and 1 Gruesome Casket). The article is cagey and never states how many Machine Shops you’ll need to build this large structure - maybe the editors thought by doing so they’d scare off readers. This must be one of the purest expressions you’ll find of Art Curren’s philosophy of using plastic kits as sources of walls, but to build it today with Machine Shops could be a pricey proposition. I was able to find Machine Shop kits in the Walthers Trainline series for sale at a Quebec based online retailer for $24.95 CDN each. Those 14 kits would cost a total of $349.30 CDN. An online inflation calculator tells me those same kits would have cost $75.77 CDN in 1977. Throw in a Gruesome Casket kit, plus some odds and ends to complete the project, and that would have been around a $100 CDN project in 1977. Too much for me then, and still too much for me now. The more things change, the more things stay the same :-)

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Digressions

*I’ll probably have to revise my Secret History of Kitbashing given what I’ve recently learned :-)

**Trains.com used to have an extensive, searchable online index of model railroading magazines and their contents. It’s been gone for a year or two. I used to use it for all my searches as it was an excellent resource: professionally indexed and comprehensive. The NMRA has an online index, but, although it’s better than nothing, it’s a poor substitute. It’s far from complete, and the indexing and presentation of results needs serious revision. The majority of magazine articles I’ve listed in this post came from me slogging through the indexes for MR, RMC, and RM. I suspect I’ve missed a few articles and I apologize for that. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he published in places other than those 3 magazines. I don’t have a magazine collection that covers all publications, or an index that does :-( , so I admit my list is likely incomplete. Please let me know about any additions.

Later in the development of this post I came across a new index, RMI, which seems to fill the gap that Trains.com left. I’ve been giving it a try with searches for the articles of Edward Steinberg, but, although it’s promising, it appears to need work. However, I’m glad to see this development and wish them well.

***This is a particularly interesting article as it promotes kitbashing with craftsman kits instead of the usual plastic ones. 

****Another interesting project as it makes use of Walthers HO scale back shop. You may recall I did a conversion of Walthers N scale back shop to HO.

*****A third approach would be that of Kim Adams, who goes further than Curren does when it comes to imaginative approaches to kitbashing. 

The Centennial Experimental Farm's Biodome*

In 1966 NASA, the Canadian National Science Research Establishment, and the Centennial Experimental Farm agreed to build a biodome test facility on the farm's grounds to simulate growing exotic tropical plants on the Moon. It was believed that if these plants could thrive throughout an Ottawa winter, the Moon would pose no difficulties. If successful, lunar construction of such a facility was slated to begin with NASA's Apollo 30 mission. 

Funding ran out in 1970, and the project was scrubbed from Apollo 30's manifest. However, the facility was revived in 1977 in anticipation of the creation of the ExoBioLab facility for the then in development Space Transportation System. 

*Hopefully I don't need to say this is all made up nonsense, but in case you were wondering, it's all made up nonsense.