Walthers versions of Rob Corriston's Freight Warehouse

Iron Ridge Freight Station | Brick Freight House

I was searching for Walthers Car Shop kit and stumbled across Walthers Iron Ridge Freight Station kit (WTL 905), and their Brick Freight House kit (#931-918). These look identical to AHM 5831, Freight Station, which was based on a project designed by Rob Corriston. I was surprised to see that the kit survives into our era.

Atlas teasers

I was rummaging around the internet and came across these two Atlas kits. What made them jump out at me is the Warehouse Kit on the left is Rob Corriston's Nostalgic Warehouse that was marketed by AHM as kit #5831, Freight Station, and Johnsons Inc. Chemical Products is another boxing of what was AHM's kit #5839, Machine Shop. I was surprised to find these kits being marketed by Atlas, and I'm wondering if they might have marketed any of the original E. L. Moore kits. Likely, it's just news to me, but the search goes on.

Rob Corriston's Freight Station is Nostalgic Warehouse

One other AHM thing I saw at the Syracuse train show was this Rob Corriston designed kit. How did I know it was designed by Rob Corriston, that little red label on the box-top told me so:

Peproduced [sic] by permission from plans as show [sic] in Railroad Model Craftsman by Rob Corriston.

Once I got home I did a little digging to see which project the kit was based on.

It was a little tricky to figure this one out. On the right is Mr. Corriston's Freelance Freight Station - Office Building that appeared in the May '70 issue of RMC. Its name is close to that of the kit, and the building has almost the right shape, but clearly isn't like the kit. It turns out that his Nostalgic Warehouse - shown over on the left - that appeared in the May '72 issue is the one. As you can see, the name of the project doesn't line up with the kit name, but the building is the one in the kit.

Maybe AHM had even more 'designer series' kits other than the ones by E. L. Moore and Rob Corriston. Time, and more digging, will tell.