[CBQ] O-Scale, Two Rail, CB&Q FM-14 Flat Car Kits Proposed

["sartherdj@aol.com [CBQ]" <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>]

Forum Members,

Jim King of Smokey Mountain Model Works has stepped-up to guage interest in doing some O-Scale models.  More specifically for us CB&Q modelers and fans, he has expressed interest in offering a CB&Q FM-14/FM 14A flat car kit. This is a model that Chad Boas offered in HO Scale around 2012.  I teamed up with Chad then, who offered the HO Scale resin model casting kit, and shared the necessary plans from Burlington Bulletin #15, (BB#15), to make this project possible.  Al Hofmann of the BRHS generously shared lettering plans and diagrams from his private collection for the flat car so that correct decals and lettering position could be offered.  After that venture Jim King worked with Chad Boas who shared the information I had supplied to make a run of very successful S Scale kits. Jim is primarily an S-Scale modeler, so his offering this kit in O-Scale is only possible if we can generate the sale of 50 O-Scale kits of this model. Initially, Jim has received interest in 10 kits from a few modelers of the O-Scale P:48 group.  So, I believe we can reach the goalm of 50 kits.  The proposed kit is outlined below.

If you will commit to a purchase of this kit please send your name along with the number of kits you would want to either Jim King at www.smokymountainmodeworks.com or myself, Dave Sarther, at sartherdj@aol.com  I am not a stake holder in this project other than that I'd like to see this model offered so I can build it and add it to my O-Scale CB&Q trains.  To date Jim has received commitments from one modeler who wants 3 FM-14 kits and another that wants 4 kits.  So I believe that we are on our way to receiving the number of commitments we need to see the project come to fruition.  If you have other questions about the model direct them to either Jim or myself if it is about the history of the cars.

Here is a brief history of CB&Q FM-14 flat cars from BB#15:

In June 1940 the Army Air Corps commited to the purchase of XB-29 bombers, now commonly known as B-29's.  The component parts for the Boeing B-29 were manufactured at several plants spread out throughout the US.  Hol goes into greater detail about the who, what, when, where and why of the B-29 on pages 30-33 in BB15. Essentially, the CB&Q FM-14 flatcars were proposed as the frame that would carry the fuselages for the B-29 to final assembly plants along with the XA-14D  "high cube" (extended height boxcars) already in existance.  Beginning in 1942 FM-14 flat cars went into production as outlined on p.34 in BB#15.  Specially designed housings went into production in 1944 to conceal the fulages on 69 of the FM-14 flatcars while in transport. 

Manufacturing History: 

• Cars #89100-89199   (200)  Galesburg, IL    1940
• Cars #89200-89249   ( 50)   Galesburg, IL    1942
• Cars #92000-92074   ( 75)   Galesburg, IL    1942
• Cars #92075-92349   ( 75)   Havelock,  NE   1942
• Fuselage Housings              Galesburg, IL    1944
• Housings were removed FM-14's from September - December of 1945 and the FM-14's went into general service. Hol reported that many of the steel housings were still found spred from Colorado to Illinois along the RR right-of way or on private property as shelters as late as 1984.

ORER Reports:

• 1953 ORER shows most if not all of the FM-14's were still in service.
• 1955 ORER reports close to the same info.
• 1964 ORER reports close to the same info.
• 1966 ORER reports close to the same numbers still in service.
• 1968 ORERreports a very high percentage of these cars still in service.
• I don't have any later ORER's to report when these cars may have entered company service on Maintenance Of Way trains.

There are some great O-Scale drawings by Marty Feldner on pp.35-36, appropriately offered as the centerspread, in BB #15, as a modeling reference.

Here is Jim's outline for the project:

• One piece urethane casting, tinted gray, industrial-grade resin that does not warp or bow as it ages.  The resin is easily drilled, glued and painted.  
• Separate one piece rivet strips to be applied after the center sill weight is installed by the modeler.
• The weight will be a steel square bar that will be hidden by the center sill rivet strips as described above.
• Grandt Line & Tichy Details, wire for rods/piping and flat wire for stirrups.
• Laser cut, peel and stick wood deck provided.
• The under frame casting includes stake pockets as a part of the side sill detail, eliminating a great deal of tedious assembly time.
• Modeler must supply the trucks and couplers.  The coupler pockets are designed to fit Kadee couplers.
• Decals are supplied in the kit along with mini CD instructions and hi-resolution images that can be enlarged for modeling purposes as the model is being built.
• The kit proposed would be from new O-Scale patterns that Jim will create in Solidworks and produce in stereolithography and 3D printing depending on geometry and detail.
• Tentative pricing is $100.00 per kit plus shipping.  The final price will depend on market prices for the various materials and parts included in the kit.

Thanks in advance for your interest in this project.

Dave Sarther   Tucson, AZ

sartherdj@aol.com

The link for Jim's website is:  www.smokymountainmodelworks.com  or  http://smokymountainmodelworks.com/S_scale_kits.html (in case the photo gets stripped from the text).

Jim's website includes a photo of the S-Scale model he offers that was based on info from Chad Boas and myself.

Photos of Chad's HO Scale model upon request.

A photo of that Jim's model is hopefully attached below.  If not go to Jim's Smokey Mountain website.

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Posted by: sartherdj@aol.com

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