Vintage HO Model Kits, a couple Red Ball kits.

I like to build the old kits, using modern materials when I feel it fits the project.  I have seven vintage kits I just finished up, and will be posting them over the next couple weeks.  Here are a couple Red Ball Kits, that date back when cars had printed paper sides, and consisted of wood and metal parts...pre-plastic, for the most part.

Red Ball Tank/Box Car

I picked this up off eBay.  It had lots of damage, but it was a kit I had been wanting, and it looked repairable.  This was a prototype for an early tank car and box car combination.  The thought was that one would fill either the tank portion or the box portion, so the car could be hauling a payload in both directions.

This was a paper side kit, with cast metal details.  The ends and underframe are metal, and the roof is wood.  With a lot of weathering, it came out acceptable.

Red Ball Poultry Car

This was also a paper side kit, bit I did not use the paper sides.  I scratch built most of the model from wood, wire and tulle.  

 The only parts of the kit I used were the cast metal ends, the feed box (the wood block under the floor on this side), the wood roof details, and the metal ladders. 

 The rest is either parts from the parts bin, or scratch built.  All the lettering was done with decals, one letter at a time, based on the original paper sides.

This is the original paper side I used for inspiration.  

Next up, some Roundhouse metal kits I picked up at the Amherst Show a couple years ago.  I also have a Penn Line tender I built in to a water car, and trackside water tank that is a 1949 kit...,so it fits my modeling era perfectly. 

Until next time.