Speaking of Models
By Steve Hile

Proto 2000 E-7 A and B
The Rock Island�s first post W.W. II passenger diesels were EMD�s model E-7 which were built in 1946 and 1948.  Eleven cab units, numbered 632-642 and nine booster units, numbered 632B-634B and 637B-642B were constructed.  Apparently, most were intended to run in pairs and early photos bear this out.  However, it wasn�t long before the Rock began to mix and match.  Originally delivered with small side mounted number boards, they later received the more contemporary diagonal mounted number boards that the Life Like model sports.  Some photographic evidence suggests that this took place before the Rock Island began simplifying the Rocket paint scheme in the early to mid 50�s.
The Life Like model is lovely to behold and has a mechanism that matches its looks with performance.  The units run smoothly and quietly.  The axles float in their frames for an equalizing action that improves trackability.  They have a flywheel and do start smoothly and freely coast a brief distance after the power is shut down.  The B unit is unpowered.  The body is nicely molded although there is a slight pucker at the lower outside corner of the cab windows, where the nose meets the car side.  A wealth of individual detail parts are provided, installed by the manufacturer, including lift rings, hand rails and a pair of good looking horns.  All of the doors open and are closed by springs.  The units have working diaphragms.
I found that McHenry couplers (with their integral springs) will drop right into the Life Like coupler boxes.  I found that it was easier to do this with the shells off, but the covers will pop off readily and snap back in place.  The couplers are mounted to the trucks, but with an ingenious centering device to keep them in line with the car body.  After the couplers were installed, I added the front pilot doors (leaving the front coupler off the A unit) and then added the coupler lift bar molding provided to the rear of the A unit and both ends of the B.  These have to be removed if you separate the body from the mechanism.  As a side note, although the instruction sheets packed with the B unit tell you to remove the shell by spreading it so that it pops free of two protruding lugs on the frame, in fact, it is attached by 4 small screws just inboard of the truck on either side.  This is typical of brass diesels, but not immediately obvious for a plastic one.
The painting and lettering is nicely done and I can find nothing to quibble about.  Unless you are modeling 1946 or so, you will want some amount of weathering and as the units evolved, details changed.  You will have to check photos in the various books for a specific unit on a specific date.  These models are a worthy addition to any RI roster with most surviving to the 70�s.  Don�t look now, but the B unit would make an excellent starting point for beginning an AB-6!  Who�ll be the first to try it?

Intermountain 10�6� IH Box Cars

The HO freight car modeler has never had it so good!  New kits from Red Caboose, Life Like and Intermountain make it possible, as never before, to accurately model the rest of the train.  Intermountain has recently introduced the 10�6� inside height �standard� box car which the Rock Island had in large numbers.  Beginning in 1940 and extending through 1945, the Rock Island received 4050 of these boxcars from Pressed Steel Car company.  145000-145999 were built in 1940, 146000-147749 were built in 1941, 147750-148549 were built in 1942.  148550-149049 came in 1945.  All had 5-5 dreadnaught ends and Murphy square panel roofs.  Side doors were split as follows:

Corrugated (Camel)        Seven Panel Superior
 145000-145799            145800-145999
 146000-147549            147550-147749
 147750-148549
 148550-148799            148800-149049

The first three orders arrived with wood running boards, the 1945 order had steel running boards with the order split 148550-148799 having Apex �Tri-Lok� and 148800-149049 having US Gypsum �Expanded Metal.�  The other distinguishing feature of the 1945 order was their Duryea cushion underframes which gave them a one foot longer coupled dimension as the couplers extended a nominal 6 inches on either end of the car.
The Intermountain car is one of the most detailed box car models I have ever assembled.  All the parts are neatly molded in plastic and painted appropriately.  The underbody detail is molded in sections and despite their apparent frailty, are flexible enough to trim easily from the sprue and all fit as designed.  The ladders and hand grabs as well as all the hand brake items are molded separately.  It took about 4 hours of time over a couple of evenings to assemble the kit.  Everything fit well.
The �Route of the Rockets� paint scheme is nicely duplicated.  The roof is black.  I can not verify whether these cars were delivered this way or not.  Rock Island painting standards do call for metal roofs and underframes to be coated with car cement which was black, so this is reasonable.
The only bad news, in this first run, Intermountain did 12 numbers that were between 148550 and 148799 which means that they should have had the Duryea underframe, which they don�t.  Also, they should have had metal roof walks.  The kit supplies a wood one.  I replaced that with an etched one from Overland which I left unpainted, but I did paint the hand grabs to match the car sides.  I ignored the underframe issue.  I hope that Intermountain will do a future run of numbers that have the standard underframe.
When you place one of these cars along side the traditional Athearn 40 foot box, the difference is striking.  I hope you will add several of these models to you roster and support the continued growth of correct freight car models.  These cars are an excellent supplement to the flat cast resin kits from Westerfield, Sunshine, et. al.

Short Hauls