NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1984 $2.50 Join the NMRA! Get the BULLETIN every month. The BULLETIN, a full-size magazine, comes with membership in the National Model Railroad Association. Every month, the BULLETIN provides information on division and club meets, special interest groups, modeling contests-along with interesting features, ideas, product reviews and helpful advice. All provided by fellow members. Join the NMRA for only $ 20 for one year and you automatically receive the BULLETIN. 1985 is the NMRA's 50th anniversary-be a part of it, along with more than 25,000 of your fellow model railroaders. Send to: National Model Railroad Association 4121 Cromwell Road Chattanooga, TN 37421 prototype ----The MODELER'S Magazine of "rnrnn,nQ Publisher Kevin McKinney Vol. VIII, No.1 F13 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1984 Edi\ol Jim Six Ed itorial Coordinator Harold A. Edmonson features Senior Editor Mike Schafer Ar t Director Prototype portfOlio: The Sandusky local ....... .. 14 Allen Ambrosini/GRAVITY GRAPHICS PM Staff Technical Illustrator Rick Johnson Modeling early Conrail: Part 1 .................. 17 Research & Ass istance John H. Kuehl Jim Six and W Terry Stuart John B. Hilbron Ci rculation/Office Manager The covered wagon trail: SAL E7's ............... 25 Chrys Repking Warren Calloway ME MBER Modeling Union Pacific's dashing S040-2's . ...... 33 RI!I Jim Six 1H$"TlJrf"""",,, I The Prototype Modeler's Notebook: Advertising inquiries: Contact Terry Stuart at Kitbashing AAR 70-ton flatcars . ............. 40 W. Terry Stuart & Associates. 601 Rockwell Ave ., Suite 415, Cleveland, OH 44114, (216) Richard H, Hendrickson 861-8646 or contact PTJ Publishing, P.O. Box 860, Homewood, IL 60430, (312) 957-RAIL. P'OTOTYPE MOD'lEO (ISS N 0734·1482) is published bi· monlhly by PTJ Publishing. Inc .. 2024 Hickory Road. P.O Box 860. Homewood. Illinois 60430. (312) 957-RAIL . Sec ­ departments ond closs postage paid at HomeWOOd, III ., and 01 addi­ lionol office. (USPS 710·590). SUBSCRIPTION RATES: In the U S and its possessions $14 for 6 issues. 524 for 12 issues Canada and Mexico S17(U .S.) for 6 issues. A message to our readers . ........ ....................... 4 S28(U.S.) for 12 issues. Oulside Norlh America S20(U.S) for 6 issues. S34(U.s.) for 12 issues. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: PM junction .. ............................................ 6 Please send change-of-address notice 01 least 4-6 weeks prior to moving. POSTMASTER: Send form 3579 Modeler's newsbox ....................................... 8 fo PTJ Publishing. P.O. Box 860. Homewood. IL 60430 Now arriving ............................................ 12 Correspondence regarding new subscriptions, renew­ SOCiety page ............ ............................... 44 als, circulation. changes of address, book. binder and bock issue orders. manuscript and photo submissions Reporting Marks ........................................ 46 and any o ther business re lated to PrK>IOTl'PE MODUW should be sent to' PROTOTYPE MODelER PTJ Publishing, Inc. P.O . Box 860 On the cover: The prototype photo features Union Pacific SD40-2 No. 3753 in the lead of seven units Homewood, Illinois 60430 hoisting an eastbound freight up Sherman Hill at the east end of Tie Sid ing, Wyo., just before plunging into Hermosa Tu nnel. Mike Danneman p hoto. Th e model photo (inset) depicts Seaboard Ai r Line Ra ilroad E7 No. 3040, as mode led by Warren Calloway and photographed by Bill Lemke. Note to contributors and manufacturers: We at PROIOIVPE MODELEr? welcome your feature articles and photography. Conditions permitting. features a nd/or photographs and artwork ore paid for within 90 days following publication. All published material. with the exception of original color slides. becomes p roper Iy o f PT J Publishing: o riginal color slides will be returned to the contri butor. Unsolicited material. if not accepted. will be returned only if return postage and self-addressed packaging are included. PTJ Publishing cannot assume responsibility for unsolicited material. letters. products for review (inclu ding b ooks and periodicals). club information and news. etc .. are considered g rat is contributions. NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1984 3 a message to our readers Ed Woj ta s ven though this is the first issue .of PROTOTYPE Illustrator, providing such delights as the Seaboard E MODELER in several months, there have been no E7 you'll find as this issue's centerspread, vacations around here. In fact, we've been working On layout and design, Art Director Allen Ambrosini harder than ever this past summer to make the fall brings his creative touch to PM, working closely with debut of PROTOTYPE MODELER a great success. Jim, Harold, Mike and Rick. Terry Stuart, whom Most importantly, we've obtained some of the best many of you have already met at the National Model talent in the business to help shape the editorial side Railroad Association annual convention in Kansas of PM. Jim Six has an instantly recognizable name in City or the Model Railroad Industry Association meet­ the model railroad field. He should: Jim's name has ing in Dayton, has come on board to help promote PM. appeared frequently in MODEL RAILROADER , R AILROAD With an impressive background in broadcast journal­ MODEL CRAFTSMAN , M AINLINE MODELER and, of course, ism and public relations-and being an avid modeler PROTOTYPE MODELER. A skilled model builder and a himself-Terry should boost circulation and advertis­ prolific author, Jim, as Editor, now turns his full ing, which in turn will help us bring you a larger and attention to providing you the best model railroad ever-im proving magazine. publication possible. Another well-known individual, It has been most gratifying for all of us to know that Harold Edmonson, formerly Books Editor at Kalm­ you wanted PM to return. The inquiries and com­ bach Publishing, has joined the PM team as Editorial ments we received over the past few months helped Coordinator here at Homewood, Ill. , headquarters. reassure us that all the days, evenings and weekends One of the best editors in the industry, Harold will necessary to relaunch PM in time for the autumn contribute his considerable knowledge of railroading season were well worth it. Your comments have been to PM and to PTJ's other publications. appreciated because they give us an idea of what you Other familiar names will also be helping make PM want to see in the pages of PM. We never forget that your favorite magazine. Mike Schafer, Editor of PAS­ your support is the most im portant element of the SENGER TRAIN JOURNAL , now is at Homewood (another PROTOTYPE MODELER operation and all of us thank you accomplishment of the past few months: merger of for that support. our Wisconsin office into our headquarters) and he'll be providing overall editorial and production guid­ ance for PM, as he does for all PTJ magazine and book ~~+----..' I productions in his capacity as Editorial Director. Kevin McKinney, And, Rick Johnson is still with us, now as Technical Publisher This issue of PROTOTYPE MODE LER brings you the first in a Broadway , a new generation of modelers has risen from the series of feature articles dealing with Conrail. Not long ago, ashes of ruin. While dads chat of old times-high-stepping this Eastern road was viewed in much the same way as was Hudsons and brute-like J 's-the new generation is out chas­ Penn Central-as somewhat of a sick joke. Conrail has now ing Dash-2's , trying to capture on film the locomotives and been around long'er than was PC. Today "Big Blue" is a rolling stock of Conrail. as well as that of such merger­ profitable railroad eagerly sought by several suitors as the involved railroads as Southern, N&W and Missouri Pacific government strives to return it to private control. before these too fade into memories. The staff of PROTOTYPE Railfans and modelers alike were followers of the strong MODELER will bring' together these two generations of fol­ predecessor railroads- the Pennsylvania and New York lowers with articles such as Conrail: Part 1 in this issue. We Central. When the two roads, weakened economically , com­ hope you'll be with us as we relive the past and investigate bined to stave off financial ruin, r esulting Penn Central the present. I faltered and soon went "bottoms up." For the faithful follow­ I . I ers of the old, this was too much to handle and soon railfan "I I : ' / and modeling interests turned to other roads . J v ' ~v'v ,-.._ .'-;/.-- Today, with the profit-making and artistic r evival taking V ,I place on the same tracks that once carried the Ce12tury and Editor, PROTOTYPE MODELER 4 PROTOTYPE MODELER The Santa Fe Branch olthe Denver & Rio Grande West ern he operationol shortcomings of Modernize with Athearn diesels lie nat in the gearing Tbut in the moto r itself. A Calendar for 1985 NWSL now offers a re-powering ki t Walthers Decals A mo nth -by-mon th look at th e historic Santa Fe featuring precision Sagami motors w hich Modernize your engines with two branch of the D&RGW in watercolors by Ted reduce top speed and improve operatio n . new decal sets from Walthers! Rose. Twelve premium color reproductions on Three kits are offered ; all include motor. quality stock, each with clear margins, accom­ machined brass flywheel , and replace Our brand new Norfolk Southern pany large, useable, easy-to -read calend ar directly the original m o tor assembly. coup­ hood unit decals are available in HO months. 12 x 9 inch format inc lu des history, ling directly 10 the existing universals . Scale! This great new decal includes information , captions. Kits 161 -4 & 163-4 feature the 18x36 flat can motor & produce slightly more power. the Thoroughbred horse and stylized $12,95 postpaid (fi rst class or UPS) Fils all Athearn diesels except SW's, Norfolk Southern emblems in bright (New Mexico residents add $.63 sales lax each.) white, new numberboard decals and To order cal l tOil-free DD-40.