I model the steam to diesel transition era.  Most of my freight cars are models of steel cars, but during WW2 many cars were built using steel chasis and framework on the body and wood sides.  I have a model that I think was built by Roundhouse/MDC that models a WW2 vintage composite boxcar.  There are not a lot of color pictures of cars from that vintage when they were less than 10-15 years old.  Does anyone know how such a car weathered or how long the wood would have lasted before the railroad would have rebuilt the car using steel sides to replace the wood?

Hello All,

This is my first attempt at layout design.  I want to model a portion of the Newark and New York division of the CNJ in HO scale.  In my design I am concentrating on the area where I grew up, Jersey City.  My design elements incorporate the following:

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I can hear Horace Fithers asking "Why would I want to do something like that?"

In two words: Saving and Editing

Based on feedback from LKandO, and my own dissatisfaction with the original design (especially the proximity of the yard throat to the mountain at the bottom-right), I've completely reworked the arrangement of the yard. Compare to plan in previous blog post. Key changes: