Latest Modeling News

Accurail has re-released the HO 50' double-door boxcar they did for Walthers several years back. It's stock #5217 and represents the 13600-13899 series cars built by General American Trans. Co. in 1951.

Red Caboose is also producing a model of the yellow #1350-1355 series Evans coil cars. The stock numbers are RR-32526 in HO and RN-17667 in N scale. They should be available sometime in the first half of 2005.
 

July 2004

Red Caboose has shipped their #RR-32506 HO DT&I Evans coil cars. They were worth the wait.

Wright Trak Railroad Models has released an HO model of the DT&I 120-series ex-Ann Arbor caboose. It even comes with etched window screens and screen doors! Undec models retail for $49.95. Highball Graphics makes decal set #F-171 for DT&I cabooses (they also do this set for N and O scales).

Accurail has re-issued their #2028 DT&I ACF 3-bay covered hopper with updated lettering - they've done an amazing job of matching the prototype!

Overland Models has produced a run of painted HO DT&I wide-vision cabooses (stock # 4231). They retail for $260, so get one (or two) while you can!

Update from Red Caboose on their HO scale 1300-series coil car model:

"They are in process now.  Not going as fast as I want them to.  Will be meeting with the tool makers Monday to find out why they are so slow.  I am hoping for very early next year release."
Bill

Be patient - they are coming....

Also, Intermountian's HO  60' PS-1 25500-series boxcar is available ready-to-run in 12 numbers for $29.95 (it's listed at the bottom of Intermountain's page).

Some new products shown at the Flat Rock Meet:

Accurail is running a new batch of 40' plug door boxcars in DT&I paint! They are part #3107.1 and sell for $9.98 each.  They are also producing separately a set of decals with 12 extra car numbers  which will make building a fleet of these cars very easy. They will be at your dealers about  June 1.

Branchline Trains has brought out an HO 40' AAR 8' Door boxcar (14300-14549)  in  DT&I steam-era paint. It's available as a four-pack (#15044; $59.59) or one car (#1504) for $14.98.

Branchline has also produced a Berwick 50' 18800-series boxcar in HO scale. You can get them in three-packs (#21323; $44.95) or as a single car (#2132) for $14.98.

Intermountian's HO  60' PS-1 25500-series boxcar kit is available (in 12 different #'s) for $15.95 (it's listed at the bottom of Intermountain's page).

It looks like we have two new HO DT&I freight cars coming our way. Intermountain is doing a 60' PS-1 boxcar kit based on the 25500 series boxcars (delivery late February - #85-41912; $15.95) , and Red Caboose will be making the 1300 series Evans straight sill coil cars in HO scale that they released in N scale (future production: no delivery date yet)!

 The Morning Sun book "DETROIT, TOLEDO AND IRONTON IN COLOR", by David H. Hickcox and Dale A. DeVene Jr., and featuring the photography of Jim Hediger, Emery Gulash and several other excellent photographers has been released. Ask your favorite hobby bookseller for your copy
 

 The latest release of 52' 6" Drop End Mill Gondolas from Proto 2000 includes Detroit, Toledo & Ironton #9067 in the Ford Era Circle Herald scheme. Equipped with special racks for auto frame loading, there were 100 gons in this series (9000 - 9099) with 79 being on the DT&I roster by 1956.
 
 

 Branchline Trains will have a future release, as part of their Blue Print Series, a DT&I 50 ft. AAR Double Door Boxcar, in the 1957 repaint; item #1107. This car was built in 1951 by General American.

 They also offer a DT&I 40 ft. 1947 AAR Single Door (8 ft.) Boxcar as well. Also, Life Like will have a USRA Steel Center Cupola Caboose set for December, the Reading #94033 & #92865, and undec, will be offered.

 courtesy James Barnes, Jr.
 

 It looks like Walthers is putting DT&I paint on their currently-available 60' 2-door auto parts car.

 The cars already match the prototype's 25500-25544 series of cars, and, if produced accurately, will be Cypress Green (like the newer 86-footers) with yellow doors. This is one less model that we'll wish we had decals for !!

 It's listed as "Limited Run", and is due to be released 28 Aug.

 932-3565 single car 15.98
932-23565 two pack 29.98

 courtesy Brian McQuitty
 

 "After we get the rest of the DT&I diesel sets out, yes we do plan on doing decals for the Hi-Cubes. Other freight cars are also a possibility, but for some of them we have no information (like the Coil Cars). We will also need to produce sets for the cabooses as well."

 courtesy James Barnes, Jr.
 

 Single car- kit# 1107 12.98
Three-pack- kit #11073 38.94

 These cars are appropriate for anyone modeling the DT&I in the 1951-1978 timeframe.

 courtesy Brian McQuitty
 

 The book will be hardcover, 128 pages, 100% color, 100% orange; action photos from outstanding photographers covering Windsor,Ontario south to Ironton and the Cinn. area; covers from the early 1950's to the GTW merger; many interlocking towers; coverage of the 1978 blizzard that will have to be seen to be believed; the bicentennial unit on the "horseshoe curve" on Summit Hill as well as at the portal of the DT&I's tunnel on the south end; both sides of the Detroit tunnel; the various routes through Detroit; Flat Rock and south; street running in both southern Ohio and Kentucky; and, if it is not edited out by the boss, cameo views of the connections as in "We Have the Connections" (AC&Y, Nickel Plate and so on)

 courtesy David Hickcox

 (should be out later this year - webmaster)
 

 Courtesy Kris Grzywacz
 
 

The photo of X720 comes from Jim Sinclair who adds ...

 "I shot this in Wauseon (on the Tecumseh Branch) in June 1979. I'm assuming it was assigned to the Burro Crane, but I can't confirm that assumption. I seem to recall it's color was black, but looking at the work equipment behind it (which looks like black to me) the box appears to be almost like a Brunswick green. I don't know when the DT&I added a "99" to all their work equipment, but this is obviously after that (it was formerly X-720)."

 Which leads to the question ... when did the DT&I add "99" to their work equipment? - webmaster

January 17, 2000

 This is just another reminder about the new DT&I products that you should soon be seeing at your favorite hobby shop.

 Jim Barnes already mentioned the Accurail and MDC cars. The Accurail release will be the 40' plug door box, which will probably be the quintessential Campbell's Soup car. They were working on this model over a year ago, but the project was apparently shelved in order to get the open auto racks out. With that accomplished, the first of the 40' plug doors cars are now hitting the shelves. These are the Santa Fe and Pennsy versions ( you'll see the photos on Accurail's website). The DT&I version should be along any time now.

 The MDC model will be a DT&I truss rod car, which is to be released in March.

 A gentleman at Red Caboose indicated that the DT&I X-29 boxcar, that has been advertised for a long time, should be released during the first half of this year. I remember that they were having problems locating a photograph from which they could develop the end lettering.

 The Athearn 50' double door box wearing DT&I paint should be arriving within a few days. I don't know what scheme it will receive, but the model itself is nearly identical to the Accurail kit, which is already available painted for our favorite railroad.

 Branchline Trains is probably going to do this car as well, at least that's what they originally planned. If it does happen, it will be a closer match to the prototype than are the Athearn or Accurail cars. After building one of their other cars, this one would be worth the wait.

 Branchline is also going to do a 40' AAR box in a DT&I scheme as well.

 And, of course, Walthers will soon have available the 86' Hi Cube in the correct green color for the Pullman-Standard prototype owned by the DT&I.

 Last but not least, Microscale has released the first of the DT&I and Ann Arbor engine decal sets. The first is the block lettering. Check the ad in the new Model Railroader; I think they meant to say that the two AA sets were the "DT&I-inspired" and the "ferry-in-the-fog" ones. Please remember, however, that the AARRT&HA already has an excellent set available for the DT&I-inspired block lettering Ann Arbor engines (support your local historical society !).

 Info courtesy Brian McQuitty

January 2000

 After two very successful printings and an eleven year lapse, the acclaimed 312 page history of THE DETROIT, TOLEDO & IRONTON RAILROAD is back in print. IT is available from Cam-Tech Publishing, P.O. Box 341, Fletcher, Ohio 45326. The price is $59.95 plus $3.00 shipping. A must for every D T & I fan.

 Scott D. Trostel
Author
rrhist@bright.net

November 24th, 1999

 "For your information,and all others,Microscale will be releasing four (4) sets of DT&I loco decals in the near future.
I spoke to Craig Walker,New Product Development,early Nov. and said he hoped to have the first sets available this month.
They are-
MC-4302--early round logo
MC-4303--large DT&I initials
MC-4304--star logo
MC-4305--white letters/merger scheme
MC-4301--Ann Arbor locos
He said the 4303 probably would be out first,but no order for the others. I am a custom painter and will stock these items upon their release. This is not a "plug" but if your readers can't find them,contact me." - Dave Hickinbotham

Info courtesy JE Landrum's DT&I Historical Page

September 1999

 Brian McQuitty's NEW modeling lists are posted in the HO Modeling Guide section.
Thanks to Brian for all his work on this much needed resource

June 1999

 From John Alaniva ...

I received a package last week from RailGraphics containing a rerun
of the 60' autoparts decals for the 25000 and 25200 series repainted cars
circa 1977 and later. Price is still the same at $3.00 per set, postage included.

If you're interested, and would like a set, e-mail me at dti_rr@railfan.net and I'll forward the message to Mr. Alaniva.

My name is Kris Grzywacz I model the DT & I in N scale , I live about a mile from the Flat Rock Yard.

 I have a custom run of N scale Decals for the con-cor 60 Ft. Greenville cars just like John Alaniva , in fact they where reproduce from his HO set.

 I will sell them for $3.00 a set enough to one car. I have about 50 sets to sell. I also have a custom set for the the loco's in black and also in the white scheme for the grand trunk colors in both sizes, I only have a few of each left. and will sell them for $3.00 a set.

 In the works right now is a set for the concor 86ft. hi cube in white & yellow print as well as a set for the atlas wide vision caboose. no price yet on these 2 Items.

 if you have a questions please e-mail me at grzywacj@mail.wcresa.k12.mi.us
 

From: jhediger@mrmag.com (Jim Hediger)
 

In case you haven't heard, Walthers is doing an HO scale automobile industry series this year.

 DT&I fans will be happy to hear the headquarters building from this new series is the Ford office building that stood on Scheaffer Road at Rotunda Drive in Dearborn, opposite the Rouge Plant. This building also served as the DT&I headquarters during the Ford ownership of the railroad.

 There's also a stamping plant, tire plant, assembly plant, a distribution facility, and a dealership (on Michigan Ave. in West Dearborn).

 Most of the production buildings in the series are based on structures in and around the Rouge Plant, although they're all scaled down with a bit of selective compression. The loading facility looks a lot like the DT&I's Sheaffer Road autoloading yard.

 They had the samples at the Chicago Trade Show and things all looked very nice and most can be easily utilized as stand-along businesses or parts plants.

 Walthers is also making a bunch of Ford vehicles from the 1960s - 1990s for loading the multilevels, etc.
 

Oct. 12, 1998

 From: AlcoRS1@aol.com

 These were announced on Walther's new product listing, in case you have not seen it yet:

 112-5271 50' Riveted Side Double Door Box Car -- H $ 8.98 04/01/1999
Detroit, Toledo & Ironton

 112-5273 50' Riveted Side Double Door Box Car -- H $ 8.98 04/01/1999
Detroit & Toledo Shorline

 112-9264 Bi-Level Open Auto Rack -- H $ 14.98 06/01/1999
Detroit, Toledo & Ironton

 112-9364 Tri-Level Open Auto Rack -- H $ 14.98 06/01/1999
Detroit, Toledo & Ironton

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