Santa Cruz Log Car

This skeleton log car is one of Hartford Products outstanding 1:20.3 kits, and the first I purchased and built. It's also the second piece of rolling stock acquired by the SCLCo, after scratchbuilt boxcar #301. Actually, it was the purchase of this kit that inspired the name of the railroad. The first (and at the time, only), piece of motive power I owned was the Bachmann Climax, and what with my space constraints and small radii curves, a logging line was a natural. To top it off, the real SCLCo was right in my neck of the woods, being about on to one-and-one-half hours southwest of my home, so it was also a natural. So, the Santa Cruz Lumber Company it became!

Here's an overall photo of the log car, without the logs.

A shot over the business end, showing the brake and fully-sprung link-and-pin coupler detail, as well as the unique log bunks.

The incredible detail of Hartford Products Carter Brothers Swing Motion Trucks! This is what Large Scale is all about!

Hauling a load of logs. While it seems uncertain as to how the bunks were actually employed, I made my best guess. The logs are from a large Juniper which grows in front of the company I work for (I went down there on a Saturday with a saw - hehehe), and the chains and hooks are from Ozark Miniatures. This was prior to my discovery of Nonesuch Car & Foundry log loads, which have the advantages of (1) looking more to scale, and (b) being readily available (the Juniper at work was only good for one load).