Railmodel Journal Index

Railmodel Journal was, in my opinion, one of the best railroad modeling magazines published. 

The primary interest for me are the Freight Cars of the '50s series of articles, a feature in most issues. These focused on a specific model and the prototypes that match it and are great articles by a who's who of prototype modeling pioneers. While many of these articles have been expanded upon in other publications (such as Railway Prototype Cyclopedia), they are still full of useful information and are the best place to start to identify the accuracy of models released through 2008 when RMJ ceased publication. I note plastic models that have been released since. I only mention other resin kits if the article is about a kitbash, since the resin kit would be the easier (and often more accurate) option.

This is simply a re-organized and reformatted list primarily copied from the RMJ site which can be accessed at the Internet Archive. Like the RMJ site, you can search this page with the search function in your browser. I've only included HO scale info (because that's what I compiled), and only those articles that cover prototype info and specific models. 

I list individual entries by road name, provided that info was in RMJ's index. 

All of these articles are available at Train Life online for free. I've listed them in the following format:

Prototype. Model. Author. Issue.

40-FOOT BOX CARS

• 40-foot all-steel box cars. Accurail/Des Plaines/Sylvan. Swain. 10/00, 1, 3/01.
• 1937 AAR box cars. IMWX. Hendrickson. 7/94.
• 1937 AAR ACF box cars. IMWX/Red Caboose. Hawkins/Wider/Long, 7/91.
• 1937 AAR ACF box cars. IMWX/Red Caboose. Hendrickson. 11/92.
• 1937 AAR ACF double-door box cars. Red Caboose. Hendrickson. 1/98.
• 1937 AAR wood-side box cars with 5/4 Dreadnaught ends. Athearn/Sunshine. Lofton. 2/94.
• 1941 Modified AAR box cars. Athearn/Intermountain/Sunshine. Hawkins, 8, 10, 12 /96, 3/97.
• 1944 AAR box cars. C&BT. Hawkins/Wider/Long. 10, 11/89, 2, 7, 10, 11/90, 6/92.
• 1944 AAR box cars. C&BT. Hendrickson. 12/89.
• 1944 AAR box cars. Branchline/C&BT. Hawkins. 10, 11/99, 1/00.
• 1944 AAR box cars. Kitbash. Accurail/McKean. Hawkins. 4/94.
• 1944 AAR single- and double-door box cars. Branchline. Hawkins. 11/99, 1/00.
• 1944 AAR double-door box cars. C&BT. Hawkins 6/92.
• 1944 AAR double-door box cars. C&BT. Hawkins/Wider/Long. 1/90.
• 1944 welded double-door box car. Kitbash. Accurail. 4/94.
• The term "Interim" applied to the ends in these articles is a misnomer. Improved Dreadnaught End was the manufacturer's (SREM) trademarked name, no "interim."
• 1955-1961 AAR box car. Branchline/Red Caboose. Hawkins. 7/99.
• ATSF 1890-1900 era box and stock cars. 12/02
• ATSF 1944 AAR box cars. C&BT. Hendrickson. 9/89.
• ATSF Bx-11/12/13 box cars. Westerfield. Hendrickson. 5/95.
• B&O M-26 single-door box car clones Red Caboose/Westerfield. Hendrickson. 6/98, 11, 12/01.
• C&O 1937 AAR Rebuilt 40-foot box cars. Pitzer. 5/96.
• CN 1-1/2-door single-sheathed 40-foot box car. Accurail. Hendrickson. 4/93.
• CN 1916-1917 40-foot single-sheathed box cars from Accurail/Sunshine. Hendrickson. 2/93.
• CN 1929 40-foot single-sheathed box cars. Steam Shack. Swain. 6/94.
• CN 40' box cars. Kitbash. C&BT/Intermountain/McKean. Swain. 12/92, 3/93.
• CNJ 40-foot single-sheathed box cars. Accurail/Tichy. Roseman, 2/03.
• CNJ box cars. Red Caboose/Walthers. Roseman. 11/02.
• DT&I X29 box car clones. Red Caboose/Westerfield. Hendrickson. 6/98, 11, 12/01.
• GN 12-panel box cars. Intermountain. Buck. 10/98.
• GTW 1-1/2-door single-sheathed 40-foot box car. Accurail. Hendrickson. 4/93.
• ITC 1944 AAR box cars. Kitbash. C&BT. Hawkins. 2/91.
• LS&I PS-1 box cars. Accurail. Switzer. 9/03.
• Mather box car. Proto 2000. Hendrickson, 8/03
• M&StL 6-foot door car kitbash. Intermountain. Freeman. 1/02.
• MILW 40' roof-hatch box cars. MDC. Rydarowicz. 6/01.
• MILW rib-side box cars. Rib Side Models. Hendrickson. 12/04
• MP AAR box cars. Branchline. Freeman. 2/03.
• NKP X29 box car clones. Red Caboose/Westerfield. Hendrickson. 6/98, 11, 12/01.
• NYC USRA single-sheathed box car. Tichy. Switzer. 6/02.
• Forthcoming Rapido car.
• PRR X26C box cars. Athearn/Sunshine. Lofton/Meacham. 8/92.
• F&C and forthcoming Rapido cars.
• PRR X28 1-1/2-door box cars. Intermountain. Roseman. 8/04.
• PRR X29 box cars. Red Caboose/Sunshine/Walthers. Lofton, 9/93, Hendrickson. 8/97.
• PRR X29B box cars. Front Range. Davis. 3/91.
• PRR X29B box cars. C&BT/Sunshine. Lofton. 1/94.
• PRR X29G box cars. Kitbash. Details West. Bley. 2/91.
• PRR X43 box cars. C&BT. Davis. 9/91.PRR X31 round-roof box cars. Burg. 3/95.
• PRR X37 1937 AAR box car. Athearn. LaRue. 9/90.
• PRR X37B double-door box car kitbash. Athearn/Front Range. LaRue. 11/92.
• PRR X54 box cars. Kitbash. Details West. Bley. 1/91.
• Pullman Standard "PS-0" box cars. Intermountain/Red Caboose. Rydarowicz. 3/01.
• Pullman Standard PS-1 box cars. Accurail/Cannonball/Con-Cor/Intermountain/Kadee/McKean/Model Power/Walthers. 6/89, 3/93, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11/93, 1, 6, 11, 12/94, 5, 6, 7, 12/97.
• SOO PS-1 box car. McKean. Holbrook. 12/90.
• Linde 40' box/tank cars. McKean. Rydarowicz. 7/93.
• T&P box cars. Intermountain. Freeman. 9/01.
• UP B-50-24, -27 box cars. Trix. Hendrickson. 6/03.
• USRA 40-foot double-sheathed box cars. Ertl/Westerfield. Hendrickson 5/98.
• Rapido model
• USRA rebuilt single-sheathed box cars. Tichy. Lofton and Hendrickson. 4, 5, 6/92, 7/93
• W&LE X29 box car clones. Red Caboose/Westerfield. Hendrickson. 6/98, 11, 12/01.
• WAB 1944 AAR box cars. C&BT. Hawkins. 5/91.
• War Emergency single-sheathed box cars. Sunshine. Culotta, 4/03.

50-FOOT BOX CARS

• 1941 AAR 50' box cars. Proto 2000. Hendrickson. 4/98.
• 1941 AAR 50' double-door box cars. Athearn/Proto 2000. Hendrickson. 10/95, 3, 9/96.
• 1944 AAR 50' box cars. Branchline. 8/89, 3, 4, 6, 9/90, 10/92.
• 50' composite box cars. MDC/Westerfield. Burg/Hendrickson. 7, 10, 11/89,
• 50' single-sheathed box cars. MDC/Walthers/Westerfield. Hendrickson. 7/95, 7/96.
• GAEX 50' single-door "DF" box cars. Branchline/C&BT (Kitbash). 3, 4, 9/90, 4/91, 2/92.
• GN 50' single-sheathed box cars. Westerfield. Nehrich. 7/95.
• NP 50' double-door box cars. Kitbash. Details West. Pitzer. 3/00.
• PRR 50' single door box cars. Details West. Davis. 4/91.
• PRR X31B 50' round-roof box cars. Bowser. Davis. 8/91.
• PRR X32, 33 50' double-door box cars. Bowser. Burg. 2/96.
• Pullman Standard 50' "PS-0" box cars. Intermountain/Red Caboose. Rydarowicz. 3/01.
• Pullman Standard 50' PS-1 double-door box cars. Intermountain. Hawkins. 6, 7/95, 1/96.
• Pullman Standard 50' PS-1 single-door box cars. Intermountain. Hawkins. 12/95.

COVERED HOPPERS

• ACF two-bay covered hoppers. Bowser/ECW/Kato. Hawkins/Wider/Long. 4, 8, 10, 12/91.
• ACF two-bay covered hoppers. Bowser/ECW/Kato. Eager. 3, 5/94.
• ACF two-bay covered hoppers. Bowser/ECW/Kato. Hendrickson. 9/97.
• ACF two-bay covered hoppers. Bowser/ECW/Kato. Mende. 3/94.
• ACF two-bay covered hoppers. Kitbash. Con-Cor. Charles. 8/90.
• Intermountain model.
• Airslide covered hoppers. Con-Cor/ECW/Walthers. 12/90, 2/91, 10/92.
• PRR H21D covered hopper. Kitbash. Westerfield. Bossler. 2/04.
• PRR H34 PS-2 covered hopper. Atlas/MDC. Burg. 12/93, 1/94.
• Pullman Standard PS-2 covered hoppers. Atlas/MDC. Gher. 7/90.
• Pullman Standard PS-2 covered hoppers. Atlas/MDC. Hawkins. 4, 6, 9, 11/95.
• Pullman Standard PS-2 covered hoppers. Kadee. Hawkins. 12/03.

FLAT CARS

• AAR 50', 50-ton flat cars. Proto 2000. Hendrickson. 6, 8/99.
• A&WP pulpwood flat cars. Coates. 9/93.
• ACL pulpwood flat cars. Coates. 9/93.
• ATSF pulpwood flat cars. Coates. 9/93.
• B&O 50' piggyback (TOFC) flats and trailers. Kitbash. Athearn. 10/89.
• Bethlehem 75' piggyback (TOFC) flat cars. Walthers. Vaughan. 4/90.
• C&G pulpwood flat cars. Coates. 9/93.
• CSXT pulpwood flat cars. Coates. 9/93.
• GA pulpwood flat cars. Coates. 9/93.
• GM&O pulpwood flat cars. Coates. 9/93.
• GSI Commonwealth 53' flat cars. Walthers. Eager. 12/92.
• Midwest pulpwood flat cars. Holbrook. 10/89, 1, 5/90, 9/91.
• MP pulpwood flat cars. Coates. 9/93.
• NKP 42-foot piggyback flat cars. Kitbash. Athearn. Rydarowicz. 7/98.
• Northeastern pulpwood and wood chip cars. Lancaster. 8/97.
• Pulpwood flat car. Kitbash. Walthers. Schleicher. 4/94.
• PRR F30 piggyback flat cars. Walthers. Rydarowicz. 9/04.
• PRR F30A 40-foot flat cars. Bowser. Hendrickson. 4/99.
• Forthcoming Rapido model.
• RF&P pulpwood flat cars. Coates. 9/93.
• SAL 40'/50' pulpwood flat cars. Kitbash. Athearn. Denton. 10/93.
• Tichy 40' flat cars. Hendrickson. 6/93.
• USRA-design 42' flat cars. Red Caboose. Hendrickson. 1/97.
• WofA pulpwood flat cars. Coates. 9/93.

GONDOLAS

• 40' General Service (GS) gondolas. Detail Associates/Red Caboose. Hendrickson. 3/00.
• 50' War Emergency gondolas. Tichy. Hendrickson. 5, 6/02.
• C&O 100-ton gondolas. Kitbash. Athearn. Westerfield. 12/89.
• CN 141000-142749 48-foot gondolas. Westerfield. Swain. 9/96.
• CNW 43' gondolas. Model Power/Tyco. Preussler. 10/03.
• EJ&E 50' gondola. AHM. Nehrich. 10/94.
• Erie-Lackawanna 52-foot gondola. Proto 2000. Sanicky. 9/98.
• Greenville-design 52-foot mill gondolas. Proto 2000. Hendrickson. 11/96.
• PRR G-31 54' gondola. Con-Cor. Bley. 12/90.
• PRR Gs gondolas. Bowser. Hendrickson. 4/99.
• USRA 41'6" 50-ton composite gondolas. Intermountain/Proto 1000. Hendrickson. 2/00.
• USRA 46' mill gondolas. Westerfield/Walthers. Hendrickson. 7/02.

HOPPERS

• AAR 50-ton offset twin hoppers. Athearn/Atlas. Hawkins. 3/98.
• Intermountain and Kadee models.
• AAR 70-ton offset-side triple hoppers. Con-Cor/Stewart. Hendrickson. 4, 8/95, 5/96.
• AAR Emergency 50-Ton composite hoppers. Athearn/Proto 2000. Hawkins. 12/00, 4/01.
• ACF three-bay hoppers. MDC/Roundhouse. Hawkins. 12/91, 2/94.
• B&O fishbelly hoppers. Stewart. Nehrich. 2/92.
• B&O W-1 hoppers. Kitbash. Bowser. Roseman. 11/00.
• Berwind USRA 55-ton twin hoppers. Accurail/Life-Like/Tichy/Westerfield. 7/89.
• Also MTH, acquired by Scaletrains.
• C&O fishbelly hoppers. Stewart. 4/93.
• C&S USRA 55-ton twin hoppers. Accurail/Life-Like/Tichy/Westerfield. 7/89.
• Also MTH, acquired by Scaletrains.
• CN H-39 clone triple hoppers. Stewart. Eager. 4/93.
• CNJ/CRP fishbelly hoppers. Stewart. Nehrich. 2/92.
• CNJ/CRP fishbelly hoppers. Kitbash. Stewart. Mende. 6/94.
• CR H-39 clone triple hoppers. Stewart. Eager. 4/93.
• D&H fishbelly hoppers. Stewart. Nehrich. 2/92.
• DRGW H-39 clone triple hoppers. Stewart. Eager. 4/93.
• E-L H-39 clone triple hoppers. Stewart. Eager. 4/93.
• LV 34' offset-side hoppers. Kitbash. Athearn/Atlas. Roseman. 10/02.
• LV fishbelly hoppers. Stewart. Nehrich. 2/92.
• MILW H-39 clone triple hoppers. Stewart. Eager. 4/93.
• N&W fishbelly hoppers. Stewart. Nehrich. 2/92.
• P&LE H-39 clone triple hoppers. Stewart. Eager. 4/93.
• PC H-39 clone triple hoppers. Stewart. Eager. 4/93.
• PRR GLa hoppers. Bowser/Westerfield. Burg. 2/02.
• Forthcoming Rapido model.
• PRR H21 hoppers. Bowser. Burg. 5/93.
• PRR H22A hoppers. Bowser. Burg. 5/94.
• PRR H31 hoppers. Athearn. Bley. 7/91.
• PRR H35, 37 hoppers. Stewart. Burg.1/96.
• PRR H39 triple hoppers. Stewart. Eager. 4/93.
• RDG fishbelly hoppers. Stewart. Nehrich. 2/92.
• RDG fishbelly hoppers. Kitbash. Stewart. Mende. 6/94.
• RDG War Emergency hoppers. Kitbash. Roseman. 4/02.
• F&C.
• Roger-Hart 70-ton Convertible Ballast Cars. Proto 2000. Hendrickson. 1/04.
• Roger-Hart Selective ballast. Challenger/Hi-Tech. Hendrickson. 8/01, 3/02.
• Atlas.
• USRA twin hopper. Accurail. Hendrickson. 5/95.
• Also Tichy and MTH, acquired by Scaletrains.
• WM fishbelly hoppers. Stewart. Nehrich. 2/92.
• WM fishbelly hoppers. Stewart. Pitzer. 6/94.
• WM H-39 clone triple hoppers. Stewart. Eager. 4/93.
• WM Channel-side two-bay hoppers. Stewart. Hawkins. 5/97.

REEFERS

• ART reefers. Intermountain. Hawkins. 2/01.
• ART steel reefers. Intermountain/Walthers. Rydarowicz. 7/00.
• ART, MDT, PFE combination-door reefers. Intermountain/Walthers. Rydarowicz. 8/00.
• BREX reefers. Accurail. Wagner. 6/99.
• MDC and Red Caboose reefers. Hendrickson. 2, 10/96, 7/97.
• MDT reefers. Kitbash. Intermountain. Rydarwicz. 5/99.
• NP reefers. Intermountain. Hawkins. 9/00.
• PFE R-40-10 reefers. Intermountain. Hawkins. 2/01.
• PFE R-40-23 reefers. Intermountain. Hendrickson. 10/94.
• PFE R-40-23 reefers. Intermountain. Hendrickson. 3/95.
• PFE R-40-23 reefers. Intermountain. Kohlmann. 9/98.
• PFE R-40-25 reefers. Intermountain. Hawkins. 9/00.
• PFE wood reefers. Red Caboose/Tichy/Westerfield. Hendrickson. 4/97.
• SFRD Rr-5 through Rr-11 reefers. Sunshine. Hendrickson. 1/92.
• SFRD Rr-19 through Rr-32 reefers. C&BT. Hendrickson.11/94.
• SFRD Rr-19 through Rr-32 reefers. Upgrade. C&BT. Hendrickson. 11/94.
• SFRD Rr-19 through Rr-32 reefers. Intermountain. Hendrickson. 12/96.
• Swift reefers. MDC/Sunshine/Tichy. Lofton, 2/93.
• URTX reefers. Branchline Trains. Hawkins 5/00.
• URTX reefers. Kitbash. Mantua/Red Caboose. Rydarowicz. 9/01.
• URTX reefers. Tichy/Westerfield. Westerfield. 6/89, 7/92.

STOCK CARS

• ATSF sk-Q through Sk-U stock cars. Intermountain. Hendrickson. 8/04
• CGW stock car. Proto 2000. Probst. 5/01.
• Mather double-deck stock cars. Proto 2000. Hendrickson. 5/97.
• Mather single-deck stock cars. Proto 2000. Hendrickson. 2/97.
• NP stock cars. Central Valley Model Works. Hendrickson. 9/91.
• Swift stock cars. Lofton. 2/93.

TANK CARS

• 6,000-gallon insulated high-pressure tank cars. Trix. Hendrickson. 9/04.
• ACF ICC-103W 10,000-gallon welded tank cars. Red Caboose. Hendrickson. 4/96.
• AFC Type 21 8,000 gallon tank cars. Proto 2000. Hendrickson. 2/98.
• ACF Type 21 10,000 gallon tank cars. Proto 2000. Hendrickson. 1/00.
• ACF Type 27 8,000-gallon tank cars. Intermountain. Hendrickson. 10/97.
• ACF Type 27 10,000-gallon tank cars. Intermountain. Hendrickson/ 7/97.
• GATC 10,000 and 12,500-gallon tank cars. Kitbash. Athearn. Hendrickson. 8/96.
• ICC 105, 11,000 gallon tank cars. Atlas. Hendrickson. 7/03.
• For more accurate Kadee model see Ed Hawkins clinic and roster.
• Linde 40-foot box/tank cars. McKean. Ryczkowski. 7/93.
• LPG 40-foot tank cars. Athearn. 9/89.
• SOO Pickle tank car. Scratchbuiling. Leider. 2/02.
• Skelgas LP tank car. Kitbash. Athearn. Hodina. 7/89.
• Tichy HO scale small-dome tank car. Hendrickson. 10/90, 4/91.

DETAILS

• Prototype brake wheels c1930-1960. Hawkins. 9/96.
• HO scale freight trucks. Hendrickson.2, 4/90, 12/93, 2/95.
• Richard also published a much more current document online available here.

PAINTING

• Authentic railroad color chips. Box car red. Floquil/SMP/Scalecoat. Hawkins/Wider/Long. 8/89, 6/90
• B&O box car colors. Hawkins/Wider/Long. 8/89.
• PRR Freight car red. LaRue/Gutowski/McGuire/PRRT&HS. 11/90.
• Repack data markings. Switzer. 9/90.
• Reweigh, station, weight and service stencils, placards and truck details. Hendrickson.6/97.
• Weathering freight cars to match the steam era. Hendrickson. 12/95.
• Weathering Kadee box cars. Switzer. 8/01.
• Weathering tank cars. Schleicher. 5/97.