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Cannonball
Car Shops
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| Welcome to an information loaded page. Our shopping cart [click here] uses secure paypal payment plan for regularly in stock items. For advance reservation, special sale and limited availability items please use our 800 service or mail order. You are also welcome to order in stock items by 800 or mail [click here for more detailed instruction]. For the very latest updates click here. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CANNONBALL CAR SHOP was begun as a sister company to Red Ball. At the time our Red Ball kits were wood and die cast metal (and building kits was fun). Cannonball was so named to distinguish its STYRENE plastic kits-many made in the Red Ball molds. Merle Rice and Paul Miller worked many months engineering the adaptation of those metal molds to styrene plastic molding. We were then offered the Kurtz Kraft PS1 boxcar molds by "Rip" Van Winkle of Alexander Scale Models because it was very difficult to find someone who could run them. We did. Much additional investment was involved fine tuning the molds to make the Cannonball PS1 and steel reefers. In the process, Rice engineered a thin film over the "roofwalk holes" in the roof so "walkless" modernized cars could be modeled (that soon became "standard practice). Now you may say "so what?" Although plastic was used for various parts by M Dale Newton (Red Ball) prior to WWII and by others soon after (Indianapolis Car, Lehigh, Lionel, Mantua for example) most were isolated parts or primitive materials and techniques. The Kurtz Kraft folks made the first injection molded plastic railcar kit in scale model railroading. Their PS1 boxcar [an accurate prototypical reproduction] was advertised in December 1956 and sold for less than a dollar. Irv Athearn's "shake the box" car came soon thereafter and PS1 kit sales slumped. A special run for Howell Day's Red Ball came later. Then Alexander ran some in yellow (their box color) before selling the molds to Rice's Cannonball. A major problem of the era was plastic compatible paints. Lettered cars had been unpainted until Cannonball tried to jump that hurdle. Capable molders were still scarce (these molds required larger injection machines than our three) but several runs of Cannonball PS 1 boxcars were made. The fiftieth anniversary of injection molded styrene railcar kits will be December 2006. |
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You or your dealer can order the current Cannonball line from our website listing. Dealers may also order from Oregon Rail, Bethlehem Car and Portman Distributing. Please check our dealer directory for some of the stocking rail shops. |
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CANNONBALL CAR SHOP |
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This update for January 2, 2007 supercedes all
older postings. Scroll down for photos and more information. Oregon's
highway crossing flasher kit 113,(unavailable for some months) is
expected back in stock late January.
Built up signals have been in such heavy demand that we expect
1-2 month delay on refill orders frequently. These are handmade by real
live folks in Oregon. Oregon's
long awaited new 2 track and 4 track Signal Bridges have "passed
muster" on all test and retest shots and are entering production.
Both bridges with PRR Position lights and both with Target
signals are expected by spring. The package cover art is being posted
here. This picture is an
actual photo of the four track bridge.
Semaphores are coming yet-mold corrections underway. Military series cars include ECW truck frames.
The Hospital Car has a preformed etched brass wrapper around the styrene
shell. Coffin Car will have double etched brass side overlay.
·
*Many
have requested photos of these new products.
Photos will be posted when kits are ready for release.
Other manufacturers regularly use this website to send our
research overseas to create
competing imported models. Are
we paranoid?-they've told us so!
CANNONBALL CAR SHOPS PRR X23 and R7 KITSSpecial posting 6/11/07 These distinctive outside braced car kits were available in the 1980-mid 90 era. A recent magazine article suggests using these cars in a construction project. These kits were discontinued several years ago pending redesign and reissue. We have a limited quantity of the car ends and carsides (molded in styrene) available at $12.95. These are not in the shopping cart and must be ordered by 800 phone or mail requesting PRR X23 PARTS #197-803. The correct under frame is Red Ball #772-1541. Available discontinued Red Ball parts are listed on our CARS & TRUCKS PAGE (click in menu at left) and may also be ordered by 800 or mail. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ILLUSTRATIONS AND MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON CURRENT PRODUCTS. CANNONBALL PRODUCTS ARE CREATED FROM ORIGINAL TOOLING DESIGNED AND MADE IN USA AND KITS ARE MADE IN USA. Vast quantities of our research information on troop cars and their conversions may be found on our TROOP & HEADEND car page, as well, as CCS kit construction information.
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The following is for info only. Go to our shopping cart to order.
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