Rolling Stock

Now it's time to look at some of the rolling stock that the Kittatinny Mt. RR uses on the line. The roster is not large because it is mainly a logging line that is just getting by. There is no need for standard gauge cars, plus I never saw a point in having more cars than I would know what to do with. Let's start with the roster.

First on the list is a Bachmann log car. The KMRR owns three of the logcars. These are the main cars used to transport the cut timber from the woods to the sawmill. The only thing done to the cars was some weathering. Most of my weathering is done using the Krylon camo paints. I first use a light spray of black followed by a light spray of camo tan. It is a fast and cheap way to weather and looks pretty good (at least I think so).

The RR needed a way to transport balast and fire wood so they purchased a Gondola. It is from the Bachmann 20ft series. This car was weathered and larger trucks and wheels were added.

Next on the list is a Bachmann boxcar from the big hauler series. This was one of the first cars to receive a makeover. It was painted and weathered. Because of its large size it is not used much on the RR. (I prefer to run shorter cars like the 20ft series cars.

Since the Bachmann Box Car is too long for my taste I decided to pick up a Hartland Boxcar and a Bachman 20ft Boxcar. Both cars are almost indentical in size. The Hartland (on left) and Bachmann (on right) were repainted and weathered and on the Bachmann I added larger trucks and wheels. The Hartland shows the Kittatinny logo while the Bachmann has the Allegany Valley logo. They both transort supplies to the camp.

The KMRR also owns three flat cars. The flats are all Hartland flat cars kitbashed. They were re-painted and real wood boards were added to the flats. For $14 each I couldn't pass these flats up. The flats are used to haul the cut timber from the sawmill to the industry area. They are also used to haul logs and anything else that will fit.

The Kittatinny Mt. RR has three cabooses to add to the end of the train. The first one is a Bachmann 2 axle logging caboose. This was repainted and all the plastic rails were replaced with metal ones. I also used masking tape on the roof to make it look like tar.

The second one is an aristo bobber caboose I got for free when purchasing the Rogers. I converted this one from a two axle to a four axle, and repainted and weathered it. Since the picture was taken I added steps to the car and am now waiting for decals.

Forest fires are common in the Kittatinny Mountains, especially in the spring and fall seasons. The RR needed a way to protect all the valuable timber. The crew built two fire cars: a fire-fighting car and a work caboose. Both cars were built from a Hartland flatcar. This was my first attempt at making cars from wood.


I have always liked the look of short 2 axle cars and the KMRR needed some smaller rolling stock for the porter to pull. Not many companies make the 2 axle cars. I believe LGB and Aristo are the only two. I went with the Aristo. As of now the KMRR has two flats and one boxcar. The flats were redone like the Hartland flats: painted, weathered, and added wood decking . There are no photos of the boxcar but as soon as I get one I will post it here.

Winters can be harsh in the mountains, averaging about 65 inches of snow for the season. The RR needs a way to keep the tracks clear especially since winter is logging time and the cars need to move. I built this small plow car using a Hartland mini series gondola. I used a block of wood faced with a metal coffee can and a light. This plow is now out of service and plans are in the works for a new one.

The last set of cars is part of the Hartland mini series. These are great little cars and very affordable especially for someone just starting out. I like to use these cars as my industrial cars. They are not based off of any real cars so scale is very small when compared to the other rolling stock. For information see this site:

http://archive.mylargescale.com/articles/articles/philjensen/PhilJensen14.asp
In this series the RR has three log cars, four ore cars and a caboose.

The Kittatinny RR also owns a Pennsylvania RR refrigerator car and passenger car. Both eventually will be repainted with the KMRR logo and will be put in service.