| William J. "Bill" Clouser September
18, 1928 - July 27, 1992 |
Model Railroader,
HO - O - 1/4AAR promoted 1/4AAR fine scale modeling,
now combined with Proto:48 and though
best known for his traction models, Bill also scratch built steam and diesel locomotives and a variety of other
models including anything detailed for his layout — to exact scale!
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Custom Builder & Designer (private
commissions; various scales & prototype)
- 1955, shortly after his marriage to Minerva Pearl,
Bill was commissioned to build two types of subway cars for the St. Louis Car Co. One was the R-17 and the other
the H&M (PATH) Class K car.
- 1960's until his death in 1992. Models for the
Smithsonian Collection displays, primarily traction or other railroad related subjects. examples:
- Museum of American History, Washington DC; 1/2"
scale. Cincinnati & Lake Erie high speed #123
- Museum of American History, Washington DC; 1/2"
scale. St. Louis Public Service PCC car #1664
- "WJC" was on bottom of cars he made.
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Manufacturer "William J. Clouser" (primarily 1/4AAR products, i.e. Proto:48, some standard O, O trolley, and HO)
- 1953, 1/4" scale products (early Proto:48)
- 1/4" scale wheels
- advertised as "1/4" Scale Wheels 26,
33, and 36 inch diameters. These wheels were designed for use on girder grooved or guard rail since those rail
types will not properly accomodate NMRA O gage wheels."
- black oxidized steel, uninsulated only
- girder grooved rail…A 1/4" scale version
of 7-inch high, 122 lb. rail for uses in street paving for tangent track. Manufactured in drawn steel to 3-foot
sections and sold in 99-foot bundles.
- girder guard rail…A 1/4" sca;e versopm pf
7-inch high rail used in street paving for curves, frogs, and the fabrication of special work. Manufactured in
drawn steel to 3-foot sections and sold in 99-foot bundles.
- 1962,1/4" scale cast type, single point switches (left and right) and switch mates.
- These were cast in nickel-silver using the lost-wax
method.
- 1965, early advocate for epoxy tooling for modeling projects.
- 1965, produced O Scale car bodies for commercial sale including vintage freight cars and various
interurban bodies with the most popular being the North Shore Line Jewett coach and combine.
- released four different resin cast
car bodies.
- These would still considered state
of the art, as they have fine-scale details and interior details cast into one-piece bodies.
- Offered the 250 series combine,
one of the diners, and two coaches (150 and 700 series).
- Eric Bronsky (Bronze Key Models)
bought the molds and rights to produce these cars, and he did some for some years until the molds were no longer
useable.
- 1970's, urethane buildings including HO station craftsman kit
- other commercial projects:
- girder rail (much valued and possibly lost to
the industry, beloved by many traction modelers — does anyone know what happened to his process?)
- operating couplers
- lost
wax, bottom operated Type-E
- models from Strathmore board (an upper class grade
of cardstock)
- traction models
- a pair of ALCO PA's
- misc. structures
- cast epoxy models
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Railroad Photographer (primarily
traction subjects)
- example at Doylestown Car Co.
- Illinois Railway Museum Strahorn Library Annex,
Marengo, Illinois; traction at IRM, other traction subjects, Nebraska Zephyr
including dining car "Minerva."
- The rare and intricately posed photos of his finescale
models are still snapped up whenever these turn up at shows. Each year he would create new scenes, but most of
the remaining examples are from his holiday cards or reproduction published in Vane A. Jones Traction Fan;s Directory. In 1962, these two sources combined as Vane Jones created a "fold out" pinup
from a Christmas card: "A Snowy Morning at the Shops" (St. Louis Public Service #500, Illinois Terminal
trailer #506 and an ITS class 0 locomotive posed in a snow-covered yard scene with a holly wreath on the shop door.
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Artist/Graphic Artist, railroad subjects
- in addition to the lovely pieces that he displayed
at his home, Bill the artwork for an unknown number of decal and herald sets
- created artwork still in use today for Illinois
Railway Museum's newsletter, Rail
& Wire
- created artwork for OSN column for many years:
"Beneath the Singing Wire"
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Author (partial bibliography)
- "Trolley Empire" (HO scale traction)
Model Railroader, September 1956; pg. 20
- "A Splash of Traction Orange" (HO scale
traction) Model Railroader, November 1957; pg. 42
- "Professional Painting, Including Multicolor
and Masking" Model Railroader, March 1959; pg. 28
- "The Strathmore Story - Modeling with Strathmore
Board" Model Railroader, February 1959; pg. 62
- "The Interurban In Its Natural Habitat, The
Character of the Interurban — Model or Prototype Photos?" (O Scale) Model Railroader,
August 1959; pg. 22
- "Illinois Terminal Class E Freight Locomotive"
Model Railroader, April 1960; pg. 62
- "Stretching the Athearn Pullman" Model Railroader, December 1960; pg. 40
- Custom-Cut Clerestory Roofs for Traction Cars"
Model Railroader, April 1961; pg. 44
- "This is My Excuse — What's Your's?"
NMRA Mid-Cont. Digest, May 1961
- "Blue Book of Model Railroad Practice 71:
Traction Overhead, Part 1" Model
Railroader, September 1960; pg.
59
- "Blue Book of Model Railroad Practice 72:
Traction Overhead, Part 2" Model
Railroader, October 1960; pg.
71
- "Blue Book of Model Railroad Practice 73:
Traction Overhead, Part 3" Model
Railroader, November 1960; pg. 79
- "Blue Book of Model Railroad Practice 74:
Traction Overhead, Part 4" Model
Railroader, December 1960; pg. 87
- "Trackwork in Streets: #1 Bluebook Series"
Model Railroader, January 1963; pg. 58
- "Trackwork in Streets: #2 Bluebook Series"
Model Railroader, February 1963; pg. 67
- "Trackwork In Streets: #3 Bluebook Series"
Model Railroader, March 1963; pg. 61
- "Illinois Terminal (B-B) - (B-B), Class C"
Model Railroader, May 1965; pg. 46
- "Ultra-scale 1/4" scale boxcar"
(review) Fine Lines, March 1970; pg. 12
- "Christmas Card Photography - Clouser's Christmas
Cards" Railroad Model Craftsman, December 1972; pg. 42
- "1/2" Smithsonian C&LE Model"
Railroad Model Craftsman, Oct 1974
- Traction Guidebook for Model Railroaders, by Milwaukee, WI: Kalmbach Pub. Co., 1974; pg. 53.
reprint of 1963 Model Railroader
series "Trackwork in Streets";
pg. 67, reprint of 1960 Model
Railroader series "Blue Books"
- "Superdetailing the ICC — Clouser Union Traction
429" Traction & Models, July 1976; pg 15
- "'Partial Autobiography — Beneath the Singing
Wire" 48/ft O Scale News, OSN 98 1988; pg. 20
- "Color in Street Railway Equipment &
Interurbans, Part 1 — Beneath the Singing Wire". 48/ft,
O Scale News, OSN 99 1988;
pg. 24
- "Color in Street Railway Equipment &
Interurbans, part 2 — Beneath the Singing Wire" 48/ft
O Scale News, OSN 100 1989;
pg. 22
- "Color in Street Railway Equipment &
Interurbans, part 3 — Beneath the Singing Wire" 48/ft
O Scale News, OSN 101 1989;
pg. 25
- "Color in Street Railway Equipment &
Interurbans, part 4 — Beneath the Singing Wire" 48/ft
O Scale News, OSN 102 1989;
pg. 25
- "Color in Street Railway Equipment &
Interurbans, part 5 — Beneath the Singing Wire" 48/ft
O Scale News, OSN 103 1989/1990;
pg. 60
- "Beneath the Singing Wire" 48/ft O Scale News, OSN 104 1990; pg. 19
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Traction & Models Hall of Fame inducted by publisher Vane A. Jones at the 1979 Trolleyfest meet in Chicago, Illinois.
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For more articles concerning Clouser read:
- "Bob Hegge interviews Bill Clouser"
Model Railroader, March 1971; pg. 55
- "Clouser's Terrific Trolleys" Model Railroader, March 1962; pg. 36
- "Farewell to a Master… William J. Clouser,
Beneath the Singing Wire" 48/ft.,
O Scale News, Fall 1992, pg.
43
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