- Heavy
PAPER passenger cars created using heavier Strathmore 5-ply paper also known as Bristol Board (roughly 1/16 inch thick). [Five-ply Strathmore products, now referred to as 500 Series
Bristol Board, were about the thickness of a modern credit card or medium-weight illustration board. Bristol Board
came in various thicknesses ranging from a heavy paper up (2-ply to 5-ply). Sold in art supply stores.] Joe Fischer's
cars were so well made that seeing one you could almost doubt they were made not scratch built brass. Not fine
scale, but ten feet from the viewer on a layout these were very nice models that were also durable considering the numbers still seen available for sale whose
owners date the cars back to the 1940's and 1950's.
- example:
"Strathmore
500 Series Bristol" was created in 1893. This is a 100% cotton fiber, acid-free industry standard Bristol
paper (A heavyweight paper with a bulk thickness of .006" or higher that is made by layering or laminating
papers together to the desired thickness. The name comes because this type of paper, originally made from rags,
came from Bristol, England. also known as Bristol board). It's available in Regular and Plate surfaces. Plate is designed for fine pen and pencil work, allowing flat and washes. Regular surface is
designed for pencil, colored pencil, soft to hard charcoal, hard pastel, and oil pastel (also suitable for washes
and gouache). Both surfaces may be used with an airbrush. Strathmore's 3-ply sheet is a typical Bristol board weight,
while 5-ply is nearly as
heavy as a medium weight illustration board. A 20"x30" sheet of the Plate stock suitable for modeling costs approximately $9 (US dollars) in 2002 per sheet. Size
of sheet and price varies greatly based on supplier.
- The
only
5-ply
product produced by Strathmore is that referred to as Bristol board due to its composition and weight. It is fairly
difficult to cut and some modelers have substituted a lower ply (2- or 3-ply Strathmore) and bonded this material
to a softer board due to ease of construction. The results are nice, but when considering Fischer and Clouser Strathmore
modeling methods, a composite car will not be as durable nor will you be able to do many fine adjustments to the
texture without merely tearing the paper.
- One
example of Joe Fischer's artistry may be seen at the New York Society of Model Engineers display of their Phoebe Snow train (last
noted on display, last noted in operation by OSN on 1982 run before last outside third rail track was removed).
The passenger cars on this train were made by Joe Fischer, but were hand-lettered and striped by NYSME member Bob
Wagner. The diesels which lead the train were manufacturer by the All-Nation Line, and were also lettered and striped
by Bob Wagner. To complete the set, he also scratch built and decorated a postal car and express car for that train.
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