The following kits are available from:
Norwest Kits and Castings
1585 East Pender Street,
Vancouver, BC, Canada
V5L 1V9
Phone: (604) 254-0101
FAX: (604) 254-1108
Email: norwest@promodelbuilders.com
Most of the following kits are available in two formats. First is the Premium (P) format, in which everything required to complete the model is provided (including comprehensive instructions, trucks, decals, wire, chain, brake parts etc. and etched brass parts where needed, but excluding paint and couplers). Second is the Lite (L) format, which we are reintroducing by popular demand. This provides just the instructions and castings for the principal components, and the modeler supplies his own trucks and other detail parts.
Shipping & Handling (CDN$):
| 1 | Model | $10 |
| 2 - 4 | Models | $13 |
| 5 - 7 | Models | $23 |
| 8 - 10 | Models | $33 |
Payable by check, money order, Visa or MC.
#104L GNR Wooden Caboose (HO Scale).
Price: $30 (Canadian)
This kit builds into a model of a Great Northern wood caboose, accurate for X-198, X-200 to X-228, and X-230 to X-249. The kit was developed from photos and field measurements of GN X-237, which was built in 1945, and is now on display at the fairgrounds in Spokane, WA. The major kit components are molded in rigid polyurethane resin, which is easy to work, and is glued together with ACC .They feature rabetted edges, which make it easy to produce a square, strong model. Corner steps, ladders and other detail parts are in etched brass. This kit is only available as a light kit that contains the instructions, the resin castings and a fret of etched metal. The assembly instructions are exhaustively complete, and illustrated with prototype photos.
#105 CP 336260-series Flat Car (HO Scale).
Available now.
Prices:
#105L $15 (Canadian)
#105P $30 (Canadian)
This kit is an excellent beginning project for modelers wishing to gain experience with resin kit assembly. The assembly instructions are quite complete and profusely illustrated with prototype photos. The cast components of this set are in rigid polyurethane, which is easily worked, and are assembled with ACC glue. The kit was developed from the manufacturer's drawings, and from photos and field measurements of a Canadian Pacific car built in 1929, and now at the Revelstoke Railway Museum, Revelstoke, BC.
#106 CP 338100-series Stone Car (HO Scale). Available now.
Prices:
#106L $15 (Canadian)
#106P $30 (Canadian)
This kit is a relatively simple follow-on project from #105, giving more experience with resin kit assembly. The assembly instructions are quite complete and profusely illustrated with prototype photos. The cast components of this set are in rigid polyurethane, which is easily worked, and are assembled with ACC glue. The Canadian Pacific used these low -sided gondolas to carry spoil from rock cuts, ballast and similar materials. The kit was developed from the manufacturer's drawings, and from photos and field measurements of a flat car (which formed the basis of the stone car) built in 1929, and now at the Revelstoke Railway Museum, Revelstoke, BC.
#107 GTW Wood Freight Reefer (HO Scale). Available now.
Prices:
#107L $30 (Canadian)
#107P $48 (Canadian)
This kit builds into a model of a Grand Trunk Western reefer, which is highly detailed and quite colourful, with orange sides, red ends, and an aluminum-painted roof. The kit was developed from drawings and photos by Robert Smith of a prototype car, one of 100 built originally for the New York Despatch Refrigerator Line in 1937, and transferred to the parent GTW in the 1940's and 1950's. The castings are from rigid polyurethane, which is easily worked, and joined with ACC glue. They feature rabetted edges, which make it easy to produce a square, strong model. Included in the set are parts to make delicate but strong corner ladders. The assembly instructions, which are illustrated with Robert Smith's drawings and photos, are quite complete.
#108 CN 207000-series Wood Freight Reefer (HO Scale). Available now.
Prices:
#108L $30 (Canadian)
#108P $48 (Canadian)
This kit builds into a model of a Canadian National wood freight reefer in the 207000-209419 series, with a Hutchins Roof and Equipco ice hatches, built between 1926 and 1937. It includes a liquidometer temperature indicator, and a charcoal heater which was used to prevent temperature-sensitive lading from freezing in winter The kit was developed from manufacturer's drawings, and from photos and field measurements of a prototype car at the Alberta Railway Museum, Fort Saskatchewan, AB. The castings are from rigid polyurethane, which is easily worked, and joined with ACC glue. They feature rabetted edges, which make it easy to produce a square, strong model. Included in the set are parts to make delicate but strong corner ladders. The exhaustive assembly instructions are profusely illustrated with plans and prototype photos.
#109 CP 284414-288477 series Wood Freight Reefer (HO Scale). Available now.
Prices:
#109L $30 (Canadian)
#109P $48 (Canadian)
The Canadian Pacific received their wood reefers in two main batches. This model is of a car in the first batch, built by National Steel Car Corporation between 1916 and 1929, with a fishbelly steel underframe. (The second batch built between 1929 and 1935 is the prototype for kit #111 below.) This kit includes parts for planked roof walks around the ice hatches or the later foot rails, and for a propane or charcoal heater system, together with a liquidometer temperature indicator. The casting set was developed from manufacturer's plans and from photos and field measurements of CP 284845, now at the Canadian Railway Museum, St. Constant, Quebec. The castings are from rigid polyurethane, which is easily worked, and joined with ACC glue. They feature rabetted edges, which make it easy to produce a square, strong model. Included in the set are parts to make delicate but strong corner ladders. The exhaustive assembly instructions are profusely illustrated with plans and prototype photos.
#110P CP 2200-series First Class Coach, BCR Passenger Car Alexandria, Sundance, Quesnel, etc. (HO Scale). Available now.
Kit available only in the Premium format.
Price: $85 (Canadian)
Canadian Pacific's lightweight passenger coaches in the 2200-series were produced by National Steel Car Corporation and by Canadian Car and Foundry between 1947 and 1949. They ran in mainline trains throughout the system until 1978, when the remaining cars were transferred to Via Rail. In 1973, the BC Rail purchased 12 of the cars for its Royal Hudson excursion train, where they ran until recently. (Later kits in this series include the matching baggage and mail/express cars and sleepers.) The present kit was developed from photos and field measurements of cars at Squamish, BC in 1997. The castings are from rigid polyurethane, which is easily worked, and joined with ACC glue. They feature rabetted edges, which make it easy to produce a square, strong model. Included in the set are brake components, and the parts needed to construct the complex underbody characteristic of the prototype car. Also included is a separate small kit to produce the correct trucks for this car, which are very free-rolling. The set also includes etched-brass parts for the vestibule steps, stirrups, and end gates. The exhaustive assembly instructions are profusely illustrated with prototype photos.
#111 CP 288500 - 289399 Series Wood Freight Reefer (HO Scale). Available now.
Prices:
#111L $30 (Canadian)
#111P $48 (Canadian)
The Canadian Pacific received their wood freight reefers in two main batches. This model is of a car in the second batch, built by National Steel Car Corporation between 1929 and 1935, with a steel underframe featuring straight centre sills and side sills which tapered beyond the bolsters. The side fascias sloped inward at 45 degrees, which gave the car a distinctive appearance. The casting set, which was developed from manufacturer's plans and photos, is from rigid polyurethane, which is easily worked, and joined with ACC glue. The parts feature rabetted edges, which make it easy to produce a square, strong model. Included in the kit are brake components, and parts to make delicate but strong corner ladders, plus parts for planked roof walks around the ice hatches or the later foot rails, and a liquidometer temperature indicator. The exhaustive assembly instructions are profusely illustrated with plans and prototype photos.
#112P CP 4700/4200-series Baggage and Express Car, BCR Baggage Car Prince George. (HO Scale). Available now.
Kit available only in the Premium format. Price:
$85 (Canadian)
Canadian Pacific's lightweight baggage and express cars in the 4200- and 4700-series were built in 1940 and 1947-50, and in 1952-3 respectively. They ran in mainline trains throughout the system until 1978, when the passenger service was transferred to Via Rail. A number of these cars have continued in work train service to the present. In 1973, BC Rail purchased CP 4727 for its Royal Hudson excursion train, where it ran until recently. The present castings were developed from photos and field measurements of BCR Prince George (ex-CP 4727) at Squamish, BC in 1997 and of CP 4224 at the Revelstoke Railway Museum in 1999. The castings are from rigid polyurethane, which is easily worked, and joined with ACC glue. They feature rabetted edges, which make it easy to produce a square, strong model. Included in the set are brake components, and the parts needed to construct the complex underbody characteristic of the prototype car. Also included is a separate small kit to produce the correct trucks for this car, which are very free-rolling. The set also includes etched-brass parts for the corner and door stirrups, the doors and windows, plus parts for the car as it was modified for work train service. The exhaustive assembly instructions are profusely illustrated with prototype photos.
#113 NP 90000 - 90999 Series Wood Freight Reefer (HO Scale). Available now.
Prices:
#113L $30 (Canadian)
#113P $50 (Canadian)
These cars were built in 1931-32 by the Northern Pacific's Tacoma shops, starting with steel underframe components of earlier refrigerators. The cars were somewhat unusual in that they had a deep fishbelly centre sill augmented with substantial cross beams, an AB brake system using a ratcheting lever in place of a brake wheel plus 3 brake levers to improve the mechanical advantage of the system, and stirrup steps that projected out at 45 degrees from the side sills. Beginning in the mid forties some of these cars were fitted with Creco air circulation fans, and the kit includes components for this installation. The cars lasted in revenue service until 1959, and some continued on in MOW service. One (NP 90027), finished its useful life working for the Spokane Portland & Seattle railroad as SP&S X365. Refrigerator cars of the 94400-94899 series (1917) and 93000-93999 series (1922) can also be built from this kit with only minor changes, namely a single truss rod under each side sill, and a stemwinder brake shaft with "K" brakes and more conventional brake rigging. All exterior measurements of the 1917, 1922, and 1931-32 cars were within an inch of each other. The casting set was developed from field measurements and photos of the only remaining example of these cars at the Yakima Rail and Steam Museum in Toppenish, Washington, together with photos of cars in revenue service. The castings are from rigid polyurethane, which is easily worked, and joined with ACC glue. The parts feature rabetted edges, which make it easy to produce a square, strong model. Included in the set are brake components, and parts to make delicate but strong corner ladders. The exhaustive assembly instructions are profusely illustrated with plans and prototype photos.
#114P CP 3600-series (and 3700-series) Mail and Express Cars. NAR Mail and Express Car 1460.
BCR MOW Cars 6403 and 6506 (HO Scale). Available now
Kit available only in the Premium format. Price:
$85 (Canadian)
The first of Canadian Pacific's lightweight mail and express cars in the 3600-series were 70 feet long and built in 1937 and 1940. Those with road numbers from 3619 to 3638 were however 80 feet long, and were built by NSC in 1947 and 1948. At the same time, an identical car was built for the Northern Alberta Railways as their 1460. The 80-foot 3600-series were the most numerous of the CP lightweight mail cars, and are the prototype for the present kit. They ran in mainline trains throughout the system until 1978, when the passenger service was transferred to Via Rail. Some have continued on in MOW service, eg. as British Columbia Railway 6403 and 6506. This kit will build into a model of the 80-foot CP and NAR cars, and with some kitbashing will produce a model of the CP 70-foot early 3600-series cars, the CP 3700-series mail and express cars, and BCR MOW cars 6403 and 6506. The present castings were developed from photos and field measurements of CP 3622, which has been restored at the High River Museum at High River, AB, and from photos of the cars in revenue service. The castings are from rigid polyurethane, which is easily worked, and joined with ACC glue. They feature rabetted edges, which make it easy to produce a square, strong model. Included in the set are brake components, and the parts needed to construct the complex underbody characteristic of the prototype car. Also included is a separate small kit to produce the correct trucks for this car, which are very free-rolling. The set also includes etched-brass parts for the corner, baggage door and mail door stirrups, the doors and windows.. The exhaustive assembly instructions are profusely illustrated with prototype photos.
#115P CP Grove-Series Sleeping Car. (HO Scale.) Available Now
Kit available only in the Premium format.
Price: $85 (Canadian)
Canadian Pacific's 19 Grove-series sleepers were built in 1947 and 1948 by Canadian Car and Foundry to the 5 bedroom, 10 roomette plan. They served throughout the CP system until the advent of Via Rail in 1978. The present castings were developed from in-service photos and CP drawings, including some of the underframe arrangement. Field measurements and photos of ex-CP 2200-series coaches were also useful in providing details of many features which the coaches and sleeping cars had in common. The castings are from rigid polyurethane, which is easily worked, and joined with ACC glue. They feature rabetted edges, which make it easy to produce a square, strong model. Included in the set are brake components, and the parts needed to construct the complex underbody characteristic of the prototype car. Also included is a separate small kit to produce the correct trucks for this car, which are very free-rolling. The set also includes etched-brass parts for the vestibule steps, stirrups, and end gates. The exhaustive assembly instructions are profusely illustrated with prototype and model photos.
#116 CP 199000-199999 Series and N.A.R. 17092 and similar rebuilt 36-Foot Double-Sheathed Box Car (HO Scale). Available now.
Prices:
#116L $30 (Canadian)
#116P $48 (Canadian)
The Canadian Pacific acquired several series of 36-foot box cars in the first two decades of the 20th century with the wooden underframes, sides and ends which were typical of the time. Between 1924 and 1929, the Railway decided to rebuilt 1000 of the all-wood cars (originally built between 1911 and 1913), renumbering them into the 199000-series. A further 2397 cars were rebuilt into the very similar 195603- series. (They differed mainly in the width of the door openings, 5' for the 195603-series and 6' for the 199000-series). Steel centre sills were added between the existing queen posts and truss rods, while steel ends were installed of a reverse-Murphy or a reverse-dreadnaught design, in which the ribs projected inwards. This composite car superstructure was further stiffened on many cars by substantial diagonal steel bracing applied between the new ends and the wooden sides and underframes. The present kit is accurate for cars in the 199000-series after this rebuild. (Cars in the 30203-30351 series received roof hatches in addition and were used in lime service.) The rebuilt cars kept their KC brake systems, and ran on archbar trucks. Many were retired from interchange service before the ban on archbar trucks came into effect, and so kept them to the end. The rebuilt cars served the Railway for a number of years. Of the original 1000 cars of the first series and 2397 cars of the second, 323 and 729 respectively were still in revenue service in the year 1950. Of the others, some were retired to local company service, and could be found in CP yards across the system for two more decades. Some of the cars in the 199000-series were transferred to the Northern Alberta Railway, which was a joint subsidiary of the CP and CN (see Figure 4). One of these cars (NAR 17092, née CP 199801) has survived and been restored at the Alberta Railway Museum at Fort Saskatchewan, AB. This kit is based on field measurements and photographs of that car. The castings in the kit are from rigid polyurethane, which is easily worked, and joined with ACC glue. They feature rabetted edges, which make it easy to produce a square, strong model. Included in the set are parts to make delicate but strong corner ladders. The exhaustive assembly instructions are profusely illustrated with plans and prototype photos.
#117 CN 10,000-gallon Tank Car, built 1922 and later. (HO Scale.) Lite Kit Available now.
Prices:
#117L $30 (Canadian) for EACH tank car kit.
#117P $48 (Canadian) for EACH tank car kit.
This kit consists of a casting set and instructions for the assembly of an HO scale model of a Canadian National Railways tank car in the 990800 series, and Imperial Oil Co. tank car in the 3150 series, and of similar cars also built by Canadian Car and Foundry Co. for other customers. The kit is based on 1926 drawings from the Canadian Car and Foundry Co. and on field measurements and photographs of CN 990887, which has been preserved at the Kneehill Historical Society Museum at Three Hills, AB. Cars of similar design were also manufactured for Frontenac Oil Refineries Ltd, later McColl-Frontenac Oil Co. (FOLX and MFLX reporting marks), for Champlain Oil Products Co. (COBX), and for Commercial Alcohols Limited of Montreal (CMAX), among other customers. The main differences form the cars represented by this kit were in a slightly different design of underframe, and in the bottom section of the tank being in 3 sections rather than one.
E.O. & E. Rev. April 2006