Model Railroading > Box Car Ken...

Anyone know the name and or have some of the products from that company?

I certainly know the name and have a few of his passenger cars.

what kind of passenger cars do you have?

Lou Cross of Right O Way makes passenger cars in the style of Box Car Ken. BC Models made some nice Daylight cars in the 1950's in addition to Pullman cars for the Owl and Lark.

John Houlihan
Irish Tracklayer

Around 10 years ago or so, Lou and I made the trip from Fresno to southern California to acquire the BC models (Box Car Ken) presses and tooling from the widow of Bill Cotton. Bill was the tool and die maker behind the BC kits, and he certainly was a genius in his trade. We managed to find and identify all but a few of the items needed to perpetuate the models, but one critical component was never located, that being the indexing jigs needed to properly space window and door openings in the car sides. One "feature" of all of the BC kits was the oversized truck cut-outs. Apparently, this compromise was made to allow the kits to be built and operated by the 3-rail crowd. I had a new punch and die made to fit Bill's punch "shoe" and now have the ability to punch proper truck cutouts for Lou's car sides. All of this stuff is "old school", but the results can be quite nice. The legendary cars lovingly built by Dan Pantera have, for the last decade or so anyway, passed (in pieces) through my garage and across Lou's workbench.

John

Was the original "Ken" of Boxcar Ken, Ken Casford of Whittier, CA?
If so he is alive and well here in Whittier, and is a member of The Riverside (CA) Live Steamers club

--Jim Baker, Whittier. CA

I believe that is the Ken of Boxcar Ken fame.

John

JimBaker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Was the original "Ken" of Boxcar Ken, Ken Casford
> of Whittier, CA?
> If so he is alive and well here in Whittier, and
> is a member of The Riverside (CA) Live Steamers
> club
>
> --Jim Baker, Whittier. CA


That's him, Mr. Baker. In his eighties-- son and grandson also active at Riverside Live Steamers. I first met him in December-1973. The RLS club secretary sees him all the time. They didn't have a clue to his past. I told the club secretary to greet him some weekend morning at the track with a friendly "Good Morning, Boxcar Ken" ...

Ken looked at him with a slight grin and asked how he found out... hehehe

KRK

yes he is alive and well...

I'm one of his grandson's...

I was just wanting to see if his products were still around and in use...

he is alive and doing very well travels all the time and still loves trains and photography.

and yes...Ken Casford of Whittier, CA...

BabyHuey2926 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> what kind of passenger cars do you have?

SP Daylight 79' coach, parlor observation, and an SP Lark 10-6 sleeper.

It must be wonderful to have him as your grandfather! I sure wish my grandfather was into trains.

it is a blast...he is one very special man!