Opinions/observations on HO rolling stock

[Puddlejumper]

For the Milwaukee rib side cars check out Ribsidecars.com. Their kits are pretty good, and run about $20.

Unfortunately with the demise of kits, the RTR items are running higher. don't be surprised to see more and more $35 freight cars.

[nachoman]

For the Milwaukee rib side cars check out Ribsidecars.com. Their kits are pretty good, and run about $20.

Unfortunately with the demise of kits, the RTR items are running higher. don't be surprised to see more and more $35 freight cars.

Hey! those are cool. Not my era, but I am sure people modeling 40s-50s will want to check them out.

[doctorwayne]

Thanks for that tip, Dave.

Wayne

[Sumpter250]

Unfortunately with the demise of kits, the RTR items are running higher. don't be surprised to see more and more $35 freight cars.

As it was fifty years ago, so it is today......with one very important difference...today, my scratchbuilding skills are fifty years more developed, and I still don't need ( can't afford ) RTR !!

[Puddlejumper]

Thanks for that tip, Dave.

Wayne

For some reason, Wayne, I was thinking you were the one that gave me that tip originally.

[Russ Bellinis]

I think I was able to just get rid of the stock Accurail coupler pocket cover, and just substituted a Kaddee #5 box cover with the "ears" trimmed off and a Kaddee #2-56 plastic screw to secure it.

[Brakie]

Well has far has ExactRail they offer 4 lines of freight cars.

The Signature Series..These are highly detailed cars.


The Platinum Series These are also highly detailed cars-I can't see that much difference between the Signature Series and the Platinum Series


The Evolution Series..These cars have less details as far as uncoupling bars and air hoses and looks like you average RTR car..

The Express Series ..These seem to be the same as the Evolution Series as far as detail.

The ExactRail line of cars are top notch and compatible with other mid range to high end cars.

[Gary S]

I did not know that ExactRail was making "lower" end cars. I'll have to check them out. I thought they were only making the $35 fancy schmancy things.

[Brakie]

I did not know that ExactRail was making "lower" end cars. I'll have to check them out. I thought they were only making the $35 fancy schmancy things.

Gary,Its hard to keep up with the manufacturers and all the new releases..I found ExactRail's different car lines by accident while looking over their web site-and that was after several visits.

These Evolution and Express Series can be had as low as $14.00 on line.

These are not bad looking cars and blends in well with Athearn and Trainman RTR cars.

[train_guy]

I suppose it would depend on the amount of detail your looking for vs what you can afford.I personally like Athearn genesis line(hoppers,Boxcars),or Atlas "master line"(tank cars).The most detail for the least amount of money.Intermountain,Tangent,Exact rail are definately more expensive,but still have alot of detail.If there be one thing about exact rail's models it would be their wheels,the flanges are huge(not very prototypical),but their trucks,side-frames are the most detailed,along with BMLA's trucks.I think it depends on your budjet more than anything else.If ya want to go "cheap" with little detail,then go with Athearn blue-box or Accurail,or even cheaper Model power and Bachman.

[doctorwayne]

Thanks for that tip, Dave.

Wayne

For some reason, Wayne, I was thinking you were the one that gave me that tip originally.

Hmm. Could be, although I can't recall for sure. Anyway, after building the Intermountain car, I looked up the RibSide Cars version, then struck a deal with my good friend Mister Nutbar: He took the slightly-too-modern shortened-rib version and presented me with a new RibSide Cars kit for the original version with full-length ribs. It needs some Dullcote and a little weathering, then I'll post a picture. I found it to be a decent car, not as well-detailed as the more expensive Intermountain version, but not too difficult to upgrade with new grabs and steps, plus some more detailed brake gear. The information sheet on the prototypes is a great bonus and would be a welcome addition to any manufacturers' models, kit or r-t-r.

Wayne

[FCIN]

I can't really comment on Exactrail, Auccurail and Tangant models as I've yet to purchase one. Like many others, $35 for a single car is a pretty big pill to swallow! I have purchased one $35 car in the last year (actually paid $28 for it), a Kadee 50ft L&N Cushion Underframe box that is something else. Doors open and the Hydro-Frame 60 underframe actually works. I have been wanting to purchase an Exactrail Southern Railway waffle side box car, but $35 for another single car????

I have about 100 HO cars at this point, the majority being the good old Roundhouse box cars, covered hoppers, etc., a few Walther's cars and a few upgraded Athearn cars in the mix. Although the molded on detail is a bit clunky by today's standards, I'm more than pleased with them. All have Kadee couplers and am in the process of adding metal wheel sets to all of them. They operate just great. Most of the newer cars I've purchased over the past few months have been Atlas tank cars and a couple of the upgraded Athearn/Roundhouse cars, which have great detail. I was a bit surprised that an upgraded Athearn covered hopper I recently purchased still had that crappy stamped metal piece to hold the couplers!

I have noticed that when these newer cars are placed in a cut with the older cars, that I have to look really close to see the differences. So, whenever I make it to any model railroad shows or the GATS show, etc. I'll be on the lookout for the older Roundhouse cars that can still be purchased for around $8 a piece.

A friend and I were discussing the high cost of model railroad equipment the other day compared to what we used to pay for very nice models and reached one conclusion. Today, when you plunk down $15-$35 for a single car, you are basically purchasing a museum quality model. But you are also looking at some really big bucks to have a fleet of cars. Not only that, but my cars will be handled a lot, taking them on and off the layout for operating sessions and I wonder how these "museum quality" models will hold up.

With DCC/Sound equipped locomotives running $150-$250 a piece and the cost of a single freight car averaging about $20 each, I often wonder how younger people or even us older folks can afford to get in to the hobby. I have noticed that when the local (50 mile away) hobby shop gets in the latest Exactrail/Accurail/Tangent models, they seem to sell out very fast, so I guess somebody out there can afford these prices.

I've purchased two DCC/Sound equipped loco's over the past couple of months and am looking at a third one, but really have to think things through and justify such purchases since I'm retired. Am very pleased with these locomotives, but geez!! I never thought I'd have to take out a loan to buy an HO locomotive or freight car. Wonder when the manufacturers will start their own loan companies?

Hope I didn't get off topic to much here

[doctorwayne]

Here's the RibSide Cars version of the Milwaukee Road's unique boxcars:





I removed the cast-on grabs and replaced them with bracketed grabs from Details West. I also replaced the cast sill steps with modified ones from A-Line and added roofwalk corner grabs, and upgraded the brake detail on the underbody.

Here are a couple of other recently-finished cars.

This is an Intermountain kit that I picked up for $9.00. This kit had sat on the shelf for several years with a $30.00 price sticker on it (fairly cheap in these parts for an Intermountain kit), mainly due to the fact that 1.) It was a kit and 2.) it was factory-lettered for a California winery. Not a big seller in the Niagara Peninsula area, part of Ontario's wine industry region. I was lucky to be in the store the day the price finally came down. I already had the decals on hand, and, after stripping and re-painting the shell and replacing some of the kit's details with metal parts, ended-up with this:


I got a couple of these Athearn/MDC milk cars at a reasonable $12.00 each, mainly due to the fact that they were gaudily-lettered for American dairies - regular price was $29.95. These were ready to run cars, so I had to disassemble them to strip the lettering. By the time it had been removed, most of the paint was gone, too. I removed some cast-on piping from the "B" ends of the cars, then re-painted them with CNR Green from Accupaint. Lettering is dry transfers from C-D-S. While the cars were originally meant to represent ones with interior tanks for bulk shipments of milk, mine are simply insulated (but non-refrigerated) express cars:


This is another "bargain" car at $4.00 for a new-in-the-box kit, although not such an impressive saving, as it's only an Athearn Blue Box car. However, after seeing Kevin's (nachoman) car from the Spring Kitbash Challenge, I couldn't resist.
I added metal steps and grabirons, upgraded the brake gear, and added a safety railing around the domes. Lettering is data and alphabets from Champ, with "GERN" cut from a Walthers Great NorthERN boxcar set:




Without the price cuts, it's unlikely any of these cars would have been added to the roster.

Wayne

[Gary S]

DocWayne, I'm assuming these are fairly recent acquisitions?

The price was right, and with a little TLC, they are very attractive models.

I have the same philosophy, I'm just not going to pay the high RTR prices for rollingstock - and not just becasue I am cheap - because it is fun to do these rebuilds and detailing.

[Puddlejumper]

because it is fun to do these rebuilds and detailing.

Which it the primary reason I have kept a bunch of old Tyco, Life-Like, Bachmann, etc. toy train freight cars. Sure it takes effort to make them reliable and good looking, but it is FUN, and THAT is the point of model railroading (or railroad modeling?)... isn't it?