|
|
Post by lvrr325 on Aug 12, 2014 18:55:52 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by drolsen on Aug 12, 2014 20:36:30 GMT -8
Accurail is unfortunately notorious for using their models as stand-ins for other prototypes. In this case, they used their Plate B ACF box car model as a stand-in for a taller Plate C car built by Pacific Car & Foundry: RBOX 34457: www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3267115I don't think Railbox had any ACF cars with terminating ends like the Accurail model. Dave |
|
|
|
Post by markfj on Aug 13, 2014 5:30:48 GMT -8
Hello Group, Here are a couple shots I took of the RailBox cars in my collection. First up is the Athearn BlueBox version. This is car # 10572 with a new date of 4-75 printed on the side. Personally, I don’t believe this car is that bad considering how old the tooling is and that it has molded on grab irons and sparse brake detail. A cheap fleet builder or just junk? That’s up to you!   Second is an Accurail car (I think, don’t have the box anymore). It’s labeled as a “C” plate car with a new date of 4-80 and patched out for ATSF. The model has molded on grabs and thick stirrups, but nice stenciling (although the yellow is very bright). Probably most high-end modeler will consider this another fleet builder.   Next is a Branchline Blueprint series Berwick Railbox car #40721. Anyone familiar with the Blueprint series knows that these are nice kits. It has a “C” plate stencil and new date of 5-80. Lots of details including brake gear, but as you can see, the side grabs will need to be painted. I’ve actually found a way to bend the side grabs to create a more prototypically “drop” style grab iron. Kits can be found at shows for as low as $8-9 bucks.   Finally is a new Athearn RTR Railbox car #39467. I think this is a reworked MDC car, but I’m not certain. The car has many separately applied parts including nice metal crossover plateforms. I would say the car's only downfall is the lack of underframe details. That and the yellow is a bit too bright. I bought this car at a show earlier this year for $15 bucks.   Hope this info helps with the discussion. Mark |
|
|
|
Post by buffalobill on Aug 13, 2014 6:18:38 GMT -8
Mark: The second car you show is actually the MDC FMC Plt C car, not bad for 33 plus year old tooling, but it is oversize. The bottom car, the Athearn FMC single door Plate C car was actually new die work, and is dimensionally accurate. It was completed and released just prior to the Horizon acquisition of MDC. The upgrade Athearn FMC's, the Double Door, The Plug and Sliding door and the 12' Plug door cars and the PS-5277 are the upgraded MDC models and have the dimensional issues.
The Athearn FMC Plate C Car, the Exact Rail P&SD A-Box car, the Intermountain Pullman 5277 CF car, and the "now" Atlas Berwick cars are the Best of the Plate C cars. We are missing a Paccar example, but they were close to the FMC design. Exact Rail did their Evans car in the Railbox scheme, and they are accurate as Railbox picked up a few used Evans cars that where without a home in 1981. The Atlas Plate B car is a beautiful car, only problem is they did not last long as Railbox's, the remainder of the original 10,000 Plate B Railbox cars were distributed to the guaranteeing "solvent" railroads after the Trailer Train defaulted on the financing in 1984.
The Athearn Plate B ACF car is not that bad for forty year old die work, but it is not up to today's exacting standards. By the way Mr Olsen you are right, there were no new Railbox cars built that did not have "non Terminating" ends.
Bill
|
|
|
|
Post by drolsen on Aug 13, 2014 7:05:39 GMT -8
Second is an Accurail car (I think, don’t have the box anymore). It’s labeled as a “C” plate car with a new date of 4-80 and patched out for ATSF. The model has molded on grabs and thick stirrups, but nice stenciling (although the yellow is very bright). That's the old MDC car. Molded details and a little too wide, but it was good to have a model of that common prototype back in the Athearn BB days. MDC filled a lot of gaps that the Athearn line didn't cover. Athearn tooled a completely new FMC 5347, I think before they acquired the MDC line. The underbody details as sparse, as you mentioned, but it's one of my favorite models because of how common the prototype is, and because the Athearn model was well done with nice separate details for an affordable price. I have a bunch of undecorated kits for future projects. They produced 8 Railbox numbers in both the original and new scheme, with 3 more numbers due out this fall. The only nit-picking issue about them is that some of the Railbox numbers (I think the ones in the new scheme) should have panel doors instead of the Youngstown doors molded on the Athearn model: RBOX 38138: www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1515063Dave |
|
|
|
Post by markfj on Aug 13, 2014 8:34:20 GMT -8
Thanks for the corrections; I wasn’t sure about the heritage of all the models. It is just so hard to believe some of these model designs are 3 or 4 decades old! Also, just for clarification, it is the early “production” Intermountain cars that have the paint and lettering issues. Is that correct? I’m assuming both the original and late paint schemes currently listed on their site are now correct. These look to be very nice cars and I’ll probably buy a couple on eBay or wherever I can find them. I also would like to get more Branchline kits, but they are hard to find too. Thanks, Mark |
|
|
|
Post by drolsen on Aug 13, 2014 11:23:39 GMT -8
Mark, Intermountain is unfortunately not a company about whom you can assume things are accurate when it comes to their paint schemes. I think it depends on who assisted them with the artwork and when. Having not seen one of their later production Railbox cars, I don't know if they changed anything about the as-delivered paint scheme and lettering - I'd like to think they adopted Spring Mills Depot's artwork for subsequent runs, but I'm not sure if they would have had permission to do that. Just to clarify, it wasn't just the lettering that SMD improved on for their custom run, but also the Railbox yellow body color, and they also had the underbody painted black, which is correct for the original Railbox scheme. I'm not sure how accurate the repainted scheme is - I have one that I'll try comparing to some prototype photos.
One funny note about the Intermountain PS 5277: for some reason, they mounted the brake cylinder backwards on a lot of the early runs. The cone-shaped end of the cylinder had the air line running out of it instead of facing towards the brake lever. Well, maybe that's not as amusing to those of you who aren't box car fanatics...
Dave
|
|
|
|
Post by Spikre on Aug 13, 2014 12:10:45 GMT -8
?? what happened to the Details West FMC 5347? that Athearn released at least 1 run of before they acquired MDC ? does Athearn still produce runs of the DW tooled car now and then,or is it a dead issue now ? Spikre  |
|
cvacr
Full Member
Posts: 123
|
Post by cvacr on Aug 14, 2014 19:31:55 GMT -8
|
|
