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Post by wp8thsub on Oct 7, 2018 7:20:37 GMT -8
... I believe the self destructing trucks from the Intermountain kits had plastic wheels as well. They were not only one-piece plastic castings, but they had extra deep flanges AND were out of gauge. I have one of the first 4750 hoppers they sold as RTR, and it still came with the same trucks and wheels. I have a number of IMRC cars built from kits that included the multi-piece trucks. I kept the original trucks on all of them, but they have ExactRail or Intermountain wheels. They all perform just fine, and the trucks stay assembled. I drilled out the journals to help the replacement wheelsets fit better.
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Post by nebrzephyr on Oct 7, 2018 10:20:57 GMT -8
... I believe the self destructing trucks from the Intermountain kits had plastic wheels as well. They were not only one-piece plastic castings, but they had extra deep flanges AND were out of gauge. I have one of the first 4750 hoppers they sold as RTR, and it still came with the same trucks and wheels. I have a number of IMRC cars built from kits that included the multi-piece trucks. I kept the original trucks on all of them, but they have ExactRail or Intermountain wheels. They all perform just fine, and the trucks stay assembled. I drilled out the journals to help the replacement wheelsets fit better. I had several of the original IMRC hoppers with the "self destructing" trucks that would come apart after a few runs around the layout. I contacted IMRC and they kindly send replacement one piece side frames less wheel sets. I previously replaced the wheel sets so that wasn't an issue. Bob
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Post by riogrande on Oct 7, 2018 10:29:06 GMT -8
I had several of the original IMRC hoppers with the "self destructing" trucks that would come apart after a few runs around the layout. I contacted IMRC and they kindly send replacement one piece side frames less wheel sets. I previously replaced the wheel sets so that wasn't an issue. Bob Same here, some of mine would twist a bit and the wheels would fall out of them. I also contacted IMRC and they sent me enough of their recent one-piece trucks to replace the self-destruct multi piece which I plan to do as time allows. For starters I have 8 of the older RTR D&RGW 4750 hoppers that all came with those trucks that represent the 1979 Rio Grande order, as well as a number of other IMRC freight cars. Unfortunately the kind cust service guy who helped me was laid-off after the Chinese factory closure; IMRC I see recently has found new suppliers so hopefully they will be hiring the very helpful employee back soon. www.intermountain-railway.com/918update.html
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Post by simulatortrain on Oct 7, 2018 11:19:46 GMT -8
Maybe we'll get another run of 4740 kits from Tangent and I can buy in quantity. I want a 50 car train and I should have about twice as many 4740s as 4750s. I want to throw in a couple ACF cylindricals (Wabash?) and centerflows (ACY?) for variety, though I don't recall actually seeing those in any of the Alphabet Route grainers.
As far as NW hoppers, does anyone know whether the Ortner HC16s, Roanoke HC65/66s, or PS 5250 HC64s carried grain? Those also seem reasonable to mix in if so.
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Post by packer on Oct 7, 2018 14:13:12 GMT -8
Question, how many if any of these cars made it into the 80s? I'm doing roughly 78-82, figured doing BN in that frame requires some Milwaukee Road boxcars.
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Post by SOMECALLMETIM on Oct 7, 2018 14:17:53 GMT -8
Since this subject has gone off topic, I think my favorite Accurail kit improvement has been by Brian Banna with the 70-ton offset triple hoppers. I think the kit appears to be a great starting point and looks to be a high-end model once complete with the modifications.
Back on topic - the Accurail Milw ridside car is an earlier production model and to fit my era the Intermountain version would be more accurate. Would be interesting to compare the two side by side.
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Post by riogrande on Oct 7, 2018 14:30:40 GMT -8
Question, how many if any of these cars made it into the 80s? I'm doing roughly 78-82, figured doing BN in that frame requires some Milwaukee Road boxcars. If you are speaking of the subject of this topic, the 40' MILW rib side box cars, then YES, I'd say they were still around during the 1978-1982, which is also my modeling period as well and why I am filling in a number of 40' box cars as was in the mix during that time. Correct me if I am wrong, but it was the recession of the early 80's that decimated the 40' box cars. So prior to that there were still some in service.
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jmcin
New Member
Posts: 34
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Post by jmcin on Oct 7, 2018 14:32:20 GMT -8
Now we need a good entry-level 4740... Is there any saving the Athearn car?
When Accurail introduced the 4750 kit , they offered the end cages for a reasonable price. With a little work they can be grafted on to the Athearn car , greatly improving the appearance. Little additional detailing , eg Plano roofwalk, piping the brake assemmbly etc. Changing the hoppers becomes a bit more than I personally needed to do , weathering hides many shortcomings. With a little kitbashing decent model emerges , particularly if you have them on hand. Makes a nice mix with the more expensive models on the headend
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Post by riogrande on Oct 7, 2018 15:32:22 GMT -8
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Post by edwardsutorik on Oct 7, 2018 15:33:28 GMT -8
I looked up the Exactrail and the Accurail numbers in a 1980 ORER. The only car number that fit was the Accurail MILW 19886, in the series 19368-20594, containing 3 cars. MILW had at least 3000 40 footers at the time. How many were ribsided is kind of up in the air, right now. Considering how into them MILW was, it would seem there would have been a good many more than 3 in 1980.
Ed
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Post by edwardsutorik on Oct 7, 2018 15:40:31 GMT -8
When I searched Exactrail, I only found the Olympian version, and there are none in that series in the 1980 ORER. The OTHER two, posted above, still were pretty populated in 1980.
Intermountain DOES make these cars, too. They're taking reservations right now for 5 versions, including one with roof hatches--neat!
Yeah, it does look like you can run the MILW rib side boxes in 1980.
Ed
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Post by wp8thsub on Oct 7, 2018 15:42:41 GMT -8
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Post by packer on Oct 7, 2018 17:36:54 GMT -8
Yup, they exist. I have 1 that I picked up from a friend who was doing ATSF in the mid-60s to 72. Don't know if it fits accurately (like according to an ORER) but it doesn't have a roofwalk.
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Post by brakie on Oct 7, 2018 19:20:42 GMT -8
Thanks for the education; the more you learn, the more you "enjoy" the rolling stock you bought. Jim, True that but, I doubt if I rush to sell my IM 4750 and buy Tangerts 4750 since my IM blends in quite well with my other quality cars.
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Post by atsfgp7u on Oct 8, 2018 3:10:19 GMT -8
I agree with all you have said Ryan. I just wish Accurail had tooled a removable roofwalk on the 4750, as I think an etched walk would help the appearance when run next to my Tangent 4750s and Exactrail 4427s. But they didn't so I'll mill off a walk and see what the result is. 50/50 chance it will be OK (grin) cheers Dave
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Post by riogrande on Oct 8, 2018 4:08:44 GMT -8
Jim, True that but, I doubt if I rush to sell my IM 4750 and buy Tangents 4750 since my IM blends in quite well with my other quality cars. I'm not in the mood right now to sell off my IMRC 4750's either - I pulled one out after being informed they are lacking and they still looked pretty good to me but I am ignorant and ignorance is bliss. I admit, I never got that deep into the weeds with the 4750's (I'm more of a box car guy) so maybe that is why I am basically pleased with them; plus, I don't really have the option to replace them what with no Tangent versions available in D&RGW or no $$$ to replace the 13+ offenders I have. I may eventually replace them since I can't get off the upgrade merry-go-round right now and have been made aware the IMRC 4750's don't measure up. I just wish Accurail had tooled a removable roofwalk on the 4750, as I think an etched walk would help the appearance when run next to my Tangent 4750s and Exactrail 4427s. But they didn't so I'll mill off a walk and see what the result is. 50/50 chance it will be OK (grin) cheers Dave I thought about doing that with the Accurail 4600 hoppers but I didn't have the tools or knowledge on how to mill off that thick roof walk and the supports and not have a mangled roof piece after they were removed. There appeared quite a bit of plastic to remove that was molded as part of the roof and it did not seem to be a straight forward process on how to mill that all off and preserve what was underneath. I chose to abandon doing it. I'd be in a similar boat I'm guessing if I were to try to upgrade Accurails 4750 to a etched metal roof walk, for me I might end up with something that didn't look very pretty after the molded on walkways and supports are all removed. I am not a "real" modeler in that way but kudos to those who have the "chops".
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Post by riogrande on Oct 8, 2018 4:19:03 GMT -8
Did Intermountain do a rib site 40 box car as well? Or did you mean ExactRail? They did, and Intermountain's version is different from the ExactRail or (now) Accurail cars. Comparison IMRC vs. Exactrail photos
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Post by cprengineer on Oct 8, 2018 4:46:31 GMT -8
Question, how many if any of these cars made it into the 80s? I'm doing roughly 78-82, figured doing BN in that frame requires some Milwaukee Road boxcars. If you are speaking of the subject of this topic, the 40' MILW rib side box cars, then YES, I'd say they were still around during the 1978-1982, which is also my modeling period as well and why I am filling in a number of 40' box cars as was in the mix during that time. Correct me if I am wrong, but it was the recession of the early 80's that decimated the 40' box cars. So prior to that there were still some in service. Most of the revenue 40' boxcars on the Milwaukee that lasted into the 1980's were in grain service on a few of the lighter-used branches that couldn't yet handle the 100-ton covered hoppers. Most of these lines were abandoned in the retrenchment, with a few being rebuilt by the shippers or their states to handle the covered hoppers. Either way, the need for these cars no longer existed, and the demand for a 40' boxcar for loading (as well as the profitability of them for the railroads) was rapidly disappearing. The recession was pretty much the final nail in their collective coffin.
Many of the ribside cars by then had had their side panels partially or fully replaced, usually with flat steel sheets, which either made for an interesting-looking car, or a completely uninteresting-looking car. This was due to grain leaking behind the interior sheathing, and then rotting/fermenting, resulting in a mush that absorbed water, subsequently rusting out the steel. I've seen photos where there were a few still in their original paint, complete with barely-visible "Route of the Hiawatha" lettering.
I don't now how much these old 40' cars were interchanged by 1980, but I also wouldn't categorically say that they never were. Ribside Cars also made a model of the 40' cars that were stretched to 50', with wider doors and other "modernized" appliances that would probably have been more likely to be seen in interchange. Hopefully Accurail will offer this car again in the future, as well.
Marty
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Post by SOMECALLMETIM on Oct 8, 2018 5:02:19 GMT -8
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Post by wp8thsub on Oct 8, 2018 7:23:44 GMT -8
I have 1 that I picked up from a friend who was doing ATSF in the mid-60s to 72. Don't know if it fits accurately (like according to an ORER) but it doesn't have a roofwalk. The IMRC modernized car that I picked up had some incorrect details that were fortunately simple to fix. The A end ladders were full height instead of being shortened to four rungs, and there was no roof grab on the B end above the ladders, or horizontal end grabs. It also required some additional decals, and I added raised plates across the ribs for ACI labels. DSC02045 by wp8thsub, on Flickr
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Post by wp8thsub on Oct 8, 2018 7:48:03 GMT -8
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Post by riogrande on Oct 8, 2018 8:08:03 GMT -8
Nice work Rob.
Interesting the variation of lower side sill and also side panels replaced. The IMRC car seems to show a straight side sill. The FF photo's have a drop sill under the door.
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Post by pltbrnch on Oct 8, 2018 11:10:39 GMT -8
The drop sill was added for greater strength sometime in the 1960s when most cars were rebuilt and repainted. They are simple to add with strip styrene. I need a fleet of ribsides for grain hauling. Much if my fleet is Ribside Cars, but also a bunch of Intermountain and a smattering of Exactrail. (I sold all my Roundhouse cars 10 years ago). Almost all my cars have the side sill stiffener added, based on photos. If I recall, they are a scale 12 feet long, centered beneath the side doors.
Rick
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Post by Colin 't Hart on Oct 9, 2018 1:52:37 GMT -8
Intermountain DOES make these cars, too. They're taking reservations right now for 5 versions, including one with roof hatches--neat! Intermountain announced those back in April 2017... I'm not holding my breath!
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Post by riogrande on Oct 9, 2018 2:53:59 GMT -8
Intermountain announced those back in April 2017.. I'm not holding my breath! You'd be dead for sure, but they will come out eventually. Good news is IMRC appears to be back in the saddle again. www.intermountain-railway.com/918update.html
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Post by sd80mac on Oct 10, 2018 14:26:11 GMT -8
Didn't MTH make an HO version of these cars as well?
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Post by Colin 't Hart on Oct 11, 2018 23:19:32 GMT -8
Didn't MTH make an HO version of these cars as well? No. Fox Valley Models has announced 50' versions, but I can't find that on their website. Roundhouse previously made a 40' version. And there was an old "craftsman" kit -- I believe it was Ambroid. A friend of mine has a built-up version that looks quite nice!
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Post by nightmare0331 on Nov 5, 2018 6:57:42 GMT -8
a quick grab and go of the rib side car Trainfest 3 pack run There aren't that many, so I'll be surprised if the Accurail booth has them past Saturday afternoon. The GBW PS 4750 patch job cars for Trainfest look nice also, but that's outside of the scope of this thread. Enjoy! Kelley. www.dufordmodelworks.com
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Post by sd40dash2 on Sept 26, 2019 10:45:41 GMT -8
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Post by The Ferro Kid on Sept 26, 2019 13:16:13 GMT -8
Hopefully this portends general availability as well. I have been watching and waiting for these. Have 8 or so of the Model Die Casting car in various paint schemes, which have been fun and a good stand-in, but have many problems. The Ribbed Side version hit during one of my employment transitions so never did get any of those.
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