Is this model a standard 1937 AAR car(10’ IH) or the ‘Improved’ 1937 AAR car(10’6’ IH)? While I am at it, what about the McKean & Front Range kits 40’ XM’s? I will be at a train show on Saturday(La Crosse, WI) and may look for some kit-bash material since ‘winter’ still has not ended!
Jim
I’ve used a few of the Front Range/McKean models for kitbashing fodder and I think they all have been the taller height. I used Front Range ends to add improved dreadnaught ends to an Athearn grain door car for example, and they were the same height.
Thanks Rob!
Well, off to the show - 1 1/2 hour drive to La Crosse. I know that Intermountain produces both the standard and improved car, but what is the Branchline blueprint and yardmaster series cars?
Jim
Gidday Jim, Hope this helps regarding the Blueprint Series.
IMO their biggest letdown is the fraility of the small plastic detail parts, brake lines, grab irons etc. I have found some of the under belly brake lines broken in the box and no matter how careful I am I still get breakages. [banghead].But even though I approach each Branchline kit build with a degree of trepidation, if more where to turn up at the right price I would purchase them. (Which maywell have something to say about my mental state. [%-)])
Hope you enjoy the show.
Cheers, the Bear.
Thanks Bear,
I saw some at a train show today. The ‘frail’ nature of these high detail kits is always an issue. I have a number of McKean/Front Range kits that I replaced all of the plastic grabs with metal ones so they can be ‘handled’!
Jim
Front Range, McKean, and later Branchline, LifeLike Proto2000, Intermountain, and Red Caboose all suffer the same problem of free-standing details made from a poor choice of material. Whether it’s styrene or engineering plastic, it’s almost invariably too thick (grabirons, brake rigging and piping) and either too easily broken (styrene) or impossible to glue (engineering plastic). I originally used it on the Red Caboose and Intermountain cars, but have always substituted wire on Mckean and Front Range cars, and have switched to wire on the Red Caboose and Intermountain cars, too.
After partially assembling a Proto gondola, I decided it was easier to plug the existing holes for the grabirons, then re-drill them to accept wire parts. This made the kits much easier to assemble and they looked better, too. Proto did do some r-t-r hoppers with wire grabs, and they’re quite nice, although a little pricey for my budget.
A well-detailed car should not be so fragile that it can’t be handled, and when I re-detailed some Red Caboose cars to match a particular prototype car, I substituted metal parts in places where the supplied plastic parts would not likely stand up or where they were incorrect.
I’d prefer rolling stock without free-standing details, especially ones which are grossly oversize - it’s easy enough to add details if desired, and no tiny stuff to break if you don’t particularly care about such things.
Wayne
How was the show in LaCrosse Jim? Don’t forget - the Chicago and North Western Historical Society meets in LaCrosse this May, and in addition to the prototype tours and clinics and displays, there is always a model train swap meet as part of their meetings.
Dave Nelson
Dave,
The show was good - there was a change several years ago to have more layouts/displays. But the normal venders were there. What I did notice was that there was NOT a line waiting outside for the doors to open, and when I walked in the crowd seemed sort of small. Maybe the 9 AM start time this year was the factor. I left before lunch time, and the show was filling up.
I did find 2 of the 'improved’1937 AAR box cars for $18-20 each, so my ‘mission’ was a sucess.
Wayne,
I agree with you about small ‘plastic’ details - They get broken off with just normal handling and taking them out of the boxes. I like to use metal for most of the grab iron details as well - This adds to making them ‘layout ready’.What amazes me is that the Kadee plastic detail parts seem to be able to stand up to normal handling! Manny of my ‘projects’ get the Kadee roofwalk with the integrated roof grabs.
Jim