Core kits

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I’m currently building a PRR PS124 sleeper from a modified Rivarossi car. This involves swapping the doors from one end to the other, as well as splicing in a few windows from a coach. With all the cutting and moving things around, the underbody is a total mess. It would be more work that it’s worth to repair and reuse the underframe. What I’d like to do, is cut the sides off the Rivarossi car, and use one of the core kits as a base to rebuild it. To replace the underframe details, I’m thinking of using the Budd set from Walthers.

It appears that I can use the floor from a Train Stations Products core kit, and add my modified Rivarossi sides. However, I’m at a loss as to whether I can reuse the Rivarossi trucks.

Has anyone attempted a project like this?

2

I have a friend who builds alot of cars from the Brass Car Sides line. For his core he found it was actually cheaper and less hassle to buy a Walthers passenger car of the appropriet arrangment, and add your sides. THis is possible because walthers made their passencer cars so that the sides come off, which happens to make it easy for kitbashing. Using the walthers car also makes it possible to use their trucks and their nifty snap in lighting system. I have not yet done this myself, As I still have alot of passenger car kits of various types to assemble yet. But When I do, this is the route I plan on taking.

Hope this helps.

James

3

Train Station Products sells the floors seperately, as well as underbody equipment such as battery boxes and AC. equipment. I also have built many cars using brass car sides and love em. I thought about using the Walther’s cars as a core, but the underbodies are incorrect for the cars that I have done. Train Station Products also makes trucks that are Pennsy prototypes, and are obviously made to be used with their floors. This combination, with 36" wheels, will give you the correct car height. I would just go with the core kit.

For a Pennsy car, you may want to consider an Eastern Car Works core kit. I believe the roofs and ends are fashioned from Pennsy prototypes. The only problem is that the underbody detail is cast in.

4

Thanks for the comments. I’ll have to check out the ECW core kits. Hopefully, I’ll get the sleeper done this year…and the second one will go much faster :slight_smile: