New HO layout has a lot more track than previous one. Most of my rolling stock is high end RTRs. I wonder where to buy lower end, less detailed RTR box cars, gondolas, amd some reefers in the 1949 era?
Train shows. You can find plenty of Athearn, Accurail, Bachmann, and others. Maybe $5 a car, often with Kadee’s. They will be a little dusty and worn, but nothing a wash, or a shot of DullCote, or paint and decals, or a load, won’t make into interesting models. Much of my fleet came to me from train shows.
I’ve added quite a few Accurail cars from kits to my fleet. They’re pretty simple to assemble, about like Athearn BB kits.
Also, watch the Walthers fliers. They occasionally have some real bargains on rolling stock.
I agree with MisterBeasley. Accurail kits are simple, easy and fun to assemble. I have some that are on the par with some high end expensive RTR.
Bowser has some nice kits from that late 1940s time frame – heavy on the PRR but then, just about any freight train in the country at that time was heavy on PRR.
Dave Nelson
I’ll second DKnelson on Bowser. I especially like their 2 bay and 3 bay open hopper car kits. Nice variety of road names, easy to assemble and detail and look nice after weathering. Depending upon the style and model, most look approrpriate running in eras between the late 1940s thru the 1980s, while those with modern era layouts can use some of the models in MOW service. Imho, these Bowser kits are a step up from the Athearn blue box versions.