On scale trains website I came across some preorder boxcars listed as Kit Classics. I’m not familiar with them. Is this just one of scale trains product lines (I assume) or a separate manufacturer (in which case why would scale trains be selling them?)
Anyone have experience with KC?
I have about 20 of them, very happy with all. Only thing I did was to add Kadee #5 or #148 couplers…
I believe the “Kit Classics” line is the former MTH HO freight cars they once offered.
I bought a bunch just to get the underframes which are nicely detailed. The car bodies, however, are all molded on details and very basic in appearance.
The Burlington and Bessemer car bodies shown here are from the former MTH line:
Trix MTH PS-1 by Edmund, on Flickr
Good Luck, Ed
The Kit Classics have been out for quite some time and to my knowledge, not from MTH. Now the NEW announcements (like the 40’ PS-1 Box Car) may be from MTH molds.
The Kit Classics are very similar to Accurail kits, a bit more detail than old BB kits, but still pretty close to “shake the box” and it’s assembled.
I have a couple and they are very decent cars for the price.
Ok, good to know. I’m specifically watching for good quality side rib Milwaukee Road PS-1 box cars, since (ironically) I have rolling stock from dozens of other roads but not a single one from the road I’m modeling lol… This is what caught my eye:
https://www.scaletrains.com/kit-classics-ho-scale-ps-1-40-boxcar-milwaukee-road.html
Andy,
What about the Accurail Rib-side box cars?
https://www.accurail.com/accurail/3900.htm
They aren’t PS-1 boxcars but they are comparable in price to the Kit Classic cars and look nice. Or, are you not interested in kits?
Tom
I’m not opposed to kits. I’ve done a handful. I don’t have any Accurail kits but that’s based entirely on the fact that I don’t want to buy wheelsets. The handful of kits I have done are old ones with wheelsets included. I’m trying to stick with as close to RTR as possible.
Accurail kits do come with trucks & wheelsets. Both are plastic. I swap mine out for metal ribbed wheels.
I used to purchase Proto 2000 ribbed wheels in the 12-pk. However, Walthers (in their infinite wisdom) decided to drop those and now only offer them in the truck/wheelset combos. [|(] The only manufactuer now of bulk ribbed wheels is Kadee. Hoping Tangent will eventually add those to their product line.
Tom
Ah I see. I didn’t realize this. Seems odd to me that they would include plastic wheelsets in what I’ve understood to otherwise be high quality kits. Either Accurail isn’t as good as I was thinking or plastic is better these days?..
Perhaps there’s a misperception here, Andy. The issue is with the use of the word “quality”. Accurail kits are consistently excellent, particularly within their price range. Paint jobs and graphics are consistently very good. But no one would say they are equal in detail (and details) with Branchline Blueprints, Proto 2Ks, Intermountain kits and others - whose prices certainly reflect the difference. Still, they’re an obvious improvement from Blue Box kits and many of their sucessors.
As for their truck frames, they are excellent even though they’re non-sprung. If only for appearance I’ve ordered them in bulk to replace the sprung frames that came with the old white-box Walthers kits. For the bucks laid out for Accurail kits, and their appearance and durability, I have no problem at replacing their wheelsets with Intermountains or other quality metal ones - if you’re big on metal for other reasons. I’m sure you’re aware of the many modelers that still prefer plastic ones.
John
The quality of Accurail kits has - IMO - improved over the past ten years and their 41’ AAR gondolas and 36’ wood boxcars are a testament to that. While the grab irons are still molded on, the stirrup design that snaps into the body is quite clever. I’m also quite fond of their 6- & 8-panel boxcars.
Tom