I am looking at expanding my fleet of wagon top cars for my layout, I have a decent amount of older Roundhouse kits I built years ago but looking to add more to the rolling stock fleet. Looking for B&O, C&O plus others to round out the fleet. Who’s making wagon tops and how good are they?
Thanks,
Ray
Dear Ray,
Fox Valley Models has recently announced the B&O M-53 wagontop boxcar in four different paint schemes, in H0 as well as in N scale.
Michael, Lecce (Italy)
Doesn’t Bowser make wagon tops as well???
Mark
WGAS
Ray,
The Fox Valley Model B&O M-53 Wagontops boxcars are RTR ONLY so they will not be available in kit form. [:'(] Although the reserve deadline is now past (February 25, 2011), some places may still accept orders.
The Hogtrainz.com web site still has their reserve page up. It might be worth contacting them - i.e. if you’re interested in getting some. I bought the three original scheme boxcars, as they’re the only version that fits my early 40s era layout.
I believe that Mark is correct in that Bower does/did make some wagontops. I only remember seeing them for the PRR though. That’s not to say that they didn’t make any B&O versions. Bowser (which is based in Montoursville, PA) tends to manufacture more PRR rolling stock than any other line.
Tom
I don’t recall seeing any wagon tops from Bowser, Tom, although they do offer several versions of the Pennsy’s round-roofed boxcars, in both 40’ and 50’ versions. Here’s a 40’-er:
The B&O wagon top car is/was available from both Sunshine and Funaro & Camerlengo, both as craftsman-type resin kits. This one’s the F&C version:
If the Fox Valley ones live up to their advance hype, they should be popular - trucks and couplers included, and still cheaper than the kit versions mentioned. Pity about the r-t-r only, though. [swg]
Wayne
Thanks, Wayne. That must be what I was thinking of. Beautiful job on the F&C boxcar, BTW. I still have a couple of F&C gondolas and a boxcar that I need to finish - amongst other things.
Tom