R50b handrail question

Model Railroader
1

Bought 2 PRR R50b cars on eBay. Neither one has the handrail package and Walthers doesn’t have them available. What size brass wire and what size drill will I need to install my own? thank you

2

.008" wire would probably be the correct scale size wire to use. I usually use .010" because many details on models are molded oversized, and the larger wire is more in line with keeping the proportions equal. Many commercial grab irons use .012" wire.

A #80 drill will work for any of them.

Mark

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3

I’ll have to look at some of mine later tonight. One thing I really regret is not marking the little plastic bags to correspond with each car. I ‘should’ have some grab irons that I can measure for you and if I take a proper inventory I may have some to spare.

I seem to recall one of the end grabs is bent into a vee shape.

Regards, Ed

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4

thank you

5

Ed, the ones with the V are probably from the B60b baggage car.

6

I’m sure you’re quite right. I often get the two confused! I do have a brass R50b (NJCB?) that has rather crude grab irons:

PRR_R50b by Edmund, on Flickr

—and I looked at my ‘collection’ here and, yes, what I have are for the B60b!

IMG_975B60b grab irons
IMG_975B60b grab irons1920×1440 248 KB

I’ll have to take another good look tomorrow!

Cheers, Ed

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