I don’t want to start a fire here or come across as a ‘rivet counter’ but I have been recently updating all of my invnetory on to my Yard Office Inventory Program and while researching the car data for the NS, SIND and CSX versions, it would appear that the ‘molded on’ door that comes on this model is not at all accurate for other than the SOUTHERN road…the other details seem to bear out with a very few exceptions(which I could live with) BUT the door thing is really got me coming unhinged.
It’s bad enough that the 1st run of the Southern cars had the wrong artwork -ExactRail came clean and quickly offered another run with correct numbers. But passing off this car in other road names knowing that a major component of the tooling is not correct for that prototype, is really a shock to me.
IF ANYBODY can provide a shot of any of these cars in the roads mentioned - with the door Exactrail has tooled, I’d be greatful… my research has led me to a dead end and the conclusion that I’ve been duped by a manufacturer that claims to model every thing they do to the utmost prototypical accuracy. I could see this on a $15- $17 car - or even if it was a release from the EXPRESS series.
But Signature EXACTrail??? At $34.95 a pop … I find this to be real frustrating on a supposedly premier car. I’ve been mainly pleased with most of their offerings and own many of their products, but if this is a direction that is acceptable to pass off on the modeler, I’m done with their products. help.
Dumb question: Why are SOU doors wrong for NS, since NS has a large portion of itself that is SOU? Or are the ExactRail NS car numbers cars that NS orddered new with different doors, not cars that got transferred from the SOU/NW merger that became NS?
I found one NS car that was close but the lowest panel was different. It appears that both NS and CSX replaced many doors based on the color difference between the doors and the bodies. Is the door actually molded on (most of their cars are too new for my era) or can it be replaced? I know after shelling out that much, no one wants to go and buys some doors too. But it may be an option.
Hi Morgan… no question is a dumb question… I didn’t make that real clear.
The car door modeled (tooled), appears to be correct for Southern road #s but if you research the car #'s Exactrail did in the CSX and NS versions, and look at the prototype photos of those cars, they have completely different doors. I suppose you could ‘justify’ this with a story about ‘rebuilt’ equipment but… that’s really thin. the fact is, most of these cars have not been rebuilt- some have been repainted and wheel changeouts but that’s it.
No, suprisingly, it’s moulded on as part of the carbody. I wouldn’t want to attempt that chang even if the door was available… too much for this expensive of a car.
Perhaps if you point out this flaw in the Exact Rail product to them, they can provide a solution more than what you’ll get from members of the forum. Maybe Exact Rail goofed and doesn’t realize their mistake.
You probably have a good point… that doesn’t help me with what I have though. I just wanted to find out if anyone else has experienced this or of anyone had any research photos of these cars that I may have missed( I’ve researched the actual cars and the photos I’ve located do not lie- the model is wrong for the versions other than the SOU) If Exactrail knew this going in and made a decision to do so knowing that it was not prototypically correct detail for the versions like the NS and CSX, then I don’t think they(Exactrail) acted in the best interest of their own product line, or modelers like myself- who are willing to pay more for top notch models but expect them to be accurate based on the prototype.
At a list of 34.95 a copy, I don’t think I(or anyone else) should have to reserach the product for them in order to get a accuratly depicted model… but I guess I’ll be checking more closely moving forward.
One more thing: If I do have anyone that can provide a actual photo of the road #'s Exactrail produced in the NS and CSX versions, showing the door tooled on the carbody, I’ll be the first to admit I was totally wrong and stand corrected with my humble appoligies.
Hmm, rebuilt to an old door is flimsy, rebuilt to the new (prototypical) door not so much, and you’d be surprised how many dummies will miss the opeinging in a boxcar with a forklift and go for the door… I’m still trying to figure out how one t-bones a stainless steel coach though…
And I use dumb sometimes as an introduction, espeically into a topic that I’m not well versed in. IE, boxcar doors of any era. Since I have not a layout now, I’m working on project theme trains that I can run at the club, and not so much my era equipment/rolling stock. Though as soon as I can get hold of a GP10, a Point St. Charles Caboose, one or two 45s, and the Atlas Genset (and a job) I can get that part knocked out
Hmm, rebuilt to an old door is flimsy, rebuilt to the new (prototypical) door not so much, and you’d be surprised how many dummies will miss the opeinging in a boxcar with a forklift and go for the door… I’m still trying to figure out how one t-bones a stainless steel coach though…
And I use dumb sometimes as an introduction, espeically into a topic that I’m not well versed in. IE, boxcar doors of any era. Since I have not a layout now, I’m working on project theme trains that I can run at the club, and not so much my era equipment/rolling stock. Though as soon as I can get hold of a GP10, a Point St. Charles Caboose, one or two 45s, and the Atlas Genset (and a job) I can get that part knocked out
I don’t know anything about the prototype or model in question as it is way outside my era of modeling interest, but, until the exact car numbers ae docmented to be incorrect, or at least cars close in number series to the modeled cars are shown to be different, how can you assume them to be wrong?
As others have suggested, this question needs to be posed to Exact Rail, maybe they have the photos or documentation to answer the question?
In other eras, items like doors came from various suppliers and did get replaced often with different versions than the cars were built with. I do understand the “new” nature of these cars makes that less likely, but often in the history of this hobby manufacturers have based their product on “the” photo or drawing they had, without regard for whether of not it was the most common example.
As for expecting a $35.00 car to be correct, well if they say it is, and that’s why it costs $35.00 than you do have a right to be upset. Personally, I don’t buy $35.00 box cars, so I wouldn’t know.
I checked virtually all the car numbers for CSX and NS on rrpicturearchives.net and none matched. However, I pulled a different NS car number from the Fallen Flags site and it is close, except for the bottom panel (probably where the forks went thru[}:)])
I researched the car numbers that Exactrail has done, and matched them to photos of the prototype
car(s). The Result?
Well ,the photos clearly show the car and the appropriate car# and allthough the cars are aged and have graffitti all over them, the number matches the model - the door on the prototype does not.
Thanks for the link. Boy…, Ricky… I’ve got to admit- that car is real close and I could live with it not having the bottom ridge panel - it’s just not the right car number for the model Exactrail has offered! Again, this is a question of researching before just slapping a number on a production run car.
OKAY! Okay… I know what you’re all thinking.
So, I guess for 34.95 I have to still re-number my own cars with decals… that 's just great.
I suppose I’m upset over nothing - it just annoys me to no end.
OK, That was not complelely clear in your earlier posts, or at least I did not understand you clearly.
I agree, that does not say much for their “research”.
How old are these cars? Are we sure they have not been repaired or modified and the that model reflects “as built”?
I model the the early 50’s and as such have zero interest in stuff this new, but it does seem strange they would make such an obvious mistake.
I must say, one of the reasons current railroading does not interest me is the way you discribed the cars you found photos of, “aged and have graffitti all over them”. While railroading has always been a dirty, grimy business, prior to the 60’s it was at least a better maintained business with a lot less rust and little vandelisum.
This thread got my attention because I am a fairly “technical” kind of person, but I no longer concern myself with such small details in my modeling - though I once did to a great degree.
The Fallen flags link is a very useful site in that you can pull up al kinds of useful stuff. The issue I’m having is that we just have photos to go on when it comes to the prototype. If you have one set of prototype photos and they have another set who will you believe? I have to go with what they have for the photos. If they are (re)presenting the original prototype “as built” at that time then it is what it is. Remember that it is only a (re)presentation of that which had existed before.
Renumbering a car from one of the high priced outfits is no big deal. I have a total of 61 of the ExactRail ATSF grain cars in the two different lettering schemes. guess how many of that 61 number I had to renumber? There is no way any manufacturer can plan for the exception like me who collects a certain road name.
They were not that hard to renumber, just took a little time.
I don’t know what you’re shocked about. This used to be a common practice. If one wanted to “complain”, then what about their 2420 Gunderson gondola all duded up in the Conrail paint scheme? So far as I can determine there is nothing correct about it for my prototype. (http://www.exactrail.com/index.php/products/gunderson-2-420-gondola-cr.html)