The latest fad by model train manufacturers is to make rubber handrails for hood units and yard switchers. I find these handrails JUNK. They are unpaintable, unrepairable, and flimsy. Hopefully someone in the model induatry will make some wire replacement for the rubber handrails. All the handrails on my Atlas Athearn Genesis P2K and Stewart locomotives have had the rubber handrails replaced by wire and metal stanchions using the rubber handrails as a pattern. The rubber handrails then go in the trash.
That issue was already raised by you here: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?p=454884
What do you hope to gain by bringing it up here with your first post other than grousing about it? Metal handrails cost more to manufacture and that cost would be passed on to you. Then you’d join the chorus of those complaining about the high cost of the hobby.
If you don’t like the Celcon handrails, Smokey Valley makes replacements. http://tinyurl.com/2y39uw
Or you can continue to make your own. Your choice.
There I go again. Doing someone else’s homework for them. I gotta start charging for the service.
Andre
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No one makes rubber handrails.
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Smokey Valley makes brass handrail kits and has been available for as long as I remember.
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Welcome to the forums (I think).
David B
Many of us have success painting these “rubber”, actually plastic, handrails. I use Pactra paint for RC car bodies. This paint sticks to flexible plastic much better than normal paint.
Jim
We wanted scale size handrails which we got-------at a price…
But…
All isn’t lost…
Careful handling with the paint we on clear Lexan car bodies.
http://www.shopatron.com/index/137.0.6089.0.0.0.0
should shove the paint issue.
Daivid said:No one makes rubber handrails.
The new spaghetti thin handrails will bend and twist
The rubber handrail curse has struck again. I had to replace the headlight bulb in an Atlas RS-11 and the rubber handrail on the firemans side of the short hood broke in two places as I carefully took it loose from the walkway.
Hopefully the Smokey Valley set will be a good replacement. There are two Athearn GP-40X units just bought as well. I’m not even going to wait for the rubber handrails to break before replacing them. I have two Athearn GP-40-2 wire sets waiting on the shelf.
The model makers need to go to metal handrails. The Smokey Valley set is going to cost me $17.95. A cost I shouldn’t have to encounter had the handrails been of good quality.
Call it grousing if you wish but I don’t care to buy junk.
I’ve been able to fix the acetal ones with some succes using CA.
As for painting, I spray them with adhesion promoter, then brush paint them the approprite color. Personnaly, I wish they did wire.
I actually prefer the Atlas plastic handarils over the Athearn metal ones. The Atlas ones are easier to break, but MUCH easier to attach! And finding all those little stanchions and getting them on the handrail gives me a headache![xx(]
Trainman Ty
Send me your address in a PM and I’ll send you the pieces.
The pieces? I wouldn’t actually need them, as all my locos either have the Atlas ones, or I managed to get the Athearns on. Thanks for the offer though.