I bought a Roundhouse 50 ft old timer passenger car with the idea that I would take it apart and repaint it as an old maintenance car or caboose. It is actually very well made, disassembles fairly quickly and is nicer than the old MDC plastic kits. But there are two problems: The lettering is pad printed and every idea I have for removing the lettering removes paint, but not the lettering. Second problem, the windows are glued in with a glue that defies all attempts to remove the windows without destroying the frames. This is tough glue! Now I am going to have to find an old MDC kit on Ebay just for the body shell. Even worse, in February, Roundhouse is producing new versions of their HO RTR 85’ Pullman Palace cars, which are dead-ringers for a number of T&T, T&G, BG and LV&T cars. I have to have them. However, they are not producing a undec version, meaning that I will have the same problem with the windows and the lettering. RATS!!! If I didn’t want to remove those windows, you can bet they would pop out after a week. - Nevin
Nevin–
You have my sympathies. I recently ran into the same problem with the new MDC wood Rio Grande RTR caboose, which is a really nice car, and I thought deserved an interior. No can do. Whatever glue they used to put the car together cannot be broken without the roof coming off in ragged, jagged pieces. Too bad, too, because it’s a little gem that just cries out for an interior and lighting.
I don’t know what they’re using to put those cars together with, but it’s PERMANENT!
Tom
Why not see if Roumdhouse/Horizon will sell the parts - bodies are always sold undec - solves part of the prob!![:)]
Nevin, How did you get your Roundhouse 50 ft. passenger cars open? I have 4 of these, but they are not heavy enough and need some more weight. I’d like to open mine up without destroying them to add weight.
On mine, the roof had hardly any glue at all and popped off pretty easily. It was the windows that were fused to the side walls that were impossible.
Since the cars are now molded, assembled & packaged across the pond, I seriously doubt if they produce / ship back any parts for them.
I’m not trying to be a northbound end of a southbound horse, but thanks to you who have posted here about the impossibility of taking these cars apart. I was looking for some models of the wooden caboose and considered buying some and taking them apart. Sounds like it’s a “no can do…”
Thanks for sharing… you have saved me and no doubt some others who might have had the same idea.
dlm
I don’t blame you. I have Two Con-Cor passenger cars, a coach, and a observation. The observation was screaming for the End of Train light to be lit, and a interior lighting system with full interor. Well, the cars roof was the windows and doors too, and the car had tabs holding it on the bottom. And when i popped the tabs and pushed, I heard the sickening sound of a plastic model breaking. Turns out under the winowsills the factory applied a superglue type thing, and the glue had only been aplied halfway, and the car roof had split in half rendering it unuseable. Well, I learned to check first, and I also lost a $20.00 investment. Oh well.
Is the only reason for removing the windows for repainting? If so, perhaps you could try some HO scale sized masking tape.
The Roundhouse/MDC reefers were the major kitbashing fodder for the pre-WW1 modelers. RTR cars have made that WAY tougher to do.
This is why I never buy RTR rolling stock or ready-built structures with the idea of doing anything to them except maybe a little weathering. To me, RTR means just that. I like the convenience of having something I an take out of the box and plopping right down on the layout. The downside is it limits what you can do with it. If I don’t like a piece as is, I just don’t buy it. If I want to be creative, I’ll buy a kit.