I’m starting to go into N scale for a seccond layout that I’m going to build. One of the things I definately want to include is the Tropicanna Express, as it would look comming through Florida on CSX.
I already have some locomotives that I will be using, but I’m lost for the boxcars.
Can anyone tell me what kind of boxcars are used, and what models are avalable (or any models that can be a good substitute)?
Decorated models will work, but undecorated models will be O.K.
Thank you
an N scaler can give you the specifics, but iy looks to me like your in for a lot fo undecorateds, and aLOT of decals. Frm the looks of things, every car is marked Tropicana, and IF anyone’s done Tropicana cars, you’ll still be doing renumberings. From the Wikipeida, one train is looking at 60 Insulated boxcars. Basically, your standard 60ft insulated car. The good news at least is that you won;t have to deal with a bunch of reefers.
Your in luck, Microscale has the decals: http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=60-4064&Category_Code=TROPICANA&Product_Count=1
Looks like on the Walthers site that Red Caboose did a 62ft insulated boxcar: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/629-17215
off an on you see Tropicana cars. Over the years i have seen them from multiple makers. Personaly i found a stockpile of them a a hobby shop a couple years ago and made my train. Most of mine are red caboose releases. I would stay away from model power or bachmann, to me the their cars are subpar to other releases from other makers.
Took a quick look at walthers and found that concor is comming out with 8 road numbers at the end of Oct. I do not know the quility of the cars tho. The drawn picture looks decent but i do knot know that the tru model looks like.
Thank you for the info. They are really helpful.
Now, I just need to order the reefers from Walthers, and I can get started.
Again, Thank you
Tropicana in the past few years has used Fruit Growers Express exterior post reefers about 60’ long (200 and 1200 series), Fruit Growers Express interior post reefers (2000 series), Pacific Car & Foundry 62’ RBL (insulated, no refrigeration) boxcars (2700 series, I think these have all been sold or returned to their lessor), and Gunderson reefers (3000 series). Only the PC&F cars have been made in HO scale, so I doubt you will find anything else in N scale.
Red Caboose also makes them.
The Con-Cor cars are not prototypical. The Red Caboose (now Intermountain) cars are prototypical, or close to it, except for the road numbers.
Something that I forgot to add is that, except for the 3000 series, the reefer have their engines, compressors, and condenser (heat exchanger for cooling the refrigerant) mounted below the car, not at one end like most reefers. The evaporator (heat exchanger for cooling the air), and presumably the expansion valve, would still be up in the car.
