Walthers RD4 Hoppers

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Does anyone know what the deal is with these?
They were scheduled for release in November, and now it’s been pushed back to April. Manufacturing problems maybe?

Also, I plan on modeling an NSPX coal train, and since they’re only coming out with only two packs, I figured I could buy doubles and use alcohol to remove a letter or two and renumber the doubled numbers [either with decals I will print myself after scanning the car numbers into photoshop, or other decals if I can find the same font]. Do you think this will work?

2

Apologize for bringing up a long dead topic but was back home for Christmas this week and dug up my 5 sets of these cars as a project.

Although these cars have since been remarked as OFAX, was wondering if there was a solution available for renumber the doubplicates before I start.

Would also be interested in hearing peoples experience with using dummy knuckle couplers as these will be in unit train.

Thank you

3

I remember getting the Walthers 12 pack of “ore Jennies” and they came with an EZmate on one end of two of the cars and molded plastic couplers on all the rest.

They would have worked OK but there was no vertical “slop” in them so in some track situations there was no give and they would lift the car enough to derail it.

Then I put McHenrys on them but soon found the shortcomings of any of the plastic “clones” now they all have Kadees, and a few of my passenger cars have the Walthers metal couplers which are not too bad.

I think Accurail includes dummy plastic couplers in their kits. Maybe they would sell you enough to equip your unit train. They would also need some filing since they fit together pretty snugly. You would probably be better off to just invest in the Kadees, though.

Have Fun, Ed

4

On cars that I don’t intend to uncouple, I just leave the the hornhooks.

5

Why “revive” an 11 year old thread? Just start a new one asking how to change car numbers.

6

I know how to renumber cars, I was curious if the OP had found or printed his own that matched the font

7

I wish they would make more HO, especially TILX. Missed that one. I’ve put Kadee’s, metal wheels and loads in all the older ones I have so far, the last ones made were ready to go except for the loads (5-6 years ago?). They run great and it’s nice to have bottom dumpers for the Steel Mill.