WANTED.......Opinions

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

[B)][B)]

might get hurt asking for these…[;)]

Any ways …whats yalls overall opinion of accurail rolling stock kits. Was at the lhs and noticed them. more expencive than athearn. At 11.98 a kit. same as the one bowser kit they had. Just wanted some opinions on them before I buy.

Thanks in advance J.W.

2

I think they are a solid kit. They have better detail, paint, and lettering than the BB in my opinion. I especially like their hopper kits.

3

I’ve just got 4 RTR and 7 kits of wood box cars. I think they are good modells for the price (RTR 12.97USD, kit 8.29USD).

The RDR have steel wheels. The kits have plastic. I don’t like that and ordered some Kadee wheels for replacement.

4

I happen to like Accurail kits. They are simple builds, like the Athearn BB, but they are better detailed. I replace the plastic wheels in the kits and add weight as they are generally under weight. They use a plastic press in pin to secure the trucks on earlier models, I think all the newer ones now use a screw.

5

I’ve got three 89’ auto rack kits. They fit together well and have pretty good detail for the money. I’d buy more. You should replace their plastic wheels. They’re not very good.

6

Nice kits maybe a 1/2 step better than Blue Box…Cox 47

7

Taking heed of the aforsaid opinions I believe that I will purchase 2 kits and will report on m,y findings,…

thanks. J.W.

8

J.W.

I really like Accurail kits. Although the underside is a bit spartan in detailing, the top is nicely detailed and a good buy for the money. (Their wood and wood end boxcars are exception!) The downside is that they only make boxcars, hoppers, and a few reefers.

However, according to Accurail, that is about to change. On their web site, they have announced that they are planning on coming out with some 41’ gondolas at the end of the year. [yeah] This is good news. Except for resin kits, the market is woefully lacking in gondolas shorter than 46’.

I would have to say that over half of my rolling stock is made up of Accurail kits. I’d buy more but I don’t have anywhere to put them on my layout.

I agree with the advice of switching out the plastic wheel for metal ones. It’s also wise to pick up some 1/4" long 2-56 screws, just in case you get an older Accurail kit that comes with the beveled center pins for the trucks. The screws are much better.

Tom

9

Yes they are very decent kits. The details are mostly correct and the paint and lettering is very good. Some of the older kits used to have the dreaded bolster push pin. They needed to be sprued, drilled, and tapped for a 2/56 if there were any tracking or wobbling issues.

10

Bob,

You know that I’ve never tapped the center holes for the trucks before inserting the 2-56 screws for the first time. The styrene is soft enough that the metal screw threads just cut right in.

Tom

11

I really like their outside brace boxcars - considering that we are talking a “shake the box” kit here the detail and wood grain is superbly moulded. I think this come from the type of plastic they use for moulding - it looks and feels more like some form of resin rather than the harder (styrene ?) used in the Athearn BB kits.

Here’s one I lettered and weathered for the local club layout (don’t try looking up the PB&CF its a made up road name):

12

I like Accurail a lot.

Some of their covered hoppers are a bit bright - the CNW yellow and D&RGW orange ones - This is because the plastic is relatively thin (compared to BB and Roundhouse) and this means that it can be semi-translucent. I found that the cure was to paint the inside of the car with matt black - problem solved.

The thinness of the plastic also reflects in fineness of detail around the model.

They go together well and ride well.

[8D]