08-28-2012, 08:22 AM
I agree on Accurail. One issue is that my own LHS (admittedly a high-end place with lots of brass) has pretty much discontinued stocking Accurail simply because the markup on an Accurail kit at $14-15 isn't going to be the same as the markup on an Intermountain or whatever at $30-35, when they both take up the same shelf space. But the Intermountain has assembly errors (I've found warped parts, missing roof walks, etc routinely), and ladders and other details tend to fall off the more detailed cars when they're on the layout.
There are several upsides to Accurail, though. First, as you show, there's a lot of room for paint improvements and other such creativity. This gives you the leeway to spend a reasonable amount of time on freight cars, while beng able to spend time on the overall layout picture as well. There are several regular guys who post on their layouts here, like Mr Nutbar, Dr Wayne, Sven, Len Turner, and so forth, who clearly benefit from this approach. You did a great job on those reefers!
There are several upsides to Accurail, though. First, as you show, there's a lot of room for paint improvements and other such creativity. This gives you the leeway to spend a reasonable amount of time on freight cars, while beng able to spend time on the overall layout picture as well. There are several regular guys who post on their layouts here, like Mr Nutbar, Dr Wayne, Sven, Len Turner, and so forth, who clearly benefit from this approach. You did a great job on those reefers!