12-02-2013, 11:30 PM
Every once in a while, it feels nice to just build some simple freight car kits. No complicated paint schemes.... no MU car kits that need power trucks and lights and other things that prevent them from ever getting done.
Just easy kits.
Kinda.
Lucky for me I picked up the parts for these freight cars months ago, but none of them came with trucks.
I built a Front Range Chessie System (C&O) AC&F cement hopper, and two Robin's Rails Greenville 60ft double door boxcars, one in Conrail and the other in Erie Lackawanna. I used atlas trucks on the former, and Kato trucks with spinning roller bearings on the boxcars.
My girlfriend built the C&O car, and all it needed was the wheels and couplers, which I put on today. In fact, this car was a "free" car that no one "bid" on at the 2010 Northeast RPM's fundraising auction. Its actually not a bad car, and once it gets weathered, i'm sure it will be a great car.
The greenville boxcars look nice, but I can tell they will be trouble, since their coupler pockets are somewhat vulnerable, as they try to simulate the "cushion couplers" without using typical screws or other panels to hold in the couplers. The top is only held in by thin plastic, which was already broken in the box. I pretty much had to glue the couplers in. Hopefully, those Kadees never need to be changed.
Even so, it was nice doing a relaxing kit as opposed to struggling with some other ridiculous project. Already, I know I need to work on my E44As to get them back in shape, and I need to get my GG1 pilot trucks in order.
Just easy kits.
Kinda.
Lucky for me I picked up the parts for these freight cars months ago, but none of them came with trucks.
I built a Front Range Chessie System (C&O) AC&F cement hopper, and two Robin's Rails Greenville 60ft double door boxcars, one in Conrail and the other in Erie Lackawanna. I used atlas trucks on the former, and Kato trucks with spinning roller bearings on the boxcars.
My girlfriend built the C&O car, and all it needed was the wheels and couplers, which I put on today. In fact, this car was a "free" car that no one "bid" on at the 2010 Northeast RPM's fundraising auction. Its actually not a bad car, and once it gets weathered, i'm sure it will be a great car.
The greenville boxcars look nice, but I can tell they will be trouble, since their coupler pockets are somewhat vulnerable, as they try to simulate the "cushion couplers" without using typical screws or other panels to hold in the couplers. The top is only held in by thin plastic, which was already broken in the box. I pretty much had to glue the couplers in. Hopefully, those Kadees never need to be changed.
Even so, it was nice doing a relaxing kit as opposed to struggling with some other ridiculous project. Already, I know I need to work on my E44As to get them back in shape, and I need to get my GG1 pilot trucks in order.
Modeling New Jersey Under the Wire 1978-1979.
![[Image: logosmall.png]](http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg445/CAB_IV/Model%20Trains%202013/logosmall.png)