SCOOP! Milwaukee Road ribside boxcars in plastic are finally out!

[orsonroy]

Hey All,

I just received an email from Raild Unlimited, a local hobby retailer. The first wave of Milwaukee Road 40' rib side box cars, in PLASTIC, are in his shop. These are undecorated cars, with decals, trucks and couplers. Decorated versions are coming out later. This is the first time these cars have been offered CORRECTLY in HO scale in plastic. I'm off to pick up a couple after work. They're probably gonna go fast, so you might want to pick up some now!

BTW: I have NO association with Ted, aside from the occasional purchase at the Wheaton GATS show. I'm only posting his info because I have NO idea where else to get these cars from!

Here's Ted's email aboout these models:

>>Hi List,

>>I have these new cars for sale in my shop. The undecorated version >>comes in two styles (with or without trucks).

>>The boxcar is the long rib version built in 1936 and some still exist today in MOW service. The body is painted one piece with a removable Murphy double panel roof. The ladders and brake parts are separate castings. the left hand and end hand holds are one piece castings and should be easily removed if wanted. The kit comes with a choice of wood or metal style running boards. The kit also has a weight and Kadee compatible couplers. The kit has two sets of decals and the instructions lists the individual car numbers that had the "Electrified Olympian" scheme. The sprung Bettendorf type trucks are by EB models. The kit is also available with out trucks.

>>The undecorated kit with trucks is $19.35 and the kit without trucks is $16.95. I have these cars ready to ship. Multiple car purchases will rate a discount, contact me off list. Decorated venisons will be out later.

>>Ted

>>Rails Unlimited
>>Ted Schnepf
>>[e-mail]
>>847-697-5353 or 5366
>>126 Will Scarlet
>>Elgin, Ill. 60120
>>http://users.foxvalley.net/~railsunl/

[arbfbe]

I would have thought these cars would have sparked more interest on this forum. The photos on the website look just about perfect. The MILW built these cars in Milwaukee in 1939 and 1940 with improved versions to follow after WW II. They were in service for the MILW from 1939 until the 1980's if not beyond. They could be seen across the country on every major railroad and more than a few shortlines. Many of those that were not upgraded in the 1965-1973 period ended up in work train service or rebuilt for crew service as shower and cook cars. These cars will be a nice addition to all but the most up to date layout.

[Anonymous]

hey rrsonroy-

Thanks for tip on these as well as info re: when they were in service. I have several of the MDC (incorrect) versions, and even though I know they aren't completely correct, they have been some of my favorite cars due to their unique side panels, and their classy style of lettering. Probably similar reasons I hang onto the incorrect wagon top B&O, Seaboard and PRR box cars, too. They break up the mononity of a typical string of box car red 40 foot box cars.

These are long overdue, and again, thanks for tip.

[orsonroy]

No problem Bill. One of the nicest things about these new Milwauke cars is that they're of a different prototype than the MDC cars, so you can run both!

[AltonFan]

Now if only somebody would make these in N scale!

[orsonroy]

They do Dan....in resin.

[dknelson]

Deep down in my list of "to think about/plan for/maybe even do" projects ,,, is to somehow hack together a Milw. Road ribside caboose using sides taken from a ribside boxcar. Interesting that when the Stalin-era Soviets would steal American technology for themselves, one of the ideas they stole was the rib sided passenger car, right out of the Milwaukee Road planbook.
Dave Nelson

[orsonroy]

Dave,

Wouldn't it be easier to take an Athearn bay window caboose, shorten it a bit, and add ribs? MR had an article about scratchbuilding a Milwaukee ribside caboose in plastic (in O scale!) just a couple of years ago. I'm sure you could take the author's methods of making the ribs and apply it to this fairly simple kitbash. It'd sure be a lot easier than trying to cut & paste a rib side boxcar!

[dknelson]

Ray I attended a clinic at the NMRA National some years ago where a guy showed how he scratch built his own rib sided passenger cars, by milling out a narrow groove and placing a tiny plastruct rod in the groove to create a very plausible rib. It looked great! So I tried it. The accurate milling of the groove is the trick and I was just no good at it. On the other hand I am not too bad at joining two pieces of plastic and smoothing the joint with squadron green. So I figure if my ribs are going to look straight and parallel I may need to use the box car and smooth the joints. But you are right a reasonable approximation of a rib side caboose would start with a caboose and just add ribs.
Or I could save my pennies and buy brass (gasp!).
Dave Nelson