Doughless Eilif Back to topic of Roundhouse and their kits, did the Roundhouse 50' Hi-Cube kits ever make it back into production in a RTR form? They were very simple kits but I've bought a few over the years and found them to be a nice quick way to add somewhat more modern cars to the lineup. Probably not. Even when reintroducing old kit products into RTR, Athearn seems to be trying to be prototypically accurate. Those 50' high cube boxcars were not a model of a real 50' hi cube boxcar, IIRC. The model is too short in height to be truly high cube. Athearn probably has other options. Interestingly, either Athearn or MDC, or both, had kits of 40' hi cube boxcars, which may have made it into the RTR production. While not extremely popular with railroads, the models at least represented a real car. Not that this matters. I've used the 50 footers myself. I'm just thinking in terms of what makes it into production these days.
Eilif Back to topic of Roundhouse and their kits, did the Roundhouse 50' Hi-Cube kits ever make it back into production in a RTR form? They were very simple kits but I've bought a few over the years and found them to be a nice quick way to add somewhat more modern cars to the lineup.
Back to topic of Roundhouse and their kits, did the Roundhouse 50' Hi-Cube kits ever make it back into production in a RTR form? They were very simple kits but I've bought a few over the years and found them to be a nice quick way to add somewhat more modern cars to the lineup.
Probably not. Even when reintroducing old kit products into RTR, Athearn seems to be trying to be prototypically accurate.
Those 50' high cube boxcars were not a model of a real 50' hi cube boxcar, IIRC. The model is too short in height to be truly high cube.
Athearn probably has other options.
Interestingly, either Athearn or MDC, or both, had kits of 40' hi cube boxcars, which may have made it into the RTR production. While not extremely popular with railroads, the models at least represented a real car.
Not that this matters. I've used the 50 footers myself. I'm just thinking in terms of what makes it into production these days.
I can't speak to this specific model because I have never modeled that era and not followed the availability of that model after I stopped working in the business.
But over the last 15 to 20 years the ATHEARN READY TO ROLL line, and now the ROUNDHOUSE line continue to offer most of the original Blue Box products, and many similar original MDC/Roundouse products without regard for "exact" prototype accuracy and with only minor up grades.
Examples include the 50' flat car with two vans, steel and wood 40' reefers, various box cars, the passenger cars, various caboose, and much more.
Yes, some products have been eliminated in favor of better versions, and the two product lines have been blended and revised to that end. But many fairly generic models have been re-run under the new RTR label, and many of those are still active product.
It depends a lot on what era you model as to how "prototype" fussy they are trying to be at a given price point with the tooling they have.
When I get home I can do some old catalog research......
Sheldon
Sheldon, I don't know how close those other cars are to being dimensionally accurate or at least representative, but these particular boxcars aren't really even close. They are barely taller than a regular boxcar.
- Douglas
Doughless Sheldon, I don't know how close those other cars are to being dimensionally accurate or at least representative, but these particular boxcars aren't really even close. They are barely taller than a regular boxcar.
Again, I don't model that era, and barely remember the model back in the day, but a large percentage of both product lines live on, accurate or not.
emdmike Malls are going the way of the brick and morter hobby shops. The new "mall" and "hobby shop" is the digital one on your phone or tablet. With 24/7 availablity, many of the better ones having real time inventory so you KNOW if they have it in stock or not. Just as the kits like MDC/Roundhouse, Athearn Blue Box and many others have been replaced with RTR versions of the same cars at a much higher price. I for one haunt the train show estate tables looking for these kits. The kit building process, to me, is half the fun. Same goes for fine tuning older brass models. At the recent train show last weekend, a dealer had 2 of the old MDC/Roundhouse 2 truck Shay kits, unbuilt new in the box. Those are getting harder to find. Those are a big challenge to get to run well and these days, a PFM/United Shay is a much better buy from many points. Cheers Mike
Malls are going the way of the brick and morter hobby shops. The new "mall" and "hobby shop" is the digital one on your phone or tablet. With 24/7 availablity, many of the better ones having real time inventory so you KNOW if they have it in stock or not. Just as the kits like MDC/Roundhouse, Athearn Blue Box and many others have been replaced with RTR versions of the same cars at a much higher price. I for one haunt the train show estate tables looking for these kits. The kit building process, to me, is half the fun. Same goes for fine tuning older brass models. At the recent train show last weekend, a dealer had 2 of the old MDC/Roundhouse 2 truck Shay kits, unbuilt new in the box. Those are getting harder to find. Those are a big challenge to get to run well and these days, a PFM/United Shay is a much better buy from many points. Cheers Mike
ATLANTIC CENTRAL "maker movement" my comments were purposely over the top. Why does it even need a name? Like making things is a new idea?... ...And I am also amused at this modern business approach of solving every problem by committy. I work in a technical field, I design houses and renovations, I restore historic homes, I am a skilled designer in electrical, HVAC, plumbing, light frame construction, kitchen design, and more. And I have field experiance in all these trades. Seldom has a committy been a good way to solve problems, surely not a committy of more than two or three.
"maker movement" my comments were purposely over the top. Why does it even need a name? Like making things is a new idea?...
...And I am also amused at this modern business approach of solving every problem by committy. I work in a technical field, I design houses and renovations, I restore historic homes, I am a skilled designer in electrical, HVAC, plumbing, light frame construction, kitchen design, and more. And I have field experiance in all these trades.
Seldom has a committy been a good way to solve problems, surely not a committy of more than two or three.
There's alot of truth in your skepticism of the "by comittee". I think the pendulum is finally swinging back with businesses becoming more aware that endless meetings and "brainstorm" sessions are not efficient or even productive.
As for the emphasis on "community" in hobbies these days, thats a bit different. The "community" emphasis is more about specialized hobbies can thrive and grow faster when transfer of ideas happens in a group often usually as facilitated by the internet. Especially true for hobbies that don't have the critical mass to sustain a local club.
Consider the Adult Fan of LEGO (AFOL) community. It's really only about 20-25 years old as a recognized entity, but the internet has created an absolute explosion in the participants, techniques and standards of what models can be. There are some clubs, but by and large, it's the internet community that allowed the scattered elements of AFOLs to share techniques, plan gatherings etc. I was an active member from 2005 til a couple of years ago and in just a decade the "standard" that participants strove for went up substatntially, driven largely by the online community.
All kinds of specialized "communities" and "movements" have roughly the same story. Cosplayers, analog DIY music fans, makers, 3d printing, etc. The terms may be cheesy or even unnecessary, but when it comes to hobbies, community works.
Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading.
Dougless and Sheldon,
I'll check the height on my Roundhouse HiCubes. IIRC, they are notably taller than other boxcars, but I think they might not be full HiCube. They were nice enough for me and I liked the bright colors, but I wouldn't be surprised if they're not representative of a proper prototype. I'm definitely a good-enough kind of railroader.
Looks like Athearn dropped the 50' HiCube from their lineup as it's nowhere to be seen now.
Eilif ATLANTIC CENTRAL "maker movement" my comments were purposely over the top. Why does it even need a name? Like making things is a new idea?... ...And I am also amused at this modern business approach of solving every problem by committy. I work in a technical field, I design houses and renovations, I restore historic homes, I am a skilled designer in electrical, HVAC, plumbing, light frame construction, kitchen design, and more. And I have field experiance in all these trades. Seldom has a committy been a good way to solve problems, surely not a committy of more than two or three. There's alot of truth in your skepticism of the "by comittee". I think the pendulum is finally swinging back with businesses becoming more aware that endless meetings and "brainstorm" sessions are not efficient or even productive. As for the emphasis on "community" in hobbies these days, thats a bit different. The "community" emphasis is more about specialized hobbies can thrive and grow faster when transfer of ideas happens in a group often usually as facilitated by the internet. Especially true for hobbies that don't have the critical mass to sustain a local club. Consider the Adult Fan of LEGO (AFOL) community. It's really only about 20-25 years old as a recognized entity, but the internet has created an absolute explosion in the participants, techniques and standards of what models can be. There are some clubs, but by and large, it's the internet community that allowed the scattered elements of AFOLs to share techniques, plan gatherings etc. I was an active member from 2005 til a couple of years ago and in just a decade the "standard" that participants strove for went up substatntially, driven largely by the online community. All kinds of specialized "communities" and "movements" have roughly the same story. Cosplayers, analog DIY music fans, makers, 3d printing, etc. The terms may be cheesy or even unnecessary, but when it comes to hobbies, community works.
On those points we are in agreement. My hobbies include model trains, hifi (I have been designing and building speakers for 45 years, and have about 1700 vinyl albums), GRAVELY garden tractors, old houses, and back in the day, old and fast cars.
No question community is important to these pursuits.
I have found that each however requires a different balance of community and solitude for me to feel fulfilled.......
ATLANTIC CENTRAL I have found that each however requires a different balance of community and solitude for me to feel fulfilled.......
Amen.
Eilif Dougless and Sheldon, I'll check the height on my Roundhouse HiCubes. IIRC, they are notably taller than other boxcars, but I think they might not be full HiCube. They were nice enough for me and I liked the bright colors, but I wouldn't be surprised if they're not representative of a proper prototype. I'm definitely a good-enough kind of railroader. Looks like Athearn dropped the 50' HiCube from their lineup as it's nowhere to be seen now.
I searched "Athearn 50' high cube boxcar" on ebay and found what looks to be a few of them in both Athearn RTR from a few years back and newer Athearn/Roundhouse packaging that is only from the last 2 or 3 years.
None of the item numbers show as current on the Athearn site, but Athearn does that all the time after stuff sells out. No way to know if there will be another run or not.
Checked my Roundhouse "Hi Cubes" and sure enough, they're only a smidge taller than the peak of my standard boxcars. Compared to a proper Hi Cube it's just a smidge into the white.
Don't know how I didn't notice this earlier. I guess with the flat roof it just looked taller than the standard boxes. Still going to use them, but I guess I won't be calling them HiCubes anymore! I'm glad they don't have the HiCube white stripe.
If I found them for a great deal, I'd probably buy a couple more, but with E&C Hi-Cubes and other kits being available for just a few bucks more at my local shop, I'll probably go that way instead.
Eilif Checked my Roundhouse "Hi Cubes" and sure enough, they're only a smidge taller than the peak of my standard boxcars. Compared to a proper Hi Cube it's just a smidge into the white. Don't know how I didn't notice this earlier. I guess with the flat roof it just looked taller than the standard boxes. Still going to use them, but I guess I won't be calling them HiCubes anymore! I'm glad they don't have the HiCube white stripe. If I found them for a great deal, I'd probably buy a couple more, but with E&C Hi-Cubes and other kits being available for just a few bucks more at my local shop, I'll probably go that way instead.
Yes, but your "standard" boxcar in the photo is a modern standard boxcar. When you say standard boxcar to someone like me who models 1954, standard boxcar is a PS-1 or AAR with a roof walk.........
Yes. Its one of those things in life that goes unnoticed until somebody points it out to you. Sorry.
They are cool. They convey the sense they are different than normal. I just think the standards for what companies like Athearn want to invest money into these days have changed.
That's simply speculation and Athearn could announce an RTR run tomorrow for all I know.
From my point of view, passenger cars are a bit different. There were many lengths of cars and even railroads had their specific cars, IIRC. So if Athearn makes a car that's in between, it doesn't really stand out in that sense, and makes for a nice representation. There were or are no in-between heights for boxcars in the current era. They are either standard or hi-cube, so to me, that shorty MDC hi-cube kind of stands out.
Those hi cube boxcar kits from E&C are roughly the same type of kit as MDC and are pretty accurate, IIRC, white stripe too. A guy at the ATL train show usually has a stack of them to sell for 10 bucks each.