I was excited to see new 36' boxcars come but then found out they were coming from Accurail, was hoping for RTR super detailed cars.
I'm glad that they're from Accurail, as I'll be able to afford them, even with the lousy condition of the Canadian dollar. I wonder, though, if this a late April Fool joke, as I don't see mention of them on Accurail's site. In a discussion with Dennis Storzek of Accurail a year or two ago, I suggested that they offer a Fowler car, but he, only half-jokingly, called them a jinx, referring to LifeLike Canada's experience and the story outlined below. I'd still like to see the ones from New England Rail Service's Standard Car Co. division, though. The dies, lost in a train wreck, were supposedly modular in design (much like Accurail's, where the doors, ends, and roofs can be of different types) and the supposed plan was to eventually offer all versions of the prototypes. The dies were later recovered, but I've heard nothing of these cars again.
I would definitely welcome the Accurail version if they prove to be real, though. I had to re-detail all of the LifeLike Canada ones, so doing Accurail's shouldn't be any more difficult. Here's one with the overly-fat plastic grabs replaced with wire ones (custom-bent because they're a non-standard width), but not yet painted:
Accurail's cast-on grabs are among the best in the industry (and their Andrews trucks are as good as anybody's.
Wayne
I am looking at a flyer I picked up from Accurail at Trainfest last November. They are indeed doing two versions of a 36' car(different ends).
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Bitter Creek formely BC Models has started producing 34' and 36' laser cut wood cars. Don't seem to be as detailed though.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Wayne,
Go to the Accurail website and scroll down to the bottom of the page. The '36 double-sheath wood boxcars - 4 different variations - will be coming out in late summer.
Lotsa of old road names included and much needed. I'm going to try and pick up a few applicable ones for my own roster.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
rrebell I was excited to see new 36' boxcars come but then found out they were coming from Accurail, was hoping for RTR super detailed cars.
I love Accurail kits! Maybe not as nicely detailed as more expensive RTR rolling stock but they are easy to assemble, have good-to-very good detailing, and you can detail them further, as Wayne demonstrated above. I am particularly fond of their 6- and 8-panel wood boxcars.
As more and more manufacturers have chosen to abandon kits and go the RTR route, I'm very grateful Accurail has chosen to continue providing good detailed rolling stock kits and at reasonable prices. The last time I checked I believe 40% of my rolling stock was Accurail. Great company and I will continue to support them as much as I can.
Accurail, 1400 series 36ft boxcars:
http://www.accurail.com/accurail/1400.htm
Accurail, 1700 series 36ft boxcars:
http://www.accurail.com/accurail/1700.htm
Take Care!
Frank
rrebellwas hoping for RTR super detailed cars.
Accurail cars have a lot of detail for the price, much better than Athearn, etc. As far as not being RTR, they go together quickly, and for boxcars not that many parts to add. Good value for the money
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Like Tom and George, and for the same reasons, I like Accurail cars. A lot of pleasure for little money. RTR may have more details but kits deliver more fun.
Do you know which one of those offerings would be right for detailing a CNR boxcar?
Guy
Modeling CNR in the 50's
I was very happy to see this news. Accurail makes really nice kits for a reasonable price. I was kitbashing MDC 36 footers and probably still will, but these new kits are more than welcome.
And, Accurail are made in the USA.
I have a small fleet of their wood outside braced boxcars.
Their kits are easy to build, what I should have said is RTR and Intermountain detail. I ussually pay retail of about $25 for these Intermountain 40' boxcars at many places and would gladly pay that for 36' cars which Intermountain dose not have.
Thanks for those links.
Not the cars for which I was hoping, but welcome nevertheless, as there are lots of useful roadnames.The only 36' doublesheathed boxcar on my layout is this Southern Su class boxcar, built from an MDC kit:
I gave it a scratchbuilt roof and Hutchins ends, and re-worked the underbody a fair amount to give it a steel frame in addition to the truss rods, much like the prototype:
Southern had almost 15,000 of 'em.
I have a very high opinion of Accurail products. The detail is just so good and uses the abilities of a simple casting to make models that should be fine on any layout. Some seem to dismiss them for not having free standing grab irons, and such. The rest know just how good their line is, and what a blessing the especially are for "runners". If I hadn't moved to N, I would be trying to pre-order 6 or so of them
If I go back to HO, that would happen quickly.
Buildling from kits is perhaps something I can try later. What a relief that the kits aren't too challenging Do they come with metal wheel sets and knuckler couplers?
kasskaboose Buildling from kits is perhaps something I can try later. What a relief that the kits aren't too challenging Do they come with metal wheel sets and knuckler couplers?
Sorry, but the ones I've got did not.
Kadees are a perfect fit for the coupler pockets, though, and Intermountain wheelsets slip right into the trucks once the plastic wheels are gone.
Thank you, Accurail.
I hope the guy with all the Accurail kits is at the train shows in the fall after these come out. He's about 5-foot-5, and I like to support small businessmen whenever I can.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I just completed an Accurail NYC 40' wood stock car kit about two weeks ago. My first and was really pleased with it. I will definitely be building more. I tossed the supplied couplers for Kadee. As far as the plastic wheels go, they are fine for my needs, but I do understand the advantages of metal wheels. At this time my rr budget is devoted to getting the layout built. To my 3/4 century old fingers and eyes, these wonderful kits are a blessing. Ken
Accurail is a huge asset to the hobby. You can take the kits to whatever level you want, and if your era includes, for example, USRA hoppers, you can assemble a fleet without going broke and renumber as needed with their decal renumbering sets. I'm excited about the 36' boxcars as well.
Has anybody discovered whether this 36' car has a specific prototype, or whether it's a generic model?
For that matter, same question about Accurail's stock car.
I generally use the Proto 2000 metal "ribbed" wheelsets for my Accurail rolling stock and they fit quite nicely into their trucks.
As a period MRR-er, I'm thrilled to have a new line of 36 foot cars. Currently, the choices pretty much boil down to MDC-Roundhouse (so-so detail), wood craft (time intensive) or resin craft (time & $$$). So it's a challange to build a well detailed fleet.
Not knocking the MDC-Roundhouse cars, I own a fleet and love 'em despite the cast on grabs and the billboard series (XL look-a-likes, but with metal sides and wooden ends... oops!) But, hey, you can pick up as many as you can carry for five bucks a copy at local train shows. As a plus, those soft metal chassis make a great platform for scratchbuilt or kitbashed projects.
But hey Accurail... bring them on!!
As far as MDC cars, they came at one time with individual grabs, they were only staples but the holes were there and you could subsitute better grabs for the ones in the kit.
ACY Has anybody discovered whether this 36' car has a specific prototype, or whether it's a generic model? For that matter, same question about Accurail's stock car. Tom
Thanks, Wayne.
Accurail's 36-foot cars appear to be based on New York Central system cars. As for molded-on grabs, they are less conspicuous than some RTR wire grabs and can be made to "pop" with a light wash of black or dark earth tone.
What particular road is MDC Roundhouse's version based on?
Here, hopefully, are links to assessments of Accurail's 36' doublesheathed boxcars, with regards to their prototypical accuracy (or lack thereof):
1300 series
1400 series
1700 series
1800 series
For some reason, the link to the 1800 series instead comes up as one to the 1300 series. Longtime Members here will no doubt recognise the name of the author.
How long were they commonly used?
The PDF links Doctorwayne offers above pretty much answer that question. By the end of WWII the US freight car fleet was showing its age and by the end of the Korean War, much of it had been replaced. Unless you are asking about a specific region or railroad, it's hard to give a specific answer.
Sadly, they were all retired by my time period, and a MOW car wouldn't be on a foreign road as they would not be interchanged.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.