D&RGW HOn3 boxcar # 3187

[Graffen]

Hi all!

I've just about finished a build of a D&RGW 3000 series boxcar in HOn3.

I had the kit in my stash, an old Tomalco wood kit.

It was however very deteriorated, the wood siding was so dry that it had split.... 

I substituted it with Evergreen plastic siding, which was a good thing as it made gluing the parts on the body so much easier.

I found one very big error though with the kit. 

It is almost 1/8" too tall!

The error lies within the roof. I sanded it down to correct height.

I use Kadee sprung trucks on this car. The bolsters fit perfectly.

I also had to bend the handrails from wire. I also added Grant line NBWs.

 

Side view

 

 

End view

 

 

Roof

 

 

Underframe with all the gear.

 

 

 

Painted.

 

I'm currently decaling it with San Juan decals.

 

Is it worth it though? A kit like this?

I have scratchbuilt the same type of boxcar before, and it was almost easier ...

Or maybe work the construction hours, and take the money and buy a Blackstone RTR boxcar?

The build time was almost 20 hours, so I could buy quite a lot of Blackstone cars  with the earnings if I had worked.

 

But, the joy of building it makes up the difference, at least to me.

[rrebell]

Now I was never as good as you at this but I gave up most of this type of work when people like Tichy started to make RTR by proxy that was of better quality to my work and almost as cheap as a kit or in some cases cheaper (I don't pay retail).

[mlehman]

Graff,

Nice work! And good job catching the dimensional discrepancy. Many old kits had issues like that, but if you catch them they are usually solvable without much trouble. I have a Tomalco 30' reefer kit of simiar vintage and it wouldn't surprise me to have to do some hacking to make it work, either.

Youre right to point out both the satisfaction gained from building a kit like this and the way in which this points out what a value and joy the Blackstone RTR line is for any serious Rio Grande modeler. Because the choices are exactly what you describe here. Blackstone is perceived  as expensive by some, but if one cnsiders the akternative, basically what you've done here, their value is self-evident.

True, this car may not rival the RTR Blackstone version in detail, but building it provided hours of satisfaction and a car that's certainly good enough to proudly run on the layout.

[trwroute]

Nice work.

[Graffen]

Thanks all!

I think it's both fun and fulfilling to build your own models.

Yes, the discrepancies are easy (well, almost) to rectify if caught in time

I'll post some more pics when it's finished.

[Graffen]

The last few days projects all ready for weathering. The D&RGW boxcar, a long caboose and an idler flatcar.

All in HOn3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mlehman]

Graff,

The caboose and idler flat look great, too. Is the idler a Durango Press kit or ? I just picked up a pair of DP idler kits that will be my next HOn3 builds.

[Graffen]

The idler flat is a wheel works kit.

[mlehman]

Hmmm, that might be the same kit as my DP kit under an earlier name. I can't seem to come up with an image of the WW kit, so don't know if I'm right on it or not. Yours still makes a good photo reference,, though.

[Graffen]

WW was a part of Micro Engineering. Might be the same as DP.

[mlehman]

Yeah, I think there was a connection. The kit is very similar in the way it's laid out as the Railline boxcar kit and I believe this is an indication it had a simlar relationship to ME.

[Graffen]

 

Finished!

The weathering is completed.

Just the couplers to install (when the boxes arrive... ).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm very satisfied with how it turned out. To me it gives the impression of a boxcar that's used but not abused.

[rrebell]

Graffen

 

Finished!

The weathering is completed.

Just the couplers to install (when the boxes arrive... ).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm very satisfied with how it turned out. To me it gives the impression of a boxcar that's used but not abused.

 

That is one of the finest kit builds if not the finest, I have ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Graffen]

Thanks!!! 

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

Very nice work, I like the "limited" weathering.

Sheldon

[SeeYou190]

Great job on the boxcar kit Graffen! It looks wonderful.

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I love building kits too.

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-Kevin

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