I don't recall ever having problems with the couplers on Details West boxcars, nor with the clip-on covers from Athearn.For Accurail, I simply drill through the peg on the box lid, then counter-bore to partially recess the screw head...
Train Miniature cars had a press-on lid as an integral part of the underframe, but it was easy enough to remove both the lid and the box, which was cast as part of the underbody, then replace them with screwed-on Kadees in Kadee boxes...
Tichy press-in covers are easily drilled to removed the peg, and like Accurail, can be partially counter-bored to recess the screwhead...
Wayne
IDRick Doughless Relative to problems with coupler pockets, I feel that MDC/Roundhouse had the best pocket of the high volume shake the box kit makers, with the factory screw on cover. Accurail had the friction pins, Athearn had the hard steel clips (that could shave off the nubbies holding them on if you removed the clips more than twice), and DW apparently has this above issue (which I never noticed, but I only had a few of their cars). It seems in total, DW isn't any better or worse than the others. I like the separately applied ladders. Douglas, Have you experienced the droopy couplers on DW boxcars as described by BN7150? I agree, the MDC coupler boxes are great. Thanks!
Doughless Relative to problems with coupler pockets, I feel that MDC/Roundhouse had the best pocket of the high volume shake the box kit makers, with the factory screw on cover. Accurail had the friction pins, Athearn had the hard steel clips (that could shave off the nubbies holding them on if you removed the clips more than twice), and DW apparently has this above issue (which I never noticed, but I only had a few of their cars). It seems in total, DW isn't any better or worse than the others. I like the separately applied ladders.
Relative to problems with coupler pockets, I feel that MDC/Roundhouse had the best pocket of the high volume shake the box kit makers, with the factory screw on cover.
Accurail had the friction pins, Athearn had the hard steel clips (that could shave off the nubbies holding them on if you removed the clips more than twice), and DW apparently has this above issue (which I never noticed, but I only had a few of their cars).
It seems in total, DW isn't any better or worse than the others. I like the separately applied ladders.
Douglas, Have you experienced the droopy couplers on DW boxcars as described by BN7150? I agree, the MDC coupler boxes are great. Thanks!
I sold them along with my Athearn BB and most MDCs when I switched my shortline switching layout over to more high fidelity stuff. But they all performed well and were rock solid and free rolling.
I don't recall them having droopy couplers, but I used to use the 2 piece Accurail Accumate knuckle couplers typically found in Atlas products in all of my cars of that type, and not Kadees, and those coupler shanks seemed a bit thicker.
- Douglas
I still have two a UP and Thomasville fruniture industries.
Russell
Received the DW car painted for Boise Cascade yesterday. Three undecorated due today. Very nice model, definite step up in quality from BB Athearn and Roundhouse! Interesting that DW provides a set of 8 ladders colored for Boise Cascade and another 8 unpainted white ladders. Wow, those modeler applied ladders are very thin and flimsy... I don't have staging on my small layout and cars get handled a lot so I'm a bit concerned about breakage. Is there a wire upgrade for the ladders and is it worth the cost for reducing breakage?
Looking forward to building these boxcars!
csxns I still have two a UP and Thomasville fruniture industries.
Hi Russel - you wouldn’t happen to be interested in selling the Thomasville Furniture Industries Boxcar?
Scott
Will have to think about it.