Well...
Just spent the past 10 days building two M53 Box Cars from F&C Kits... very hard. The first one is a little rougher than the second. When I build a couple more, there will be improvements.
I did some unprototypical stuff: like replace the perfectly scaled plactic parts with steel wire. I plan to run these, not display them. So I did whatever it took to make them tougher--safer to handle. Likewise, I didn't add hoses or cut levers (just one more thing to break). Perhaps, when I've built up a fleet of these cars, I'll super detail a few for display.
Enjoy.
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/Projects/DSCN3464.jpg)
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/Projects/DSCN3465.jpg)
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/Projects/DSCN3466.jpg)
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/Projects/DSCN3467.jpg)
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/Projects/DSCN3468.jpg)
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/Projects/DSCN3469.jpg)
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/Projects/DSCN3470.jpg)
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/Projects/DSCN3472.jpg)
Added lead sinkers to get them up to NMRA standards. The resin shells are a little heavier than the typical stuff:
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/Projects/DSCN3456.jpg)
Undercarriage was, well, hard:
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/Projects/DSCN3455.jpg)
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/Projects/DSCN3454.jpg)
Still have some adjustments to make, but they're essentially done. The camera makes them look day-glo orange for some reason (bad lighting, cheap camera).
Regards,
Jonathan
i thought mu hoses were only on locomotives?
nice models of some old friends. a railroad historical group i once belonged to had one of these cars donated to them on the condition they remove it from where it stood. they had to turn down the donation because the only access to the site was under a railroad overpass with very low clearance. the car would have had to been dismantled on site and reassembled .....too bad. they were unique cars.....
Nice work Jonathan!
Great to see more of your work!