Sorry to add another post, computer bein' stupid !!! Wanted to add that the two cars in Joliet were actually wood, and they were around long enough to become that annoying Blue !!! (Sorry, Bendtracker !!!)
So, as a newbie to TB, I just encountered this thread. A lot of my stuff is stock or plucked off of Ebay. I am learning how to modify, but this one locomotive is my favorite. You may have seen this photo in the "Show us your M-I cars": http://www.n-scaler.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10027/normal_photo.JPG Here we have GP40-2r pulling a cut of cars on my HCD. Of interest is the restenciled RI car now wearing CR reporting marks and a CRDX car with Sprinkle Elevator markings. I have more to add to this thread. I counted last night. Among my collection I have 9 U-23b and U-25 models that need to be chipped. I also posted this: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/attachment.php?attachmentid=53537&d=1365196585
Nice GP38-2! I'm on the lookout for more myself. Also for all you guys, apparently Rocket Express is making Rock Island baggage door cabeese. Someone on the RITS list said that rocket express makes HO and N products and am trying to corroborate the N scale portion at this moment. Check it out: http://www.rocketexpress.biz/default.html
Whoops, now my correspondence with them will have to be specifically about the future availability of their cabeese. I had not seen the distinction between the HO and N scale Automobile parts car. Thanks for rectifying that.
At $20, these cars sound like quite a bargain (trucks, couplers and decals included no less). Thanks for posting the link. -Mark
No problem. I'll need those as well for my WWII portion of my RI collection. I just hope they produce that baggage caboose in N!
In another post, Boxcab reminded me about this thread. I wanted to post my new additions but so busy with other things around the house I plum forgot. Finally! All the last one arrived, OK well all three numbers have arrived. These are just as nice as the first two releases, and this third release actually comes with metal wheels. I tied to hold back from getting one of these cabeese, I just about was able to until one of our members said something about needing a "Shoving Platform" for the El Dorado trick. I was always under the impression that they were mainly used in the larger yards of the larger cities. Later I came to find out that they could be found system wide. So I opened the yard gates. Bluford has done a superb job with these little guys! When I get a chance, I have plans for this one.
Recently I rescued a another pair of older locos from the crate. I picked up a couple of DCC ready frames at a decent price and and swapped shells. These are the first time I've had GP35 on the Little Rock! They made their debut on the last operating session.
Allen, Those Red & Yellow cabeese are sweet, as is the Bluford shorty. I have their KCS and GBW versions (!) and may yet grab an ICG just to complete the local trifecta. Now I need a dedicated Caboose track somewhere . . . . . .
The GP35's look great! I've been eyeballing the Bluford RI cabooses at the local shop enough that one will wind up home before too long.
I couldn't wait for that scheme once they announced them, it's one of my favorite schemes for crummies! I've got a MoPac & Family Line version as well as one of the yellow MoPac/UP version. I plan to remove the UP ugliness off but leave the yellow paint, then replace it with markings for my W&OV shortline. Thanks! At first I didn't think I wanted one of the RI crummies, then I changes my mind.
So fidelity to prototype is good, as far as the car body? I believe you mentioned earlier about something you were going to do to yours?
Well for the most part the they did a pretty good job on the caboose. The detail is very good. But as for the prototype, most of RI's were nothing more than a wooden box on a car floor. I think I did find one picture of a caboose that was, or at least looked like a steel box with outside bracing. I asked them about the metal box that they used and how the majority of the RI transfers were wooded, they told me that it was just a choice to make it metal. They new it was a foobie. Which is fine with me. Better to have something close than nothing at all. I don't think I'm going to mess with the one I have pictured earlier, just because. I did find another one with the same body type but undec. I plan to make a "Shoving platform" out of it and strip off everything that I can. More or less so it becomes literally just a box on a frame. I'll use this in El Dorado yard when they yard crew needs to switch the town of El Dorado, of course I need to get the town built yet.
Only in the sense that it's metal not wood. But like I said, I think I did find one shot of a transfer that looks like metal. Here, I found the picture again: