Boy I really must have been in coma during all the discussions of the nrew Atlas PS-1, because nowhere did I know that the doors are just stick-ons. Really? In 2013, non-working doors? Or wait ... is this a new TRAINMAN car?
I'm fine with non-opening doors. I've got enough cars that open their doors when I don't want them to already. Besides, prototype doors are pretty thin, it's easier to make non-opening doors the right thickness on the model.
I guess I assumed they did not open, as there was no mention that they would. You'd think if they were going to open, they would mention it, as it would be a selling point. They would photograph it with doors partly open. Since they did not mention it I had no expectation that they would. All I can say is vote with your dollars. If you think they should have opening doors, don't buy any.
Not that I'm going to thin down all the doors on the older rolling stock, but overly thick and loosely fitting opening doors that also open by accident are past their prime IMO. N scale hobos might protest but those guys typically don't ride with wide open doors. There are plenty of other box cars still around with opening doors, like the old PS-1 versions.
Boxcars with opening doors have been around for quite a long time and I have some that are at least 20 years old and maybe older and by a number of manufacturers in both double and single door models. When I want one with an opening door I tend to favor MT over other brands. That said I do not want my entire fleet of boxcars with opening doors, just enough to place at various loading/unloading points. With some brands the biggest problem has been that big old weight showing once the doors are open and on a number I have had to section the weight that shows, and then re glue the sectioned portions back into each end of the car where they are hidden to still maintain the weight. The center then gets a piece of scribed styrene for a floor. When modeling a road that had a lot of lumber traffic the boxcar with the opening doors is a nice option especially modeling boxcars that carried what is called green veneer. Those are cars that have had the doors removed and 2x4s nailed across the door openings to retain the load. Thus the option of having a detailed floor rather than a big honking weight showing or track for the doors. But with the exception of the cars used for loading or unloading scenes or green veneer service I just don't have a lot of use for opening doors that will end up being operational problems at some point down the road.
I'd be curious about whether the manufacturers had previously received negative feedback on working doors due to appearance or inadvertent opening (both touched on already).
I have one box car whose doors open and the rest don't. They type of cars I model don't travel with the doors open, and they get unloaded at a covered dock or inside a building, so I don't get to see it there either. Doesn't bug me in the least if they don't open. I'd rather have operating hatches on my grain cars. MT did it on some cars. Oh well, I'm not going to lose sleep over it.
Better non-opening doors than Intermountain doors that keep falling off. I would take many other things into account when deciding who's car to buy than opening doors.
I think opening doors are a pain.My MTL's open so easy,it's sometimes tough to keep them closed.In 1/1,you almost never see a car with the doors open unless it's being unloaded,anyway,and usually it's against a dock,you can't see it.
Hasn't changed as far as I know..I live right next to two mainlines,don't think I've ever seen a car with an open door..When a conductor is checking his train,one thing they're supposed to look for is open doors..
Unfortunately, I do see an open door on trains, almost every time I go out. Sometimes they come open unaided. Meaning they were not properly secured. (Sure wish they'd have rolled that easily, years ago when I was doing car work.) Other times they cannot be (bad order) closed- Often due to some genius with a fork lift, or other bad leverage, causing (thousands of dollars) in damage.
In my neck of the woods, right on the Canadian border, it's not uncommon to watch a train coming from Canada with one or more boxcars with one door at least half open. It's kind of ironic, considering how much scrutiny each train receives before it can cross the border, to see these cars with their doors wide open, and probably makes the Customs guys who have to inspect the train once it stops a little less pleasant.
I've seen open doors on 1:1 moving cars, too but I have yet to see a door hanging at an angle or missing altogether like in N. I'm sure it's possible in the 1:1 world, just not approved practice. You can also model realistic bad track with 5mph slow orders on purpose, if you like (I can do that accidentally BTW). However, I'd prefer to avoid operational problems in the N scale world. Dropped and ready-to-fall doors happen.
I've seen a baggage car. When riding the Coast Starlight in 2000 I could see the front of the train rounding curves and noticed the door of the baggage car was open and remember thinking "my bag's in there". Back to the Atlas boxcar, I'd buy it over its MTL and IM counterparts purely in the basis of its more realistic ride height and finer details, and, oh yeah, metal wheelsets and body mounted couplers.
Nope, in the yards I see doors open every now and then, usually older, non-plug door cars. I've never seen a loaded car with a door open.
I caught this in Elkhart, Indiana a few years back. Apologies for the quality, it was the only photo of a loaded boxcar with open door I could find in my files.
I've seen loads like this many times. I have seen cars which had their doors removed completely, with such as lumber loads.
