Car 20030 is the first release of MTL's new 50' modern boxcar. It came with a rust colored door. I bought 4 of them, so 3 needed to be re-numbered. Car 21071 is an undecorated version of the old 50' car that MTL broke the mold on. The detail is rounded and worn. Not too great detail at all, but it is slightly different in style to the new 50' car, and I gave it the MRL treatment, with the newer Washington Companies logo, and a bit of Rustall. Car 20052 is the new MTL car, just renumbered, doors painted blue, and added a Plate C marking next to the Montana Rail Link on the left of the door. Car 20090 is the new car with door painted blue, renumbered, Plate C marked, and a lighter blue paint square over the original 2 stripe logo, then the newer lionhead Washington Companies logo applied. Did a little Rustall work too.
Car 21048 is another of the older MTL 50' cars with a paint scheme representing the newer lionhead logo repainted over the old 2 stripe logo, as seen by the lighter blue square. Car 20091 is the new MTL car with the doors painted blue, and renumbered. Simple, but enough to represent a different car than the original. I hope you enjoy my repaints as much as I like having a variety of road numbers for them. I want to do the same thing for other roads too, but what next? BN? Boise Cascade? Maybe MDW with the pine tree logo?
your cars look just great, robert. i've been thinking about which of these i would buy, if i got one (or two). i have so many projects in the works (and tuition bills to pay) that i may just wait for the plug doors to come out before buying any more 50'. the only thing i REALLY crave is a set of bulkhead flats. you've done a nice job on them. i like the rust-all touch on the trucks. dave f.
Robert, Excellent! The MRL paint shceme and logos really stand out in a train. After reading that the orange door on the MTL car was because of a 'repair' job, I was dissapointed. I really had hoped they would have released the blue door version first. Your repaint confirm my thoughts! Now I have to convince AZL to offer the F45s in MRL. LOL! Rob
Very nice Robert. I would suggest CSX. There is no better color scheme. By the way, how did you remove the numbers, or did you repaint them. Also, what blue did you use. David, if you want something from Robert, its easy, just trade something for it. Robert doesn't want money. He just wants more train stuff.
robert, one question: are your door repaints blue or black? they look black. if they are painted blue, what color blue did you use? dave f. ha ha -- as soon as i posted this, john asked the same question!!!
I had asked around a while back what color MRL used for their blue, but got no responses, so I went to the hobby shop and bought all the dark blues I could find. I ended up using Floquil Dark Blue, which is what I painted the doors and the undec old style MTL cars with. They look black because I took the photo in the garage without flash, but they are darker than the MTL blue. Anyways, I decided to "Waste Them" and gave them all a super heavy weathering job, with a combination of Rustall and Bragdon's powders, Now they got the funk I like, sans grafitti. I was looking at the Ztrack photo with the MRL woodchip hopper this morning while doing the coffee thing, and decided I had to have some. I did all the Corel Drawings, this time with lots of peel and stick to speed up assembly, and I just finished painting it blue after the primer coat dried. Now I have to look into the decals for it. I should have photo's tonight. Oh, by the way, it's the first day of my 5 day weekend, and I already have a full dance card of modeling pleasure planned! Oh yeah, to remove the numbers I used one of those micro chisels I got from Micro-Mark. The white paint sort of just chipped right off, so no painting was done underneath.
I like em. Besides the numbers, each car is it's own with each being sightly different. Now when they are all in a train together you won't have the cookie cutter effect.
Robert, are you talking about this chisels. http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=80242
MRL Woodchip Hopper This is a test case for a new car I need to make for my collection. I had a problem with the coupler box, so I had to cut away material for them, but this setup leaves the sides with a low profile like the prototype.
No, the set I have came in a red pouch, and had a handle similar to an exacto knife. It has 10 chisel tips, but this one resembles the tip I used: http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=82709
john, i've use a new xacto blade, GENTLY scraped it back and forth on the numbers/lettering to be removed, with good results. don't dig, or scrape too far outside the lettering, just wear it away patiently. even if you do manage to make a nick, the new lettering will likely cover it (and even if it doesn't you probably won't notice -- if you've been careful). buying the chisel will still require the same technique and effort as using a new xacto -- in my opinion. the hardest part is going to be finding the same style/size/color of numbers/lettering to replace. dave f.
There you go again Robert! Sticking your foot in your mouth again, huh, Robert? Damn it boy!!!! You just showed the world that you still make rollingstock. I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of this long weekend that you don't get 10 emails with Z scalers begging you to laZe some wood chip cars for them! You ain't killing me, your killing yourself! :teeth: OK, now to comment on the woodchip car! Looks fantastic. Question, is it high enough? Looks a bit short! Other than that, Look fantastic. I want 5 of them! mg: Just kidding! Catch ya later! Hobo Tim
Robert, Great woodchip car! I have one of FR's MRL woodchip cars. It is a personal favorite. The NTS guys were running them this year with the 50' FMC boxcars. Does the photo look familiar? Rob
robert, would i be wrong to guess that the sides come from the centerbeam flat and the ends from the bulhead flat? i mean no offence. it just seems a great use of available parts to make a trial run. please forgive me if i'm out of bounds. dave f.
It looks very familiar to me. I'm quite sure I've seen those cars before. Perhaps in my own collection? Mr. Ray, As usual, you're work is not only prolific, but outstanding as well. I can't begin to tell you how much I want to be like you when I grow up........:teeth:
