When do we (N scalers) get this? N.P. radial roof boxcar?

[Chris333]

http://rapidotrains.com/ho-np-boxcar/

@rapidotrains   Pretty please 

For what it's worth GHQ had plans to do this car in resin, but that was like what 10 years ago...

[thomasjmdavis]

Is Rapido willing to risk another board spacing controversy?  On the plus side, the MSRP would be about the same as a Bachmann generic boxcar. 

If you could get Rapido to sell them individually, I might be in for a couple (or I'd wait until they started showing up in auctions). I don't model NP, but I do like signature cars which help break up the monotony of a string of boxcars. If GHQ were to do them, I might go that route.  I bought the 3 pack of their 8 hatch reefers, and those are really nice kits.

I confess not being familiar with these cars, is this NP only, or did other roads have something similar?

Tom D

[bbussey]

It's been far longer than 10 years on the GHQ models. The NP radial roof boxcar and reefer, and the CN 8-hatch reefer, were all announced simultaneously. I still have the original flyer somewhere. I'm grateful we at least got the CN reefer.

Hopefully the NP boxcar in N scale form is on Rapido's radar. We may find out at the Springfield show.

[tom mann]

That looks really nice.  Is it just me or is the tooling extra sharp?

[peteski]

That looks really nice.  Is it just me or is the tooling extra sharp?

All I see in that picture is that the gaps between the boards are as wide as the boards themselves, and also quite deep. And this is H0! Wow! It seems like whoever is designing this model doesn't understand the meaning of "subtle".  And no, paint will not nicely fill those gaps (this doesn't work, even in N scale). I guess that while Rapido can do steel-sided passenger cars quite well, they just can't do realistic wooden clapboard-sided cars even if their life depended on it.

[Cajonpassfan]

It's a great signature car and I could certainly use a couple. If these were proportionately reduced to N scale, I could make myself live with them.... 
The other detailing looks exquisite imho.
Otto

PS: At least on my iPad, the first thumbnail is about N scale....

[CBQ Fan]

I would buy one or two not sure about a 4 pack.

[Cajonpassfan]

I don't care for their multi-car packs, but have been able to split previous releases with friends (and strangers). Just a hassle having to mail them ...
Otto

[jmlaboda]

I confess not being familiar with these cars, is this NP only, or did other roads have something similar?

Santa Fe had something similar... at least up to WWII... though a large number were resheathed in steel...

http://original.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/841/54369/july-1986-page-15

[wcfn100]

That would be a cool car for N.  One advantage it has over the reefer is the roof isn't wood.   

Hopefully they'll catch the board gaps cutting into the eaves before production.


Jason

[peteski]

Hopefully they'll catch the board gaps cutting into the eaves before production.
Jason

I doubt it - I now firmly believe that the person (artist/designer/die-maker) producing molds for Rapido firmly believes that greatly exaggerating the clapboard details is the best way to represent those on model trains.  But unfortunately in this case subtle would be much more realistic. As it was clearly shown on their N scale meat reefers, paint does not fill or hide those yooge gaps, and those gaps are so pronounced that they break up the tiny Tampo-printed dimensional data.

I am starting to think that I should sent one of undercoated MTL wood reefers to Rapido and ask them to examine it. MTL has the size of the gaps figured out perfectly. It should not be difficult for Rapido die makers to duplicate that look.  The way Rapido seems to model wooden-side cars they would make them good Christmas tree ornaments rather than fine scale models. 

[Chris333]

I wonder if it is a limit of EDM machining?

[peteski]

I wonder if it is a limit of EDM machining?

Neah, EDM is extensively used for mold-making and it can produce really fine details. I do know that MTL uses EDM and I suspect Kato and most other companies do too. I'm sure so do the top of the line plastic model kit manufacturers (Tamiya, Fujimi, Aoshima, Revell, and others).  To me this seems to indicate some sort of strange need at Rapido to exaggerate that detail.

[OldEastRR]

Neah, EDM is extensively used for mold-making and it can produce really fine details. I do know that MTL uses EDM and I suspect Kato and most other companies do too. I'm sure so do the top of the line plastic model kit manufacturers (Tamiya, Fujimi, Aoshima, Revell, and others).  To me this seems to indicate some sort of strange need at Rapido to exaggerate that detail.

Actually, Rapido is modeling the 1982 version of the car, that has gotten so worn and the boards so frayed at the edges from decades of hard weathering and use that they are really gapped that big. 
We can only hope when Peteski starts to get wrinkled, that he uses an EDM machine to carve the gaps instead of whatever Rapido uses. Otherwise he won't look prototypical.

[peteski]

We can only hope when Peteski starts to get wrinkled, that he uses an EDM machine to carve the gaps instead of whatever Rapido uses. Otherwise he won't look prototypical.

No need for any machining (EDM or otherwise) - my wrinkles are forming naturally (along with gray hair and spare-tire). I look as prototypical as humanly possible.