Author Topic: What is wrong with the Athearn/MDC BFF boxes?  (Read 1508 times)

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daniel_leavitt2000

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What is wrong with the Athearn/MDC BFF boxes?
« on: March 25, 2009, 11:54:32 AM »
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I am curious. What are the detail issued with the Athearn BFF box? I know the roof is Pullman, did BFF use the common X panel roof? What other detail issues does the model have?
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cv_acr

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Re: What is wrong with the Athearn/MDC BFF boxes?
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2009, 03:04:30 PM »
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Roof is wrong, BFF used the X-panel, model has Pullman-Standard roof.

Ends are wrong. There's a huge gap between ribs about halfway up. Look closely at the photo below, and there is a little bit wider spacing there, due to joining two sheets together, but it's really not that noticeably wider than the regular spacing. On the model it's almost like a whole rib got left out.

The side sill profile is crude and doesn't get the full effect of the notched Berwick side. Ends up looking more like a crude FMC or Pacific Car & Foundry profile.

Door's ok, but with the plate it's specific to something from a road running cars for the National Railway Utilization Company (NSL, MNJ, PT, PICK, etc) - not necessarily a bad thing to have this option though.

Compare the details on the model to the end and side sill notch on this car:
http://freight.railfan.ca/cn/cn418026.jpg
You can also tell from the spacing of the ends of the roof ribs that it's an X-panel roof (due to the nice wide panels, and the fact that there's half as many roof ribs as on the model).
« Last Edit: March 25, 2009, 03:08:26 PM by cv_acr »

ljudice

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Re: What is wrong with the Athearn/MDC BFF boxes?
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2009, 04:47:25 PM »
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Ok, so aside from the roof, ends, sides, door, sill, trucks and underframe, what's wrong with them? ;D

Walkercolt

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Re: What is wrong with the Athearn/MDC BFF boxes?
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2009, 10:37:22 PM »
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When they were $5 kits, they were OK to "fill-out" a train with. Now....I won't be buying them.

inkaneer

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Re: What is wrong with the Athearn/MDC BFF boxes?
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2009, 11:14:42 AM »
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Ok, so aside from the roof, ends, sides, door, sill, trucks and underframe, what's wrong with them? ;D

The couplers?

SirTainly

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Re: What is wrong with the Athearn/MDC BFF boxes?
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2009, 11:38:23 AM »
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Ok, so aside from the roof, ends, sides, door, sill, trucks and underframe, what's wrong with them? ;D

The couplers?

I thought we liked the McHenrys  ???