New Intermountain War Emergency Box Cars are out!

[reinhardtjh]

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to obtain the C&NW car; my favorite dealer was out already 

@Cajonpassfan  M.B. Klein's just posted them.  http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/N-Scale-40-Box-Cars-s/1822.htm?searching=Y&sort=3&cat=1822&show=30&page=1&brand=Intermountain

Between 6 and 9 of each # at this moment.

[Frank Amato]

Bowed roofwalks, 1985 wheels (don't roll that great either), and the corner grabs stand about a scale foot up in the air. The car seems fine, the assembly isn't.

They need to invent ACC that is water soluble so they can easily be fixed. 

^^^ this is exactly why I use the body and roof parts but sub in BLMA ladders, grabs, and trucks when I assemble IM kits.

  Frank

[Dave V]

It's a wartime emergency!!!  Ain't nobody got time for quality control!   

[Puddington]

Kvetching about a bowed metal walkway is nit picking in my opinion; everyone who's installed these has no doubt come across this issue and it's no big deal to fix. I wonder about the side ladders however. I agree they look more clunky than normal, maybe due to the nice job of fine detail that IM has done with the car sides. The stand out/separate ladder issue has haunted many mfg's. Short of an etched metal ladder, which presents cost, painting and assembly challenges it's hard to see a injected ladder solution that would be as fine as the rest of the car. Maybe it's possible; can't say but the ladder does visually detract from and otherwise really nice car from my perspective. I will have to obtain a selected few.

[wcfn100]

That's the standard ladder for the Modified AAR cars.  It's horrible compared to some of their other cars.  As for the running board grab you can see that it's designed for a thicker running board, but with the etched part it's bottoming out on the top of the roof.

Jason

[Ngineer]

2 of my 3 have bowed running boards

All the boxcars with metal running boards I bought from Athearn were bowed, too. 

   Javier

[Chris333]

Someone asked. These trucks take Atlas width axles.

Another defect on all 3 of my cars:

***Fox Valley wheels added***

There is a big gap behind the brake wheel. There is a pin behind it, but doesn't seem to be a hole for it to fit into. So it sticks out instead of flush.

That door is nice though.

[ai5629]

Looking at Chris333's photo of the ATSF car, the ride height looks pretty bad.  It looks just like IM's 1937 AAR boxcars.  Those are really bad, and this does not look much better.  I will have to pass on these for this reason.  Thanks.

Jeff

[MVW]

I ordered these far enough back that I forgot I had ordered 'em. When a charge showed up on my bank account from BLW, I damn near contacted Pete and told him he must have made a mistake because I hadn't ordered anything.

(Great line from Tracy Morgan on 30 Rock: "The only presents I get are ones I buy myself. And since I'm usually drunk at the time, they are often a surprise.")

Still waiting for my pair of C&NW cars to show up, though.

Jim

[sirenwerks]

Now, to go from that to this:





Not even sure it's worth trying to keep the sides; just take the ends and roof and build new bracing.

[Chris333]

As for the ride height, it looks a little high. But what is it supposed to be? Got drawings?

[Cajonpassfan]

As for the ride height, it looks a little high. But what is it supposed to be? Got drawings?

Chris, I believe the standard floor elevation is supposed to be 3'-8" and some change, or about 44".
The diagram below is of a similar war emergency car, built at the same time, to Warren truss specs.
Otto K.

[Cajonpassfan]

Oh, and here's the Nickel Plate car prototype... and model, with all its sins...
Otto

[wcfn100]

Can you guys see if the under frame is warped or not?  I think this uses all the same components (sans the sides) as the Modified 1937 AAR box car which has had the wrong under frame since the beginning of time.  I'm curious if these cars got the correct one.

The way to tell is that the center will be slightly bowed away from the floor as the center cross bearers aren't notched for the floor stringers so they don't sit flush to the floor.

Jason

[eja]

I am glad you folks got a car you have been wanting, even if perchance, it has some discrepancies from the prototype.

I have, however, always wondered about complaints about the undercarrage details. I mean, unless your model has derailed and turned over on it's back or side , who is going to see?

With respectful curiosity....

eja