IM "Value Line" 50' High Cubes

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Can someone remind me what the story is with these?

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/intermountain-n-6134006-04-value-line-gunderson-50-hi-cube-double-plug-door-box-car-with-peaked-roof-southern-pacific-hydra-cushion-b-70-43-227950/

[mu26aeh]

Possible rehash of the LBF model

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=48758.0

[basementcalling]

Are they total FOOBs or what?

[squirrelhunter]

I think they are correct for SP and BN, close but not quite for UP, wrong for ATSF and not sure about the others.

I bought an ATSF one because I'm pretty sure to do correct car would either require a 3D print or a new, flat diagonal panel roof, shaving off and replacing all the ribs, and modifying the side sill to get the characteristic ACF style.

I got a few of them, they definitely look nice, have body mounted couplers and metal wheelsets.

[jagged ben]

Here is our original thread started after the 2016 announcement.  It includes my trollface prediction that they wouldn't arrive until 2019, which got missed by a month.     It also includes a bunch of prototype discussion and links.

The TL:DR, as best I can reconstruct it, open to correction:

Prototypical or very close:
BN [edit: and BNSF]
SP and SSW and Golden West
UP

Good stand-in:
MILW and MDW ex-MILW
DRGW
UP

Pretty Fooby:
ATSF
CP?

Here is the other recent thread with pics of the IM cars.

[squirrelhunter]

I think the UP cars have one less rib per side than the IM car, but otherwise are a decent match.

[MetroRedLine]

Here is our original thread started after the 2016 announcement.  It includes my trollface prediction that they wouldn't arrive until 2019, which got missed by a month.     It also includes a bunch of prototype discussion and links.

The TL:DR, as best I can reconstruct it, open to correction:

Prototypical or very close:
BN
SP and SSW and Golden West
UP

Good stand-in:
MILW and MDW ex-MILW
DRGW
UP

Pretty Fooby:
ATSF
CP?

Here is the other recent thread with pics of the IM cars.

What about the BNSF cars with the conspicuity stripes?

[mu26aeh]

What about the BNSF cars with the conspicuity stripes?

Looks pretty close
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=240000

[basementcalling]

Get em while you can. MBK is already OOS on many road names or paint schemes.

[tehachapifan]

I picked up two, an SP and an SSW, at another online retailer who said these absolutely flew off the shelves. Almost ran out of the specific lettering schemes I wanted in the few minutes it took me to process my order. In fact, the car # I chose for one did run out and had to be substituted. Crazy! Guess it has a lot to do with this car that is priced really well compared to a lot of other cars released recently.

[jagged ben]

I think the UP cars have one less rib per side than the IM car, but otherwise are a decent match.

Correct. 
The MILW and DRGW have a slightly different bottom sill but the correct number of ribs.

I picked up two, an SP and an SSW, at another online retailer who said these absolutely flew off the shelves. Almost ran out of the specific lettering schemes I wanted in the few minutes it took me to process my order. In fact, the car # I chose for one did run out and had to be substituted. Crazy! Guess it has a lot to do with this car that is priced really well compared to a lot of other cars released recently.

I think this is also a genre of car that has been pretty underrepresented in N scale.  Speaking for myself, I want to have some variety among boxcars in my trains, and almost everything out there is standard height.  These excess height cars go back farther than I think some people realize (the SP and SSW date to '69 I believe) and most of LBFs offerings to my knowledge were relatively modern.

[jagged ben]

What about the BNSF cars with the conspicuity stripes?

Yes BNSF is good, too, repaints of BN cars.  Edited above.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I'm not sure it's been mentioned here or not, but the cars feature dreadnought ends rather than box corrugations. Not an expert on all things SP or MILW, but they are close enough that I bought close to a dozen (UP, MILW, Golden West, SP, SSW).

I really like these cars and like that IM took the time to do these right. Body mount couplers. Correct 100T trucks. New ends and roof to match prototype. Metal wheels.

Basically they did everything that Atlas didn't with their Walthers stuff.

[milw156]

By virtue of Soo lines acquisition of the Milw, and CP's taking over the Soo, CP would also have acquired some of these. I have seen Milw 86' auto boxes with Milw billboard lettering, and CP stencils

[nkalanaga]

Only one problem I have with the SP and MILW cars:  They should have extended draft gear.  Looks like I'll be making a few more sets of Accumate boxes.

This probably applies to the others as well, but those were the only ones that fit my era AND caught my eye.