Wow, MTL are getting pretty good at this....

[ednadolski]

How many hours of work would it take to replicate this by hand?

Edit: tho it looks like they got the wrong side of the car.

[peteski]

Yes they are. From the humble beginnings of using much lower resolution ink-jet with thick ink (while orienting the head passes perpendicular to the boards on the car, creating very noticeable printing artifacts, and inks misaligned), to what they are capable of doing now, they have come a long way baby!


Then


and now.


Same with weathering. They started with some hand-airbrushed rust and grime, and now they ink-jet print images of the real weathered car sides directly in the model.

As I see it they are *THE* graffiti and weathering masters!

[u18b]

What I want to know is how Micro-Trains got that N Scale Supply ghost paint on there.
 

It's VERY effective!

[ednadolski]

As I see it they are *THE* graffiti and weathering masters!

I just wish some of the models themselves were more on-target.   For example, the other one in this group (the 'ex-SOO' one) has the wrong number of ribs:

https://www.nscalesupply.com/images/mtl/mtl-09944160mtlx900.jpg
http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/2940/ICE%2050044%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%201238.jpg

Regardless, these kind of cars are a great stride forward, since all they need are some BLMA trucks and LEZ couplers.  UP cars tho you will have to add your own graffiti (if you want that), since their license with MTL does not allow factory graffiti.

(But they still are no substitute for @tom mann 's weathering book:  https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=11190.msg88356#msg88356 ) 

Ed

[basementcalling]

What is ICE doing in the grain shipping business? Thought they were Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

[nkalanaga]

Can also be Germany's InterCity Express (yes, that is the official name - the Germans gave their high-speed trains an English name!)

ICE (AAR)
ICE      *IOWA, CHICAGO & EASTERN RAILROAD (former)
ICE      +DAKOTA, MINNESOTA & EASTERN RAILROAD CORP. (current)

http://www.pwrr.org/rrm/index.html

The DM&E itself is now owned by CP, and the western portion is owned by Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern.  So ICE may, or may not, be a CP reporting mark, depending on how the corporate structure is set up.

[cjm413]

I just wish some of the models themselves were more on-target.   For example, the other one in this group (the 'ex-SOO' one) has the wrong number of ribs:

https://www.nscalesupply.com/images/mtl/mtl-09944160mtlx900.jpg
http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/2940/ICE%2050044%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%201238.jpg

Regardless, these kind of cars are a great stride forward, since all they need are some BLMA trucks and LEZ couplers.  UP cars tho you will have to add your own graffiti (if you want that), since their license with MTL does not allow factory graffiti.

(But they still are no substitute for @tom mann 's weathering book:  https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=11190.msg88356#msg88356 ) 

Ed

Off the top of my head, the ride height on the MTL 4780 was OK where the lower bolster arm of the BLMA trucks isn't necessary.

MTL could make them more "on target" if they came with proper 100T trucks...

[cjm413]

Also, the prototype for the ex-Soo is an early Thrall 4750.

If anyone is hell-bent on modeling one, the FVM PS 4750 might be a good starting point to build a stand in since it would have the correct number of ribs after the "missing" ribs are removed, and it has a separate roof that makes it easier to replicate the flat roof on the Thrall 4750 vs. the "clerestory" roof on the PS 4750...maybe from the FVM PS 4740 or FMC 4700?

The "extra" bracing issue the from Trainworx coupler mount adapters would also be applicable to the early Thrall 4750 in addition to the PS 4750 (and their PS 4740)

[bbussey]

Off the top of my head, the ride height on the MTL 4780 was OK where the lower bolster arm of the BLMA trucks isn't necessary.

MTL could make them more "on target" if they came with proper 100T trucks...

Ride height of the Evans car is good.

I haven't tried yet, but the new MTL 100-ton truck might work without affecting the ride height.  Atlas 100-ton trucks also are an option.  I've never gone to that extent, and instead simply swapped in 36" metal wheels and body-mounted the couplers.  The wheel diameter is more noticeable than the truck capacity.  In N scale at least.

[peteski]

I just wish some of the models themselves were more on-target.   For example, the other one in this group (the 'ex-SOO' one) has the wrong number of ribs:

Does MTL produce a car that has the right number of ribs?  If not, would you expect  them to tool up the proper car body for that paint scheme?  This type of foobery (is that a word?) has been done in N scale for decades.  I think it's called "compromise".

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Unpopular opinion: I'd rather have a better decorated car than one where the ribs are the right ones (for a car that's not a star).

I don't know anything about Soo covered hoppers, but I DO know that a weathered Soo hopper will fill my need for "Upper Midwest hopper" very nicely.

[basementcalling]

Unpopular opinion: I'd rather have a better decorated car than one where the ribs are the right ones (for a car that's not a star).

I don't know anything about Soo covered hoppers, but I DO know that a weathered Soo hopper will fill my need for "Upper Midwest hopper" very nicely.

That's squishy, but probably what I will do too.

Lots of talk about the hoppers, but it is nice to see some non grafittied Railbox offerings that are weathered to the hilt, but just typical of what you see in an average train.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Don't get me wrong. The importance of accuracy increases with familiarity with the subject.

But also, I really kinda only care about the major spotting things then.

Like, I'll never buy one of the Broadway Limited Conrail SD40-2s because I know too much about Conrail SD40-2s and all of the things I know that make a Conrail SD40-2 a Conrail SD40-2 differ.

But the Southern ones? Well, I'll live in ignorant bliss on if the anticlimbers and grills are correct.

[wazzou]

I think it's funny that we're counting ribs on the SOO car but completely ignoring the height of the side sheets. 

[cjm413]

Does MTL produce a car that has the right number of ribs?  If not, would you expect  them to tool up the proper car body for that paint scheme?  This type of foobery (is that a word?) has been done in N scale for decades.  I think it's called "compromise".

Nobody makes an early Thrall 4750, nor are they are they a common enough prototype to expect one.

However, MTL could avoid such foobery by picking a prototype that matches a model that they do offer, e.g. ICE ex-SOO ACF 4650:

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=ice50370&o=ice

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=ice50381&o=ice

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=ice50422&o=ice