Otter Valley Railroad NSC 6000 Cubic Gondolas

[turbowhiz]

I have these cars in my hands <48 hours after ordering them. Sweet!

All I can say is its just a fantastic time to be a modern outline N scale modeler. No regrets about my choice of scale for my modern outline modeling objectives. These cars are a total top 5 for me.

Non exhaustive initial thoughts: They're great cars. Undoubtedly same source as the Aurora cars. Very well done. Like the separate ladders. No tight bolster problems. Trucks are different prototype then the AM 7550's, so different tooling. Identical couplers to AM.

Issues: Wheelsets under gauge with meh profiles just like the 7550's. I'm seems that the super shallow screw depth of the completely separate [Nice!] coupler box is possibly going to present a challenge... I immediately stripped one while installing my coupler, and another came loose just with the high coupling force of the stock coupler coupling to another example. The shallow depth is on account of the thin floor... Top visible floor appears to be the car weight, leaving very little depth for the screw.

Now for some pictures!

Prototype Photo of TLPX 2216 I took on its VERY FIRST trip on the mainline, on its way from the NSC plant to Mac Yard: {April 2nd, 2022, MP 23.5 Halton Sub} [Yes, I get to model BRAND NEW trash gons!]



My super quick slap-dash version of TLPX 2216: [One of the things that brings me joy, actually having models down to the road number of rolling stock I've personally photographed]. Maybe when weathered the wheels are good enough?  One can find fault with the Triple M logo being a little off, but eh.



Comparison of the 6400 (left) and 6000 (right) totally stock:



Coupler comparison:



Box Comparison between Aurora Miniatures and OVR cars:



I'll order more... Anyhow, enough playing with model trains for me. Back to coupler manufacturing business!

[spookshow]

Evidently there are two different styles of truck used on these (Bremco or Timken)? Can anyone post comparison photos of the two? OVR's website doesn't actually say which specific truck is used on what model.

Thanks!
-Mark

[basementcalling]

I have these cars in my hands <48 hours after ordering them. Sweet!

All I can say is its just a fantastic time to be a modern outline N scale modeler. No regrets about my choice of scale for my modern outline modeling objectives. These cars are a total top 5 for me.

Non exhaustive initial thoughts: They're great cars. Undoubtedly same source as the Aurora cars. Very well done. Like the separate ladders. No tight bolster problems. Trucks are different prototype then the AM 7550's, so different tooling. Identical couplers to AM.

Issues: Wheelsets under gauge with meh profiles just like the 7550's. I'm seems that the super shallow screw depth of the completely separate [Nice!] coupler box is possibly going to present a challenge... I immediately stripped one while installing my coupler, and another came loose just with the high coupling force of the stock coupler coupling to another example. The shallow depth is on account of the thin floor... Top visible floor appears to be the car weight, leaving very little depth for the screw.

Now for some pictures!

Prototype Photo of TLPX 2216 I took on its VERY FIRST trip on the mainline, on its way from the NSC plant to Mac Yard: {April 2nd, 2022, MP 23.5 Halton Sub} [Yes, I get to model BRAND NEW trash gons!]



My super quick slap-dash version of TLPX 2216: [One of the things that brings me joy, actually having models down to the road number of rolling stock I've personally photographed]. Maybe when weathered the wheels are good enough?  One can find fault with the Triple M logo being a little off, but eh.



Comparison of the 6400 (left) and 6000 (right) totally stock:



Coupler comparison:



Box Comparison between Aurora Miniatures and OVR cars:



I'll order more... Anyhow, enough playing with model trains for me. Back to coupler manufacturing business!

Are the couplers different on the 6000 vs 6400 or is that your coupler compared to stock?

Any spotting differences for the 6400 vs 6000 body styles? Hard to see any in the comparison photo on a black car.

These are an alphabet soup of reporting marks. Anyone have any idea which roadnames run in which part of the country?

[GaryHinshaw]

I have these cars in my hands <48 hours after ordering them. Sweet!

All I can say is its just a fantastic time to be a modern outline N scale modeler. No regrets about my choice of scale for my modern outline modeling objectives.

Very nice!  This is indeed a great time for modern N scale.  I'll be getting my order in today, but I have to pace myself since the Scale Trains reefers and Athearn acid tankers are due in this month too.   Too bad about the coupler screw; that is a common problem with gondolas that have steel floor weights.

Are the couplers different on the 6000 vs 6400 or is that your coupler compared to stock?

These are an alphabet soup of reporting marks. Anyone have any idea which roadnames run in which part of the country?

Definitely an N-Possible on the right. 

The most common road names I see out west are AIMX and MWCX.  Not sure about elsewhere.

[turbowhiz]

Evidently there are two different styles of truck used on these (Bremco or Timken)? Can anyone post comparison photos of the two? OVR's website doesn't actually say which specific truck is used on what model.

Thanks!
-Mark

TOO much cutting and pasting from the HO scale version of the car here. To quote the OVR text: "Rotating roller-bearing wheel caps, with appropriate Bremco or Timken where appropriate"

Spoiler, these cars DON'T have rotating roller-bearing wheel caps. Also, its Brenco not Bremco. The Brenco bearing caps are blue, making them visually distinct. I attempted that in my quick model tweaks, but I'm not happy with my results.

The OVR trucks are (S2-HD I think) 32.5 axle weight type. I'll try and grab a prototype detailed shot and look at the castings, the profile is correct for the AIMX 6400's and but NOT the AIMX 6000's, or at least the road numbers I have. Those prototypically have distinct NSC Q4 Quadri-Steer trucks. I'm pretty sure it is just one truck that OVR is using on all of these cars.



(As a side note scrap gon geek out, the Triple M logo on the TLPX prototype cars matches the model correctly on higher roadnumbers. Seems that NSC got the logo wrong themselves on the the earliest cars!)

[spookshow]

Athearn says that the trucks on their 6400's are Barber S2E 100T's. Maybe that's what OVR's trucks are supposed to be?

Thanks for the correction on the rotating caps - I was actually looking forward to seeing that in action, lol.

-Mark

[GaryHinshaw]

My order of these showed up yesterday and I'm very impressed.  Here are a few more pics to complement Andrew's shots.

Comparison of the 6400 cu.ft. model (left) and the 6000 cu.ft. model (right):



The 6400 is almost a foot taller, but everything other feature is very similar:



The underbody detail is very nice and quite sturdy (and fairly visible from trackside):



The paint finish and printing are especially well done (though simple):



I'm particularly impressed with the gusset detail around the wall/floor join.

I swapped out the wheels for FVM (personal preference) and I'll swap in N-Possible couplers when possible.  The stock couplers take quite a bit of force to mate.  All in all an outstanding pair of models.

[kscessandriver]

I got a package of 6 of the AIMX cars today. Very happy with them, they've got heft to them I didn't expect.

[basementcalling]

Several dealers at Timonium had these out at the show today. Somewhat surprisingly during a second and third walk through there were no empty spaces in their rows of multiples of these on the tables. Don't know if that means they simply filled in any gaps from purchases with more stock on hand below their table, but I did not run into anyone who was willing to pay full MSRP, or higher in 2 cases, to buy these.

They weren't the only style and brand of car I noticed where dealers were pricing ABOVE MSRP. Call me slightly concerned. And I am guessing the OSV cars, being from Canada, are going to get more expensive now that a 25% tariff was imposed today on all Canadian products in the US.