4-4-0

[rich1998]

Lex - I checked out the website you included and was very impressed with the offerings. While these 'kits' look like the older Roundhouse ones, the directions are not Roundhouse directions (trust me as I have built a lot of these kits). They look really nice and have some unusual roadnames. If you are at all interested in Roundhouse (or Roundhouse like) kits; these are priced very inexpensively. When we do get Roundhouse Old Time kits to sell, they go for almost twice this price.

Ray

about four years ago i heard river city railroad had aqquired the last of the old mdc/roundhouse stock before being bought by athearn.
no instructions and no wheels. no problem. they included couplers then

i have two dozen of the older mdc 36ft car kits with metal frames bought fron mdc in 1990s . they have a lot of flash that needs to be scraped off. someday

a freind bought a couple of the older mdc boilers a couple years ago. all sold out now. nearly identical to the new roundhouse boilers.
lex

[Jim Banner]

Ray,
Do you think it is possible that River City Railroad is selling the New Roundhouse cars?  I certainly agree that the instructions are not the old Roundhouse instructions we have been seeing for years.  On the other hand, I cannot see an eBay seller with thousands of sales under his belt and a 100% feedback rating risking his reputation by calling them Roundhouse if they are not.  Is it possible that this is a sort of "transition kit" between old stock and new stock on the part of Roundhouse?  That truck centering post that the instructions tell you to cut off and the lack of wheel sets certainly looks like it could be for the new Roundhouse cars which will be using standard Athearn trucks.  Those trucks without wheels look like they were made together with the rest of the body, which could mean the body mold is new, but the underframe/truck/details mold is old.  This would also explain having to trim some old parts to fit the new body.  I don't know any of this to be true, I am basing it solely on observation and surmise.  So what do you think?

[Michigan Railfan]

So, are Roundouse kits hard to build? When I mean hard, I mean, do they involve glue, and do they have really small detail parts and alot of different parts to put on? I just built an older Athearn boxcar kit, and it was pretty easy. I was just wondering, because my not-so-local hobby shop has some Roundhouse kits, but just to be sure, were they in yellow boxes?

[simkon]

they're not as easy as Athearn kits and require some gluing and a little more skill

[Jim Banner]

Both Athearn and Roundhouse are pretty much "shake-the-box" kits.  If you are looking for a challenge, try an InterMountain cylindrical hopper kit.

Jim

[Michigan Railfan]

Thanks guys. I was just wondering. I might buy some next time I go (if they still have some, and I'll have to buy plastic safe glue) because they looked really good in detail.

[rich1998]

the rcr kits i bought two years ago came with the part we are told to cut off now.
the all plastic frame has very delicate steps on the frame
the trucks that came with the kit fit the stud.
now the trucks do not fit the stud

my unbuilt mdc kits from 1997 have the metal frame without the studs.
the other parts are the same as the rcr kits now.
the queenpost are the same length as the ones in the rcr kit
lex

just remembered, my kits came with mchnery couplers. not now though.

[CNE Runner]

Hey Jim, I haven't read this thread in some time and didn't realize you had directed a question to me. From the picture, I would say that these 'Roundhouse' cars are definitely different...yep, 'could possibly be some un-assembled RTR stuff the Chinese didn't get a chance to put together.

You mentioned 'challenging' plastic car kits; and I would add C & BT Shops kits...now there's a challenge! Athearn kits are exceptionally easy and can be built in less than 30 minutes (unless you actually paint the car weight...and you should). Another challenge is the Walthers Proto 2000 4427 PS2 Covered Hoppers. By the time you get the brake lines assembled you are on Prozac.

'Glad everything worked out for you Josh...I've broken my share of truck king pins in the past. I suggest, in the future, you just cut off the truck mounted couplers and glue on Kadee coupler boxes to the car body...change the wheelsets to metal btw.

Lexon: don't let that flashing, on those 'Roundhouse' kits scare you off. When I was a young puff of steam; all the kits came with [at least] white metal car bottoms AND we had to assemble the trucks! Remember losing all those truck springs, Jim, until you discovered a piece of sewing thread kept them tethered until they were set? Lex, I suggest you get a small, jeweler's file set from Harbor Freight or Micro Mark and have at it. Oh, I strongly suggest you also get a file handle - so you don't donate blood for the hobby.

Ray

[Santa Fe buff]

Ray,
It was actually caused when I tried to remove a truck. It doesn't use pins, but instead, uses two plastic tabs that have flanges at the end that hold it inside a hollow hole. Bot tabs snapped off, this will lead to some problems since it doesn't sport screw holes for Kadee or modern trucks. As for the couplers, yes, I have thought about doing that once. I have a bad (It worked when I bought it.) Model Power ALCo RS11 that I purchased at the Illinois Railway Museum. It was customized by a previous owner, the truck mounted couplers were cut off from the plastic shank, and mounted on a piece of balsa. This wood is just wide enough to fit between the shortened (So that the old coupler style could take sharp radius.) pilot and glued on. A new Kadee knuckle coupler with box was screwed into the wood. He/she even painted where the wood showed on the outside black!

Cheers,
Joshua

[CNE Runner]

Hi Josh, yep...'had the same thing happen when I tried to remove some 'clip mounted' trucks awhile ago. OK, this is not the end of the world. Get yourself to Walmart (food section) and buy a bag of shish-kebab skewers. Insert the blunt end of the skewer in the hole (hopefully it will be too big to fit and you will have to do some careful sanding). Once the end of the skewer is in the hole, use your razor saw (or hobby knife) to mark the skewer where it extends out of the mounting hole. Remove the now marked skewer and cut the little piece off. Put a little CA in the hole and reinsert the cut to length piece. Allow to harden (30 - 45 seconds). You now have a medium that will allow you to use a very small wood or metal screw (2-56) - after you drill a smaller pilot hole. Yep, even the metal screw will hold in the wooden plug (although you may want to add a drop of CA just to be sure).

I hope this helps. I had to do this process over the weekend when the plastic king pin broke on a Pocher old time flat car. A little black paint and no one will be the wiser. Next time leave the truck in place; cut off the truck-mounted couplers, and replace the wheelsets. To completely replace some truck assemblies just isn't worth the bother.

Ray

[Santa Fe buff]

Ray,
Great idea, I can already imagine how I'll (Or Ryan, he's been cleaning nothing but track lately, perhaps a real involved project will be needed.) do it on the bench! While I'm there (At Walmart.), I'll check out the art section for some Tacky Glue and some cheap acrylics. I'm starting to toy around with washes, so I need more paint since small tabbed containers don't hold a whole lot. Ray, I'm starting to become a real modeler... My years of armchair dreaming and having short knowledge are numbered. Keep that in mind.

Keep rolling Ray.

Cheers,
Joshua

[CNE Runner]

Josh - Absolutely first rate!!!! I am glad you are becoming proactive in the hobby (we could use a lot more like yourself). While you are at Walmart, I suggest picking up some glue sticks. Glue sticks are fabulous for adhering various paper objects (signs, shingles, etc) to plastic or wooden structures. Glue sticks have a very low moisture content - and will not cause inks to run or paper to become soggy.

While we are spending YOUR money: If you have a Hobby Lobby handy; pick up an assortment of stripwood and a couple of foamcore sheets (useful for view blockers or building flats). 'Still have some money in your jeans? Visit a Hobby Town (or your LHS) and lay in a supply of sheet and strip styrene...useful as reinforcement on plastic structure joints and who knows what else.

And just think, I haven't gotten to Micro Mark or Harbor Freight!

Cheers,
Ray

[rich1998]

talikng about old time locos, some of you might like what I just found
http://www.sandcrr.com/
lex

[Santa Fe buff]

Ray,
Thanks. I still need some pastels though. I found some at our Hobby Lobby, but I don't think they carry an assortment meant for weathering. I, however, think they have darker shades. If I find such I will purchase them. All it takes is my dulling pocket knife (I use my X-Acto Knife for modeling anyway.) and I have power. Though, I still need Dullcoat. Funny how out of the LHS, Hobby Lobby, Micheals, and Walmart, we don't have Testors Dullcoat? We have everything but that. I did find it at Hands to Work Railroading in Alsip, Illinois. It wasn't to bad, but $5.00 isn't what I have... Perhaps $6.00,  I don't think you guys have enough to spend Ray! Ryan has some building siding stryene, very usable stuff. It's perfect for anything I might need. I think I have the paint washing down. I found the perfect wash for my two Penn Central items in the blue-green color. It came out great. Here's why I need that Tacky Glue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIoCwtODutU

I watch that guy's videos like crazy. He's pretty good. I just don't like how he cusses sometimes, but I wear headphones. As to for one, not to disturb anyone, then two, not to allow anything I don't want someone to hear get heard. That video isn't bad, but all are like this. Great How-Tos and instructions. He's an adult though, so... He is nice though.

lexon,
Great website! I found it interesting that people do like to model the great American's and Moguls.

Cheers,
Joshua

P.S. Ray, perhaps we should make a new topic, we are "Talking Over" the main topic. Which lexon has reminded us of.

[BaltoOhioRRfan]

Great website! I found it interesting that people do like to model the great American's and Moguls.

Cheers,
Joshua

Amen to the Americans, i have a bunch of em. 17 to be exact
8 Old Timers
9 "Modern"

I want to get 2-3 more of the moderns so we shall see. 1 for Baltimore & Annapolis(to go with the GE70 Ton Switcher i just got off ebay(Spectrum Model)
1 for C&O
and of course Ma & Pa #6(i have 4 and 5 already)