Mount Blue Models

[ebtbob]

Good Morning All,

      Since I have seen the B Man mention this company's product in another post on the Plasticville site,  I have decided to go ahead with this post.
       Mount Blue has several car kits available for the On30/On2 world and sizewise will fit VERY nicely with the standard Bachmann On30 cars.   They also offer retrofit pilots,  cabs,  etc for Bachmann steam engines and other things like bodies for the railtruck and replacement wood racks for the pulp wood cars.
        I am currently assembling the Mt Blue kit number 12,  a work caboose.   It is going together quite nicely and the standard Bachmann On30 freight car truck with HO scale 36 inch wheels gives the car the nice looking - hunkered down look.
         These kits are all laser cut with the parts fitting together nicely,  but,  the kits are not necessarily for the new modeler.   Some experience working with wooden kits would be a help.

Bob

[Hamish K]

Some of the Mount Blue car kits are bodies to fit on standard Bachmann chassis, others are separate kits, including I think the one you are building. Do you know how easy the body kits for standard chassis are to build? Suitable for some-one who has built plastic, but not wood kits? I am thinking in particular of the excursion car, which uses a standard passenger car chassis. I have been waiting for Bachmann to produce one, but so far no sign of it, so I am considering alternatives, including the Mount Blue kit. Of course given the normal modellers law, as soon as a scratch built, kit built or kit-bashed model is completed a ready-to-run version is announced!

Hamish

[dto]

Of course given the normal modellers law, as soon as a scratch built, kit built or kit-bashed model is completed a ready-to-run version is announced!

"If you build it, they will come..."

Go ahead, Hamish K -- the sooner you finish your project, the sooner the RTR versions will arrive.  Rest assured the rest of us will be grateful for your sacrifice.   

[SideTracked]

I'm new to On30 and Bachmann, and my first experience with kit building was the Mount Blue body conversion for the Bachmann caboose. The kit comes with optional sides; but, I opted for the standard conversion to avoid modifying the caboose interior.
There were enough left over materials that I was able to do a building based on the original caboose body and the left-over Mt. Blue walls. I cut out one side wall of the original caboose body and bumped it out the length of the extra walls.
Here's my version of a rail car diner:

[ebtbob]

Hamish,

       The kit I mentioned is my first with Mount Blue so I cannot speak to how the retrofit kits go together.   If they are anything like what I am working on,  they are fun to build,  but the instruction leave a little to be desired,  since they use photos instead of line drawings and there are not photos for every bit of every step.

Bob

[Hamish K]

Thanks Bob and SideTracked for the comments, much appreciated.

Hamish

[railtwister]

I'm just finishing up (now I'm in the painting stage) one of the new arched roof bay window caboose conversion kits that use the Bachmann On30 caboose frame/steps & trucks. This was my first try at a laser cut kit (I know, I'm way behind the times), and I was very impressed. I especially liked the accuracy of the laser cuts, and the way they fit together almost perfectly as soon as they are removed from the main sheets. I thought the instructions were well done, and I appreciated the color photos, especially the ones of the finished car. I have some of the pulpwood rack kits for the Bachmann flat cars, plus a SR&RL long caboose conversion (it uses the Bachmann On30 passenger car frame/steps/trucks) sitting on the shelf awaiting their turn at the workbench, but I like the little bay window hack so much that I'm going to order another bay window caboose (this time one with the angled roof) first. I also have been thinking about the excursion car, too. Mt. Blue makes an excellent product line, and I highly recommend their kits.

Regards,
Bill Nielsen
Oakland Park (Ft. Lauderdale), FL USA
Florida On30 Renegades

[C.S.R.R. Manager]

I built one of the caboose bodies that fits on a Bachmann passenger car base [kit #6], and it was a fun project.  Definitely not a "shake-the-box" kit, and you do have to take care to keep the corners square as you go.  But the pieces fit together nicely, and the end result is very satisfying.  I've also used Ken's cupola kits to alter the look of my Bachmann cabooses, and they make a big difference.

Next, I need to order the shorter caboose body, since I've got an extra caboose base sitting around.

Manager

[El Loco]

I am currently working on the 0n30 bay window caboose conversion.   I would like to put it on a lower chassis to match the lowered car bodies. although,  It would be neat to convert it into a transfer caboose like the MOPAC used. just a thought...  decisions decisions

[railtwister]

I am currently working on the 0n30 bay window caboose conversion.   I would like to put it on a lower chassis to match the lowered car bodies. although,  It would be neat to convert it into a transfer caboose like the MOPAC used. just a thought...  decisions decisions

El Loco,

Unfortunately, there is no replacement frame for lowering the caboose, but you might be able to lower it somewhat by changing out the wheel sets to a smaller size. I haven't tried to lower my caboose, but you might also be able to adapt the low profile archbar trucks (like the ones used on the log cars, Bachmann #29904). If you have any bolster bushings left over from the frame lowering kits, they might be useful. Experiment and let us know how it turns out!

Regards,
Bill

[El Loco]

I thought about it and The alternative would be scratch build the frame and either scratch the steps/ end assembly and or splice on the original  end/steps to the new frame and bolster assembly.  I have tried the smaller wheel option and it just didnt look right .  Thanks for your ideas though!

[El Loco]

The instructions say to install the bay window card stock roof's before the Letter boards. If you should follow this exact procedure, be sure to allow appropriate room for the letter boards to be installed at a later time! If you dont you will discover the same mistake  I did. The letter boards will not have enough room to fit correctly. The mistake I made was easily fixed with no damage to the card stock bay roof's.  It has been a fun kit to build!  IMO,  GO buy a Bachmann caboose today and build one of these kits!

[Tomcat]

Really: All the Mount Blue Model kits are fitting like gloves, especialy the ones which are to be attached to a Bachmann frame are that easy to build and alway fun!!!!

Get one, try it - you won´t be disappointed!
(No I don´t get a free sample for saying this - I can truly state this by heart....)

Cheers, Tom

[El Loco]

The bay window unit is coming together very nicely! Great Kit! One lengthend frame has been built just waiting on some detail parts (steps, brake gear & railings)  I decided to go with a transfer style caboose appearance.

[ebtbob]

Good Evening All,

       I have not posted a pic here for a long time so I hope it or the link comes thru ok.   It is Kit #12,  work caboose from Mount Blue.   I use Bachmann archbar trucks with HO scale Intermountain 36inch wheel sets.

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