Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2018 10:03:27 GMT -5
I agree the IHC cars could use some rework, as they are paper-light out of the box. I did find they rolled and ran well enough on my layout (I have the full Chessie Steam Special consist) but it doesn't take much to foul them.
Unfortunately I began adding the interior kits, which constrains options for packing 'em full of lead. The interiors add a negligible amount of additional weight, though I suppose if you add the light kits - and the required truck upgrades for such - you'd be 90% there toward a "finished and tuned" car.
That said I don't begrudge their light-and-cheapness out of the box because the other option is modern Walthers and Rapido class quality - at $60 per car. I paid not too much more than that for the full set of... 10? 12? in 2006. I'd rather be able to score the consist to satisfy a visual itch and then upgrade as needed. Some of the modern stuff is simply too lavish for my needs.
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My favorite car weights came in the original Branchline series berwick boxcar kits. Neatly tucked in a hidden pocket created by the inner box tray liner, was a pair of large machine nuts. They perfectly fit inside the car, centered over the bolster holes. Perfectly underscored the mom-n-pop nature of that company: they didn't spring for fancy-pants custom cut steel blanks from a machine shop, they just ran down to the hardware store and bought a bunch of nuts! But they worked GREAT. Put all the weight right over the bolsters where needed, and retained nice visible floor detail if you opened the door.
I've also encountered secondhand cars with weights fashioned from pennies secured with goo. Seems wasteful until you realize you can't buy weights of any sort for mere pennies these days, so I suppose if you don't have clutter or junk lying around, and time to cut scrap is money...
Unfortunately I began adding the interior kits, which constrains options for packing 'em full of lead. The interiors add a negligible amount of additional weight, though I suppose if you add the light kits - and the required truck upgrades for such - you'd be 90% there toward a "finished and tuned" car.
That said I don't begrudge their light-and-cheapness out of the box because the other option is modern Walthers and Rapido class quality - at $60 per car. I paid not too much more than that for the full set of... 10? 12? in 2006. I'd rather be able to score the consist to satisfy a visual itch and then upgrade as needed. Some of the modern stuff is simply too lavish for my needs.
~~~~~~~
My favorite car weights came in the original Branchline series berwick boxcar kits. Neatly tucked in a hidden pocket created by the inner box tray liner, was a pair of large machine nuts. They perfectly fit inside the car, centered over the bolster holes. Perfectly underscored the mom-n-pop nature of that company: they didn't spring for fancy-pants custom cut steel blanks from a machine shop, they just ran down to the hardware store and bought a bunch of nuts! But they worked GREAT. Put all the weight right over the bolsters where needed, and retained nice visible floor detail if you opened the door.
I've also encountered secondhand cars with weights fashioned from pennies secured with goo. Seems wasteful until you realize you can't buy weights of any sort for mere pennies these days, so I suppose if you don't have clutter or junk lying around, and time to cut scrap is money...
