The Best Value in Model Railroading

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I recently built a few of my favorite models, the heavyweight passenger car kits formerly made by Branchline.  They are exquisitely detailed and are very impressive once assembled.  It’s amazing that you can regularly find them at train shows for as little as $15 a kit.  In fact, you can make the case that these are among the best values in rolling stock available today.

Atlas, after its purchase of Branchline, now produces these cars in ready-to-run form and sells them for upwards of $60 each.  This means that people willing to spend time assembling the kit versions can build practically an entire train for the price of one RTR car.


The kit looks a bit intimidating out of the box, but it only requires a few basic skills. If you can build a Proto2000, Branchline, or Intermountain boxcar, you can build this kit.  The essential tools are a screwdriver, sharp hobby knife, liquid plastic cement (the kind that is thin as water), tweezers, and CA (super) glue.

I generally follow the instructions but have learned some tricks over time.  The trucks come as flat kits that need to be assembled.  It’s important to glue the truck frames square with the center bolster to avoid derailments.  I place the truck on a pane of glass just after gluing the side frames and bolster together to check that all six wheels contact the ground evenly.  If a wheel does not contact the ground as it should, I gently bend the truck assembly while the glue is still tacky so that all the wheels are in the right positions.



The other modification I make is to the truck mounting area of the under frame.  I cut a small slot into the center sill to allow more room for the trucks to rock back and forth.  This can be done on an assembled under frame, but is easier to do before gluing the center sill to the car floor.  This is probably the most important modification to improve the running characteristics of the car.


The rest of the assembly process is straightforward and I generally follow the instructions.  The result is a beautiful looking and beautifully running passenger car.




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