Rapido USRA 40-ft Double Sheathed Boxcar

[robert.j.thomas]

MoPac Friends,

I received this car today from a pre-order with Rapido (along with a Frisco version). They seem pretty nice. The shop date is ’46, and I am wondering if the paint scheme is appropriate for the 1920s. Could I back-date the shop date and be accurate?

Thanks,

-Bob T.

[anonymous]

Is this the $50 boxcar with a 2 car minimum? You were able to make the two cars two different road names?

[robert.j.thomas]

Pat,

Yes. I ordered this one and a Frisco one for the two-car minimum.

-Bob T.

[David Boeschen]

The ARA recommended lettering practices for the 1920s were somewhat different. This car has the typical recommended lettering practices that were simplified in the late 20s, meaning fewer pieces of information stenciled on the car, and some of those allowed to be moved to the car end.

One of the very early Eagle articles from the mid-1980s showed some MP cars that had the earlier stenciling style along with the later ones.

I believe there are two Charlie Winters photos showing this series of USRA box (there were only 250), possibly even the same car, many years apart in time.

There was also a recent discussion on the RealSTMFC group on groups,io about the differences in the earlier vs. later recommended stenciling.

RG7

[robert.j.thomas]

Thanks! Great info.

[David Boeschen]

I checked, and the year that the stenciling practices were simplified was 1927.

RG7

[anonymous]

Really nice looking cars but not getting them for two reasons- the stiff price, and the fragility of the detail. I’m moving into a much more mobile lifestyle in retirement, probably going to sell the house soon and tear down the layout, and confine my models to items that can be frequently handled in A line carriers and transported without damage, like Accurail cars. I think these Rapido cars, as beautiful as they are, will likely be as fragile as Kadee tank cars, which something will snap off of if a gnat sneezes within 5’.

[Author]

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