Re: C & B T SHOPS
Has anyone ever seen one of their 'reefer' car kits [and resulting car] in person?
Walthers offers no images, and the C & B T SHOPS website is equally thin on information w/ no images as well. Does anyone know of a picture source for their HO Scale offerings?
Thanks! Matt
No, but if it is of any help I have a number of their kits for the SFRD Rr19 class refrigerator cars. I purchased these before the InterMountain kits for similar cars became available here.
Detail and paint finish on the one piece body is very good, with well executed rivets, and wales on the ends. The locating holes for the body details are all moulded in place, and usually only require a quick spin with a drill to remove any traces of paint before assembly. The roof is separate, as are the running boards and ice bunker platforms. These are a combined moulding, and require trimming for some versions. The ice bunker hatches are also separate parts.
The kit trucks are quite good, although I replaced the kit wheels with LifLike 33" ribbed-back wheelsets as a matter of personal preference. The coupler boxes will accept Kadee #5s with no modification.
The C&BT kits feature separate detail parts like the InterMountain kits, but some of the parts are a little crude by comparison, and assembly of the underframe is somewhat awkward. In later issues of the kits, replacement detail sprues by Tichy and Grandt Line were provided for parts such as door hinges and brake system components.
Included is an comprehensive information sheet compiled by knowledgable Santa Fe modeller Keith Jordan, describing paint and lettering schemes, and the detail features of all SFRD rebuilt refrigerator classes.
The C&BT Shops products are not "shake the box kits", and will require a little care during construction to overcome their minor faults. But if you have some experience with similar kits from other manufacturers, you should have no difficulty getting a good result with these cars.
All the best,
Mark.
Thanks Mark!
>A train post????!!!!!
What railroads do you model anyway?
No worries, Matt. If I can borrow a PHD camera in the next few days I'll send you some pictures.
All the best,
Mark.
One of many.
Our old layout was based on the Nickel Plate in East Peoria, interchanging with the Rock Island. Although this layout is now demolished we kept our locos and stock, the majority of which was superdetailed/kitbashed or otherwise fiddled with. We now run our US equipment on friend's layouts, as part of a 'round-robin' operating group.
Currently we have two very different projects on the go. We are building an O scale traction layout for exhibition, and a Japanese layout in HO.
Mark.
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