Anyone have a Intermountain 1937 Modified AAR kit?

[wcfn100]

I'd like to ask people who have any Intermountain 1937 Modified AAR kits to check the fit of the floor and underbody piece.

I've been after IM for almost a year about the fact that there's a tooling issue with this car.  I was hoping they would fix it when they changed the tooling for body mount couplers.  I need to pin this down now or it won't get fixed for this release.

I talked with IM today and they're trying to say its a assembly issue which I know is not true.  But to double check, I'd like someone else to see if they can find the issue that I see so I can let them know it's not just me.

I'm going to get a bunch of kits and can fix it myself, but I'd like to pick up a couple decorated cars and really don't want to have to fix those too.

Anyone up for looking?  It has to be the Modified AAR car as the 12 panel and regular 1937 car are fine.

Thanks,

Jason

[BCR 570]

I believe I have some stashed away.  Glad to help if I can.

Tim

[wcfn100]

Okay Tim, thanks.

Here's a picture of an assembled car.



I circled the two center cross-bearers to show where the issue is easily visible.  Those two cross-bearers aren't supposed to stick out below the sill tab.  It's my contention that it's a design issue that doesn't allow those two cross-bearers to sit flush to the floor of the car.  As a result, the center sill is warped.  I haven't been able to check if it effects how level the truck bolsters are.  On the regular 1937 and 12 panel cars either the cross-bearers are notched to clear the stringers or the floor of the car is cleared out to clear the cross-bearers.

I'd like to know what you think.

Jason

[Bill H]

Jason:
I have built perhaps 20 of those from old kits without any issues. It must be newer tooling that is causing the problem. Any idea when your kits were produced?

Best,
Bill

[arbomambo]

Hello.
I don't have these cars (I need some!), but might the problem be the same that shows up in the 'built' 40' ATSF Reefers?
There is a remnant of the sprue gate that protrudes from the bottom of the molded box; it prevents the floor from fitting completely flush up under the floor of the box....
I just trimmed the rest of the sprue gate by using an Xacto chisel blade, allowing the floor underframe to fit flush up against the floor of the box.
Bruce

[wcfn100]

Jason:
I have built perhaps 20 of those from old kits without any issues. It must be newer tooling that is causing the problem. Any idea when your kits were produced?

Best,
Bill

But what are "20 of those" exactly.  This problem is specific to the 10'6" Modified AAR cars.  I noticed it on kits that I got off ebay so I think it goes back pretty far.  I guess those kits could have had the wrong parts in them, it wouldn't be the first time.  Can you take a picture of one of those cars?

Hello.
I don't have these cars (I need some!), but might the problem be the same that shows up in the 'built' 40' ATSF Reefers?
There is a remnant of the sprue gate that protrudes from the bottom of the molded box; it prevents the floor from fitting completely flush up under the floor of the box....
I just trimmed the rest of the sprue gate by using an Xacto chisel blade, allowing the floor underframe to fit flush up against the floor of the box.
Bruce

I've seen the sprue issue and this is separate from that.

Regardless of all of this, it was an issue on the last batch of Modified AAR cars.  I did take one apart to check.


Jason

[wcfn100]

So here's a pic of the 1937 AAR and Modified AAR cars.



You can see on the one at the top, the floor has been milled out for those two center cross-bearers on the under body piece.  Both kits have the same under body piece.  You can see how on the lower shell, the center would be lifted off floor causing a bow to the center sill.


Jason

[Bill H]

Jason:
I am talking about IM '37 Modified AAR kits. In your posted picture you also need to cut off the round sprue leftover, I used Xacto chisel blades. I just checked three two NYC Modified AAR and a MoPac Modified AAR. Don't see any problem, but I can see that I did cut off the round sprue leftover. I looked for an unbuilt Modified AAR but don't have any left. Sorry I cannot be of more help.

I bought several hundred IM kits when IM and some of their dealers were dumping them on eBay. I travel internationally for work extensively and would take a few kits to build in my suitcase. Built most of my boxcar fleet that way. Of course that was before 9-11, a lot of stuff I could carry in my suitcase internationally would be flagged now. I used to carry the glue in my carry on but I suspect that won't happen now either.

Best,
Bill

[Frisco Larry]

I would say your photo says it all.  There is obviously a manufacturing problem.  I have assembled many IM kits, but apparently no "modified" 1937 AAR cars, as I have never encountered this.  Looks like you need to take a file to the floor to get it to work.

[wcfn100]

I would say your photo says it all.  There is obviously a manufacturing problem.

Well maybe.  I've gotten wrong parts in my kits before.  And like I said, I'm open to the idea that there was/is a under body made to fit the Modified cars.  But they aren't being used if so and IM should know about it.

I've asked IM about this 4 times now and have only gotten 'It's probably an assembly issue" which I KNOW isn't what's wrong with my cars.

Jason

[thomasjmdavis]

Jason,
Might I suggest you send Intermountain a copy of that last picture?  I was having a difficult time visualizing the issue- but a picture is worth 1000 words, as they say.  Could be that they did issue some batches with incorrect parts, but if not, they need to make what they are sending out fit together.  I haven't built any of that particular kit, but certainly would like some.  In the experience I have had with other Intermountain kits, there are enough small delicate parts to make it difficult to get them together as is, even when all the parts fit perfectly.  It doesn't look like an issue that could not be fixed with a bit of work with an Xacto, but in the prebuilt cars (referencing your earlier photo of the ATSF car), they should have done that work if it needed to be done.
Tom D.

[wcfn100]

Jason,
Might I suggest you send Intermountain a copy of that last picture?  I was having a difficult time visualizing the issue- but a picture is worth 1000 words, as they say.

Hi Tom, I actually brought the pieces to the last Rocky Mountain Train Show and showed them the issue face-to-face.  I really thought that was going to do it.

The person I'm dealing with said he had the "parts on his desk", so I'm hoping to hear something back.  I try and go though normal channels on stuff like this, but maybe I need to contact Gene (ex-Railyard Models) at IM.  That's how I got the correct 5-5 end to come on these cars.  Hopefully he hasn't been brain washed yet to only care about what can be gotten away with in N scale instead of making a correct product regardless of scale.


Jason

[Bill H]

Jason:
I have never had anything but excellent response from IM regarding broken or missing parts from their kits, or for replacement parts when my stumble fingers broke something. I am going to root through some more 1937 AAR Modified that are finished to see if the problem you found were in any of the kits I had. I almost suspect that perhaps it was a mix up at the factory with the wrong subfloor being put in the kit.

Best,
Bill

[Jim Costello]

Jason,
Checked a car I have here and it's the same as you have and agree it's a manufacturing fault.It has the bolster area recessed so the bolster bars sit flat against the floor,
 so should not affect running qualities. A lot of work required to make the other cross bars sit flush with the floor.

Jim

[wcfn100]

A lot of work required to make the other cross bars sit flush with the floor.

Thanks for checking Jim.  It's even more work when you have to rip out the old glued in under frame bit by bit with a pliers to put in a new one.    

Along with this issue, I've been trying to get a handle on what exact will be coming with the kit.  The announcement is so poor in this regard.  I'm sure many of you remember the old kits back to the days of the single piece couplers.  But to IM's credit, since they use aluminum molds which run out faster, they do upgrade their cars (to some degree - this car could have finer details like the 50' box) when they cut new tooling.  Too bad they don't tell anybody. 

Since the early kits on this car, I know of these changes :

Etched metal running boards.
5/5 Ends.
Body mounted couplers.

That's up to the last release. Now IM makes their own trucks which are to have metal wheels.  I'm a bit worried that the trucks are going to be the new roller bearing trucks from the flat cars.  I'll have to ask.

I checked that the kit will have the etched RB (at only says plastic parts on the ad) and I doesn't come with couplers so that's not an issue.  I need to ask about the 5/5 end and the trucks.

Jason