Walthers New run of Thrall Stack cars

[MRLX1020]

http://www.blwnscale.com/walthers-5-unit-double-stack.htm

Looks like the articulated sets might have new tooling based on the drawings provided, and single cars are included as well - both in the latest TTX scheme.

[learmoia]

New Tooling?.......... I doubt it...

Any word on updates to the packaging?..

~ian

[GaryHinshaw]

I would be very surprised if this were new tooling.  What makes you think so?  (Not trying to be snide, just curious.)

Has the new logo been applied to 48'ers, per the Walthers artwork?  I would have thought they would have cut them down to 40' if they were going to bother shopping them.  (It would be cool if Walthers made a cut-down 40' version of these.)

[arbomambo]

 The drawings, per the link, don't indicate any new tooling...
I remember these cars well from the 90's... (when I was modeling the 'modern' era)
I replaced the trucks and wheelsets, filed 'off' the cast metal details, added GMM stainless walkways, upright grabs, and stirrups...
I also had to clean 'up' the articulation pivot castings to allow them to articulate more freely.
Quite a bit more work and monetary investment to get them to the performance and visual level that I wanted, but, because they were molded in die cast metal, tracked beautifully...
Bruce

[Smike]

48' footers, meh for the modern modeler. I know Gary and I have 53' Thrall versions near the top of the bucket list 

[GaryHinshaw]

^Exactly.  That said, I'm glad Walthers is still releasing these.  I have a soft spot for them because they were the basis for some of the first detailing projects I worked on when I got back into N scale about 10 years ago:




I still have a few sets awaiting chop jobs down to 40' wells, like this or this  (login required).  If only they weren't made of Kryptonite - the metal is very hard to work with. 

[arbomambo]

^Exactly.  That said, I'm glad Walthers is still releasing these.  I have a soft spot for them because they were the basis for some of the first detailing projects I worked on when I got back into N scale about 10 years ago:




I still have a few sets awaiting chop jobs down to 40' wells, like this or this  (login required).  If only they weren't made of Kryptonite - the metal is very hard to work with. 

this was almost exactly my experience as well...they were excellent projects for modeling and ended up being pretty good looking runners...

[asarge]

At least they have "updated" to Accumate Knuckle Couplers.

[peteski]

At least they have "updated" to Accumate Knuckle Couplers.

Updated?  Hmmm....  Too bad that it wasn't MT couplers.  I don't care for Accumates.

[mcjaco]

I bought a set from someone on another Forum when I jumped to N 10+ years ago.  I found them to be pretty good runners, even with the archbar trucks they showed up with.   

Had always planned on updating them with the detail kits, but ended up reselling them (with correct trucks) about a year later.

[jagged ben]

There was actually already a thread on these...  I made some comments there.

I suppose if you look carefully at the articulated joints on the multi-unit cars you could take that as evidence of new tooling.   Overall I'm doubtful though.  I'll believe pictures, not artwork. 

[asarge]

Updated?  Hmmm....  Too bad that it wasn't MT couplers.  I don't care for Accumates.

That's why I said "updated" in quotation marks.

I'd take Accumates over Crapido's anyday knowing they aren't going to spring for MTL's

[eric220]

I've been meaning to get one of the single cars so that I can wire a FRED onto it. That would give me end-of-train detection for the signaling system.

[GaryHinshaw]

There was actually already a thread on these...  I made some comments there.

I completely forgot about that thread - in less than two weeks.

In scanning through a bunch of proto photos today, I'm reminded of how many cool 40' chop jobs there are running around on the prototype today, beyond the two Thrall sets I linked above.  I'm newly motivated to try some.

[lock4244]

I completely forgot about that thread - in less than two weeks.

In scanning through a bunch of proto photos today, I'm reminded of how many cool 40' chop jobs there are running around on the prototype today, beyond the two Thrall sets I linked above.  I'm newly motivated to try some.

I've noted a few 'chops' recently that are rather interesting. A number of five unit articulated sets that have 40' A & B wells, and 48' C, D, & E wells. I photograph these at every chance, but about two weeks ago had to do a double take on one set... 40' A&B with 45' CDE. Not able to shoot or get car number, but that has to be pretty rare.

Excellent work on those cars Gary... seems as if they're from two different mfg's.