New Micro-Trains PS-2 2003cf 2-Bay Hopper

[JoeD]

Unassembled is much preferred.  Saves a lot of time and effort (and possible breakage) if we don't have to disassemble a model for painting and detailing.  About 1/3 of the MTL passenger cars I have, plus several freight cars, came as undec/unassembled "kits". 
As to packaging, all the undecs I've received in the past 15 years or so came in the same jewel box as the finished cars. Small parts usually packaged inside the carbody, and carbody, floor and trucks in the "nest".  Never had a broken part. That said, I could see where 3D printed parts or delicate etchings might require a different packaging, or some sort of padding or reinforcement.

I remember watching them build "undecs"  and said why spend all this time putting something together I gotta take apart.  I went through as many body styles as I could find and worked out ways of putting the parts in the shell or separate packaging.  The PS 2, if we do this would be the same I suspect, or maybe make a special v-formed nest to secure all the parts.  I'll noodle it around.

Joe

[wcfn100]

For one of the Athearn Airslide undec releases they used two jewel cases to fit all the parts.


Jason

[Tom L]

Unassembled undecorated would be great!
K4 decals has a pretty nice selection of Decals for these.  It would be a great source of parts, as well.
 From MTs FB page (hope you don’t mind my sharing it here)

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Tom L
Wellington CO

[wazzou]

That's a crap load of parts, for sure.

[peteski]

About an expected quantity for any MTL covered hopper.  The trucks will likely come assembled.  The only extra parts in the new one are I believe some parts on the underframe (like air hoses and few other small parts).

But the exploded parts photo makes one appreciate how much time assembly must take (and cost) for all those cars MTL sells RTR.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I was really hoping these would lend themselves to easy ballast car conversions (or tooling extensions), but it doesn't look like it.

Damn.

But they DO look like really nice cars on their own merits. I'm looking forward to the schemes MTL does on these in the future, especially the weathered ones.

Edit: There isn't a single one of these that isn't a charmer. https://conrailphotos.thecrhs.org/galleries/class-cr71b

[chessie system fan]

^Except those ex-Reading cars are ACF prototypes.   


I'm looking forward to when MT gets around to doing the B&O cars.  Fingers crossed MT will do the road numbers with the correct support thingy's and not the kind with channel supports thingy's.

Also, don't these come with a new truck style?  I don't remember seeing that roller bearing truck used before. 

[ai5629]

Unassembled undecorated would be great!
K4 decals has a pretty nice selection of Decals for these.  It would be a great source of parts, as well.
 From MTs FB page (hope you don’t mind my sharing it here)

(Attachment Link)

Tom L
Wellington CO

Questions for @MTLJoe
Regarding the N scale PS2, are all of the parts produced so they can be painted, or are certain parts molded in the same color as those parts that are painted?  Also, regarding the kit option, how about an assembled, painted gray and unlettered version?  I would think gray would be the most common color these would be painted.  Maybe a limited run of these, so MTL does not lose its shirt on an unusual item like this.  Thank you.

Jeff

[TrainCat2]

I'm looking forward to when MT gets around to doing the B&O cars.  Fingers crossed MT will do the road numbers with the correct support thingy's and not the kind with channel supports thingy's.
 

    Which class of B&O cars??   You got my attention!

[JMaurer1]

I really like the undec but painted grey suggestion...

[peteski]

In my experience Undecorated MTL models are produced using whatever run of that car was last produced.  When MTL makes the plastic bodies, they try to make them the same color as whatever color paint they will use (so the car is easier to paint getting good coverage).  That is why undecorated cars can have different color plastic depending which batch you get them from.

The covered hopper car ends are usually molded out of slippery flexible plastic (and same goes from things like brakewheels or other small details), and those are again molded using plastic colored to very closely  match the car body color.  Those are usually unpainted and sometimes you can see slight color mismatch.

[wcfn100]

Can anyone who gets one of the GN cars show the truck pin holes?  Are they centered on the bolster or offset like the trucks?

Thanks.


Jason

[JoeD]

That's a crap load of parts, for sure.

We wanted folks to understand the intricacy of the parts and the effort it takes to paint and assemble.  Everyone here earns a living wage with full benefits so that factors into the final price of course.

Joe 

[Wardie]

We wanted folks to understand the intricacy of the parts and the effort it takes to paint and assemble.  Everyone here earns a living wage with full benefits so that factors into the final price of course.

Joe

I got a Great Northern this week, a bit further west then my usual prototypes, but a very nice car and I had no issues with the price. I am looking forward to some eastern prototypes.

[wazzou]

Has anyone posted a picture of one in the wild?