ESM's X58 in the new RMC

[wcfn100]

Yeah there's definitely a period between ACI and COTS.  Here's a CB&Q reefer from 1970 off e-bay just today.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RAILROAD-PRINT-BURLINGTON-CB-Q-40-ICE-REEFER-BREX-76344-/231382830893?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35df7dcf2d

It's a bit too bad it took a RMC artical to know this about the cars.  In addition to the advertisements, Bryan's mentioned it here that the ACI labels are correct.

Don't worry Bryan, some of use are paying attention.   

Jason

[bbussey]

True, it's not always present. I will rephrase -- in most cases, the COTS is present so that an extra pair of printing pad hits isn't necessary. In the case of the Burlington car, the black was only in the ACI label. But that was minor in comparison to the addition of the etched herald plates.

[BruceStikkers]

I picked up one of these at Des Plaines Hobbies last weekend while visiting my daughter in Elmhurst (Chicago suburbs). The car is really nice and I am adding some weathering to finish it off. I really like the way they did the correct extension of the coupler pocket for the cushioned load drawbar mechanism; that isn't done well on most models. I also picked up one of the 40' boxcars with heaters in Canadian Pacific, also a very nice car.

Bruce Stikkers
St. Joseph, IL

[nkalanaga]

Bryan:  That's one of the things I look for in undated photos.  If the car has an ACI label, but no COTS, or the early single-panel one, it's probably usable in 1974.  Of course, it could have been retired between the (unknown) picture date and mid 1974, the early 2-panel COTS was in use n early 1974, and it took some time to apply them to all cars. So some of the cars in my period actually had them, and some pictures that look pre-1974 aren't, but it's a good starting point.

In the case orf your models, all I have to do is look at label, or your website.  Much easier!

[peteski]

Tamped.  The first cars used a light gray to represent the reflective white, but the upside was overshadowed by the extra cost.  Currently, Stencil White is used for the reflective white bars which saves two print pad hits (as the white is printed with the general white of the main artwork).  So generally the ACI plate requires four additional pad hits since Stencil Black and Stencil White already are utilized for at least the COTS stencil (which always is present if there is an ACI label present).

Nice!  Micro-Trains would charge extra for the additional pad hits.