GMM handrail stanchions

[PiperguyUMD]

I'm working on a WM high hood RS three.  These had an unusual battery box configuration that will make it impossible to reuse the Atlas handrails.  Does anyone have any experience with the etched handrail stanchions from Gold Medal Models?  Do these have the appropriate stanchions for an early Alco?  If not, is there anything out there that would work?

Thanks!

[Altoona]

Piperguy
If I remember correctly the GMM handrail post are based on EMD prototype with the post wrap around the handrail, Alco the handrail went thru the post and the post had a small L-grider support down at the base.

[PiperguyUMD]

thats what I thought - and was afraid of!

[Smike]

I use these a lot, and to be honest, I was never able to effectively use the fold over end on the stanchions to wrap around the hand rail. So in the end this detail  is clipped off. With it removed, it allows you to mount it so it would not show a fold over, and just connect it via solder. This detail is such an incredibly small detail, that just finding the right stanchion height (they give you several variations) is good enough (even for the eye of someone taking the effort to do this IMHO)

[chessie system fan]

Reaching into the deepest crevices of my cerebral cortex, I want to say that JnJ did an RS stanchion etched set.  I could be wrong though.

[garethashenden]

Reaching into the deepest crevices of my cerebral cortex, I want to say that JnJ did an RS stanchion etched set.  I could be wrong though.

You are correct! They actually did three!
Switcher/RS-1 http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/JNJ-Trains-N-Alco-Switcher-RS1-Handrail-Kit-p/jnj-344-0603.htm
Light Road Unit http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/JNJ-Trains-N-Alco-MLW-Handrail-Kit-p/jnj-344-0604.htm
Heavy Road Unit http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/JNJ-Trains-N-Alco-MLW-Handrail-Kit-p/jnj-344-0605.htm

MB Klein actually have a pretty good selection of JNJ parts, which is rather surprising considering how long they've been out of business.

[Loren Perry]

I'm working on a WM high hood RS three.  These had an unusual battery box configuration that will make it impossible to reuse the Atlas handrails.  Does anyone have any experience with the etched handrail stanchions from Gold Medal Models?  Do these have the appropriate stanchions for an early Alco?  If not, is there anything out there that would work?

Thanks!

The set does indeed include early Alco stanchions. And the EMD stanchions are NOT designed to have the tops folded over, nor do the instructions say to do this. The simulated folded top is etched into the stanchion as a raised horizontal line. The wire handrail is to be nestled up against the bottom of this line and soldered into positioned. As you've discovered, it's really too much to ask of modelers to hand-fold the tops over. Glue can be used, but isn't as strong. I built a GP-7 using these stanchions and they look very good. Not as bulletproof as the engineering plastic handrails, but much finer and closer to scale in appearance.

[PiperguyUMD]

The set does indeed include early Alco stanchions. And the EMD stanchions are NOT designed to have the tops folded over, nor do the instructions say to do this. The simulated folded top is etched into the stanchion as a raised horizontal line. The wire handrail is to be nestled up against the bottom of this line and soldered into positioned. As you've discovered, it's really too much to ask of modelers to hand-fold the tops over. Glue can be used, but isn't as strong. I built a GP-7 using these stanchions and they look very good. Not as bulletproof as the engineering plastic handrails, but much finer and closer to scale in appearance.

So are the Alco stanchions round at the top with a hole for the railing to pass through?