Railyard Models PRR/PC/CR G41A Coil Steel Cars

[ai5629]

Have any of you fellow PRR/PC/CR modelers out there ever bought and assembled the Railyard Models N scale G41A coil steel cars?  (I actually have a photo credit in the instructions.)  I purchased a six pack a couple of years back, but I never got around to assembling them.  I am sure these will look great once I do get the chance to put them together.  I was checking out the Rail Yard web site tonight, and I saw they are discontinuing these cars.  It is frustrating how a good product is made, and the demand is not there for the manufacturer to continue making it, much less release different models.  This car was RYM's only N scale release.  I have no coil cars in my Conrail fleet other than these.  The Red Caboose ones never impressed me.  The stirrups could be replaced, but the deck is so thick it is ridiculous.  I am holding out hope that MT or Atlas will procuce a better model.  Thanks.

Jeff

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Jeff
We did a group buy of these a few years back, but I haven't seen one turn up done.

Maybe this will be a kick in the pants to us to get them worked on.

It WAS a group buy, now maybe a group build?

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Mine is built, waiting to decal it.

[Wlal13again]

Mine is in the box, i`ll get to it.... ;D

[GonzoCRFan]

Mine is waiting, but I can't seem to work up the gumption to start bending the grab irons for it. I've been meaning to take some measurements and see if BLMA has anything that would be a good substitute.

[Ian MacMillan]

It's too bad you guys could not get the x58's from them as they are pretty kick a$$.

[ai5629]

I would have to agree that the HO RYM X58's are fantastic, but $40 a piece!!!  And don't forget, you have to assemble and paint them yourself.  I mentioned this once already, but I know a die hard 1968 PRR guy in HO, and he will not shell out the money for these kits.  I will have to live with my N scale Con Cor stand ins for the time being.  I don't hold out much hope that anyone will manufacturer X58's in N scale.  I don't think 1960's PRR is very popular in N scale.  The thing is, X58's roamed the entire country in PRR, PC, and CR paint from the mid 60's up until at least 2000.  Everyone could use at least one or two, even if you are a western modeler.  I would buy at least a dozen or two.  I would hate to have to paint and decal them all myself, but you got to do what you got to do.  Especially since the MS PC boxcars with PRR letters is such a great base (demi data) set for PC or CR painted cars.  I can still dream.

Jeff

[bsoplinger]

As the person who did the group buy, I've assembled and painted mine. Even modified one (to have only 5 and not 6 bays like CR did) and did it in NS paint. Had to make the decals myself and everything

[Chulvis]

As the person who did the group buy, I've assembled and painted mine. Even modified one (to have only 5 and not 6 bays like CR did) and did it in NS paint. Had to make the decals myself and everything

Pictures....or it never happened!! 

[bsoplinger]

Pictures....or it never happened!! 

Sheesh, some people!

http://www.albany.net/~oplinger/NS%20G-41.jpg

http://www.albany.net/~oplinger/PRR%20G-41.jpg

 

[ai5629]

Very nice.  How difficult would you say they were to assemble?  I'm suprised that NS would have repainted them since these cars were built in 1965 or so.  They are too old for interchange service now.  Did they qualify for "rebuilt" status when they changed them to 5 troughs?  Maybe they just use them for on line customers only and not interchange service.  Thanks.

Jeff

[bsoplinger]

Very nice.  How difficult would you say they were to assemble?  I'm suprised that NS would have repainted them since these cars were built in 1965 or so.  They are too old for interchange service now.  Did they qualify for "rebuilt" status when they changed them to 5 troughs?

Very easy to build. You'll want tungsten putty or something similar for the weight, since there isn't anyplace 'inside' the car to put it, the model is solid resin. The only difficult part was doing the coupler box covers. Those long extensions to give it the cushioned pocket look require choosing to use either accumate or the guts of a 1023/1025 MT coupler. I'd suggest choosing the 1023/1025 guts. I had an accumate pop open on me last night and it was a train of only 8 cars. I've never really had any decent luck on with them.

I think there's a thread here, over perhaps over in the proto photo area, that has some pictures of the NS versions of the cars. Excellent big photos, made it easy to make the decals. Bright nice new paint, so I'd guess that they are either new cars built on the same scheme as the G41 (as modified by PC) which I doubt or they somehow were qualified as 'rebuilt' to allow them on interchange service otherwise I couldn't see NS taking the time to repaint them.

Penn Central did the original mods, changing some of the G41's to the 5 bay version, so if you make mods, you can paint them in CR or even PC green if you'd like. I know I have a photo of a modified PC green version somewhere around here.

I hadn't built the coil loads that come with the kits when I took those quick photos awhile ago, I just used some of the Red Caboose coils they used to offer. The coils that come with the kits are more properly sized for what the G41 carried.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Sigh... railyard basically told me to screw when I asked about an N X58. Even at $40, i'd still want 3-4.

[bsoplinger]

Sigh... railyard basically told me to screw when I asked about an N X58. Even at $40, i'd still want 3-4.

I think Railyard was pretty unhappy about how poorly the G41 sold even though they say on their website it "was fairly successful, it never was able to get enough widespread support to make it a viable long term product. " I too had asked him about making the X58 in N scale and got told "no thanks."

Of course, not knowing about them or that the product existed would explain that. And until folks here were talking about a group buy, I didn't know about them making the G41. And I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about the small, odd, quirky manufacturer of items I might want in N scale.

Good news, I was talking with the guy who makes Fine N scale products and he was interested in making one. And the way he does those rippled sides on many of his box cars (PRR X29, X31, X31a and X32 and B&O wagon tops) is very pleasing to my eye. I have many of his models. I stopped short of actually getting them done, it was the year of my work-a-week-or-2-layoffed-a-week-or-2 so I didn't have the funds to do them. I went so far as to point him to the prr.railfan.net page with the drawings on it:
http://prr.railfan.net/freight/classpage.html?class=X58

Although its odd because the drawings are a rib short on each side of the door. These drawings look more like the X65? PC style car. But I told the FNS guy I'd be interested in them too

LV style X65 photo [count the ribs]:
http://crcyc.railfan.net/crrs/box/boxpred.html

PRR class X58 [count the ribs]:
http://crcyc.railfan.net/crrs/box/boxx58.html

[ai5629]

I first heard of Railyard Models on the Conrail Modelers Yahoo group.  They were requesting photos of G41A's to include in their directions.  I submitted a half dozen photos, and he chose one of mine.  I bought a six pack when he emailed me and told me they were available.  Back to the X58, Fine N Scale has crossed my mind as someone who might be a possible company that would do an X58.  Only time will tell.  I would purchase at least a dozen.  I have shots of these cars in PRR, various PC, and various CR paint schemes if they ever need some reference photos.  Thanks.

Jeff