Athearn Blue Box Kits

Hi all!

A question for the experienced modellers out there.

Those of you who build the Athern blue-box rolling stock... what do you upgrade on these kits? What details do you like to add/change?

I've recently returned to modelling after quite some time, and I hesitate to admit I'd always prefered "ready-to-roll" stock.

However, I've recently added a bunch of blue-box stuff to my inventory, and have been having a great time building them. Who knew?

I've added Kaydee 58 couplers, and plan to swap out the plastic trucks/wheels for better quality ones. Anything else I should consider? (I plan to weigh all the cars as well, and make sure they meet NMRA standards.)

Thanks!

Tony

 

Tony

You are doing what I do. I replace the plastic wheels with metal wheels, add Kadees, and add weights.

The only other things I do are paint the undercarriages and weather the cars.

If I have any flat cars I add the appropriate wood deck from American Model Builders. I also make loads for the flat cars, gondolas, and hoppers.

I also use the “Tool” to clean out the wheel sockets on the trucks.

 

Does anyone add wire grabs or wire ladders?

 

Tom, how/why do you paint the undercarriages? (Or is that part of the weathering?)

Is it just to lose the "plastic-y" look?


Tony

 

I do a light overspray with airbrush, earth, buff and add some spots glossy black.

picture

Wolfgang

 

Great thread. The Athearn "Blue Box" kits and MDC "Box" kits comprise the vast majority of my rolling stock. Most I purchased undec'd then painted and decaled, or I soaked them in brakefluid to remove the lettering and then painted them.

My routine w/ these cars is to:
1.) Open the parts bag and make sure all is there.
2.) Throw everything loose on the scale and get an idea of how much weight I will have to add (if any)
3.) Airbrush the weight to match the correct frame color. (Black, BC red, whatever)
4.) Prepare Kadee couplers
5.) Airbrush the car and decal.
6.) If the car is a peice I am leaving the factory lettering, I usually air brush the weathering or use a combination of air brushing and chalks. Seal w/ dullcoat.

Here is a shot of an MDC "shake the box" kit I did. It is a C&O express box car I wanted. I put on "Express" Passenger trucks to match the prototype, put on wire grabs, carved off the brake and put on an older vertical brake, added the step just below the door. The door is wrong for this car. It should have corrugated doors. I have some Athearn doors that I altered to fit on it, but I haven't gotten around to painting them yet.



Athearn won't be producing many of the undec'd steam era stuff for a while yet. They emailed me their production schedule. Looks like I will be keeping the Brake Fluid industry in business for atleast a year.

 

Both!

First I airbrush them with a light gray undercoat. In this case Apple Barrel Dolphin Gray.





I also airbrush the trucks.

 

Next I airbrush the final color, Folk Art Charcoal Gray.








What you are seeing are the parts for one Athearn express reefer, one MDC/Roundhouse express reefer, two MDC/Roundhouse 36’ Billboard reefers, and 3 Athearn wood reefers. I just finished weathering the cars last night. I hope to seal them before football practice tonight. If I do I’ll get a few pictures posted later tonight.

 

With my Athearn kits, I drill holes and screw the metal couple clips through the frame and into the body, so the coupler height is even with NMRA specs.

Second I try to fit metal wheels into the stock trucks, for some reason the replaceemnt wheels can fit too loose in the stock truck frams, so I may swap the stock trucks out for either another set that fits better.

I keep a box of spare parts (roofwalks, doors, brakewheels, etc). I go online and try to research the prototype car or one in the same class from that railroad if there is a prototype. I use the prototype photo to atleast determine: wood or metal roofwalks; Superior, National,etc... doors; and other cosmetic thigns that I can easily change.

another thing....sometimes I even shave off the sills around the bottom of the car to better reflect a prototype.

I'm not a rivet counter, but I like to have a few things accurate.

 

Great stuff guys! Wonderful to see how you all handle the inexpensive kit-cars.

Tom, thanks so much for the photos!! I'd love to see the cars assembled, if that's possible.

Wolfgang... great looking stuff there!

Kitbash... useful info. Brakefluid? Never would have thought of that!!! Does it just work with Athern and MDC kits? Do you immerse the cars, or just brush the stuff on? Does it strip all the factory-applied color?

Pat... I thought the couplers were a little low on my kits... haven't gotten a gauge to check that yet. Just comparing to my ready-to-run stock... wasn't sure how to correct this.

This is great guys!!!


Tony

 

One trick on Athearn boxcars is to flip the floor of the boxcar over, glue the weight to the top of the floor (was the bottom) and add the ander frame then.

BTW...Athearn blue box kits are imfamous for low coupler heights.

 

MDC/Roundhouse express reefer:


Athearn express reefer:


MDC/Roundhouse 36’ wood reefer:

 

Athearn wood reefer:

 

For the 40' Boxcars, and Wood Reefers I use 36" wheels, or 33" wheels with Kadee red washers on the blosters to make the Kadee #5 couplers the correct height. On a few occasions I have used 33" wheels with Kadee #27 couplers.

 

I have been selling all my Athearn and MDC cars and replacing them all with Accurail kits. IMHO the Accurail kits make a better model for about the same price. I would still buy the other kits for items that Accurail dosn't make.

 

Lately I've really been into building Branchline Life Like P2k and Bowser kits.

A 10 dollar Branchline kit is worth the same to me as a 5 dollar Athearn kit.

I have also considered some Funaro & Camerlingo or Westerfield kits, but I feel I should get more experience under my belt before I takle those.

 

Good tips on changing the coupler heights guys. Like I said... wasn't sure about that, being a newbie to kit-cars.

Tom, those cars look fantastic!!! Nice weathering job! What do you use? Chalks? Paint? And any chance of seeing the underside of one?

 

Try going to some Tichy kits first. Great Xsistional kit from "shake the box" up to a Westerfield or F&C. Plus the Tichy kits look fabulous when done. I have built 4 of them and really like the way they look.

 

Thanks!

I used craft paints. I first went over the cars with wash made from Folk Art Licorice and blue windshield washer fluid. I put it on heavy and then wiped it off with a paper towel. Then I applied another wash of Folk Art Charcoal Gray. After that dried I airbrushed a light coat of the following colors along the bottom of the car: Folk Art Charcoal Gray, Raw Sienna, and Raw Umber. For the trucks after painting them I dry brushed them with Burnt Sienna and then Aspaltium. The cars were sealed with Dullcoat.

I will get a couple photos later tonight and post them.