Model Railroading > Albrae Models Flanger Review

Surprised about the lack of photos and information online about this! This has been a MUCH needed model by SP modelers for years! So here is a short review.

1 - Packaging. My gosh, I think you could build a sidewalk with this box! It is by far one of the best brass packaging boxes out there to date.

2 - Paint. I must say I was a little bit hesitant when I seen photos of the sample model, the paint looked a tad thick, but that is not the case on the production runs. The colors look great. The lettering could be a hair bolder, but its good enough for me. The rooftop semaphores are not painted Red/Green either, they are the same color as the carbody. An easy touch up.

3 - The body. It seems as if Albrae was going for an as-rebuilt (1971 era or so) model, and this variation follows suit. The body looks to be an entire etching, which is very nice, especially the weld lines. The one thing on the body that I dont like is the smaller side windows. They are raised just a lttle to much, but again, not terribly distracting. The only thing I see missing is the caged walkway light mounted under the roof on the rear porch. The safety bars on the sliding window is a nice touch as well.

4 - The Underside. This is one thing I am a little unhappy about, but for 98% of people it will be fine. The brake rigging is a bit simplified. There is no rendition of the handbrake rigging at all (on the SP Flangers, its kinda complicated). The frame has nice rivet detail as well. Also, the trucks are a
tad bit incorrect for the original as rebuilt version, lacking the wood blocks in place of the spring packs. I can not comment on operations, as I have yet to run it. The wheels are beautiful, semi scale renditions. It will be a shame to paint them.

Overall I would give it an A. Its a great model, and light years away from the old Lambert Wood side (Hopefully they do the wood sides as well!) model. I must say, I would have gladly paid an extra few bucks for interior/marker lighting, but not a big issue. I have many, many hours into researching these flangers, and started my own scratch built ones (which I will keep going with, as I plan full interior details), so I am a bit of a detail fiend, but for the average modeler, these models are perfect. I suggest anyone who is interested to get one before they sell out!

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More photos..

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They did a great job. Now they can tackle the spreader

I would welcome they do the spreader! But I hope they could do a better, proper job compared to the old Overland model, which is severely lacking.

I have done my share of Jordan research, as depicted here, and would be glad to help Albrae in any way if they choose to do the Spreaders one day.
http://www.trainweb.org/JordanSpreader/

Should point out that there are two versions from Albrea, one version has reinforcement posts on the Conductor or Fireman's side, as is shown in the model photos above.

Their website suggests the two lower numbers have the stiffeners, the detail doesn't seem to be obvious in the text. I do know the model of SPMW 329 did not have the stiffeners.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/14 09:11 by TCnR.

sixaxlecentury Wrote:
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> Surprised about the lack of photos and information
> online about this! This has been a MUCH needed
> model by SP modelers for years! So here is a
> short review.
>
> 1 - Packaging. My gosh, I think you could build a
> sidewalk with this box! It is by far one of the
> best brass packaging boxes out there to date.
>
> 2 - Paint. I must say I was a little bit hesitant
> when I seen photos of the sample model, the paint
> looked a tad thick, but that is not the case on
> the production runs. The colors look great. The
> lettering could be a hair bolder, but its good
> enough for me. The rooftop semaphores are not
> painted Red/Green either, they are the same color
> as the carbody. An easy touch up.
>
> 3 - The body. It seems as if Albrae was going for
> an as-rebuilt (1971 era or so) model, and this
> variation follows suit. The body looks to be an
> entire etching, which is very nice, especially the
> weld lines. The one thing on the body that I
> dont like is the smaller side windows. They are
> raised just a lttle to much, but again, not
> terribly distracting. The only thing I see
> missing is the caged walkway light mounted under
> the roof on the rear porch. The safety bars on
> the sliding window is a nice touch as well.
>
> 4 - The Underside. This is one thing I am a
> little unhappy about, but for 98% of people it
> will be fine. The brake rigging is a bit
> simplified. There is no rendition of the
> handbrake rigging at all (on the SP Flangers, its
> kinda complicated). The frame has nice rivet
> detail as well. Also, the trucks are a
> tad bit incorrect for the original as rebuilt
> version, lacking the wood blocks in place of the
> spring packs. I can not comment on operations, as
> I have yet to run it. The wheels are beautiful,
> semi scale renditions. It will be a shame to
> paint them.
>
> Overall I would give it an A. Its a great model,
> and light years away from the old Lambert Wood
> side (Hopefully they do the wood sides as well!)
> model. I must say, I would have gladly paid an
> extra few bucks for interior/marker lighting, but
> not a big issue. I have many, many hours into
> researching these flangers, and started my own
> scratch built ones (which I will keep going with,
> as I plan full interior details), so I am a bit of
> a detail fiend, but for the average modeler, these
> models are perfect. I suggest anyone who is
> interested to get one before they sell out!


Thanks for the mini review on our first project! Although not perfect (very few models ever really are), hopefully we faithfully captured ~most~ of the flanger's primary attributes. Our goal was providing modelers something never before offered in HO scale. The SP flangers Lambert imported in the 1970s represented the wood sided cars -- see photo for reference

http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/model_photos/xxxx_spmw-flanger-paul_strubeck.jpg

Albrae's four models represent the steel sided flangers after their considerable rebuilding from wood cars in 1970-71. The intention was offering Espee steel sided flangers pretty much as they appeared from the 1970s through mid-'90s.

I have been asked whether we intend to offer flangers as Union Pacific rebuilt/modified them in the 2000s. Sorry, no.

Regarding color and lettering found on one side of the rooftop indicator paddle blades... I take blame for the oversight. In one iteration of instructions to our factory they were definitely included. However, through several revisions/updates, somehow they got deleted and I didn't catch it. Hopefully not too hard for the modeler to paint the blade red or green and add the "L" and "R" as appropriate.

Someone else mentioned the versions offered. Three of the flangers feature stiffening ribs on the one side: SPMW 320, 325 and 326. Those three are Roseville, CA based flangers. SPMW 329 based at Oakridge, Oregon does not have the stiffening ribs. Attached below is a photo illustrating our model of SPMW 329 without the ribs.

I welcome modelers to visit our website

http://www.albraemodels.com/company/AMpress.htm

If anyone has questions please contact me. If you want to place an order, please do so soon by contacting your local dealer, or order directly from us. So far I received only part our shipment... more flangers are on their way! Almost half the production of 200 models is sold/reserved. When they are gone, we're sold out and not making any more!

Rob Sarberenyi
Albrae Models

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WAF Wrote:
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> They did a great job. Now they can tackle the
> spreader


Didn't Overland already do the spreaders?

FWIW, I gave serious thought to doing SP rotary snow plows in HO scale brass. However, after looking over the necessary castings for the rotary's front end and their associated costs, I'm beginning to understand why Precision Scale Models (PSC) allowed their announcement (from many years ago) to kinda die out. Not sure there's enough interest in a model with a price tag of $1000+ that doesn't do a whole lot other than sit parked on a layout looking cool.

I expect to have our next brass product announcement in time for the Southern Pacific Historical & Technical Society convention in San Luis Obispo at the end of October.

http://www.sphts.org/convention/

Rob Sarberenyi
Albrae Models

I would think see what the market asks for, either modern UPRR Donner Pass Flangers or older era SP wooden sides (with bay window of course) and make the best of the investment in the flanger frame and plows... and body if UPRR yellow. I'd be more inclined to go with a second Flanger (329 in Oakridge, 323 in Klamath Falls) than a second spreader or a Rotary purchase. After all, there were only three SP modified Spreaders.

Good point though, how much snow is going to be plowed with these guys on a Model Layout?

All the SP Snow Service equipment has been very low volume, high price and high demand. Curious to see which way this goes...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/14 09:33 by TCnR.

Rob,

I hope I was not to cynical in my little review. It is certainly a wonderful model.

I ran mine today at the club, not a single issue, a great runner for sure as well (unlike the Overland spreaders...).

One thing I did notice, atleast on mine, the lower portion of the body where the Bolsters/Steps mounted seems to be a very different shade of orange, its not visible under some lighting, but in others it is. Not a big issue, a little weathering will solve that problem.

I look forward to your next project, any chance of the Wood sided flangers? The older Lamberts would not be able to hold a candle to the offering from ALbrae.

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Not to steal the thunder from Albrae, but here is a test sample of another new product coming soon, from a new small company, details to be announced. This is just a quick photo of the sample.. (Note, this is just the basic structure, not the brackets or braces.)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/14 07:50 by sixaxlecentury.

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