Model Railroading > BNSF powered Boeing Skybox Special

Trying something a little different at the club yesterday. I ran a special BNSF powered J-train around the mainline. A "J" symbol denotes Hi/Wide Dimensional Loads, in this case, a quartet of Boeing Skyboxes. The power for the trip was a lone renumbered Intermountain ES44AC, BNSF 6003. The four freight cars are a mix of LBF, Intermountain, and Athearn RTR 60' flats, each with LBF Skybox covers affixed to them.

Mr. MRL

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Close up shot of one of the renumbered/modified IM flats...

Same images uploaded below...
http://www.pbase.com/mrmrl/bnsf_stuff

Mr. MRL

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Looks Great!

Beeyouteeful. Don't you wish somebody would do Skybox variants, and maybe a fuselage or two? === === = === JLH

Hi Robbie. How did you attach the LBF covers/tops to the flats?

Rick

rschonfelder Wrote:
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> Hi Robbie. How did you attach the LBF covers/tops
> to the flats?
>
> Rick

A thin layer of Barge Cement around the lower rim of the LBF covers was used to secure the covers to the flats.


They're very hard to find these days, but LBF at one time sold their Skybox covers separately for use with MDC/Roundhouse 60' flats. Inside the package LBF included a sprue with four flat plastic inserts that were supposed to be used to help attach the cover to a MDC flat. I simply glued the covers down with the rubbery barge cement.

Looking on Ebay, it appears Hubert's sold the ex LBF Skyboxes as RTR models for a variety of road names. So, these models are still available in one form. Concept Models also produces a limited variety of Skybox style aircraft component freight car kits. Their resin tooling leaves much to be desired, but it is still a workable starting point... http://www.con-sys.com/aircraft_parts.htm

I do wish there were more RTR variations available with tooling and detailing matching today's Genesis, Tangent, or Atlas models (for example). I guess these prototypes are just a bit too specialized for most modelers.

Mr. MRL

Very nice.

I first saw them full-size in yellow with "Boeing 747" emblazoned on the sides. Type in 'boeing skybox' to either Google or Bing search, and you get model photos but no prototype shots.

Very few hits on TO under that search as well, and none of the yellow cars, or the red cars with large Boeing lettering.

Anybody have other links to these cars on freight car photo sites?

I think they'd make a dandy project for high-quality plastic. Of course, that statement requires the liberal application of someone's else's money. :-)

~ BZ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/12 14:55 by Notch16.

BNSF 6003 leading an NS train on CN tracks in Ontario !

Brand new at Copetown, ON, July 16, 2006.

Bill Miller
Galt, ON

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Search for "Boeing Train"

Notch16 Wrote:
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> Type in 'boeing
> skybox' to either Google or Bing search, and you
> get model photos but no prototype shots.
>

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

That "crossover" is certainly unique!