Model Railroading > BKTY ex Apalachicola Northern boxcar

Here's some before and after photos of a recently completed project that I found enjoyable to accomplish. Just a typical Athearn FMC boxcar weathered with various cheap acrylics, lots of Dullcote, lettering by Smokebox Gtraphics and graffiti from various suppliers. Thanks for looking!

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Oh no, you put graffiti on your car!!!!!  Prepare to be poo-poo'd by the purists.

Looks good.  The slightly worn herald lettering on the right-hand sides of the boxcar is a nice touch.

Jim

Very nice job, from top to bottom, and excellent application of graffati mixed in with the weathering. Thanks for sharing.

Michael
Gold Country Model Railroaders
Placerville, CA

Ha! Love the little lime green 'UP car cleaning' sticker on the sides... I've seen plenty of those in real life...

see here...
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,5325493


~ Mr. MRL

I'm afraid I can't join the crowd of enthusiasts commenting on this transformation.  The car was beautiful beforehand, but I don't see many cars in real life that look that ratty.  And practically speaking, the poster probably enjoyed the carnage, but that car won't be worth much if he ever expects to sell it.  The hobby shop I frequent does big business in used freight cars and highly weathered remain in stock when clean ones go out the door more quickly. 

BKTY 151469 was the overall inspiration for my car. There's many others in the BKTY fleet still in AN's former colors---however they're mostly Pullman Standards 5344's.....

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> but that car won't be worth much if he ever
> expects to sell it.  The hobby shop I frequent
> does big business in used freight cars and highly
> weathered remain in stock when clean ones go out
> the door more quickly. 

I'm a little lost here. What does that have to do with anything? I didn't see where the OP was offering the car for sale, but I might have missed something.

Looking good! Keep'em coming.  and yes it's the same folks who have to chime in on graffiti over and over. Well done. Bruce

Lighter Wrote:
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> > but that car won't be worth much if he ever
> > expects to sell it.  The hobby shop I frequent
> > does big business in used freight cars and
> highly
> > weathered remain in stock when clean ones go
> out
> > the door more quickly. 
>
> I'm a little lost here. What does that have to do
> with anything? I didn't see where the OP was
> offering the car for sale, but I might have missed
> something.

You're not lost.  It doesn't have anything to do with anything.

Jim

I have always wondered if these posts were read on different planets... Thank You for confirming it...
I see boxcars similar to this everyday and I often wonder how the customer feels when these show up to get loaded or unloaded. This depiction could be considered "moderate" in today's fleet of boxcars in terms of aging and vandalism.
As much as it sucks to look at, this sort of vandalism shows up on the majority of freight railroad equipment throughout the United States. Actually I think it's the exception when I run across boxcars that haven't been vandalized.
So, on Mars, it's good to know that the hoodlums who disregard private property to display their "marks" haven't got a hold of the martian railway equipment... YET. It is also good to know that brick and mortar hobby shops are a thing on the martian planet. Here on earth this type of model craftsmanship would sell in a New York minute. 

The one good thing that we still have here in America is the right to your own opinion... Even when it's so off base...

Andy 

cabman Wrote:
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> I'm afraid I can't join the crowd of enthusiasts
> commenting on this transformation.  The car was
> beautiful beforehand, but I don't see many cars in
> real life that look that ratty.  And practically
> speaking, the poster probably enjoyed the carnage,
> but that car won't be worth much if he ever
> expects to sell it.  The hobby shop I frequent
> does big business in used freight cars and highly
> weathered remain in stock when clean ones go out
> the door more quickly. 

cabman Wrote:
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> The hobby shop I frequent does big business in used
> freight cars and highly weathered remain in stock when
>  clean ones go out the door more quickly. 

That is probably because weathering is a highly subjective and personal thing to the eye.  Just as often as not, a weathering job may not look right or appeal so some modelers.

 

Great work on this!

- Jeff Carlson

I think it is great modeling - looks terrible, just like the real thing. I do not like ratty, rusty, graffiti'd boxcars, but that is about 90% of what you see any more, so great job on this modern car.

cabman Wrote:
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> The hobby shop I frequent
> does big business in used freight cars and highly
> weathered remain in stock when clean ones go out
> the door more quickly. 

All one need do is sell this kind of equipment at major train shows to sell these quickly.  I frequent shows in Timonium (north Baltimore), Maryland, and Raleigh, N.C. -- and these types of weathered cars sell out fast, in fact, they sell out tremendously fast.  ('Just a helpful hint there.)

Phenomenal job replicating a ratty, worn and abused boxcar.

Loving every one of 'em!

~ Mr. MRL

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wheel_slip Wrote:
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> ...
> I see boxcars similar to this everyday and I often
> wonder how the customer feels when these show up
> to get loaded or unloaded. ...


I work for the RR and spot tagged manifest cars all the time. Trust me, the customers do not care. As long as their car is spotted on time and/or their load(s) delieverd as expected, they're not concerned with how the outside looks.

~ Mr. MRL

MrMRL Wrote:

> I work for the RR and spot tagged manifest cars
> all the time. Trust me, the customers do not care.
> As long as their car is spotted on time and/or
> their load(s) delieverd as expected, they're not
> concerned with how the outside looks.

I'd have to agree-----in my past life as a railroad employee the customers were happy just getting any timely and reliable service!