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 Posted - April 18 2007 : 11:04:06 AM
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I'm planning on doing a look at the various 40' Plug Door Hi-Cube Box Cars for the May 2007 HO-Scale Trains EXTRA.
I have the Athearn (old BB and new RTR), Bachmann, Lionel-HO, and TYCO.
Have a question regarding the TYCO 40' Hi-Cube Box Car...they always used examples in the Freight Car sections of catalogs that showed open-step models...they appear to simply be Athearn cars.
Has anyone got a legit TYCO 40' Hi-Cube Box that features open-steps? I have all three roadnames issued(UP, ICG, Soo) and the Baby Ruth Chug-Chug and none have open steps. Anybody got one???
Also, am looking for anybody with the AHM 40' Hi-Cube Box Car. I know AHM had red-CB&Q and yellow-Chessie examples...anybody know of others offered by AHM and does anybody have an example they could provide pics of???
Thanks
Tony Cook
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 Posted - April 18 2007 : 11:23:16 AM
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I have all the proto examples, plus a Baby Ruth chugger, and a Purina chugger on the way... they all have filled steps. I also compared multiple examples found at the Louisville show in January - they all had filled steps as well.
Got some Kader high-cubes too, but no Athearn or AHM. Looking forward to your EXTRA. Ironically, the high-cubes were going to be my next chapter in the boxcar saga (transitioning from Proto roadnames, into the realm of products and fantasy...)
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obtrey
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Posted - April 18 2007 : 11:38:13 PM
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Tony,
Well that was an interesting experience. After reading your request I went and looked. I found 2 Baby Ruth chuggers in the same box, must have been my attempt at saving some space as it is just big enough to hold 2 in their styrofoam molds. The box shows open steps and I thought well here's just what he asked for. Not gonna happen both cars have closed steps and the U.P. & I.C.G. both have closed steps I haven't found the SOO yet.
BTW the 2 hooker cars I have both have metal rails and are the earlier version but in a brown box.
Bob
In Malfunction Junction:
When all else fails get a bigger hammer.
Edited by - obtrey on April 19 2007 12:41:42 PM
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Posted - April 19 2007 : 10:53:00 AM
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Well, ask and ye shall receive I guess...
Noticed a Soo Line example on eBay yesterday with what appears to be open steps and it is a TYCO Hi-Cube. I think it is legit...if you've ever attempted to open those steps up...it ain't pretty and ain't too easy to do.
Check the updated 40ft Hi-Cube Box Car page for new photos...
http://tycotrain.tripod.com/freightcars/id9.html
The pics of the ICG, Soo Line, and UP with filled in steps are from my collection. The open step Soo Line is the one currently offered on eBay.
Tony Cook
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Posted - April 19 2007 : 11:30:31 AM
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Yeah... if you were going to open the steps, about the best way to do it would be to drill a small pilot hole, then enlarge it gradually with increasing bit sizes. Then use an exacto to square out the corners... but still a lot of work for no great gain. And you'd still probably break them off in the process anyway.
So, I have used a black Sharpie to color them in, myself. Takes just seconds to do and the effect is reasonably convincing in most settings... on a layout at least.
That ebay listing is the first open step version I've seen.
What's most curious about those, is the car itself was introduced long after Tyco had gone filled on their other boxcars. So it's surprising they were ever offered open at all. The open versions must be fairly uncommon.
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 Posted - April 19 2007 : 3:16:26 PM
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I hadn't noticed this before until I was updating the TYCO Hi-Cube page, but take a look at the prototype...aka Athearn...examples TYCO used for catalog images...
Again, I think they are likely all Athearn examples with the ICG and Soo being decorated to match what TYCO was to make.
But look again and see if you spot an attempt by TYCO to make one of them look more TYCO and less Athearn in the car's design. I hadn't noticed it before, but it's rather funny when you realize what they were doing possibly.
[;)]
Tony Cook
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Posted - April 20 2007 : 03:53:13 AM
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TYCO`s early run of the high-cube box cars were made with the open steps and later with the filled in steps. They do exist but are not as common as the later version. I have the ICG version of this car with open steps and after inspection ,the steps are very frail just like the 50 footers were.
A lone amature built the ark! A large group of professionals built the titanic!
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Posted - April 20 2007 : 11:44:38 AM
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quote:TYCO`s early run of the high-cube box cars were made with the open steps and later with the filled in steps. They do exist but are not as common as the later version. I have the ICG version of this car with open steps and after inspection ,the steps are very frail just like the 50 footers were.
Originally posted by ILUVBUDWSRÂ -Â April 20 2007Â :Â 03:53:13 AM
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Do the paint jobs match on the TYCO Hi-Cubes between open-step and filled-in-step examples? The Soo Line, I've now seen...but the UP TYCO shows appears to the Athearn paint and TYCO did its bloated-UP-shield on its Hi-Cube...is that the same on the open-step model? Same question on the ICG...is its paint the same between open and filled-in step models?
Thanks
Tony Cook
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obtrey
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Posted - April 20 2007 : 6:16:05 PM
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What was it Gomer Pyle used to say? SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE.
I got to some other boxes and found my SOO and the other U.P. have open steps and the inside of the steps are the same color as the car.
They are original as far as I know. I bought them and never even knew about the steps. So it appears some are open and some are enclosed, I guess it all depends on when you bought them. Early run or later runs.
Bob
In Malfunction Junction:
When all else fails get a bigger hammer.
Edited by - obtrey on April 20 2007 6:17:59 PM
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Posted - April 20 2007 : 6:37:43 PM
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The graphics are the same on the early ICG as the later versions and also carry the same road number. However , after looking at the example on your site with the filled in steps and my earlier version the paint is not the same. My version has actually been painted and the later version on your site looks like it was molded in orange ( I can only assume this from its glossy appearence and its transluciant look). Also , the steps are painted and molded onto the car.
A lone amature built the ark! A large group of professionals built the titanic!
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obtrey
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Posted - April 20 2007 : 7:17:48 PM
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Lost my older but gooder cropping program when I switched to Vista but here's my attempt to reduce that SOO & U.P. to a more manageable size.
Bob
In Malfunction Junction:
When all else fails get a bigger hammer.
Edited by - obtrey on April 20 2007 7:23:35 PM
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Posted - April 21 2007 : 11:35:17 AM
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Thanks for the info and pics regarding the variations on the TYCO 40ft. Hi-Cubes...will get the Resource updated soon.
[;)]
Tony Cook
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obtrey
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Posted - April 21 2007 : 11:44:35 AM
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Tony,
If you need a pic of the Baby Ruth chugger box showing open steps I think I can manage that. Again the cars in the box both have closed steps. I don't know if it matters or not but I came across the SOO's big brother and the steps are open on that one also. The opening is smaller but the steps are open.
Bob
In Malfunction Junction:
When all else fails get a bigger hammer.
Edited by - obtrey on April 24 2007 9:47:38 PM
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Posted - April 24 2007 : 10:02:56 PM
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| What are the box inserts made of on those open-step versions? Are they the molded foam like the filled-step versions, or the folded cardboard from earlier cars?
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obtrey
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Posted - April 25 2007 : 08:24:10 AM
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All the Baby Hi Cubes I have are in styrofoam inserts. Both Baby Ruth chuggers, , both U.P.'s , the SOO, and the I.C.G.
I went through some other boxes today and the only other non-Tyco Hi Cubes I came across is an Athern 86' 8 door. This thing is huge. It was given to me by my brother-in-law long ago and is in not in that good a condition. For some reason I thought I had a couple Lionel's guess not or they are well hidden.
Bob
In Malfunction Junction:
When all else fails get a bigger hammer.
Edited by - obtrey on April 25 2007 11:39:07 AM
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