FWIW, I have an MDC "outside-braced" boxcar kit, which I've been thinking of detailing up as a Santa Fe Bx-13 as being the closest prototype. More generally, I had this discussion last Tuesday with Mr Ernie, of Ernie's Hobby Shop: I claimed Bowser kits "detail up nicely" (with specific reference to a PRR GS gondola, which I had in my hand at the time, and bought), because the bodies are dimensionally accurate AFAIK. I would make the same claim about Accurail kits, w/r/t their various prototypes; and that's my idea of a "mid-range" kit. To me the key criterion is dimensional accuracy of the car body. Given detail parts, dimensional styrene, wire, and decals, the rest isn't hard.

Al Brown, Melbourne, Fla.