On Oct 13, 2022, at 8:33 AM, Chris Barkan <cplbarkan@...> wrote:

Somehow I missed this thread and started another one related to these cars  https://realstmfc.groups.io/g/main/topic/94241082#195908  but now see that this is where the discussion of these cars is occurring.

I have a few questions for this group, first of all, are people satisfied with their fidelity to the prototype, general quality, and lettering accuracy?  Secondly, I recall some discussion about the different roof variations that Rapido was going to do.  I think the point of this was that cars from several roads had their roofs replaced, some relatively early in the cars' lives, and so there was a question about the particular paint scheme properly corresponding with the style of roof the car had.  

Rapido's website https://rapidotrains.com/ho-scale/freight-car/usra-ss-boxcar.html mentions both "Murphy or Hutchins roof as appropriate" and "KC or AB brakes as appropriate" but the descriptions for individual roads' cars don't say which they have.  I guess we can see the brake type in the photos, but I am not knowledgeable enough to be able to distinguish the roof types in the model views shown.  Which roads had which roof types?

Thanks very much for any feedback about these cars, I am looking forward to seeing them myself.
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Chris Barkan
Champaign, IL