Hello group,

Can anyone comment as to the accuracy of the new Funaro and Camerlengo X28A?

Thanks in advance.

Rob Daniels
New York, NY

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Rob Daniels asked:
"Can anyone comment as to the accuracy of the new Funaro and
Camerlengo X28A?"

I've uploaded a side-by-side comparison titled "Funaro & Camerlengo
PRR Class X28A Boxcar.pdf" in the STMFC Files section:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/STMFC/files

The prototype photo is a detail from the April 2002 "Shot of the
Month" from the Steam Era Freight Cars website:
http://www.steamfreightcars.com/gallery/shot%20of%
20mo/shotofmoapr02.html

(If the side by side offends anyone else, I'll pull it from the files
section.)

The most noticable flaw is highlighed on the slide - aside from its
greater height, the spotting feature distinguishing the X28A from the
X29 is a narrow panel, second to the left of the door. This is a
vestige of the cars' previous life as atuomobile boxcars. The Funaro
model lacks this detail. I haven't built this kit yet; looking in the
box, the other thing I'd do is replace the kit ladders with Red
Caboose X29 ladders.

That being said, the Funaro model is the best readily available HO
scale option available today. This model saves you the trouble of
kitbashing the X28A by splicing together two Red Caboose X29 kits for
the added height (which will also share the same side sheathing
discrepancy as the Funaro model). Sunshine 26.14 and 26.15 are highly
accurate kits of the X28A, but they are no longer in production.
Overland did a run of brass models some time back.

More prototype information can be found in my article in the June 2005
TKM (for which I did obtain permission to reproduce the photos in the
article):
http://www.prrths.com/Keystone%20Modeler/Keystone_Modeler.htm

Download it now as it'll be dropped from the website as soon as the
June 2006 issue hits the streets!


Ben Hom

Thanks Ben for the further references....

A question - Aren't there two other obvious problems - or is it the angle of the photos that's throwing me off? Ie. the height of the doors - they seem short; and the upper door track is not at the top of the car side? Is this correct, as it doesn't match the photos I have? I'm hoping the door and track are add on parts....

Rob Kirkham

Rob Kirkham asked:
"Aren't there two other obvious problems - or is it the angle of the
photos that's throwing me off? I.e. the height of the doors - they
seem short; and the upper door track is not at the top of the car
side? Is this correct, as it doesn't match the photos I have? I'm
hoping the door and track are add on parts...."

I agree. The two John C. LaRue collection photos in my TKM article
clearly shows the upper door track up against the rivet strip along
the top of the sides. There shouldn't be a gap.

The door is a separate part; unfortunately, the track is not, so
we'll have to deal with a scar if it's removed. The good news is
that in a happy coincidence, Al Westerfield has tooled doors that
will work in his #3356 and #3357 modernized PRR Class X26 kits. The
two rebuilding programs happened concurrently; 1/2 doors salvaged
from the X28 automobile cars were recycled by welding them together
to cover 6 ft door openings, and were used on both X26 and X28A.
The oft-republished R. L. Pitts photo of PRR 123456 shows a
variation of this with a riveted splice plate.

Still, I guess it still beats hacking apart two Red Caboose kits or
paying $75+ for a Sunshine kit.


Ben Hom

Ben Hom writes:

Still, I guess it still beats hacking apart two Red Caboose kits or
paying $75+ for a Sunshine kit.

Thanks for confirming my fears Ben.

I agree re: the Red Caboose kits. Since the RC car won't give one the correct panel spacing either, this isn't an option unless price is no issue and you go for the Sunshine kit. Personally, I am thinking about removing panels from the F&C kit and trying to insert my own. Won't know if that has any hope of looking good until I have a kit in hand.

As to the Westerfield doors - that is really great news. Thanks for passing along that info! I want the Creco style spliced door for my model of PRR123353 in 1946.

Rob Kirkham