Rapido X-3 Tank cars
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I was fortunate to be at IRM yesterday for Rapido’s event. Bill Schneider had several early production units of the X-3 tank cars that I got a chance to actually touch. They look very nice. Between dim interior and overly bright sunshine outdoors, my pictures leave a lot to be desired, but a couple are attached to give a taste of what to expect. They have certainly made a good attempt at conical tank rivets, especially on and around the dome.
Enjoy, Steve Hile |
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WILLIAM PARDIE
Thanks Steve:
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You give us another fantastic model to look forward to. Billo Pardie
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Bill J.
Something else wonderful about Rapido! They do both “vintage” (this tank car, USRA SS box cars) and very most modern.
And they do least-expected, like the SP B-50-15 box cars and slugs. they’re becoming an income tax dependent! bill jolitz |
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Eric Hansmann
You forgot a couple other Rapido Trains releases, Bill.
One of their first steam era freight cars was the GARX 37-foot wood sheathed reefer. These reflected early 1930s prototypes.
The Northern Pacific double-sheathed box car was released. It represented prototype cars built in 1923.
They also produced the USRA double-sheathed box car.
Lastly, the Pennsy GLa hoppers were a recent production. Those represent the oldest prototypes Rapido has made in model form as many prototype GLa hoppers were built before 1910.
You could even add the Pennsy F30a flat car models as the prototypes were built in 1933-34.
That’s a decent number of freight cars following pre-WW2 prototypes. And they have the Northeastern steel caboose coming soon, too!
With all these freight cars that follow US prototypes, I wonder when one of their steam loco projects will be modified to follow a US prototype.
Eric Hansmann Murfreesboro, TN
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Bill J. via groups.io
Sent: Wednesday, October 5, 2022 9:03 AM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Rapido X-3 Tank cars
Something else wonderful about Rapido! They do both “vintage” (this tank car, USRA SS box cars) and very most modern. |
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On Wed, Oct 5, 2022 at 09:44 AM, Eric Hansmann wrote:
With all these freight cars that follow US prototypes, I wonder when one of their steam loco projects will be modified to follow a US prototype.I know this is OT but I will wish upon a star for a HO SP C-10....We live in hope of small mericals...but then to make it difficult for me, I would want it to be easily convertable to LocoFi/Wifi control. -- Ken Adams Covid Variants may come and go but I choose to still live mostly in splendid Shelter In Place solitude Location: About half way up Walnut Creek Owner PlasticFreightCarBuilders@groups.io |
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nyc3001 .
If this thread is going to be another "significant prototypes with no model" thread, I hope that more NYC prototypes like the 9'3 IH and 10'0 IH USRA box and auto cars will be produced someday as well as Common Standard hoppers. Together, these are almost 30,000 cars with no model ever produced.
I'm also hoping for tiny 3k-4k "chemical" tank cars used for acid, bromine, and other chemicals. -Phil |
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If it is going to be that, maybe you ought to change the subject? Auburn, AL
From: <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> on behalf of "nyc3001 ." <nyc3001@...>
If this thread is going to be another "significant prototypes with no model" thread, I hope that more NYC prototypes like the 9'3 IH and 10'0 IH USRA box and auto cars will be produced someday as well as Common Standard hoppers. Together,
these are almost 30,000 cars with no model ever produced. |
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nyc3001 .
no u
I'm surprised at how light the gauge of the wire used for the tank handrail is. Rapido's wire parts have been somewhat heavy in the past, so hopefully this is a sign for improved detailing in this area. -Phil |
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It looks a little undersized to me. Tank car handrails are larger diameter than grabs or air lines or brake rods. On 10/5/2022 5:35 PM, nyc3001 . wrote: no u --
Tim O'Connor Sterling, Massachusetts |
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Tony Thompson
Tim is right. Tank car handrails used 1-1/4-inch pipe, a NOMINAL size, not the actual diameter. For the actual diameter of such pipe, in HO scale the right wire size is 0.019 inches. |
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Nelson Moyer
RCW instructions for their X-3 tank cars say that the correct tank rail wire size is 0.019 in., which isn’t available commercially, so they include 0.015 in. wire. I used 0.020 in wire as a closer approximation.
Nelson Moyer
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io>
On Behalf Of Tim O'Connor
Sent: Wednesday, October 5, 2022 7:37 PM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Rapido X-3 Tank cars
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nyc3001 .
You can get the right gauge by using guitar strings.
-Phil https://www.amazon.com/12-pack-19ga-Steel-Guitar-Strings/dp/B07MVH48NH |
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Lester Breuer
As Tony stated the right size for tank car handrails is .019” diameter wire. It was available from Detail Associates and and can still be found at times on Amazon or EBay. Another source would be piano wire which came in many sizes and if my memory is correct also came in .019” diameter.
Lester Breuer |
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Pierre Oliver
Tichy sells 0.020' wire, easily available. Pierre Oliver www.elgincarshops.com www.yarmouthmodelworks.com On 10/06/22 9:44 a.m., Lester Breuer
wrote:
As Tony stated the right size for tank car handrails is .019” diameter wire. It was available from Detail Associates and and can still be found at times on Amazon or EBay. Another source would be piano wire which came in many sizes and if my memory is correct also came in .019” diameter. |
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vapeurchapelon
Paint does make it even thicker, I personally would take the smaller alternative.
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 06. Oktober 2022 um 15:46 Uhr
Von: "Pierre Oliver" <pierre.oliver@...> An: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Betreff: Re: [RealSTMFC] Rapido X-3 Tank cars Tichy sells 0.020' wire, easily available. Pierre Oliver www.elgincarshops.com www.yarmouthmodelworks.com On 10/06/22 9:44 a.m., Lester Breuer wrote:
As Tony stated the right size for tank car handrails is .019” diameter wire. It was available from Detail Associates and and can still be found at times on Amazon or EBay. Another source would be piano wire which came in many sizes and if my memory is correct also came in .019” diameter. |
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The best assortment of wire of all kinds I've seen has been at Des Plaines Hobbies. But the piano/guitar wires and stainless steel wires are far too stiff for bending handrails. For perfectly straight pieces, they're great. I still have a couple pieces left of DA .019 wire but the others are harder stuff. You can still easily buy phosphor-bronze .020 wire, which I guess is close enough. On 10/6/2022 9:44 AM, Lester Breuer wrote: As Tony stated the right size for tank car handrails is .019” diameter wire. It was available from Detail Associates and and can still be found at times on Amazon or EBay. Another source would be piano wire which came in many sizes and if my memory is correct also came in .019” diameter. --
Tim O'Connor Sterling, Massachusetts |
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Nelson Moyer
I’m not sure that paint thickness is entirely relevant. We’re not painting with latex house paint. I don’t think a coat of Tamiya Fine Light Gray Prime and a coat of Tru Color comes in at over 0.001 in., so if you use 0.020 in. wire, the final rail diameter is 0.021 or 0.002 in. too thick. If your use 0.015 in. wire, the painted thickness is 0.016 in. or 0.003 in. too thin. I’m with Pierre; I’m not going to quibble over ± 0.002 in. Besides, the 0.020 in. wire is still closer to 0.019 in. than the 0.015 in. wire.
Probably the best approach is to use the eye test, i.e. which wire diameter looks better compared to prototype photographs?
I like the look of the 0.020 in. wire. It’s harder to drill the stanchions with the larger bit required, but not all that much if you start with a #79 bit and work up to a #76.
Nelson Moyer
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io>
On Behalf Of vapeurchapelon
Sent: Thursday, October 6, 2022 8:50 AM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Rapido X-3 Tank cars
Paint does make it even thicker, I personally would take the smaller alternative.
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 06. Oktober 2022 um 15:46 Uhr Tichy sells 0.020' wire, easily available. Pierre Oliver www.elgincarshops.com www.yarmouthmodelworks.com On 10/06/22 9:44 a.m., Lester Breuer wrote:
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Scott H. Haycock
The prototype railings were painted also. Is a coat of freight car paint applied with an industrial spray rig 87 times thicker than a thin coat of model paint applied with an airbrush? I suspect this would be a wash, for our purposes.
Scott Haycock
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Fred Swanson
0.5mm is 0.019655, a little easier to get in softer wires.
Fred Swanson |
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