New HO ExactRail Boxcar

Exactrail has announced production of the 5200 series Gunderson boxcar in HO scale. There will be 3 road #'s with an MSRP of $21.95. For those of you not familiar with ExactRail they are a relatively new company that makes highly detailed models in several different price range series. This is the lowest price catagory partially because of the lack of detail such as roofwalks, hopper hatches, etc. although that in no way diminshies their quality as they have metal wheels and Kadee couplers.
ExactRail also has a unique way of selling their cars as they will be available online the Tuesday following the Thursday announcement so these will go on sale Nov. 23rd. Some previous offerings have sold out in 10 minutes, but I seriously doubt this will be one of them. They are also sold at discount through numerous dealers scattered across the US so you may choose to pre-order that way.

http://www.exactrail.com/index.php/products/gunderson-5200-box-car-slsf.html

 

Wonder if we will see this boxcar in N scale? I have some other rolling stock in N scale by ExactRail. Very nice stuff. Comparable to Micro Trains, maybe even better than some of their cars made with older tooling. My only complaint; it isn't made in the USA.

Dale Rush
Carthage, MO

 

This is a nice looking car, but I wonder about the accuracy of this model. Did the Frisco own cars of this type? If so, is the paint and numbering scheme correct? I'm not necessarily a "rivet counter," but I'm not into absolute "foobies" either.

Would someone from the "car department," please speak up.

 

I am not in the car department but I was not able to find this car series in either Nick Molo's book or the Official Railway Equipment Register.

 

A few months ago I bought an Exactrail EXPRESS SERIES SCL 2420 gon without any research.

Bottom Line:
1. Car series was in the ORER but the gon is a 1774 not a 2420 gon (size matters)
2. No photo evidence in either SAL or ACL books (the model was a corrugated panel gon and all the photos were smooth panel gons)
3. No photo evidence in the Fallen Flag website.
4. No history of the SCL car (SP Prototype) on the Exactrail site.

My conclusion: This car did not exist. Oh well.

When I researched the SLSF Boxcar (Express Series again, I believe) I found

1. Car series is not in the ORER
2. Car series is not in Nick Molo's book
3. No photo evidence in the Fallen Flag website
4. No history of the SLSF car on the Exactrail site

My conclusion: This car did not exist. No order from Rick McClellan

I also researched the new MKT 4427 covered hopper PLATINUM SERIES car and found

1. The car series (1100-1149) is in the ORER (trough hatches)
2. Photo evidence in Nick Molo's book of the 1150-1155 series cars with round hatches. The ORER description of these cars is identical (except the hatches) to the 1100-1149 cars.
3. No photo evidence in the Fallen Flag website.
4. No history of the MKT car on the Exactrail website.

My conclusion: This car has a high probability of existing as Exactrail produced it. I ordered one.

Is my research bulletproof? No, it's just the way I like to validate cars before I put them on the layout.

Despite this long response, RULE ONE is always in force. Buy it if you like it. It's your railroad.

 

It's disappointing that Exactrail may have produced a car that did not exist as a prototype, since they market themselves as being rivet counters. To quote their website "It's from this heritage of quality and integrity that ExactRail emerges. The exacting standards established by Chris over the years are apparent in the meticulous attention to the accuracy and detail of each product ExactRail produces." The description of the car itself states "Available in BNSF, MNS and also Frisco and NP Heritage paint schemes." I'm thinking that when they say "Heritage", it means that it didn't really exist.

Rich

 

Agreed. I would welcome information/research from others. I only reported what I found or didn't find.

BTW I thought $22 was a lot to ask for a car with molded on grabs and ladders . . . . . .

 

Thanks for doing the research, Rick. That type of info puts you in the "car department" in my book. I also agree that $22.00 is kind of pricey for a car with a lower level of detailing.

I'm afraid Rich is right. "Heritage" is ExactRail code for a car that never existed.

Ken, don't feel bad. I was tempted to buy the car as well. It does look nice. ExactRail has been taken to task on other forums for their lack of not living up to their name. So, I thought it best to check on its accuracy before investing my hard earned pennies.

Thanks again to everyone for their input.

 

I am a member of the Manufacturer's Freight Car List (MFCL) Yahoo Group and they are all over this issue. Without going back through their archives, someone commented that it was established either by them or ExactRail or both that they (ExactRail) would use this series to produce some "non-prototypical paint schemes". They point out that evidently ExacdtRail has chosen the word "Heritage" while they are calling it "Foobie". They also point out that the CR and PC gons fall into the same category.

Oh Well, for their sake I hope they sell them or learn "it's not nice to try and fool Mother Nature"!

 

Guys,

Rick is correct. Gunderson car in Frisco total fantasy, what a real waste of resources when you consider all manufacturers are having a tough time getting production time in China.

Rick is also correct on the Katy 4427. Does exist, however I can't verify the fidelity of the artwork. It was very hard to get a photo of one of these cars for the book, with all the resources I had. That's why I used the photo I did in the book, since was the only low-hip 4427 I had, albeit they were five specialized cars with round hatches and gravity-pnuematic outlets. I don't know what service these cars were in, but having those hatches and outlets would lead me to believe that it's something that was sensitive to moisture, like chemicals.

Nick

 

Fantasy Frisco models, fantasy Frisco paint and lettering schemes are a time-honored tradition among model railroad manufacturers. Manufacturers have to be led kicking and screaming to produce true-to-prototype models of Frisco equipment and even then they seldom get it right...I'm done trying to furnish model manufacturers with prototype drawings, diagrams and photos. Not a day goes by here on Frisco-Dot-Org that a modeler posts a question of how a new-in-the-box model can be redetailed to be more "Frisco-like" because it wasn't done correctly in the first place.

Tom

 

I previously noted my only complaint with Exact Rail N scale rolling stock is that it is "made in China". I would now like to register a second complaint with Exact Rail; it ain't prototypical!

Thanks Rick for researching this car and pointing out the fantasy paint scheme. I assumed, incorrectly, that Exact Rail was producing cars exactly like the prototype. After all "exact" is in their name. Will watch them a little closer now.

Dale Rush
Carthage, MO

 

UPDATE

Just unboxed my new MKT 4427 hopper and it looks perfect except for the etched metal roofwalk. It is scrunched up and looks like a piece of bacon. I tried to push it in place and found that it is glued in place all scrunched up.

I have an email in to Exactrail with this issue to see how I can get this fixed or replaced. Stay tuned.

 

Smart move. I'm sure it will pay dividends later.