Hi, do any of you guys have the accurail kits? I'm looking at some Accurail 40' box car kits like the 3100 series. Have a few questions: 1. Are they pre-painted and decaled? 2. Do they come with metal wheel sets like their RTR's? 3. Do the come with accumate couplers like their RTR's? Thanks, eric
All accurail kits come with the decals and other lettering already printed. (unless you specifically order the ones without them) Plastic wheels come in the kit with 2-piece accumate couplers that you have to assemble (if you call it that, it's really easy). I love all of mjy accurail cars, although I reccomend putting screws in place of the plastic "pins" used to attach the truck sideframes to the car.
Accurail Accurail makes excellent cars. I have several. As stated replace the pins with screws for mounting trucks and couplers. On some of the cars the coupler box cover is held by a pin cast as part of the cover. Carefully trim off the pin and drill a hole in the place of it. Drill and tap the hole for the pin for a 2-56X3/16 screw and attach the cover that way. I wouldn't use glue to attach the coupler box cover as that will make repair/maintenance of the coupler difficult. I would replace the Accu-mate coupler with Kadee 5, 58 or the new whisker coupler. I also replace the trucks with Kadee trucks correct for the car. In the case of the cars you are planning use Kadee 500 Bettendorf trucks.
Accurail makes nice "Athearn style" shake in the box kits. Just keep in mind that more often than not, they are anything but accurate. That may or may not matter to some people but just a heads up. The brand name is disingenuous. That said, I do like Accurail kits and own some of them. The CF4600 covered hopper is the only one of that type available in plastic and asside from the molded on roof walks which take a hammer and chisle to replace, they are nice looking cars. The 89' flat cars and auto racks are also nice and in some cases accurate copies of the real thing, in others cases they are only generically correct.
