On behalf of Jeff Briggs I am pleased to announce his release of a new freight car kit in N Scale. The prototype is the National Steel Car 70-Ton outside post double door boxcar produced for the British Columbia Railway and Northern Alberta Railways in 1979. The BCR cars were series BCIT 841699-842099 (600 cars) received in March 1979 and leased for international lumber service between Canada and the United States. They were transferred to CN custody in July 2004. The NAR cars were series 050101-050170 (70 cars) received in May 1979 and also leased for international lumber service. They were transferred to CN ownership in 1981. The kit includes resin parts for the body, roof, end tack boards and end brake stand. The etched metal fret includes the brake wheel and chain, underframe brake rig, end platforms, sill steps, end and side ladders. Styrene pieces for interior braces, steel nuts for weight, and 2-56 screws for mounting the trucks are also included. Not included are trucks, couplers, and side placards. The kit is engineered for easy installation of Micro-Trains Barber roller bearing trucks and #1015 couplers. Highball Graphics offers a decal set for the NAR cars and I am working with him to generate a BCIT set. Here is what you get: Assembly of the kit begins with minor cleanup of the resin parts and de-spruing of the etched metal parts. Pre-drills for the etched parts are then drilled out with a #80 drill and the etched parts are installed with CA adhesive. The side ladders mount onto brackets which must be bent at each end prior to installation. Holes for the trucks and couplers are drilled out with #50 and #62 drills and tapped for 2-56 and 00-90 screws respectively. Interior braces and weights are affixed inside the car. Assembly goes quickly and several cars could be built during two or three evenings. Here are photographs illustrating the interior and underside: Tim
Here are photographs illustrating cars assembled for British Columbia Railways and Northern Alberta Railways: This model will be an important home fleet addition for those modelling the British Columbia Railway or Northern Alberta Railways, and would make an interesting foreign car on any other Canadian or U.S. layout. The kit retails for $30.00 CAD and will be available from Central Hobbies ( www.central-hobbies.com ) and other distributors. As those are confirmed I will announce them. Production of the 100 kits is complete and shipping now. They will be available at the P.G. E. 100 Convention in July. Regards, Tim
