Manufacturer
Micro-Trains Line Co.
P.O. Box 1200
Talent, OR 97540
www.micro-trains.com
Era: 1947 to 1969
Comments: Laser-cut scenic accessories are now being included with some Micro-Trains freight cars. One of the first of these sets is a 42-foot New York Central stockcar with a cattle chute kit.
The chute kit is laser-cut from dark brown 0.5mm tempered hardboard, which is sturdy and rigid. The cattle chute assembled quickly, fit together perfectly, and looks great, even though it comes unpainted.
The prototype NYC no. 28028 was a convertible stockcar. As a double-deck car it was used for small livestock like sheep. With the upper floor raised it served as a single-deck car that hauled large livestock like cattle. Our sample matches the dimensions in the 1947 Official Railway Equipment Register.
The model has a lot of detail, including finely molded rivets on the side braces and a separately applied brake wheel.
The cast-metal floor helps bring the car’s weight up to .64 ounces, which is less than the National Model Railroad Association’s recommendation of .95 ounces for a car of this length. The Micro-Trains Magne-Matic couplers are truck-mounted at the correct height. The molded plastic wheelsets are in gauge, though on our sample, one wheelset was loose.
Combining a great-looking freight car and structure kit is a great idea that I hope continues.
