MR&T HO buffer car

Color photo of HO scale covered hopper painted gray with black and yellow graphics. — The MR&T HO buffer car kit uses Accurail’s Pullman-Standard 4,750-cubic-foot capacity covered hopper tooling. Full-size buffer cars can be found on unit crude oil and ethanol trains. *Cody Grivno photo*

Price: $27.99

Manufacturer

Produced by Accurail, available from Kalmbach Hobby Store

Era: 2015+

Comments: A Milwaukee, Racine & Troy (MR&T) HO buffer car is the latest addition to the Kalmbach Hobby Store. The injection-molded plastic kit, produced in the United States of America by Accurail Inc., uses the manufacturer’s 6500-series Pullman-Standard 4,750-cubic-foot capacity three-bay covered hopper tooling.

The model was inspired by covered hoppers commonly found on unit ethanol and crude oil trains. On the prototype, buffer cars are placed between the locomotive(s) and tank cars and at the end of the train. The cars are loaded with inert material such as sand and pebbles.

The kit features a one-piece body with molded longitudinal running boards. The latitudinal boards and end extensions, cast as a single unit, are modeler installed. Other freestanding parts include the slope sheets, hatch cover, end cages, end braces, brake appliances, and crossover platforms.

The underbody has molded shaker brackets and several modeler-installed parts, including eight center sill sections, three outlet gates, bolster plates, and draft-gear box covers. A steel weight spans the top of the underbody. Accurail recommends using cyanoacrylate adhesive or double-sided tape to attach the weight. Do not use solvent-based adhesives.

Written, illustrated instructions printed on a double-sided sheet outlines the 16 step assembly process. Suggested tools to build the kit include a hobby knife, sprue cutters, tweezers, and a small Phillips-head screwdriver.

The model’s dimensions closely follow prototype drawings published in the December 1983 issue of Mainline Modeler. At 4.4 ounces, the covered hopper is .4 ounce too light based on National Model Railroad Association Recommended Practice 20.1. The body-mounted Accumate couplers are at the correct height. The 33” Delrin wheels are correctly gauged, but the car should ride on 36” wheelsets.

If you model the modern era and run unit ethanol or crude oil trains, you’ll want to add this limited-edition MR&T HO buffer car to your fleet. The covered hopper is offered in one road number.