In 1939 and ’40, the Milwaukee Road built 3,188 of these 40-foot all-welded boxcars in its hometown shops. The horizontal ribs – similar to those of the 1938 Hiawathas – stiffened light-gauge steel side sheets, and the ribbed-side boxcars were 2,600 pounds lighter than similar-sized cars built to the Association of American Railroads (AAR) 1937 standard. Some ribbed-side boxcars served into the 1970s.
The Rib Side Cars kit consists of a one-piece molded-plastic body that includes the sides, ends, doors, floor, and underframe. The Hutchins roof is a separate part, as are the running boards (choice of wood or steel grid), ladders, brake step and running board supports, tack boards, coupler box covers, and AB brake components.
The kit also includes a steel weight, a length of steel wire for the hand brake rod, a finely molded Kadee Equipco brake wheel, E-B Products AAR-type (“Bettendorf”) plastic sprung trucks with metal wheelsets, McHenry scale-size magnetic knuckle couplers, and screws.
The painted and lettered model comes with decals for the road numbers, end reporting marks, and re-weigh dates, none of which are printed on the carbody, so modelers can have multiple cars with individual numbers. A data/instruction sheet identifies by number which cars had wood or steel running boards, although the printed-on “built” date of 1940 limits the choices. The sheet also lists numbers for the 160 cars that carried the “Route of the Electrified Olympian” train slogan.
There are no written instructions, but exploded views adequately explain the very simple construction. I used double-sided foam tape to secure the weight inside the body. After spraying the car’s flat finish with clear gloss, I applied the decals using Microscale setting solutions, then sealed the lettering with a clear flat overspray.
The completed car weighs 3¾ ounces, exactly matching the National Model Railroad Association recommend practice (RP-20.1) for an HO car of this length. The trucks have RP-25 flange contours, match the NMRA standards gauge, and roll freely. The couplers rode a little low, so I added a Kadee red (.015″) washer over each truck. That also raised the car to an exactly correct height of 15 scale feet over the running board.
The model closely matches prototype dimensions from the Official Railway Equipment Register and drawings that appeared in the June 1988 issue of Mainline Modeler magazine. It accurately reproduces the real car’s full-length ribs and door-rib spacing. The Dreadnaught ends have the correct 5-5 pattern and rounded corners, although the large end ribs appear to be too flat.
The kit includes only rudimentary underbody and brake detailing, and the B end of the car lacks the retaining valve and its pipe. The side and end grab irons are molded ridges, although it would be simple to remove and replace these because the welded prototype had so few rivets.
The L-shaped ridges representing the corner grabs on the running board laterals are the most objectionable parts of the molding, to my eye. The best way to improve the car’s appearance might be to replace the entire running board including the corner grabs. Those who wish to replace details on this model will appreciate the manufacturer’s recommendation of a matching paint, Polly Scale Oxide Red.
In spite of the detail deficiencies, which are consequences of the kit’s simplicity, the resulting model is an attractive representation of the prototype. Rib Side Cars has made a model that will stand out in a freight train or in a yard, and rightly so because of the real Milwaukee Road boxcar’s distinctive design and construction.
Price: $199.39 each
Manufacturer:
Rib Side Cars
134 North York Road
Bensenville, IL 60616
Description:
Molded plastic assembly kit
Lettering schemes
(all Milwaukee Road)
4160 undec. with decals for
pre-WWII paint schemes
4161 “Rout of the Hiawathas”
4162 “Rout of the Electrified
Olympian”
4163 billboard lettering with
large herald
4169, same as 4160 without
trucks, $16
the retail price is $19.39, not $199.39
This is in a fact a very nice car, very easy to assemble and the details are as much detailed as most of us need. I especially like the fact that these cars come with scale size couplers and sprung trucks with metal wheelsets. They run as good as they look.