A Simple Hopper Mod

[funnelfan]

Here is a recent project of mine, just need to weather it now. This is a really simple mod of the MDC FMC hopper car, I just removed a couple ribs from each side. BN had a number of these cars in the 456250-456699 range, and many have been repainted into BNSF brown. I've come to realize that the FMC car is a good starting point for a number of kitbashes of similar hoppers. I'm currently working on two more cars that are a little more involved, and different than each other. I hope to be able to post photos of them soon.

 

[RW&C]

Very cleanly done, if you don't know what's been done to it it's hard to tell it didn't come out of the box like that. Good work.

 

[funnelfan]

What was frustrating is that I just realized last night that Microscale had just released a new decal set specifically for BN hopper cars! That would have sure help, since I ended up scavenging decals from 6 different sets to make this one car! I also ordered the new SP gondola set to redo my Exactrail 40' Conrail Gondola into one of the SP rebuilt gons.

 

[sledgehammer]

kitbash...

Ted, I still think that job you did on the MILW extended sided Gondola from the Walthers kit was FAR better....but then I always was partial to MILW!!!

harley

 

[Rico]

Great job Ted, you'd never know it wasn't factory!
So why did the BN skip the ribs anyway?

 

[jbaakko]

Ted, I've got one of those ExactRail Gons too, that will need that same decal set. Do you plan to repaint, or rebuild and repaint?

 

[funnelfan]

I plan to do the rebuilt version without the name plates, like the photo below.

 

[funnelfan]

Great job Ted, you'd never know it wasn't factory!
So why did the BN skip the ribs anyway?

It was a early version of the FMC 4700 CUFT car, and they didn't use a rib at the seem between the three bays. Later cars had the ribs, like the MDC car.