Ulrich Models?

[blvdbuzzard]

I was at the LHS today looking for detail parts for my GP-35. As I was checking out the car kits. I see a box priced at $8.00. Cool it is a SP flat car. I do a quicky look in the box and grab it.

I get home and take it out of the box. This is not the type of kit I was expecting. It has cast metal frame, frame ends, detailed deck, trucks are riding on springs, sides are painted metal and it comes with what look like scale couplers.

There are a few parts missing. But over all I am pretty happy with what I picked up for $8.00. I will build this over the next week and post a few pictures. I am going to see if I can find some working couplers like Kadee's that fit.

Oh Yeah, there are (2) cars in the box not just one

Has any one put one of these together before?


Buzz.

 

[Larry]

Not for about 50 yrs.

 

[trailrider]

Not for about 50 yrs.

I didn't realize Ulrich kits were made that recently! Over on the spur leading to my open-pit coal mine sits an Ulrich drop-bottom gon. I put that together about 55 years ago! Unlike the modern-made plastic "drop-bottoms", the drop doors really work. Also put together an ore car...DM&IR.
Can't remember what I used to glue the parts together, but about the only thing we had that would really hold was...Walther's GOO! Just found the ore car, and I think it will go next to the gon.

The Ulrich kits were great. The Kaydee couplers on mine are the old type with the springs fore and aft of the little pin in the draft gear box. Still work tho.

 

[CNR Glen]

I've never put one of their rolling stock kits together but I have built one of their truck kits, those are pretty popular on Ebay.

 

[blvdbuzzard]

I figured I would use JB weld for the metal to metal joints. I remember opening the "OILED PAPER" envelops the parts came in as a kid. Now we get the cheap plastic zip bags. When I opened it, I knew it was not a new kit. Just old time packaging.

I have been looking for pictures of flat cars to see what paint I will need. These would be a lot of money if they were made today.

I think I will have fun putting these together. Couple of weeks I may stop by and see if they have more of these kits. Made a box car or 10.

Buzz.

 

[trailrider]

Another great thing about the Ulrich kits is you don't have to add weight for good tracking. And those sprung trucks are pretty neat, although I'm not sure if they track as well as modern plastic sideframe ones that have looser kingpin screws.

 

[skillman]

Trust me. The old Ulrich kits will run very well, sprung trucks and all, if a little care is taken when assembled and adjusted properly. I have a bunch of them that I operate. I also have a bunch of old unassembled kits. I can't bring myself to assemble them and ruin them as kits. Like having a vintage unopened bottle of wine or Bourbon. Once opened, the anticipation is gone.

Steve

 

[Charles Smiley]

Do the wheels have huge or small flanges and are the wheels metal too? I'd consider replacing the wheels but keep the spring trucks. They can work just fine. I replace any plastic trucks with Kadee metal trucks just to get those springs!

The old 'craftsman' kits like that were really all we had back in the 'day'. The ones that came with trucks all had real springs too. Even the plastic Athearn BB kits had sprung trucks when I was a kid. You had to put them together with tweezers. They put an extra spring or two in the little bag.

I still have a few that are put together and on my layout from Mainline Models, Ulrich, Truescale and Red Ball. Even Walthers had some terrific wood/metal kits.

 

[blvdbuzzard]

The flanges do not "LOOK" that much different then the other wheel sets I have. I will dig out my gauge and check them. I run code 100 track so should not be a problem.

Buzz.

 

[Larry]

When I bought out a Closed Hobby Show back in the early 90's there were 50 different Ulrich kits. A buddy & me took them to a Trainshow & sold them for 5 bucks a pc.