Since the discussion has gone into alternative products to replace the
Ace bolsters, I should perhaps mention some that I'm personally aware of.
First Don Heimberger's S Scenery sold a conversion floor for the AF
house cars. I bought one. It was a styrene floor with metal centersill
and maybe the other cross members. It lacked rivet detail and probably
wasn't anymore accurate then the Ace when it came to the positioning of
the frame members. I don't have it anymore.
The Houston S Gaugers, just before my time, started to work on a boxcar
kit. A bolster, boxcar door, car end were made to support that
project. I also understand that several parts were made for a tank car
project that DMK Models was involved in.
Since were talking about bolsters, this one was T shaped and made to
contain the #5 coupler. It was pewter and had rivet detail where the
Ace didn't. I used them on my gondola conversions and the car didn't
ride high. I'd have to check but I think I needed a small washer to
bring it up to the correct height. Unfortunately the coupler pocket
area would have to be modified to fit the larger 800 series Kadee's. As
I understand it, a company called Century casting has the molds and will
run them as needed. Our club has rerun them a couple of times, but not
in many years.
Perhaps I can get out a sample of each and upload a photo. We felt all
the parts were superior to what was out there 20 years ago, but I don't
know how the nit-pickers would receive them today. They certainly were
much sharper detailed than the Huff & Puff/Stewart of today.
Bob Werre
PhotoTraxx
On 8/30/12 5:47 PM, Thomas Baker wrote:
Good question about who has the molds now? Another question is
whether modelers or dealer out there who have a stash of these
things. Surely, such persons are out there. The ACE bolsters
couldn't just suddenly disappear. By the way, I have at least one set
and perhaps another of those ungainly ACE bolsters that were made for
gondolas and flatcars. I Dremel sand all that ungainly underbody
detail off and then use the bolster intended for the hopper cars after
creating acceptable underbody detail.
Tom
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* [email protected] [[email protected]] on behalf of
[email protected] [[email protected]]
*Sent:* Thursday, August 30, 2012 5:38 PM
*To:* [email protected]
*Subject:* Re: {S-Scale List} Ace substitutes
perhaps, someone with an infinite knowledge of the ace bolsters, could
clarify a few points,
originally the ace bolster was a metal product?, then it was switched
to a urethane product?, and then finally at the end, it allegedly was
switched back to a metal product?, so who has
the molds now, and how do we contact them?
thanks
mel perry
On Aug 30, 2012, at 12:37 PM, Tom Hawley wrote:
----- Original Message -----
From: Thomas Baker
. . . . . I had no idea IRON RAILS is getting out of the business.
I had plans to purchase additional bolsters and hopper car conversion
kits.
Funny thing about the old ACE bolsters, just a few years ago, they
were plentiful. Now they're as rare as the piliated woodpecker.
> > > > > > > > > > > >
Hang on to the last one and get to know your local counterfeiter. I
have a friend who can run off copies of anything you give him in some
kind of styrene or urethane, as long as it's not too big. He said he
didn't think he could do the Ace boxcar floor, but he made for my
club the scrap metal loads we sold with the GTW gondolas when we ran
the Spring Spree.
Tom Hawley -- Lansing Mich
