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Peter,
Your reference to the ERTL S-scale [sort of scale anyway] so-called farm set
may clarify something for me. In the vendor room of the Chattanooga
convention, I picked up a conversion kit for AF hoppers. I have three thre-bay
shells and probably will use them despite their shortcomings as to slope of the
sheets, placement of rivets, cast-on ladders and on and on. The ladders will
go and be replaced by grabs.
Now to the point: You stated that ERTL had cast a copy of the FLYER X-29 box
car. Hmm, in addition to the IRON RAIL hopper-conversion kit, I picked up what
I thought was an AF X-29 shell in green plastic. I thought I might have a use
for it, a temptation brought on by the price of One Dollar. After arriving
home, I examined the shell more carefully and came up with a few questions:
1. The plastic did not seem to be the old AF thick plastic and had a somewhat
different texture from that charcterizing the old AF cars.
2. The rivet detail differed, too: The ridiculously-thick overlaps of the sides
were there as were the rivets, but the parallel rivets more distantly spaced
from the rivets on the overlap were far less pronounced than are those on the
old AF car.
This leads me to believe that I had an ERTL shell. Having never seen the ERTL
train items before, I still do not know for sure.
What's the big deal about all this? Well, probably nothing. Fact is though
that as great as the brass version is--and it is top of the line--I just cannot
afford one, let alone six or seven. Yes, the DPS version cometh soon but
probably that, too, will cost. I already ordered two from the Duluth show but
do not know how many more I can spring for, so that leaves the old AF shell.
Just some speculation not intended to excite the nerves of those who can buy
the really great stuff.
Tom
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