In 2022, the Kalmbach Hobby Store will be offering four new HO scale freight car kits decorated for our freelanced staff layout, the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy (MR&T). The injection-molded plastic cars, made in the U.S. by Accurail, will be offered in one road number per scheme. The kits are priced at $27.99 each.
We’ve turned back the clock for two of the four releases. In response to customer requests, we’re offering a 41-foot gondola and 40-foot steel refrigerator car decorated in schemes for those modeling the steam-to-diesel transition era. Are there other cars you’d like to see us offer? Please leave your suggestions in the comments field below.
41-foot gondola January, item no. 84232
Leading off our releases is 41-foot gondola no. 7611 (era: Oct. 1943+). The model, which uses Accurail’s 3700-series tooling, is numbered in honor of Kalmbach’s second headquarters, 7611 West State Street in Wauwatosa. The sides and underbody are molded as a single piece, with center sills, crossmembers, body bolsters, and kingpins on the bottom. The kit includes two sprues of modeler-installed parts. One sprue has the car floor, car ends, draft-gear boxes, brake wheel, handbrake rod fulcrum and chain, brake platform, air reservoir, and control valve. The other contains the brake rod assembly and stirrup steps.
The kit also includes solid-bearing trucks, Delrin engineering plastic wheelsets, Accumate knuckle couplers with modeler-installed trip pins, a steel weight, and four 2-56 x 3/16” screws. Written and illustrated instructions take modelers through the seven steps needed to assemble the gondola.
40-foot reefer March, item no. 84233
Up next is 40-foot hinged-door steel refrigerator car no. 1568 (era: July 1949+), which uses Accurail’s 8300-series tooling. The road number on this car salutes Kalmbach’s third location, 1568 West Pierce Street in Milwaukee.
The kit has a one-piece roof and core. Applique sides, a running board casting, and four ice hatches are applied at the factory. The car ends, brake wheel, brake rod fulcrum and chain, and brake platform, all installed by the modeler, are on a separate sprue.
The car has a one-piece plastic underbody with molded floor boards, center sills, cross members, body bolsters, kingpins, and draft-gear boxes. The air reservoir, control valve, brake rod assembly, stirrup steps, and draft-gear box covers are contained on sprues molded in the same color as the underbody. An unpainted steel weight, concealed inside the car, fits on top of the underbody.
The refrigerator car rides on solid-bearing trucks with Delrin engineering plastic wheelsets. Accumate couplers with modeler-installed trip pins; four 2-56 x 3/16” screws; and written, illustrated instructions are also included.
Two-bay covered hopper May, item no. 84234
The third release is American Car & Foundry 2,970-cubic-foot capacity two-bay Center Flow covered hopper no. 73048 (era: early 1990s+). The kit is based on Accurail’s new 2200-series tooling.
The covered hopper has a one-piece body and two sprues of detail parts. One sprue holds the underbody, stirrup steps, and two-piece outlet gates. The other has the slope sheets, draft-gear boxes, round hatch covers, air reservoir, control valve, crossover platforms, brake wheel, and brake rod/chain. The kit doesn’t include a brake cylinder, as those were located in the trucks on the full-size 2970s.
Completing the kit are roller-bearing trucks, Delrin engineering plastic wheelsets, Accumate knuckle couplers with modeler-installed trip pins, four 2-56 x 3/16” screws, and a steel weight. Written, illustrated instructions guide modelers through the 14 steps to assemble the kit.
ACF 50’-6” boxcar with exterior posts July, item no. 84235
We conclude the 2022 series of custom-decorated Accurail kits with American Car & Foundry 50’-6” boxcar no. 55273 (era: Dec. 1987+). The boxcar is painted blue with white doors and stenciled “Paper Loading Only. When Empty Return To Agent WSOR Troy, Wis.”
The model uses Accurail’s 5600-series tooling. The car has a plastic body with a factory-installed brake wheel and has molded ladders, crossover platforms, and stirrup steps. Modeler-installed doors (two each 10-foot plug and Youngstown) are included.
A separate underbody features molded floor boards, center sills, crossmembers, body bolsters, kingpins, and draft-gear boxes. The air reservoir, brake cylinder, control valve, and draft-gear box covers are included on a separate sprue.
The roller-bearing trucks, Delrin engineering plastic wheelsets, Accumate couplers, modeler-installed trip pins, and four 2-56 x 3/16” screws are contained in a plastic bag. An unpainted steel weight, which is mounted to the top of the underbody, is also included. Illustrated instructions show how the car is assembled.
Act fast!
All of the MR&T Accurail HO scale kits are available in limited quantities. To avoid missing out on these one-time releases, we encourage placing pre-orders, which are open now on the Kalmbach Hobby Store website.
We’ll also have some surprise MR&T announcements coming this fall. Make sure you’re signed up for our e-mail list and check the Kalmbach Hobby Store website site frequently to learn about these exciting models.
MR&T flatcar with trailer (I know it’s an older release, but the Trewsville Southern would place an order for one)
a tanker car would be nice.