Help Identify Manufacture

[Dakota train]

I picked this box car up at a toy show. It was already built, only identafication on it is on the draft box. It says AFR USA. Also the trucks on it are put together trucks and are really sloppy. Will not stay on the track. They are just held in with a push in stud. Want to change them out. Is there any that will fit ? Thanks Terrell

 

[jflessne]

To me it appears to be a Accurail kit. http://www.accurail.com/accurail/

I recently purchased some Kadee Trucks for one of my cars. I think their a little expensive but their good quality. As some one suggested to me I plugged that hole with a styrene rod and tapped it with a screw to hold the new truck in place.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I don't remember if Accurail uses a plug to hold the trucks on or not. Con Cor does use a plug to hold the trucks on and the plugs tend to fall out. Take the trucks off, and glue the plug in the hole. If the plug is made of delrin, you will need to get some styrene rod instead. Once the glue has dried, cut the plug off flush, drill it with a #50 drill bit, and tap it for a #2-56 screw. Then you can mount the trucks with screws. Mount one truck tight enough that it will swivel freely, but not rock, mount the other truck to rock slightly.

 

[trainnut65]

You know i think Accurail does put the pins in there trucks. The best i can remember.

 

[santafewillie]

That picture of the underside looks like an Accurail. Most Accurail cars have the pin. Some newer ones use screws. I have replaced the pins sucessfully with a screw without the gluing, cutting and tapping. I'm not exactly sure of the screw size but I believe they are 2-56's

 

[Nomad]

That is exactly the way accu-rail mounts there trucks. I have four cars that were put together that way.
Loren

 

[cnw1961]

I don’t know what it is, but I don’t think it is an Accurail car. It’s right, most Accurail cars have pins to hold the trucks, but all the Accurails I have, have the pins in the trucks (just as already stated by trainnut65). The axles of the wheelsets on your car seem to be made of metal, the axles of my Accurail cars are made of brown plastic. On all the Accurail cars I know, the ladders are molded in place and on your car they are applied separately.

 

[Dakota train]

This box car was a kit and does have metal axles and the pin is separate from the truck. I realized on my first post that the draft box cover says FRP USA not AFR USA, need to go back to 1st grade a learn to read.

 

[Jim Krause]

I'll go with Accurail. They do use a plastic push in pin to hold the trucks on.

 

[cnw1961]

To make it easier for you to compare, here are two pictures of a truck and a pin of one of my Accurail cars.

View attachment 32796

View attachment 32797

And to stress this point, I only know of Accurail cars where the ladders are molded on. But maybe we find someone who knows more about it .

View attachment 32798

 

[MasonJar]

Dakota -

Any chance of some better photo(s)?

I'm split between Accurail and Athearn. Either may have been modified too, especially if picked up at a sale table.

Andrew

 

[Dakota train]

Better photos

Heres some better photos, learning how to use the digital camera for close up shots.

 

[MasonJar]

I found an auction site that has "7 Boswer, 1 FRP USA" freight cars for sale...

and this Atlas forum thread refers to Front Range Products as being out of business sometime in the late 80s or early 90s.

Anyway, as is the case with most rolling stock, you have the option of reusing the current trucks and wheels, but putting a screw in place of the pin, or replacing the wheel sets and/or the whole truck. Proto2000 are my favourite replacements, but there are many other choices.

Andrew

 

[Jim Krause]

On closer inspection of some of my Accurail cars, they don't have the lettering on the coupler pocket covers. Also the underframes are all one color an not built as your photo shows.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

I never built a Front Range Kit before they went out of business, but the initials as well as the separate grabs and ladders instead of being cast on leads me to believe you have an old Front Range Kit. Concor and Accurail both have cast on details. It would not be an Athearn, they use screws to mount the trucks and a metal spring to hold the couplers on.