Brass Boxcars: protocraft vs PSC and Pac Ltd

Both PSC and Pacific Limited import excellent brass 2-rail products. Protocraft does excellent work too - a lot of their stuff is made here - especially their wheel sets and misc. parts. Pacific Limited might have a slight edge over the others but in really its all about who the 3 importers contract to do their brass work overseas which can greatly effect the results.

 

PSC imports both rolling stock and engines while Protocraft and Pacific Limited usually import primarily brass rolling stock. In the past both PSC and Pacific Limited have used several different overseas manufacturers for their brass products so I can be a roll of the dice as to detail and overall finish based on the manufactures ability and price.

 

In the final analysis they're all generally good most of the time but each has had their share of dudes over the years - especially PSC. In truth, everything requires a bit of tweeking regardless of the importer and or manufacturer.

 

Anyway, just my opinion..........

Thank you---I am fond of Protocrafts AAR boxcars.

If I were going to add to my collection, it would be well preserved Max Gray and USH.  My lone PSC box car stays on the shelf, and will surely be the first to go when I cut back a bit.  Opinion, of course.

Ed,

 

I appreciate your remarks---always valued!    I favor Yoder's hopper over a PSC model and Keytone's--don't have a Pac LTD hopper to compare with...

 

I am fond of Pac Ltd box cars---only a couple to view; protocraft seems to have a very nice model too IMO.     Good advice on the flats--thanks again!

I have a few of each

 

How about some pictures?

 

In truth, everything requires a bit of tweeking regardless of the importer and or manufacturer.

 

Does that represent your experience too?

Ted Are you asking me!? I am not qualified to define characteristics of these cars. Both if mine are NYC models. I can post images tomm

PSC cars are not as accurate as either Pacific Limited and Protocraft.   All of the Protocraft cars are based on actual drawings supplied from Ed Hawkins and others.  They represent the modified 1937 AAR designs.   The modified cars are with interior heights greater than the nominal 10' interior height of the 1937 design (Atlas/Intermountain) The Protocraft cars are 10'6" inside height.  The cars are configured with the proper door, roof and other details to depict a specific lot or build of cars for a railroad.   The cars were built by Boo Rim who is the premier builder in Korea.  They also come with ball bearings on the truck axles so the roll with ease. 

 

Pacific Limited only produced one series of steel sheathed boxcars and that was the 1932 ARA design.  These cars had an interior height of 9'4" and and narrower than the later AAR design.  Pat O'Boyle attempted to cover most of the variations for individual roads including the one-off UP car.  The cars were accurate. 

 

Gene D

 

Larry I too would love to see a listing of psc boxcars.

Gene,

Any idea on how many pieces Pacific Ltd produced?

 

Thanks,

Brad

Great topic!

 

As all have said, the PSC cars, being older imports, are not up to the "carbuilding technology" of the PL and Protocraft cars.   

 

What is fun is the prototype modeling and research that the cars stimulate.  Even the most "accurate" of the cars may only be accurate for one of the particular group of prototype cars.   Railroads often switched door hardware, brake gear and other equipment.  That makes it fun to match prototype photos to models to find exactly the car to model. 

 

A good example of this is the Pacific Limited 1932 ARA "test car".  While the box is labeled PL3800 C&O/NYC/PRR, a photo check against Culotta's The American Railway Association Standard Box Car of 1932 shows that the PL models door hardware, hand brake wheel, and standard AB brake reservoir doesn't exactly match any of the 5 as-built ARA "1932" test cars pictured.

 

As for the "everything requires tweaking" comment this is true depending on the level of perfection desired.  My Pacific Limited Seaboard 1932 cars have an extremely poor rendition of the Pullman-Standard two-piece flat plate end and my Protocraft UP 1937 modified car lacks the welded underframe of the UP car.   While the welded underframe concern with the Protocraft cars is admittedly trivial and NBD, the incorrectly done "X29 style" ends of the PL Seaboard 1932 cars is a show stopper. 

 

To Pat's defense, PL cars are unusually well researched and accurate so I suspect that both of the issues in the 1932 ARA cars were likely due to shortcuts taken by the builder in Korea and an early warning of financial screw-ing Pat was to get by them.

 

With that said, there are some PSC cars such as the 10-hatch ACF covered hopper that may be older imports but they fill a need for cars not available elsewhere.

 

 

 

Anyone else excited to see rich Yoders atsf box cars....!? I appreciate all the comments and hope we can keep the discussion alive as there are a few unanswered questions

Hello guys and gals......

 

What about the Williaims brass locomotives and freight cars ? Any opinions on them ?

 

the woman who loves S.F.#5011

Tiffany 

Tiffany I have a beautiful Williams brass PRR caboose It's available.... I do not believe they are correct prototypes though

Most Williams I see is 3 rail, so would need to be converted (assuming that as we are on the 2 rail forum). Not nearly the detail as most of the stuff being discussed here, but also way less costly. If you can live with that, nothing wrong with it! It's all in what you like and how detail/prototype oriented you are. Not sure you will see much brass from the new ownership. Sort of comparing apples and oranges here!

 

Simon