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Got ahold of one of the new 3854 Operating Merchandise Cars yesterday, via preorder from the Train Station in Mountain Lakes, NJ.

 

What a neat car!  A press of the button on an operating track section (you need to hold the button down the whole time) causes the side door to open, four packages to come tumbling out, and the door to snap closed.

 

The whole body of the car is metal -- it feels like die-cast -- and the trapdoor on top is metal as well.  The PRR brown is nicely done.  Even has little separate latches on the doors that don't operate, but do move.

 

Well worth $55 for an operating car!

 

It does not come with a tray, so you will need to find a way to catch the packages on your layout yourself.

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Originally Posted by FlaglerSystem:

Got ahold of one of the new 3854 Operating Merchandise Cars yesterday, via preorder from the Train Station in Mountain Lakes, NJ.

 

What a neat car!  A press of the button on an operating track section (you need to hold the button down the whole time) causes the side door to open, four packages to come tumbling out, and the door to snap closed.

 

The whole body of the car is metal -- it feels like die-cast -- and the trapdoor on top is metal as well.  The PRR brown is nicely done.  Even has little separate latches on the doors that don't operate, but do move.

 

Well worth $55 for an operating car!

 

It does not come with a tray, so you will need to find a way to catch the packages on your layout yourself.

The tray was in the CC Berkshire Freight set. Also ERR makes a board that can be installed allowing you to unload the cartons anywhere on your layout with the CAB1/Legacy Remote

Actually, the milk car kit is the high current version for high current coils.  You don't need that for this application.  Also, the roller pickup is for the old PW trucks, do these cars have modern trucks or would the roller work on them?  In any case, it's cheaper to buy the ACC version and the roller pickup.  I also equip any car I do with dual pickups for higher reliability.

Originally Posted by artyoung:

I'm pretty sure that the doors on mine are plastic too.

I initially thought the doors on my separate sale car were plastic but when a few folks insisted they were metal I tried this test. Hold the car on end and let the non operating door fall under gravity. You can feel the weight of the door is heavier than a plastic door.

 

Pete

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