N Scale Top Gons!

[ssw9662]

http://www.hubertsrr.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=Top+Gon

Hopefully this will spell the end of me using ordinary Bethgons as stand-ins. 

[scooter3798]

While I will agree that this is good news I would still be leary of what the final product will look like. Based on the current line of products that Hubert offers I wouldn't expect these cars to be the greatest at all. Also if the N scale stuff is anything like the HO stuff it will need some serious inspection and most likely reworking to get them to run right. Other than that if the cars are done right and run somewhat reliably I know that there are a lot of people out there that will be buying an awful lot of these cars, even at 20 bucks a pop.

Scooter

[Michael Knight]

Those don't even look like Top Gons.

[ssw9662]

Those don't even look like Top Gons.

Wow, I didn't even see the shots of those cars until now.

It looks like they just took a Bethgon and called it a Top Gon.  :

[Michael Knight]

It looks like they just took a Bethgon and called it a Top Gon.  :

Yes, without the Top Gon logo too. ;D

[scooter3798]

Those don't even look like Top Gons.

It looks like they just took a Bethgon and called it a Top Gon.  :

I thought the exact same thing when ever I looked at the page, however I don't think that is the actual model, I think what they did was to use one of the Bethgon pictures as a filler. My guess would be that the actual model isn't yet complete and they were just giving a general idea of what it is going to look like. This is the same sort of thing that Walthers does, only they just use a rectangle with some color and a logo thrown on it.

Scooter

[Michael Knight]

Everyone had better hope that's not really what they look like. ;D

[darkhorse2]

spoke to them at the timonium md showlast weekend,and they said the molds were just finished,and all of their stuff now comes weighted to nmra specs with atlas wheels and kd #5,s. i purchased a 6 pack of ttx tbox cars for 120.00. ,but topgons will break the bank for me i,m sure

[scooter3798]

darkhorse2, did you get the HO or N scale cars? I was just wondering because myself and a friend of mine split a six pack of Hubert's HO 65' gondolas, and I have to say that I was less than pleased with them. Having dropped close to 20 bucks on each of the cars I was really let down with the quality, especially when compared to what Atlas offers for the same price or less. Of the six cars that we got, not one had the correct coupler height on either end of the car, as a matter of fact most were off by almost a 1/16" or more, one car wouldn't even touch the height gauge as the coupler was a full head above where it should be. Also a number of them did not sit right on their trucks and would bottom out because of their 36" wheels. However the worst part was that two of the cars were actually twisted. When I sat them upside down this was really noticable as only two corners of the car would touch the table. While most of these problems were easily fixed, they shouldn't have to be when spending $20 or more on a car, even the old Athearn blue boxes you paid 4 or 5 bucks for were better than these. As for the advertising that the cars come with Atlas trucks and Kadee couplers, well they do, but this is just a wolf in sheep's clothing, the cars that Hubert is selling our the old E&C Shops cars, or in some cases the old Front Range cars, that were not designed to accept Atlas trucks, and they did nothing to modify them to accept them. Therefore most of them do not sit right on the trucks, some lean and they also will bottom out since some of the cars that were designed back in the day to accept the then model rr industry standard 33" wheels now have 36" ones under them, this just doesn't work. Instead of fixing this they just slapped the new trucks on and repacked the cars in a fancy new box that people go ga ga over, and then hope that nobody knows any better as to where the cars actually came from. Sorry about the rant here but I just wanted to get that out and make those interested in these products of what to expect from them, not much. I would hope that they would have gotten their act together with the new NS cars that they are doing, but my words of advice would be to just by one first and see how it is before ordering 50 of these cars just to find out that they look nice but run like crap. Okay I'm done.

Scooter

[darkhorse2]

i purchased ho scale cars,and they told me they were ex-lbf cars . i agree with all you have said,but these guys seemed sincere in trying to make a name for themselves. with the progression for frontrange to mckean to e&c to lbf ..now hubert some of these molds are getting pretty old. just compare the door detail of any walthers 50'hi-cube paper car with any lbf and lbf loses every time . lbf 's big claim to fame seemed to be a willingness to run cars with different numbers,which really helps those who run unit trains. i hope they get it right with the topgons.

[Norm]

Found this update on another site:
"December 2nd 2007: There has been questions raised on certain Railroading forums as to whether the Norfolk Southern TOP GON we are making is a complete new tool and is prototypical of the 11 Panel Gondola.  To quell any more questions, the answer is YES this is a complete new tooling and is made to be completely prototypical of the 11 Panel TOP GON. "

http://therailwire.net/smf/index.php?topic=14235.0

[Michael Knight]

Thank you for the update, Norm.

[wlal21]

My N scale layout that i foll around with..

[Michael Knight]

That is very nice modeling work!