Val Pistilli says...

When I first bought the kit, I sat down and thought that I would do a couple steps and come back later to do a couple more steps later. Well, I couldn't stop until it was finished and painted and lettered. Love the detail and construction was easy due to the very good instructions. I went out and bought eight more cars!

Brian Kistenmacher says...

I agree with the previous reviewer. This is perhaps my favorite freight car to build, and I've built a number of them over the years. It's not a "shake the box" kit, but it is not difficult. It does require patience, a steady hand, and a willingness to follow instructions. Experienced modelers already know this. For a new modeler wanting to move to the next level, it's a great challenge for your skills; and my advice to you is this: buy two of them, and consider one of the kits as part of your learning curve. The real challenge is handling it after you've built it, and figuring out how to paint it without damaging any of the parts. Have fun!

Matt Hudson says...

You really can't beat this kit. Built a few and they just keep getting better. Need a tank car train, this is it.

The Doc says...

An excellent kit. One of those kind of kits that is hard to stop once you start. Nice detail. NOT FOR BEGINNERS. You will need a sprue cutter, hobby knife, thin liquid glue and maybe some small drill bits. However, this goes together easily. A great model and I expect to order more based on this experience. You should try it, too!

Derrell Poole says...

This kit goes together quite well, is fun to build and has the look and feel of a challenge. I've built 4 so far. There is noise out there that it isn't of any particular prototype. Well, I found a prototype. The NorthWest Short Line, a small Bay area island r.r. ordered several of these cars from the ACF builder in the late '40s. Now you know.

Ed O’Rourke says...

I picked up some of these at a swap meet. They are going to be stand-ins for New Haven cars. They are not an easy kit, but certainly a lot of fun to build. I find I can work on them for a couple of hours then, put them aside. Otherwise I get careless and make errors.