Building a fleet...Part 3

A tale of three boxcars

This bunch of Santa Fe boxcars have their share of history, at least for me. From left to right is a PRS Bx-43 (a lightly modified Bx 37 with some parts added to the side sills), a classic PRS Bx 37 and an SHS Bx 32.
The SHS boxcar is the first piece of plastic S scale rolling stock I've bought way back in 96' or 97' (the other before were brass). I know he's not completely accurate. The height is a bit on the low side and maybe the mpurpy ends don't have the exact number of ribs but...At present he's OK for me and good enough as a layout quality model. And S scalers knew the famous "S is for Stand-ins", so... I've wheathered it two or threee time with different methods over this 20+ years period. Much more recently, I've detailled it to closely represent the appearance of the ATSF USRA rebuilds boxcars with fishbelly center sill (SHS), side ladders (PRS), lower door sliding rail (Grandt Line), handbrake wheel (Grandt Line), Andrews trucks (SHS), etc...The only next thing to do on it is to change the coupler from Accurail to a Sergent.
The Bx 43 at left have a tortuous story made of crash and broken parts. It came from a french S scaler, the one that introduce me to standard gauge S scale in early 1995, and suffered many injuries. If memories goes well it begins as a NP green boxcar and became Santa Fe in the late 90's. When I rescued it it was partly broken ad many parts were missing. I've done the necessary rebuilding in phase, as the mood strike, and finally specialize it in grain handling with wood grain doors. Done at  a time when I planned to model a more midwestern themed layout, I even don't know if I'll use it on my present layout.
The third one have a more straight life. I've bought it assembled some years ago from one of the Milepost 169 guy if I remember well and just changed the brake platform, installed SSLS 33' wheels, wheathered it and doing so I've gained another one layout quality model! The photo shows me that I've lost the handbrake. It's time to do some TLC!
See ya'