Athearn BB XAF10 RBOX Boxcars

Image 1: Railbox Class XAF10 member RBOX 10048 – (Image Copyright Craig Walker, sourced from RailcarPhotos.com)

Overview

This modelling project aims to turn what is a not too bad model from the Athearn Blue Box set of kits into something a little more, without a great deal of work. There are compromises that you have to make along the way as the model is too wide (by about a scale foot) and too short (by somewhere about the same length) and the roof is the wrong pattern for the ACF built XAF10 class.

However, they are cheap, available on the second-hand market, and often still in model stores both in undecorated and RailBox guise and with a little work they can be made into quite the nice model. If you are not into counting rivets, that is.

Part 1 – A short history of the class (the XAF10 class is in session)

Part 2 – Body works (getting physical – no Olivia Newton-John required)

Part 3 – What’s not between the floor and rails does matter

Part 4 – Paint and decals

Part 5 – Weathering

Part 6 – Gallery