USA Trains R1453B, G-Scale New York Central box car

I've brought two interesting items from my recent trip to the USA. I will be covering them both here on my blog. I'll start with the one that is easier to review. It's just a G-scale freight car, after all...

Well, just a freight car, but still - it's a fully American model. Not only it represents a typical American piece of rolling stock, but it's also made in the USA and by a company called USA Trains. And of course it's not really being sold in Europe at all. So can it be even more American?

Yes, it can. You can always deliver your product in a box that reminds of an American flag. Blue, red and white. I love it!

It's nicely packaged on the inside - just as I expected. What I did not expect however was the smell coming from the box. Seems like USA Trains do not use the same kind of plastic that LGB, Piko and Bachmann use. Does it have anything to do with the car being priced at just $50? Hard to say. But it definitely does not smell nice...

Here's the content of the set. It consists of the car itself, two bags of details to be installed separately and a pair of alternative couplers. Noticed anything interesting? The default couplers are the hook and loop type, not the knuckle type. Seems the compatibility with LGB is an important aspect even in the USA.

Installation of the details took me around 30 minutes. There are around two dozens of those to be added. They're all a tight fit so in the beginning I skipped using any glue. But then I realized that adding glue actually makes the process a little simpler. It dissolves the plastic a little and allows an easier fit. You just have to be careful, since the paint does not seem to be glue resistant.

The complete model:

Looks nice, let's see it from different angles...


Well, it is indeed a good looking piece of a rolling stock. With the extra ladders and handles it became really detailed, looking better than a similar LGB car I bought about a year ago. The braking rod is made of a real brass. The moving doors are a nice addition. And the metal piping under the car is a true surprise.

Not everything is perfect though. The painting is mostly very crisp and clean but there seem to be some black marks on one of the doors. The trucks and the wheels in particular feel cheap and because of that the car does not really roll all that great. And of course there's the smell...

But considering it's just $50, it is a very, very good deal. It's around half the price of a similar offering from Piko or LGB. This box car will fit my fleet very well and with the Statue of Liberty painted on its side, it's exactly the type of model I wanted. I will be definitely buying more, just need to find a business reason to travel to the USA again :)