Combing through some photos, a neat kit-bash for a Bethlehem Car Works BAb baggage.

I hadn't seen that before. It's a great shot and a great modeling idea!

Hmmm... BCW items are too expensive to "trash" into this structure... but why not kit-bash an old Athearn car or two...!

You can certainly do a generic yard office with a kit-bashed Athearn car. The East Penn Junction office would be a likely candidate. If you have Athearn cars sitting around, that approach would make a lot of sense. But, since the Reading kitbashed a BAb to create the Modena office, the Bethlehem Car Works kit would be the ideal starting point. MSRP on the BCW car is $60; Toy Train Heaven discounts it for $52.95. The Athearn standard baggage car retails for $40; you can find one discounted for $20-$25.

Replacing the sides of the Athearn car with scribed siding would require fairly major surgery -- either cutting away the existing sides or sanding off the detail and cutting out door and window openings. Whichever kit you start with, you're going to need windows and stripwood (and probably stairs). For me, the extra $20 for the BCW kit would be well worth the added convenience and fidelity. When you think about it $60 isn't an outlandish price for a craftsman structure kit.

In an effort not to incite a riot yes the BCW kits are pricey, for those who don't have great expanses of time to hack up some Athearn kits these are the way to go. Alright, East Penn Jct. was mentioned. I like my E-bay, and on 4/24 bagged a BCW Reading DCe cafe car for a mere $33.89. Considerably cheap, and prototypically correct. I don't want to sound like a rivet counter, but "trash" is a harsh word to use in this case. Anyway how about some East Penn Jct. pics to lighten the mood, front and rear.

Here is another guy (me)that acquired the BCW DCe car just for the East Penn Jct. scene..... I call it expensive scenery... lol, like my brass Jordan Spreader that will probably rarely turn a wheel...... (BTW Bought the Jordan ONE month before Walthers announced theirs after drooling over it for almost a year, because I decided no one would EVER do that in plastic... so there is hope for the HTz look for them After the Christmas season, I should be done with mine by then