# USAT or Chas Ro or LGB boxcars?



## avlisk (Apr 27, 2012)

In my ongoing live-and-learn large scale adventure, I bought 2 USAT undec boxcars on eBay. Imagine my surprise when I opened the packages and they are more like the cheap LGB than the USAT I've been buying. They are the same size as an LGB reefer, have plastic wheels like LGB, and no pads to body-mount couplers. They have exposed screws on the sides just like the LGB reefer. But they say Charles Ro Manufacturing on the bottom. One box says Ro Trains and the other box says USA Trains. It looks like Ro used to have LGB manufacture their freight cars. Do any of you know the history of what I've uncovered here? Also, advice on mounting Kadees and changing wheels is wanted. Thanks.
Ken Silva
Laveen, AZ


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Photos would help. Are they wood sided or steel sided?

If wood sided you probably have R190WX

If steel sided you probably have R190SX 

From your description I think these are boxcars from the "American Series". These are not LGB. They are made by Charles Ro (present day USA Trains) and scaled to match LGB 1:22.5-1:24 rolling stock.

I have several in this line as my layout is 1:22.5 and they work great and look great. 

By undecorated. Are they unpainted and gray plastic? Or are they painted a boxcar red/brown color and unlettered?

I've been looking for a few unlettered Charles Ro/USA Trains boxcars, but painted in their typical boxcar brown color. Not sure if any were ever made or not though.


On your question about Kadees. I'm just starting to convert my fleet to body mounted couplers. I've found that Kadee 906 couplers work nicely. You have to make a mounting pad for them. I use styrene. Usually 1/4" thick and then using various thickness of thinner sheets to get the height right. I glue these to the boxcar body with Gluesmith Glue (thick). Then I drill and tap for 4-40 screws to secure the coupler.

I use Bachmann metal wheels. They fit without any modifications in the Charles Ro/USA trucks.


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## avlisk (Apr 27, 2012)

Hi, San Juan. To answer your questions, one is wood sided, and medium gray all over with metal truss rods on the bottom, just like the LGB. The other is metal sided, colored white, with a blue roof. As for Kadees, I've been advised to use 830s on all my cars. That's what I've ordered, so I hate to mix and match couplers at this point, having just had the joy of hook and loop, low mounted, high mounted, truck mounted, body mounted, Aristo knuckles, USAT knuckles, and Kadees all on the same train. Thanks for the tips on mounting. Do you recommend those wheels for 1:29 too? And sorry, I don't have anywhere that I post photos, but I can email some, if you like. Ken S.


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## Ltotis (Jan 3, 2008)

Ken, 
LGB did not manufacture RO/USA cars. RO Trains made them to go with the LGB products from that time frame. Put the reefers and boxcars from the two companies side by side and you would be hard pressed to know who built which car. 
LAO


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

The guy (I understood ) copied right from LGBs even to the mistakes. but that was after the rail law suit with Aristo.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

charles ro is usa trains. 

They make 2 lines of products, one is like 1:24 or so... the "American Series", not great details, plastic wheels, etc... what you got. They are inexpensive. 

They make a great line of 1:29 cars, very close to perfect scale, fine details, metal wheels.... not what you bought. More expensive but less than LGB. 

Greg


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By avlisk on 22 Apr 2013 01:50 PM 
As for Kadees, I've been advised to use 830s on all my cars.....Do you recommend those wheels for 1:29 too?
Kadee 830's are essentially the same as the newer 906. The 906 uses an 830 box with the newer more realistic looking AAR Type E coupler head.


Yes, the Bachmann metal wheels should work fine for 1:29. Just be sure to get the product number 92421. The other metal wheels they sell (92422) would be too small, in my opinion, for 1:29 wheels.

I think many of the forum contributors here use Bachmann wheels on their 1:29 rolling stock.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Sorry, somehow I missed Matt's details, who covered everything, so ignore my previous post, although I think the American series is more "consistently" scaled in all dimensions than the typical LGB, which are often shortened, apparently to work on very tight curves. 

I agree with Matt on the wheel size. It would be worth it to purchase an Aristo wheel and track gauge and check/adjust the wheel gauge before fitting. The Aristo gauge is easy to use and checks both the minimum and maximum back to back dimension. 

I have the diameters of the Bachmann wheels on this page on my site: 

*http://elmassian.com/tra...trong>**

Greg*


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## aopagary (Jun 30, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 22 Apr 2013 07:02 PM 
charles ro is usa trains. 

...

They make a great line of 1:29 cars, very close to perfect scale, ...to clear up this judgement call, the error in 1:29 scale results in a car 34% larger than prototype for US standard gauge on #1 gauge (45mm) track.
if you want to call that close, sorry, i mean "very close", it's up to you.


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## Jethro J. (Apr 4, 2012)

Posted By aopagary on 23 Apr 2013 01:06 PM 
Posted By Greg Elmassian on 22 Apr 2013 07:02 PM 
charles ro is usa trains. 

...

They make a great line of 1:29 cars, very close to perfect scale, ...to clear up this judgement call, the error in 1:29 scale results in a car 34% larger than prototype for US standard gauge on #1 gauge (45mm) track.
if you want to call that close, sorry, i mean "very close", it's up to you. 
I thought you were only a 1/32nd scale koolaider? why even way in on a scale thats more popular and the future of the hobby? 

J


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Sigh... the CAR is 1:29 scale nicely, the trucks are on the wrong gauge. 

But I was talking about the scale of the cars, not the bastardized gauge we all know about in 1:29.... 

I was stating the scale of the 1:29 cars is very close to perfect 1:29.... 

Greg


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

I have found that if the box cars in question NG, LGB, Charles Ro (later USAt), are modeled on the D&RGW 30' prototypes they scale out very closely to 1:24. That is based on length. I have not checked the scale of the width and height. The LGB D&RGW passenger cars suffer from compression (resulting in fewer windows). I have no idea as to their scale. It would have to be based on width and height measurements. Chuck


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## aopagary (Jun 30, 2008)

Posted By Jethro J. on 23 Apr 2013 01:28 PM 
Posted By aopagary on 23 Apr 2013 01:06 PM 
Posted By Greg Elmassian on 22 Apr 2013 07:02 PM 
charles ro is usa trains. 

...

They make a great line of 1:29 cars, very close to perfect scale, ...to clear up this judgement call, the error in 1:29 scale results in a car 34% larger than prototype for US standard gauge on #1 gauge (45mm) track.
if you want to call that close, sorry, i mean "very close", it's up to you. 
I thought you were only a 1/32nd scale koolaider? why even way in on a scale thats more popular and the future of the hobby? 

J
posting in the Beginner's Forum, the "very close to perfect scale" comment seemed deceptive to me.
i'm sure modelers new to the gauge would like to hear the truth.
for someone who doesn't seem to care about scale, why do you bother to comment?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

how is it being deceptive to say a car advertised as 1:29 scale is very close to pefectly scaled? 

So every mention of 1:29 scale in a beginners forum needs a disclaimer that the track and wheel spacing is not 1:29? 

please consider yourself that this is indeed a beginners forum and spend your energy lobbying for a rivet counters forum. 

come one, really!


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Gentlemen, can we please give the 1:29 v 1:32 debate a rest? 

Thank you. 

K


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