Weathering the Rapido 1937 AAR box cars

I have posted two write-ups about the recently released HO scale models of the 1937 AAR box cars from Rapido. In the first of these, I showed the two Canadian box cars I received, and included photos of their prototypes (that post is at: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2026/08/rapdios-new-1937-aar-box-cars.html ).

In a second post, I similarly showed the two U.S. box cars in my order, an Erie car and an SP car. Prototype details and lettering were shown there too. The post about them is here: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2026/08/more-of-rapidos-new-1937-aar-box-cars.html . Both had some interesting paint scheme details, as explained there

Now these cars are all modified as needed (adding the Ureco handbrake to the SP car), as well as weathered and made ready for service. All had to receive reweigh and repacking stencils appropriate for my 1953 layout era. As usual, I relied on old Sunshine decal sets for these details. Lastly, I added raoute cards and a few chalk marks.

Here is the Canadian National car. I enjoyed the model’s having an NSC end and the integral ladder-sill steps, distinctively Canadian. 

The Canadian Pacific car was handled similarly to the CN one. It’s distinctive feature is the flat-panel roof, otherwise very generically 1937 AAR design. 

Next is the Erie car, which as I mentioned in the previous post about it, has an older paint scheme, with the black door. Accordingly I weathered it more heavily than some of these  cars. 

Lastly, the SP car, with its odd mixture of era paint features (as described previously). I decided to make it look as though just the SP initials of the factory lettering had been replaced with the post-1946 spelled out road name. 

I protected that road name with Tamiya masking tape, then applied my usual acrylic weathering to roof, ends and sides (see “Reference pages” linked at to right of this post). Removing the tape, a coat of flat finish was added to protect the weathering step. 

I then added paint patches for reweigh and repack stencils, along with new light weight and load limit numbers, all from Sunshine decals. To finish, I added chalk marks and route cards. The Ureco brake wheel is visible here.  

 Here is an  overall view of the left side of the car. 

This completes an interesting model of a hold-over Class B-50-18 original black roof, and replaces in my collection an upgraded Athearn “Blue Box” model of decades ago.

Tony Thompson