A Quick Look: Micro-Trains 993 02 130 TTX Weathered Wreck Recovery Pack Review

Released in March 2021 and fabricated in a similar fashion as other Micro-Trains® Line partially factory assembled load bearing rolling-stock releases, the stock number 993 02 130 TTX Weathered Wreck Recovery Pack is comprised of a pair of exquisitely decorated cars, a photo etched brass fret of load tie downs, four notched, cast resin truck mounting blocks that are molded in black, a pair of laser cut wood body mounting blocks, a pair of unassembled brown True-Scale couplers with draft gear and black air hoses, and a loose pair of trucks with chemically blackened metal wheels that are to be loaded onto the deck of the eighty-nine foot flatcar.

The TOFC flatcar bears JTTX reporting marks, the TTX designation for a special purpose flat with end of car cushioning.

Empty, the flat weighs an once, which according to the National Model Railroad Association's NMRA RP-20.1 recommended practice guidelines for rolling-stock weight is 0.55 of an once lighter than the suggested weight of 1.55 ounces for the 6.75-inch long model.

Fully loaded, the flatcar weighs 1.6 ounces, which is extremely close to the NMRA recommendation.

Using an NMRA Standards Gauge, the wheel-sets were found to be properly gauged.

As the flatcar's brown injection molded plastic wheels have low-profile flanges, when they were run on Atlas Code 55 track, no tracking issues were noticed.

Micro-Trains® Line 993 02 130 TTX Wreck Recovery Pack Pre-Production Artwork

Given that the extent of the damage to the metal body of recovered well car cannot be ascertained by simply viewing the artwork that was provided by Micro-Trains®, as seen in the review photo, the execution is very well done, with a deep bend in one side of one of the car's ends (i.e., the end of the car without the brake wheel on the side without any graffiti) and bent underside cross bracing.

Micro-Trains® Line 993 02 130 TTX Wreck Recovery Pack Components Unboxed

The pack contains a weathered eighty-nine foot flatcar and a factory damaged well car with weathering and graffiti.

Provided one masks off the graffiti, a greater degree of realism could be achieved by applying a flat clear coat finish over the factory applied semi gloss weathering.

Bearing an atypical load, this easily assembled wreck recovery model will work with any circa mid-1990s to early 2000s North American freight train consist.

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