TheRailwire
General Discussion => N and Z Scales => Topic started by: sizemore on October 06, 2012, 02:30:39 AM
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http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/N-Scale-s/3.htm
:D
The S.
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Thanks for causing my wallet to cry lol.
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And the brown flats are gone already :o.
Frank
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And the brown flats are gone already :o.
Of course. Two friggin' years of pent-up demand if you missed the pre-order period.
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Waiting for my ChuckPak.
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+1
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If you use MTS just add yourself to the "notify me when in-stock". MTS doesn't always throw a large quantity up there, they allot some for the website while the rest go to the warehouse. They'll move some from the warehouse to web, which makes the "notify" email all that more valuable.
HTH,
The S.
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Alas, the spine cars are too new and the flats too old for my era. :( Hopefully, we'll see some future releases appropriate for intermodal trains in the 1980s.
That said, all is not lost this week; MBK finally received the Kato N scale Amtubes in Phase III paint! My Kato F40PH will finally have something appropriate to pull by Tuesday.
DFF
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A few pix:
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-rP0NDG7Tgc8/UHDIffLb9LI/AAAAAAAAAsE/tHMO_KcV5K8/s912/endview.jpg)
Other end coupled to TWX 85'
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-IB9OviGZYYw/UHDIf7ZWmKI/AAAAAAAAAsI/sh2qCn4ZS14/s912/otherend.jpg)
Holes for the hitches:
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-X7AN3xUn06c/UHDIfPKvmpI/AAAAAAAAAr8/mjO_nIKKDT8/s800/hitchholes.jpg)
The model comes with 4 hitches - two appear to be for modelling them in the down position:
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RvCy1gXZEpM/UHDIgAqSixI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/4FF1TVPjvu4/s800/hitchon.jpg)
It appears that BLMA decided to tool these to scale - this is a bit of a problem as none of my trailers would "mount" the BLMA hitches (this photo manipulated to emphasize the view of the "hitch hole" compared to the hitch on the Trainworx flat):
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MJsbht3wUkw/UHDIeShHHZI/AAAAAAAAAr0/nIM7lzUE6pg/s912/Hitch.jpg)
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I had pre-ordered the flats, had to cancel them last year do to financial uncertainty. Another example of the joys of the pre-order/very limited run system. I can live without them.
Frank
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Another excuse for changing kingpins. I long ago standardized on 1/32 inch brass rod for my trailers, which is probably still too large, but was easy to find. In the 70s and early 80s models came with wildly differing pins, including a few (Arnold especially) that put the pin on the hitch and a hole in the trailer. Plus, I can use the same ones for scratchbuilt trailers, and any trailer will work with any tractor or flatcar, but most flatcar hitches need to be modified. BLMA's look like they may work for me as-is.
I also have some reserved with Chuck, so will be forking out some serious money soon...
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I have 4 coming from BLMA 8)
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I saw the reefers too, they blow the ER versions away! 8)
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It looks like the brown flats are even more popular than the 85' yellow flats released by Trainworx a while back, can't seem to find them anywhere.
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Waiting for my ChuckPak.
Yep.
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Jeff at http://stores.ebay.com/Prairie-Shadows-Model-Railway-Com has as some on his ebay store front.
JSL
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OK, here's a question, and a puzzle, about the F89Js: Does anyone have a picture of one showing the ACI label? All cars were required to have them during the 70s, and all TTX cars were brown during the early 70s, but I haven't been able to find a single 1970s picture of one of these showing where to put the label. Plenty of earlier pictures, and plenty of yellow cars, but they're no help.
I can, of course, stick it anywhere, but it seems likely that Trailer Train had a more or less standard location for them.
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Received 3 of the brown flats early last week, finally took them out of the boxes to get them ready for the layout, a few observations.
The good, they have body mounted couplers, metal bodies, they'll probably track very well, painting is very good.
The bad, blotches of glue on all three, in different places, the kingpin holes, previously mentioned (yes I know some of you will think this is a plus), the vacuum formed cradles are not designed for the hitches in the up position, and the end ramps are glued on, they're not collapsable like MTL cars are.
As hard as I try, I can't remember seeing glue blotches on any MTL, Atlas or Kato items I've purchased.
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OK, here's a question, and a puzzle, about the F89Js: Does anyone have a picture of one showing the ACI label? All cars were required to have them during the 70s, and all TTX cars were brown during the early 70s, but I haven't been able to find a single 1970s picture of one of these showing where to put the label. Plenty of earlier pictures, and plenty of yellow cars, but they're no help.
I can, of course, stick it anywhere, but it seems likely that Trailer Train had a more or less standard location for them.
Some TT cars were brown during the early Seventies. The yellow-repaint program began before the ACI program. While it's certain that brown TT cars received ACI plates, the majority of the cars were yellow at the time. Use a photo of an ACI-equipped yellow car to provide location for ACI plates on a brown car.
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Bryan, when did TTX start using yellow?
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Bryan, when did TTX start using yellow?
The TTX site says 1970.
Jason
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Some TT cars were brown during the early Seventies. The yellow-repaint program began before the ACI program. While it's certain that brown TT cars received ACI plates, the majority of the cars were yellow at the time. Use a photo of an ACI-equipped yellow car to provide location for ACI plates on a brown car.
I thought the ACI program started in 1967 or 1968.
Plenty of brown TTX flats persisted at least through the mid 70s, and I've seen pix of a few in the 80s.
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Yeah, ACI/KarTrak was required starting in '68. According to the Wikipedia article, 90% compliance wasn't achieved until '75.
So considering I model '69-'71 or so, then it's going to be a mix of clean yellow cars all with ACI labels and dirty brown cars, probably half with clean ACI labels. :D
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I knew some of the GN's cars had ACI labels in 1969, but didn't realize it took that long for 90% compliance. Apparently the Northwest was early, as I don't remember seeing any "local" cars without them by 72 or 73.
Everyone: Thank you. I have some yellow ones on order as well, so would have had to look them up anyway!
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I got my six F89J's on Monday and has a chance to take a good look at them tonight. Overall I am quite satisfied with the appearance and heft of the car itself, this weekend I will see how they run over the various radius curves I have. My one regret is the raised hitch, I wish it had a hole/slot that was matched to the Atlas/Athearn/Trainworx/Microtrains trailer pin. I sent an email to BLMA asking them if they would consider offering a separate raised hitch with the standard hole, depending on there response I will have to look in to finding a way to drill out the 5th wheels to accept the pins. It will be much easier to modify my 6 BLMA flats then all my trailers and my Trainworx and MT TOFC flats.
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Got mine Monday and they are good looking cars. One thing is the folding loading ramps (not sure what they are called) on each end. Mine fell off one car when I just touched them. Guess I can glue them back in the up position since I'm going to do any kind of unloading ramp.
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OK, here's a question, and a puzzle, about the F89Js: Does anyone have a picture of [a brown F89J] showing the ACI label? ...
Here's one. The plate is dirt encrusted since the photo is from the post-ACI era, but you can see where it's mounted.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/ttx/ttx601395wba.jpg
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Thank you! Most of the yellow ones I've seen had the plate between the initials and number, but there's barely room to squeeze one in there on the brown cars. I did it on one, but the rest will go on one of the ribs.
I also found a non-F89J car with the panel on a similar rib inboard of the front truck, so either one is probably more likely than on the number plate.
I can also use the deck shot for weathering. The clean white deck looks a little out of place on a car at least four years old...