Don't hate me..

[SirTainly]

I managed to get 2 MT open trilevel autoracks for C$10.50 each.  ;D

[ljudice]

don't expect a christmas card from me this year!

[wm3798]

I've got ten of these now, and I don't think I paid anywhere near full retail for any of them.  I got one from a shop in PA that was clearly a list price dealer, but he had one that was no doubt mis priced at $14.50...  I saw him lurch for a moment as he was ringing it up, but what could he do?

They are really nice cars, I'm still working out how to engineer loading them with cars and keeping them stable enough, though.  I've tried gluing the cars to a strip of styrene, which works reasonably well on the lower racks, but the top deck on the triples plum evades me.  Any suggestions?

Lee

[bicknell]

I hate you.

[cv_acr]

I got a bunch of HO scale Accurail open racks from a local hobbyshop for $8 CA apiece. Strange that they can't sell them since they're the only open racks available in HO. Of course, they are kits and apparently no one can build kits anymore, but they're really not difficult kits... they go together fairly quickly.

[victor miranda]

I've got ten of these now, and I don't think I paid anywhere near full retail for any of them.  I got one from a shop in PA that was clearly a list price dealer, but he had one that was no doubt mis priced at $14.50...  I saw him lurch for a moment as he was ringing it up, but what could he do?

They are really nice cars, I'm still working out how to engineer loading them with cars and keeping them stable enough, though.  I've tried gluing the cars to a strip of styrene, which works reasonably well on the lower racks, but the top deck on the triples plum evades me.  Any suggestions?

Lee

fill the bottom rack cars with lead.
or at least metal only cars on the bottom.

[lock4244]

I've got ten of these now, and I don't think I paid anywhere near full retail for any of them.  I got one from a shop in PA that was clearly a list price dealer, but he had one that was no doubt mis priced at $14.50...  I saw him lurch for a moment as he was ringing it up, but what could he do?

They are really nice cars, I'm still working out how to engineer loading them with cars and keeping them stable enough, though.  I've tried gluing the cars to a strip of styrene, which works reasonably well on the lower racks, but the top deck on the triples plum evades me.  Any suggestions?

Lee

What about the sticky putty (not sure what exactly to call it) Deluxe sells to keep the top container in place on a double stack car?

[wm3798]

That's a thought.  I'm thinking I might make some sort of jig that allows me to precisely drill two small holes in the top deck then add plugs to the bottoms of the vehicle "strip"  Either that or some sort of brass shim painted to match the deck that I can slip a wire under.

These things really are worse than hoppers... loads east empties west!  I'm hoping that I learn more about auto shipments on the Alphabet Route to see if there isn't a balance of loads going from eastern plants heading to the midwest.

Lee

[3rdrail]

That's a thought.  I'm thinking I might make some sort of jig that allows me to precisely drill two small holes in the top deck then add plugs to the bottoms of the vehicle "strip"  Either that or some sort of brass shim painted to match the deck that I can slip a wire under.

These things really are worse than hoppers... loads east empties west!  I'm hoping that I learn more about auto shipments on the Alphabet Route to see if there isn't a balance of loads going from eastern plants heading to the midwest.

Lee

Lee, at least the railroads attempted to get two way hauls on auto racks in your era. Let's see, Chevy had the plant in Baltimore, Chrysler was in Newark, and Ford was in New Jersey on the E-L. The problem you have is the Wild Mary. The Westbound loads went out via PC, B&O, or E-L. So, you don't have to haul the empties back - perfect for roundy-round operations.  ;D ;D ;D

[wm3798]

I'm trying to remember if the WM hauled any cars at all...  I know there was an import facility at Fairfield used by VW... interesting operation, there... They loaded the autos onto racks, rolled the racks onto a car float, sailed them over to Port Covington, then sent them on their way to the wider world.

I'm sure that some moved between Lurgan and Connellsville, and there was a Chrysler load out in Hagerstown, but I'm pretty sure that was served by the N&W/PRR.

Any more light you can shed on that?  I'm not getting rid of the racks... they're a little bit on the "way cool" side, so I'll make an excuse to have them.... ;D

Lee

[Bob Bufkin]

Lee

The loadout was served by PRR/N&W.  Watched this operation several times unloading cars.  I honestly don't remember any autoracks on any trains on the Lurgan line -  Reading/WM.  IF they ran them they must have gone thru at night when I was asleep.

Had to correct this post.  Most definately shipped Chryslers on the PRR/PC as I've posted photos here of the racks.

[wm3798]

Rubber cement would probably work, too... 
Maybe a good rainy day project between decoder install orders.

Lee

[davefoxx]

Lee,

Why not run with your idea for pins or plugs in the "vehicle strips," but instead put a pin or two (small piece(s) of wire) in the bottom of each automobile?  That way, you won't have the distraction of a vehicle strip on the floor of each level of the auto rack.  It would only take corresponding small holes in the auto rack deck, which would be nearly invisible between the rub rails.  Your idea for using a piece of brass for a template would still work, if you decided to drill more than one hole per automobile.

Dave

[wm3798]

Yes, but consider 5 autos on the top deck of 5 racks, and your talking about precisely locating and drilling 50 holes...  I suppose it could be done with a jig of some sort, but I'd want them to be fully interchangeable so I don't have to worry about matching up particular loads with particular cars.

To get the rigidity and stability I'm looking for, I'm wondering if a strip of brass with the pins soldered to it would work...  Maybe have the strip be etched tread plate, painted grimy black.... 

At the train club, some of the older HO hoppers have loads that are car specific, and it's a real pain to sort through them to change things out after an op session.

Lee