Flatcar To Auto Rack Conversion

[TrainCat2]

Since this thread started here, http://therailwire.net/forum/index.php/topic,16687.0.html
I thought I would post a photo of the first prototype. Not finished, but damn close.

[up1950s]

Cool , I will defiantly get some of those . Looks like 2010 will be the year that the roots of specialized flats to haul trailers or cars will be modeled . Outstanding , thanks so much for doing these .

[christoph]

That car looks good.  Since I have a couple of RC flat cars, I might use some of these racks.
The main question is: which roads used these racks??  And then comes the question about color and lettering.... (as so often).

[up1950s]

Maybe yellow , gray ? What color are their flat cars , anybody know ? Guesses ?

Your own private road might have some .

Not too many years later Frisco used this color on more modern racks .

[sirenwerks]

Richie, I'm pretty certain the flats are painted the same yellow as the later autorack. SLSF used it on much of their freight fleet, including boxcars.

[up1950s]

Richie, I'm pretty certain the flats are painted the same yellow as the later autorack. SLSF used it on much of their freight fleet, including boxcars.

Thanks , good to know .

[H Lee]

Maybe yellow , gray ? What color are their flat cars , anybody know ? Guesses ?

This appears to be a builders photo with the car painted in grey and black (note the grey coupler - and the trucks appear to be a lighter color, you can make out the truck springs which would be impossible if the trucks were black). This gray with black was fairly common practice in the 40's and 50's for several RR's for the first car of a series.

I am betting that the in service scheme was yellow with black lettering because of the novelty of the auto rack concept at the time (aren't the auto's 1958's?) and as was pointed out the Frisco went with yellow and black for the tri-levels a few years later. I think the auto-racks were the first Frisco yellow cars but yellow became the Frisco color for Cushioned cars and other speciality cars - But, it was never a fleet color, the standard boxcar color always remained brown.

[Nato]

  I'am reminded of the "Evans Auto Loader" modeled by Lionel. I know your model is not that car,but it is way cool and I would certainly get one. Nate Goodman (Nato).