IM 60' flat car

[unittrain]

I was just seeing what type of uses the 60' trailer train flats had and came across a some pics that showed them with make shift bulkheads on them. It would be easy to scratchbuild a few of these bulkheads and make them removable for the Intermountain 60' cars. Heres a few pics.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/ttx/pttx92266akg.jpg
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/ttx/pttx92798ase.jpg

[cv_acr]

Those bulkheads are permanent, that's a slightly different type of car.

Note the lack of chain boxes along the sides, lack of chain attachment rails in the centre of the car, and the large bolts attaching the bulkheads. And the different PTTX reporting marks.

For this car, I'd start with something more like the Athearn/ex-MDC 60' flatcar and scratchbuild bulkheads for it.

The Intermountain cars with all the chain tie-down features are appropriate for handling vehicles and heavy equipment.

[unittrain]

I'll have to check out the ex MDC car. I've been wanting some decent bulkhead flats. I have one of the MTL's but it sits high I'm going to try and lower it using Toms method of filing it down. I have so far 3 of the IM 60' cars and 3 more of the newly announced Trailer train cars on order.

[cv_acr]

(I should have prefaced the above that I'm more used to HO scale - but I think MDC/Athearn had those cars in both scales, and the body should be the same even if it needs truck lowering. It might not match exactly either, but it's one of the few or only modern looking flatcars available to stand in.)

Here's some examples of the prototype for the Intermountain car:

with steel plate load:
http://freight.railfan.ca/ttx/httx92280.jpg
http://freight.railfan.ca/ttx/ottx97793.jpg

oversized dump truck load:
http://freight.railfan.ca/ttx/httx92803.jpg

hot metal ladle for a steel mill: (actually looks like the car is slightly different, but similar use)
http://freight.railfan.ca/ttx/mttx95449.jpg

wrecked freight car:
http://freight.railfan.ca/ttx/ottx90407.jpg
http://freight.railfan.ca/ttx/ottx93795.jpg

tractor/farm equipment:
http://freight.railfan.ca/ttx/ottx91450.jpg

big spools of something. maybe wire?
http://freight.railfan.ca/ttx/ottx91453.jpg

part of a mobile crane?
http://freight.railfan.ca/ttx/ottx93806.jpg

some tracked construction vehicles
http://freight.railfan.ca/ttx/ottx97380.jpg

large road crane:
http://freight.railfan.ca/ttx/ottx97712.jpg


http://freight.railfan.ca/ttx/ottx97380.jpg

[sirenwerks]

Are the two cars Unittrain provided photos for, sheetrock flats similar to what the WP had in dedicated service for hauling drywall? The inset bulkhead is very similar and the Chessie car has the bracing running from deck to bulkhead similar to the WP cars. I think SP had similar cars as well.

[ljudice]

I don't recall an ex-MDC bulkhead in N - maybe HO!

ConCor did one if I recall, along with some other 60' flats, a long time ago.

The Athearn flat is new tooling and comes with a bulkhead version. These are similar to the Walthers cars. They are 53' cars though and of an older cast design.

We do need a decent 60' modern bulkhead in N.

http://www.mountainrails.com

[sirenwerks]

I've been hoping that Walthers would do their Canadian 50' bulkheads. Not 60-footers, but a nice place to start. The thing that worries me about the Walthers car though is there description - "Introduced in 1972, the prototypes for Walthers Canadian 50' Bulkhead Flat Cars quickly became favorites of the lumber industry. Built by Hawker-Siddeley, the cars were large for the era, offering a loading area of 52'8" between the bulkheads." Now, I haven't seen an HO model in person yet, but it's a 50' car with 52'8" BETWEEN the bulkheads? How's that possible?

[3rdrail]

I've been hoping that Walthers would do their Canadian 50' bulkheads. Not 60-footers, but a nice place to start. The thing that worries me about the Walthers car though is there description - "Introduced in 1972, the prototypes for Walthers Canadian 50' Bulkhead Flat Cars quickly became favorites of the lumber industry. Built by Hawker-Siddeley, the cars were large for the era, offering a loading area of 52'8" between the bulkheads." Now, I haven't seen an HO model in person yet, but it's a 50' car with 52'8" BETWEEN the bulkheads? How's that possible?

Because most governing freight tariffs on lumber define a "50 foot car" as being between 50 feet and 54 feet in inside length. Although it is not as common with boxcars, there is a great deal of variation in the actual inside length on gons and flats.

[cv_acr]

I've been hoping that Walthers would do their Canadian 50' bulkheads. Not 60-footers, but a nice place to start. The thing that worries me about the Walthers car though is there description - "Introduced in 1972, the prototypes for Walthers Canadian 50' Bulkhead Flat Cars quickly became favorites of the lumber industry. Built by Hawker-Siddeley, the cars were large for the era, offering a loading area of 52'8" between the bulkheads." Now, I haven't seen an HO model in person yet, but it's a 50' car with 52'8" BETWEEN the bulkheads? How's that possible?

Because most governing freight tariffs on lumber define a "50 foot car" as being between 50 feet and 54 feet in inside length. Although it is not as common with boxcars, there is a great deal of variation in the actual inside length on gons and flats.

It's called rounding down for the sake of generic description. Interestingly enough though, Walthers refers to their Thrall gondola as a 53' gondola, and doesn't round down to 50'.

I've got a very large number of the Walthers bulkhead flatcars, and with a scale ruler up next to them, they're a correct 52 and a half feet between the insides of the bulkheads.