TTX prototypes for N scale MT bulkhead flat

[James Costello]

Also, looking at a few pictures showing the deck from above, both the F60CH and F60KH cars had an even odder deck board arrangement than I expected.  Like the IM model, they have length-wise boards over the center sill, with short cross-wise boards on either side.  But those don't go to the outside of the stake pockets as I always thought.  They stop at the side sills, and then, between the stake pockets, there are short length-wise boards, where the IM flat has metal channels.  Weird.

I'll have a read of the TTX Book when I get a chance, but I think you're seeing some of the commonality of the same "core" flat car being used across the different applications (reporting marks). At first glance, that F60KH PTTX car sure looks like someone just took a standard MTTX / HTTX / OTTX flat and put bulkheads on to suit the loading width. This approach was common for Trailer Train.

[nkalanaga]

I'm sure that's what they did.  In clear pictures you can see where the bulkheads are bolted to the sides of the side sills, like they were added after the cars were built.  Since many of these cars were converted to container, or general-purpose, flats in the 80s, they probably just unbolted and scrapped the bulkheads.

Incidentally, digging through my (not complete) BN rosters, it looks like all of their bought-new BH flats were 56'8" IL, with the only longer ones I can find coming from the Frisco in that merger.  TTX never bought a single one.  Most of the pictures I can find of the TTPX cars show them carrying "industrial " loads, steel sheet, shapes, pipe, or other manufactured goods. 

Most of the BN cars were bought, originally, for the lumber industry, which liked to load in 8-foot increments, regardless of the actual board length.  Once that business moved to centerbeam cars, many of the BN cars got log bunks.  Another common load for the BN cars was aluminum ingots, which weighed enough that the longer cars would have been wasted.

[cv_acr]

A bit late to the party, and most of the relevant info has been covered, but just to add notes on the two cars pictured on page 1:

TTPX 806140 is a 62' IL car built in 2004 by Greenbrier/Trenton Works. This is the ExactRail car that they did in HO and N. Atlas also did the same car in their Trainman line in HO and O.

TTPX 82347 is a 62' IL car built in 1980 by Bethlehem Steel. The narrow bulkhead bracing is a distinctive feature. This is the ScaleTrains car produced in HO scale.

[Mark5]

Crhis,

I believe the ScaleTrains car is the F68AH which was last produced in 1974 - is that 1980 car similar?

Well over 1,100 F68AH bulkhead flats were built before production of the design ceased in August 1974.

https://www.scaletrains.com/product/rivet-counter-ho-scale-bsc-f68ah-bulkhead-flatcar-trailer-train-oxide-red-2/

Mark

[James Costello]

Just because the photo reminded me of this thread, a PS car popped up online the other day too:

https://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=113935

Side sill between the bulkheads looks a little different than usual.

@Mark5 @nkalanaga

[nkalanaga]

Thank you.  Nice to see one is still in service, but I'm not going to register and log in to see the picture!

[GaryHinshaw]

Here is a link that does not require a login:

https://www.railcarphotos.com/pix/113/PTTX_93381_Allentown_PA_Matt_Herson_1981_06_07_113935.jpg

[nkalanaga]

"Invalid Request
Status Code: 403 Forbidden
You were directed to this page because of an invalid link or invalid request. If You Followed a Link:"

[GaryHinshaw]

Sorry.  I see the same error now when I clear my cache.  Direct links used to work on that site, but I guess Zack recently changed the site settings.  Oh well.

[Mark5]

I'll take a look when I get a chance - been working too much in recent months!

[nkalanaga]

Gary:  Thank you!  At least it wasn't my system, or my mistake. 

[Mark5]

Just because the photo reminded me of this thread, a PS car popped up online the other day too:

https://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=113935

Side sill between the bulkheads looks a little different than usual.

@Mark5 @nkalanaga

Finally looked at it.  These (PTTX) are a different class (F60KH) than the Scale Trains model - the sill is definitely different than on the TTPX F68AH  (BSC built) done by ST.

[Missaberoad]

FWIW Railcarphotos and Locophotos are great resources well worth registering for...

I have never received any messages from them and have not noticed any spam that would lead back to them...

Perhaps set up a "burner" email account to register if you are concerned?

[nkalanaga]

Ryan:  Not so much "concerned" as simply "don't want to register".  It's so seldom that I went there, before they locked things down, that it doesn't seem worth the trouble.  I have three other photo sites, no registration needed, and since most pictures I'm looking for are from the 70s or earlier, those seem to be enough. 

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/ seems to have the best selection of old pictures, but the others have a lot I can use.

Mark5:  They're not identical, but the F60 bulkhead cars, and the flat they're built on, are very similar to the IM 60' flatcar.  Quality Craft made a wood kit for the bulkhead version, in O and HO, back in the 60s, and I've been building N scale models since the 70s, based on that kit.  Finally, with online photos and the IM flatcar, I have a reasonably close model.