MT 89' Undec Flats apparently available again

[Mark5]

N scale supply has them in stock ...

Why MT doesnt re-lease these in Trailer Train and TTX is perplexing.

[davefoxx]

Hmm.  They must have read my post in the "What Product Would You Make for N" thread on the Atlas forum.

I have never understood why MT doesn't mass-produce these cars in TTX schemes.  People would be buying them in numbers to build entire intermodal trains!  That's profit sitting out there just waiting to be gathered up by the first manufacturer to offer such.

Dave

[ljudice]

I have a bunch of these, but I have to ask... Are they not "selectively compressed" especially in the side sill area to make up for the ride height - like the 50' FMC boxcars?

Somehow these cars - to me - seem dated and don't look right.

[Walkercolt]

No, the MT cars compare very nicely with Alan Curtis' metal cars. The DOD runner pack is a puzzler to me. They've sold like "cold cakes" while TTX marked cars would fly off the shelves. FYI: The Micro-Scale TTX decals for the 89' flats is "out of stock" right now, or the airbrush would be spraying the DOD's in my garage....

[asarge]

Hmm.  They must have read my post in the "What Product Would You Make for N" thread on the Atlas forum.

I have never understood why MT doesn't mass-produce these cars in TTX schemes.  People would be buying them in numbers to build entire intermodal trains!  That's profit sitting out there just waiting to be gathered up by the first manufacturer to offer such.

Maybe because in the past MTL hasn't regarded TTX as a collectable scheme compared to Railroad names. Maybe with the runner packs that might change but they did DODX so it doesn't bode well.

It's amazing that Athearn won;t do one because MTL has already done it. Although they did say DI was working on one. Maybe I shouylda pointed out there are at least 4 versions.

[Walkercolt]

If you count the triple 28' versions, there are about 6-8 variations. Maybe more.

[Robbman]

Why bother doing a 'variation' of the same car MT makes (looks like a late P-S design) when you can just do a different car design altogether    

[asarge]

That's what I meant Robbman. At least 4 different companies made an 85-89' flat and that doesn;t count the versions of the same car. It would be interesting to see how Athearn Piggyizes their GSC 53' car.

[sirenwerks]

I was kinda hoping Athearn would do their 85' flat. Is it a channel side?

[peterharris]

the MT cars compare very nicely with Alan Curtis' metal cars.

The 89' cars are still available from N Scale Kits- with the flush sided, channel sided, Z sill and Long Runner versions all available still.

Peter

Peter Harris
N Scale Kits
www.nscalekits.com

[Walkercolt]

Decals are a bit of a problem for kits or re-paints. But I "cheated' on my Alan Curtis spine cars and weathered them pretty hard, so it's hard to see under a trailer it's not correct. Doing a "fleet" of the N Scale kits gets to be a bit of a "project", but they're very nice.

[GaryHinshaw]

Microscale has a good stock of TTX spine decals, set #60-822.  For spines, N Scale Kits is the only game in town.  I agree they are a bit of a project, but I like projects.    Also, since they're heavy, they make good runners.

FYI, it looks like their 89' flat decals are also in stock: #60-747 and: #60-579.

[randgust]

First of all, MT did 'five-pack' kits of TTX flatcars, no trailers or containers, as KITS for a few years.   THOSE WERE GREAT!  I probably bought 20 flats that way.   So its not like it wasn't tried.  The bigger question for Joe & Co. is if they didn't sell, or whatever.  I sure bought a lot.

I've also got a lot of Alan Curtis / N scale Kits flats.   I like to have as much variety as I can get.

Micro-Scale still shows 146 sets of 60-579 TTX 89',  the 60-578 scheme is cleaned out, which is probably the better set.  Years and years ago Walthers had N TTX decals, some shops might still have a few.  I do.

Peter, if you're listening - this is really a case where you may have commission Micro-Scale to do a run for you and simply include the decals with the kits or offer them on your website.  Micro-scale basically wants somebody to sponsor a minimum run.