MicroAce Schnabel Flatcar

[ljudice]

Check out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Heavy-Duty-Freight-Car-SHIKI-810-Microace-A8575_W0QQitemZ200332324473QQihZ010QQcategoryZ486QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

This looks much more North American than the Minitrix model. Of course it is 1/150, but proportionally looks good - and I suspect the loading gauge in Japan is pretty small, so perhaps it's a smaller overall prototype than typical US versions.

Whaddya-think???

[Walkercolt]

I've seen it in "real life" and it looks more "Japanese" from the side than that oblique view. From two feet, it wouldn't be glaringly "wrong". I didn't look at the 'bay price, but it's a nice model, if it's reasonably priced(you'll set the price in your head).

[up1950s]

Would in real life a Schnabel Car be manufactured in Germany and shipped to various railroads and countries , and if that is true then then how does one other than paint look Japanese ?

[ljudice]

That was my thought, although the European ones look substantially different...

It would be nice to see more views of it though...

[absnut]

There’s a wealth of information here about Schnabels.  It would appear that those built for USA service were (at least most of them) built here.

http://southern.railfan.net/schnabel/schnabel.html

Ever consider scratching one?  They really lend themselves to fairly easy construction techniques.

[Walkercolt]

Someone some years ago scratch built a Schnabel car and I think showed it on the Atlas Board(and did a very very good job). I drooled at the Overland Schanbel car, but it would just make it around our N-TRAK 4' corners on the outside line, and the overhang on the curves made you worry about smaking passenger cars on the middle line. Too many $$$ for me for a "shelf-queen".

[absnut]

You'll notice I built the longer of the two with two "center" sections:  one with a load, the other in the empty configuration.  Yes, with the load, it requires super broad curves and lots of clearance but, in the empty configuration, it handles 11" curves as well as a passenger car with no clearance problems.  That being said, mine for most of the time, are display pieces.  And, it goes without saying:  right after I built a few of these, they came out with one in brass!

[ljudice]

absnut: those are nice models!  Way beyond my scratchbuilding skills!

walkercolt: the overland model is nice - and in fact I've seen that specific prototype several times.

I often wonder if the best niche for MicroTrains in modern models would be to do real oddballs like these giants or some of the very large tank cars. Other ones might be some of the DODX Nuke cars. Collectors would snap them up and they would be building a model everyone else would take a close look at.

The most common monster load here on the CR/NS Lehigh Line was always the Air Products loads - but they were long - ususally straddled on top of a pair of massive depressed center flatcars - similar to the shorter ones made by NscaleKits/Alan Curtis.

[Bob Bufkin]

Too new for me.  If someone came out in N with this one, I'd snap it up quick:

http://www.kohs.com/PRR%20Flat%20Car%20Pages/PRR%20FD_FW%20Prototype%2001.html

[absnut]

The Schnabels are actually a little too new for my transition era layout.  I've tried twice to build the PRR "Queen Mary" but had difficulties with the center section.  So, using the concept, some sheet and strip styrene and a couple pairs of Bachmann tender trucks, I "freelanced" this:

[Mark5]

Too new for me.  If someone came out in N with this one, I'd snap it up quick:

http://www.kohs.com/PRR%20Flat%20Car%20Pages/PRR%20FD_FW%20Prototype%2001.html

What the heck did that haul?

EDIT: Found this: http://southern.railfan.net/highwide/prr.jpg

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I've never really seen the appeal of these monsters. But then again, I don't think I've actually seen one in person, either.

Well, I have seen the PRR FD2 at the Altoona museum, but never a schnabel.

[wm3798]

I think these came out in the late 60's, around the same time as the first 86' high cubes and the whale belly tank cars.  Manufacturers gravitated to some large pieces of rolling stock for N scale, because they could!

I can see where a car like that would come in handy for an ops session to throw in a high and wide movement to mess up the schedule...
Lee

[GaryHinshaw]

They do pose challenges for the prototype too:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=171426&nseq=6

Imagine the overhang on a model curve.  Even out in the wilds they practically dwarf the landscape:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=172145&nseq=5

It would be awesome to see one of these movements in person.

-Gary

P.S. Nice models Absnut.

[Chris333]

There was a Westinghouse transformer plant in Sharon, PA. The Erie would haul them:
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/el/frt/em0757-1.html