Couple of autorack era questions

[Denver Road Doug]

I recently bought a handful of RC autoracks and I'm curious about the era on a couple of the schemes.  I model 1999 +/- "couple o' years" and I think these may be newer schemes.  One is CSX and it gives me the impression it is a "CSX B&O scheme" job. (post-200...4?)  It has dark blue CSX letters with a line under them.  See http://www.wig-wag-trains.com/RedCaboose%20Pages/Pictures/Autoracks/19206_CSX.jpg .

Second one is a very spartan looking CN rack...yellow with skinny CN noodle logo in black.  Just seems to be from the ultra modern "minimalistic" approach.  Any help would be appreciated.

BTW, is there a 12-step program for autorack addiction?  

[oakcreekco]

BTW, is there a 12-step program for autorack addiction? 


Yes, make 12 separate purchases, multiple cars each purchase ;D That worked for me until I had enough racks.

[Hyperion]

CSX's newer logo is Yellow outlined in dark blue.  That logo you've got pictured there is quite old.  Not sure when it was started, but judging by the extremely poor condition of cars I've seen painted in that scheme, it's got to be prior to 2000.

Again, not for certain on the CN cars, but I think the yellow ones with the CN logo in black are newer than your era, and the dark blue (?) cars with white logo would be more appropriate.

[Ian MacMillan]

BTW, is there a 12-step program for autorack addiction? 


Yes, make 12 separate purchases, multiple cars each purchase ;D That worked for me until I had enough racks.

HA same for me, thats how I ended up with the 50 I have!

[cv_acr]

Again, not for certain on the CN cars, but I think the yellow ones with the CN logo in black are newer than your era, and the dark blue (?) cars with white logo would be more appropriate.

The older CN fully enclosed racks are black. Although there are some oddball series in a light blueish grey.

[Bob Bufkin]

There are still alot of those black cars running on CSX out of Jessup to Balt and return.

[Denver Road Doug]

Thanks for the replies.  So the CSX = good, CN yellow = probably not.   No biggie either way as I have friends that model "later modern" and can probably swap for something.  I also got a couple of BNSF and a sweet looking CP Rail car (black rack with the red/white logo printed right on the anti-vandalism panel) as well, so it was a good purchase.  I see ALL these schemes these days, but while 1999 sounds pretty current, a lot has changed in those 11 years railroad-wise.

I don't really have that many autoracks, but considering they are rare on the BNSF-era Denver Road and will only really be used for a "staging-through live interchange-back to staging" setup I'd have to say I am autorack saturated.  Eventually I may model part of the Transcon though and they'll be nice to have then.

On a related note, it appears Red Caboose is "done" making autoracks.  Is that accurate, and is there any chance of someone else picking up the line from them.  I haven't noticed if IMRC has announced any but I don't remember if they did.

Doug

[Mark5]

On a related note, it appears Red Caboose is "done" making autoracks.  Is that accurate

No.

At least some are "scheduled" for Aug/Sep:

http://www.imrcmodels.com/newsncomingsoon.html

(not sure how reliable this is, it still shows the G26 coming)

Mark

[bbussey]

They did release around 50 schemes in multiple variations over a two or three year period.  They'll be back.

[Denver Road Doug]

On a related note, it appears Red Caboose is "done" making autoracks.  Is that accurate

No.

At least some are "scheduled" for Aug/Sep:

http://www.imrcmodels.com/newsncomingsoon.html

(not sure how reliable this is, it still shows the G26 coming)

Mark

OK, thanks.  I clicked on the Red Caboose link on IMRC's website an none showed up so I thought they weren't part of the new agreement or something.  That's good news, as they're great models.

Yes, I'm certainly not complaining about availability...like I said I probably have as many as I will ever need unless I expand my modeling scope.  I realize they've release a boatload of schemes and hopefully they'll keep 'em coming.  Now I'm eyeing the TrainCat unloader. 

[unclepete20]

The great thing about auto racks is from what i have seen, as long as its enclosed, you can use it and "get away" with it. A little weathering will go a long ways. I know I have a couple out of era (post 2000) and it doesnt bother me that much, just weather them heavily to make em look like they have been out logging in some miles.

[bbussey]

A second great thing is that the models lend themselves easily to kitbashing possibilities, so they can be backdated and altered in other ways to create additional unique models.

[GaryHinshaw]

Doug, another feature that pegs the CSX car you posted is the Trailer Train logo on the flat.  That places its build date to pre ~1991, when Trailer Train became TTX Corp.  By your 1999 era, maybe 40-50% of the fleet would have the new TTX logo.  Today it's closer to 99%.

-Gary

[lock4244]

The CN yellow car and rack with black noodle is likely good for 1999 given the linked shot was taken in 2000... close enough.

http://freight.railfan.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn712263&o=cn

I'm sitting at 88 of the RC racks, with about 7 more planned. Thirty of so are now out of my era, so they'll get new paint someday. One of my addictions... cylidricals and 86' boxes are two others 

[Denver Road Doug]

Gary, Definitely a "duh" moment when you mentioned the underlying flat car scheme!   :-[   Honestly I hand't taken them out of the boxes when I posted and really didn't pay attention to the photo I posted so it just never occurrred to me.  Although, wouldn't it be possible that a newer rack scheme got applied to an older flat without the flat being repainted?  I know that would be a longshot and I doubt RC would do that, but still.

Yes, since the CN is appropriate for 2000 it will pass muster for my roster.  I try to keep everything cutoff at '99 but I do have some of the BNSF Automax cars which I think are 2000, plus I have a feeling I have at least a few intermodal pieces that are pushing that a bit too.  So I will pretty much allow anything 2000 or early 2001.  I think eventually I may push it out a little further anyway so I won't lose sleep over it.   

I don't have anywhere close to 88, maybe a lttile more than a dozen or so plus four of the articulateds.