Microtrains - May: many interesting announcements.

[C855B]

Count me "in" for the SP and SSW appliance cars. Saw these all the time when I was a teen, so pretty much dead-on for my modeling period.

What is the era for the three-dome tank? I saw few if any, so I don't know if whether they had faded from the scene by the late '60s, or we just didn't get a lot of tank cars in SoCal.

[Chris333]

Joe, you know about this right?
http://www.atlasrr.com/NLoco/n440loco.htm

Sounds like a new MT civil war "set" waiting to happen.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Late 1800s: Very cool.
Will go nicely with the Republic Locomotive Works kits I got (and have yet to build).
I wonder if MT will offer the ridged frame trucks without couplers in bulk pack...

[Brakie]

Nothing there for me this month even though the BNSF multi pack looks interesting.

Those civil war cars are interesting.

[lock4244]

SPFE 89'flat/trailer runner pack

I don't see this announcement anywhere.

[SkipGear]

I don't see this announcement anywhere.

The whole micronews......via Mr. Skibbe.

http://www.model160.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/MN_0512.pdf

[C855B]

SPFE 89' flat/trailer runner pack

Important (era-wise) correction to Tony's post, on seeing the full announcement - these are PFE flats, with one SP and two PFE trailers. There is a hard milestone at 1978 when PFE ceased to exist, split into SPFE and UPFE. The PFE reporting mark vanished almost overnight, as did their fleet of flats (sold or relettered to the home road, but not SPFE/UPFE).

Color me elated. I have a "Salad Bowl Express" ('70s-era PFE produce train), and needed PFE flats to represent the transition trains with both reefers and TOFC. These orange cars were previously done as custom runs for NSC, and whenever found in the wild are commanding silly prices. My wallet thanks you, Joe.

[Puddington]

Ok; this is where I draw my line...... The CPR 12-1's had no roof mounted a/c vents.. none... never... nil......I'm down with semi foob's but this is over the top for me (and maybe not others, and I'm cool with that) The only CPR roof a/c cars were the five ex-Pullman cars for the SOO Dominion.....hell; I modeled one... but that 12-1 is just not right... Hey Joe; a new roof and we're good..... come on mate !

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Joe, the Civil War era stuff isn't exactly my target... But man MTL has ball for going all in. Link and pin? Seriously? 

That being said. If you made anything in Boston & Worcester, I would have to get it.

[Mark5]

What is the era for the three-dome tank? I saw few if any, so I don't know if whether they had faded from the scene by the late '60s, or we just didn't get a lot of tank cars in SoCal.

This was discussed on RW at some point. Trying to dig it up via search. Meanwhile here's SHPX 111 in 1968:

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/acfx/shpx111ajs.jpg

Pretty sure someone claimed that some ran into the 80s, but right now the RW search is giving me some dead links.

SHPX 42 btw, is at the Illinois Rail Museum:

http://www.irm.org/cgi-bin/rsearch.cgi?freight=Sherwin+Williams+Paint=42

http://www.irm.org/cgi-bin/image.pl?conf=img800&img=/gallery/albums/SHPX42/aae.jpg

Mark

[Wardie]

Joe,

When you develop the link and pin coupler you might consider a conversion kit for that 4-4-0 from Atlas.

[CoalPorter]

I'm already thinking of ways to modify the civil war box car into a slightly newer ice reefer..I hope
they put out undecs right a way too.

Were there many railroads at the time, or are these going to be US Army cars?

[JoeD]

Working on some new roofs, at some point you should be able to swap out the offending unit.

Ok; this is where I draw my line...... The CPR 12-1's had no roof mounted a/c vents.. none... never... nil......I'm down with semi foob's but this is over the top for me (and maybe not others, and I'm cool with that) The only CPR roof a/c cars were the five ex-Pullman cars for the SOO Dominion.....hell; I modeled one... but that 12-1 is just not right... Hey Joe; a new roof and we're good..... come on mate !

[JoeD]

A lot of the union rolling stock was marked as US Military RR  but those used by the South and even the North kept their home road names.  I have one source that quotes a long list of railroads under Southern Control during the war so I suspect we will continue to release these in appropriate names.  I put in an early request for undecs right up front, so let's see what happens.  To answer another question, yes the trucks will be available in bulk and as of now none of them will have couplers mounted to them.  My intention is to keep this whole thing body mount for ease of conversion.  These guys sit pretty high, so it wll be interesting to see them when they are finished. 

Joe
MTL

I'm already thinking of ways to modify the civil war box car into a slightly newer ice reefer..I hope
they put out undecs right a way too.

Were there many railroads at the time, or are these going to be US Army cars?

[Bob Bufkin]

I would put B&O cars high on the list of the oldies.  Also Cumberland Valley and the railroad (can't remember the name) that happend on the Great Locomotive Chase.