Sneak Peek: Prairie Shadows' Pte. St. Charles Van

[ryan_wilkerson]

About the 52'8" bulkhead flat...is this the same as this DWC I got photos of about a decade ago?
http://www.shastarails.com/photos/pv.asp?pid=4486



This is the first I've heard of this being manufactured. Are these going to be offered as undec models or decorate?
What's the price range?

[lock4244]

The car you shot, DWC 605054 was built by CN at it's Transcona shops in Winnipeg, 1973. Looks identical to me, but I'm not 100% sure it if is the same as the HS cars. But don't worry, there were 400 of them built by HS for the DW&P... DWC 605200-605499, so they should be offered in the green/black scheme.

[ryan_wilkerson]

The car you shot, DWC 605054 was built by CN at it's Transcona shops in Winnipeg, 1973. Looks identical to me, but I'm not 100% sure it if is the same as the HS cars. But don't worry, there were 400 of them built by HS for the DW&P... DWC 605200-605499, so they should be offered in the green/black scheme.

Thanks for the details. I've always liked the design of these so I'd like to get a couple to mix in with the other lumber flats. Looking forward to the details of the release!

[NARmike]

For the PSC van...

Jeff tells me he should have a painted sample with him at Supertrain in Calgary in April and it will be available sometime in the fall.

All I knew about the HS bulkhead flat was seeing the CAD drawings... I didn't know he was this far along in the project to have a sample... Thanks JSL... thats good news too.

[Puddington]

The HS Bulkhead flat is awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Praire Shadows is fast becoming my favorite new supplier....

[JSL]

Jeff would shoot me if I showed everything in the pipeline!

[ljudice]

I'm sure the bulkhead flats made it out of BC and south and eastward into the US, right?

[Puddington]

Jeff would shoot me if I showed everything in the pipeline!

....if he promised just to wing you would you consider telling...? 

[Scottl]

There are some of those HS bulkheads in a steel yard in town here.  They are still in use for a lot of purposes.  Great stuff!

[lock4244]

I'm sure the bulkhead flats made it out of BC and south and eastward into the US, right?

The reporting marks BCIT denote 'international' service... back in pre-free trade days. These things were all over the US with CNIS, DWC, and BCIT reporting marks. In modern times, many have migrated to CN's US operations, or at the least, they carry WC reporting marks. Of course, there are Marine Industries and National Steel Car bulkheads that are similar to these (and I'm not an expert... can't pick up the differences by looking), plus pulpwood cars that have bulkheads, but they are not like the car being made.

[lock4244]

Very similar Marine Industries car tricked out for aluminum ingot service. These loaded in Arvaida, PQ., and ran into the US (the ingots, not sure if these bulkheads made it to the US as there were flats tricked out for the service as well).

http://freight.railfan.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn610450&o=cn

[lock4244]

The HS Bulkhead flat is awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Praire Shadows is fast becoming my favorite new supplier....

So, what are we talkin' here? Bank loan or full mortgage?

[cv_acr]

The difference between the model and the DWC car pictured above is the series of cut-outs along the side sill for attaching strapping on that Transcona-built DWC car.

This model as noted matches the H-S prototype; this is the same car Walthers did in HO. The TrueLine trains HO model had a different jacking pad above the bolster which identifies it as a Marine Industries prototype. From what I've seen, the H-S is more common and widespread than the MIL car.

These cars definitely went to the US. These H-S cars could be found in PGE (later BCOL), AC, CN and a few private-owner/leasing marks like FFIX (PROCR/Finlay Forest Products), NAFX (North American) and TPFX (North American/Triangle Pacific Forest Products), as well as PGER (later BCIT), CNIS and DWC (these last ones all international service reporting marks). Walthers has done all of the above in HO except for the CNIS/North American paint scheme - which TLT did do, but this should have been on the H-S version of the car.  Most of TLT's car numbers actually are for car series that match the H-S version, and not anything that actually properly matches the car they did. 

Here's a few inspirational shots, all matching the H-S version that the test sample pictured above represents:

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=ac2412&o=ac

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn603145&o=cn

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn603418&o=cn (North American lease paint scheme)

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=dwc605266&o=dwp
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=dwc605323&o=dwp

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=nafx53202&o=northamerican
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=nafx53244&o=northamerican

Mike mentioned a bunch of these cars going to WC reporting marks in recent years; all of these WC cars are rebuilt as pulpwood cars with added side stakes, a la:
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=wc237348&o=wc
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=wc237709&o=wc

[Puddington]

So, what are we talkin' here? Bank loan or full mortgage?

Knockin over fruit stands.....simple and you get a healthy snack to boot...........

[lock4244]

Heh, fruit stands 

From the 70's to present, this car is right up there with the NSC newsprint boxcar and the cylindrical covered hopper as an iconic Canadian car. A real must have for us Canucks. This is the best N scale freight car news since the PSC was announced, IMO!