Wheels of time flats

[ai5629]

Too bad I can't use it, as it's too young for my era.  The deck doesn't bother me, as I would be replacing it with wood anyway so that I could distress it realistically.

While they are too new for your NH era, they are good your 1980 CR era.  According to an April 1980 ORER: 163 of the 200 NYC class 888F PS built flatcars still carried NYC reporting marks!  By July of 1984, that number dropped to 114 of 200 with NYC reporting marks.  Conrail did not start repainting these cars in significant numbers until 1981 / 1982.  While not 100% correct for NYC, I am really leaning towards getting a few to complement my fleet of Conrail, Penn Central and PRR class F41 Athearn GSC flatcars.  How can I resist a car that has body mounted couplers, metal wheels and correct ride height?  Laser cut wood decks would make these sweet.  Thanks.

Jeff

[John]

LOL!  Welcome to the club Jason.  Make sure you have the final product available before making any "constructive" observation.

Sorry Dr. Hot Ballz, I couldn't help myself.  I'll be quiet now.

That's BS and you guys know it  .. just say what you think about a model and don't beat around the bush ..  if you stick to constructive observations, you should be good to go .. 

[tom mann]

You all know that criticism is more than welcome here.  Stop playing games.  But you also know what isn't welcome here.

[wcfn100]

You all know that criticism is more than welcome here.  Stop playing games.  But you also know what isn't welcome here.

I guess when you get banned because other parties can't handle themselves, you get touchy about it.

So ripping pre-production photos is back on.  I'll get my books and magnifying glass! 


Jason

[OldEastRR]

I don't see where the date in the product info when these cars were first built.
And it's not just a case of replacing the thick deck. You also have to replace and inset the "T" framing at each end of the car. Those parts are supposed to be level with the car frame.
The Athearn ones do this well.

[SkipGear]

The deck is thick but the visual problem is that the seams in the boards don't wrap around the sides of the deck. Fixing that would go a long way in improving the general look.

[Philip H]

The deck is thick but the visual problem is that the seams in the boards don't wrap around the sides of the deck. Fixing that would go a long way in improving the general look.

Agreed

I guess I don't think a thinner deck is worth it to make the car incorrect.   


Jason

Apparently I'm missing something because I don't see how a thinner deck makes the car incorrect. I was simply pointing out that if the deck remains to thick on the production car I'll probably remove it and add a layered wood deck. That is, afterall, moDelng which we pur port to do around here.

[wcfn100]

Agreed

Apparently I'm missing something because I don't see how a thinner deck makes the car incorrect.

The short answer is because the NYC car shouldn't have an all wood deck. You can see what they are trying do with the deck in the pre-production shot, but that's just not going to work well with the stake pocket configuration of the SP car.

Turns out I have a MILW car ordered as well which fortunately looks like it should be all wood deck.


Jason

[wcfn100]

The deck is thick but the visual problem is that the seams in the boards don't wrap around the sides of the deck. Fixing that would go a long way in improving the general look.

Not necessarily.  The boards on flat car decks are wider than they are tall.  This deck may be thick enough to make the boards look like they're standing on end.

Those parts are supposed to be level with the car frame.

Those parts are level with the tops of the boards, so they are raised off the frame however thick the boards are fora given car.

Jason

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I think the Athearn GSC flat was the high point. Removable wood portions, nice weight. And the deck was convincing enough so that I didn't want to run out and get a laser cut wood deck at first glance. BLMA's 60' car was in the same boat but a slightly different animal. (Atlas, lets see these car in Conrail!)

[Dave V]

I think the Athearn GSC flat was the high point. Removable wood portions, nice weight. And the deck was convincing enough so that I didn't want to run out and get a laser cut wood deck at first glance. BLMA's 60' car was in the same boat but a slightly different animal. (Atlas, lets see these car in Conrail!)

+1 on the Athearn car.  The Walthers one is decent too.

[bbussey]

While they are too new for your NH era, they are good your 1980 CR era.  According to an April 1980 ORER: 163 of the 200 NYC class 888F PS built flatcars still carried NYC reporting marks!  By July of 1984, that number dropped to 114 of 200 with NYC reporting marks.  Conrail did not start repainting these cars in significant numbers until 1981 / 1982.  While not 100% correct for NYC, I am really leaning towards getting a few to complement my fleet of Conrail, Penn Central and PRR class F41 Athearn GSC flatcars.  How can I resist a car that has body mounted couplers, metal wheels and correct ride height?  Laser cut wood decks would make these sweet.  Thanks.

That is true, I could use it in 1980 and beat the crap out of a car deco'd for NYC.  Other models are ahead of it on the priority list, including this model in SP period-appropriate paint.  I don't have any SP cars in the 1956 fleet, so this would be the lone representative.

I guess I don't think a thinner deck is worth it to make the car incorrect.   

It would be easy enough to laser-cut the steel sections of the deck out of plastic or cardstock as well as the wood sections out of actual wood.  I don't see a problem, other than having to paint the "steel" sections.

[bbussey]

I don't see where the date in the product info when these cars were first built.
And it's not just a case of replacing the thick deck. You also have to replace and inset the "T" framing at each end of the car. Those parts are supposed to be level with the car frame.
The Athearn ones do this well.

This link will give you the build and service dates of the schemes being released.

http://www.wheelsotime.com/display/ShowImage?imageUrl=/picture/2nd-run-all.png?pictureId=20848196

[mcjaco]

If it's like the SP Bulkhead flat they did, I'm not sure that deck is removable.  I have to look at the three I got, but the deck is way oversized on those too.  It was the one thing I am not happy about with those cars.  I'm hoping loads will distract from the thickness.

[bbussey]

Tough to tell for certain either way in the NYC photo. It might have to be milled off.