Trainworx Stac Pac

[unittrain]

Just seen the cover of model railroad news and it says Trainworx presents Stac Pac in N, wonder if Pat is about to announce the flat cars for these?

[w neal]

I'm afraid you've already missed them by several months. And no, he is not making flat cars for them. I asked him personally.

[wpsnts]

Has anyone here modified existing flat cars to carry these loads? If so what did you do?

[Missaberoad]

Best I can gather its a complete scratchbuild.
They were designed for a low deck flatcar. I believe the only model of anykind came with the vertipac, which doesn't lend itself to a kitbash.

I stand to be corrected tho...

[unittrain]

I'm afraid you've already missed them by several months. And no, he is not making flat cars for them. I asked him personally.

Didn't miss the containers as I bought several when they came out, I just figured since they're mentioning them in a a magazine and a Stac Pac consists of more than just a container that it might have indicated a flat car release. If the magazine is just know mentioning the containers they're way behind.

[jagged ben]

I used some MT COFC cars as stand-ins.  They fit well on the brackets that MT provides for containers, plus I put aome tacky putty underneath to keep them better secured.

As far as a more accurate car, I agree that's probably a scratch build.  Disappointing that Pat would say he's not doing it, hoped he would at least say maybe sometime but not soon.

You can find the stac-pacs online in a few places, I'm pretty sure, they are not sold out.  Try MBK and eBay, or just google.

[jagged ben]

A couple good photos here showing how the deck on these cars sits lower than the coupler journal box.  The slot on the bottom of one end of the stac-pacs is for fitting over the journal box.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3122756
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3122759

More photos of these cars here.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsList.aspx?id=SP&rid=517300
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsList.aspx?id=SSW&rid=80300

It might be possible to kitbash from a BLMA car, but I don't know if that would be easier than scratchbuilding.  The BLMA car would be a better stand-in than the MT, actually.  N-scale kits also makes a version of the same car.

Most or all were later converted to more conventional tri-level autoracks.

Did any other railroads besides SP have these?

[wcfn100]

Did any other railroads besides SP have these?

Santa Fe had some.


I purchased a drawing for the F89CH which is a lo-deck car, and it may just be something that cannot be mass produced N scale, or at least not without doing it the way the Vert-a-Pac is done as an integrated design with the containers.  The floor is simply too thin with no where to hide any extra support.

One more thing that I recently noticed, the F89CH trucks are on a 5'2" wheelbase which no one makes.  I need to check some other lo-deck drawings to see if other cars were like this.


Jason

[wcfn100]

Best I can gather its a complete scratchbuild.
They were designed for a low deck flatcar. I believe the only model of anykind came with the vertipac, which doesn't lend itself to a kitbash.

And isn't built as a lo-deck car anyway.   The coupler is probably  2' (yes, feet) too low compared to the ends. 

Jason

[jagged ben]

Santa Fe had some.

So did Trailer Train, as I just discovered.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rrradioman/8597846735/in/photostream/

I purchased a drawing for the F89CH which is a lo-deck car, and it may just be something that cannot be mass produced N scale, or at least not without doing it the way the Vert-a-Pac is done as an integrated design with the containers.  The floor is simply too thin with no where to hide any extra support.

One more thing that I recently noticed, the F89CH trucks are on a 5'2" wheelbase which no one makes.  I need to check some other lo-deck drawings to see if other cars were like this.

Jason

Well I guess we know who to ask for details if we want to try scratchbuilding!   

I agree about the Exactrail Vertipac, just looked at mine and it's not built as a low deck at all.  Maybe one could body mount MT 2004 couplers on it to avoid major surgery.  28" fox valley wheels too, I suppose.  This kind of thing might not be quite so easy or satisfying to get the Stac-Pac version since the coupler details are so much more visible.  Besides, the Exactrail Vertipacs are pretty rare and I wouldn't want to cut one up, let alone two for the containers I have.