Athearn announces tri-level autoracks in HO, start sending your letters.

[sirenwerks]

I wnet searching per my above request and I ran across this:





It appears to be a contraption loaded on a flatcar, also with ramps, to reach second/third levels on auto racks.  This is just freaky.

[sirenwerks]

Hijacking, I know...


Anyone know when this came about?





It looks like a Flexi van flat fitted with a rack, but that's just my take.

[wcfn100]

I wnet searching per my above request and I ran across this:





It appears to be a contraption loaded on a flatcar, also with ramps, to reach second/third levels on auto racks.  This is just freaky.

Yeah, that's the RDG car I mentioned.  IIRC, it's actually a cut down gondola.  The CGW and CNW cars are the same or very similar Dana rack (but on regular flat cars).  The MILW one is much different.

You should be able to find the MILW car online (I don't remember how I found it), the CNW and CGW cars I saw on EBay.


Jason

[wcfn100]

Here's the link to pics of the the Milwaukee Road car.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/trains-n-trucks/albums/72157612698935534


Jason

[nkalanaga]

Sirenwerks:  The picture is 1974 or later, because the car has the 1974 version of a consolidated stencil.  BN 33?824 doesn't seem to have one, so probably not too much after 1974, as one would have been added the first time the car was lubed after they were required, which I believe was July 1974.

Mark5:  The N&W car is one of those I have questions about, as I model mid 1974.  The brown cars I know are good, unless they were repainted yellow before 1974, but the yellow cars might be too new for me.

And then there's the picture I have of a CB&Q rack (has to be painted earlier than 3-70), on a yellow flatcar.

[wcfn100]

Sirenwerks:  The picture is 1974 or later, because the car has the 1974 version of a consolidated stencil.  BN 33?824 doesn't seem to have one, so probably not too much after 1974, as one would have been added the first time the car was lubed after they were required, which I believe was July 1974.

The original photo is captioned as 1993.


Jason

[Missaberoad]

Sirenwerks:  The picture is 1974 or later, because the car has the 1974 version of a consolidated stencil.  BN 33?824 doesn't seem to have one, so probably not too much after 1974, as one would have been added the first time the car was lubed after they were required, which I believe was July 1974.

BN 33x824 has a post 1978 consolidated stencil below and to the right of the logo, partially obscured by the autorack. (well mostly obscured )

[AlbertSpor]

The above car is an Alaska Railroad (ARR), ex Southern Pacific F-70-14 GATC Clejan flat car that was stretched from 79' 6", to 85', then 89', with a W & K rack.
That is the Clejan base that looks similar to a flexivan flat. There is a picture of the 85' version, on page 45 of the Morning Sun SP color guide, volume 1.

Albert Spor

[Missaberoad]

The above car is an Alaska Railroad (ARR), ex Southern Pacific F-70-14 GATC Clejan flat car that was stretched from 79' 6", to 85', then 89', with a W & K rack.
That is the Clejan base that looks similar to a flexivan flat. There is a picture of the 85' version, on page 45 of the Morning Sun SP color guide, volume 1.

Albert Spor

Thanks for the info! one correction or addition it is not owned by Alaska it is owned by Seattle Alaska Hydro Train hence the ARCX reporting marks.
ARR did not own any autoracks themselves.

[Mark5]

Mark5:  The N&W car is one of those I have questions about, as I model mid 1974.  The brown cars I know are good, unless they were repainted yellow before 1974, but the yellow cars might be too new for me.

I model 1975, and this car is good for 1975 (or 1974) unless there is a later service date or COTS.

TTX switched to yellow starting in 1970. The N&W car is in an odd place so to speak as N&W stopped using the "hamburger" logo in 1971, which suggests that the rack was fitted between 1970 when TTX switched to yellow and 1971 when N&W went "NW". Alternatively, TTX painted the flat yellow after the build date.

Just looked at the artwork, the flat is marked "NEW 12-65" which is odd to me - on the N&W at least, when a car was painted or shopped the shop would replace the "NEW" with a shop date. Maybe Athearn goofed up here (it wouldd'nt be the 1st time).

N&W numbered its racks, and I don't see the rack # in the artwork. I think I can cross reference the flat # though, will check my references when I get a chance to see the actual build date on this series.

Mark

[sirenwerks]

Thanks for the info! one correction or addition it is not owned by Alaska it is owned by Seattle Alaska Hydro Train hence the ARCX reporting marks.
ARR did not own any autoracks themselves.

Ryan, any idea when these Alaska Hydro cars came into being?

[AlbertSpor]

Missaberoad, you are probably correct on the ownership of the car, but I know the SP data is correct. There are more photos in the Volume 1 Morning Sun Guide, as well as the SP freight car series flat car book, both authored by Tony Thompson. It looks like SP converted almost all of their Clejan/G-85 flatcar to autorack service during the 60s. I hope to figure out a way to model some of these.
Albert Spor

[sirenwerks]

The above car is an Alaska Railroad (ARR), ex Southern Pacific F-70-14 GATC Clejan flat car that was stretched from 79' 6", to 85', then 89', with a W & K rack.
That is the Clejan base that looks similar to a flexivan flat. There is a picture of the 85' version, on page 45 of the Morning Sun SP color guide, volume 1.

OK, so I was off on the origin.  But, the cars below were Flexi-van.  Apparently the NYC did use Mark III cars for auto service.

[wm3798]

Nice!  Dodge Lancers/Plymouth Valiants!

The curse of the open rack car...  $50 for the car (maybe it will street around $38.50?) plus a dozen decent looking automobiles... at $6 a piece maybe?  So for a loaded car, you're investing over $100 per car. 

The good news is that those of you who don't like the MT cars (which I thought were ridiculous at $25) will now be dumping those cars to pursue the newer (and I assume far superior) Athearn car... creating a glut of otherwise decent looking and operating auto racks... maybe?

Lee

[wcfn100]

OK, so I was off on the origin.  But, the cars below were Flexi-van.  Apparently the NYC did use Mark III cars for auto service.

N Scale Kits makes that Flexi-Van carrier fwiw.

Jason