TTX prototypes for N scale MT bulkhead flat

[nkalanaga]

There have been several topics on the prototypical shortcomings of this model, but this one is a very simple question.

I have one of these lettered for Trailer Train, but for a 68 foot car, with TTPX reporting marks.  Obviously this is incorrect.  Did Trailer Train/TTX have any 60 ft flats similar to this one at all?  If so, what were their numbers.  A search of PTTX cars on the photo sites got a few of the older 48'6" inside length cars, and a lot of modern flatcars, after the PTTX marks were repurposed.

For those in other scales, here's a link to Spookshow's page for this car:
http://www.spookshow.net/freight/mtbulkflat.html

For what it's worth, the Kadee (before the split) BN cars I have were lettered for 68 ft cars, but are fairly close to the earlier, shorter cars.  With new lettering they look quite nice.

[Lenny53]

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[Lenny53]

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[Mark5]

According to UMTRR:

Thrall Bulkhead Flat for Burlington Northern, built Mid-1970's (per Feb 1987 Model Railroader)

http://www.irwinsjournal.com/umtrr

I have one lettered for TTX until someone gets around to making the correct model in N.

Maybe ScaleTrains will do it for us: https://www.scaletrains.com/product/rivet-counter-ho-scale-bsc-f68ah-bulkhead-flatcar-trailer-train-oxide-red-2/

@scaletrains

Mark

[mu26aeh]

Lenny, I think those cars you posted are more like the ExactRail cars that are so difficult to find, even though people complain they are too light to stay on rails. 

So if we get ER to rerun the damn things, that if I remember sold out very quickly and people continue to ask them to rerun them, we'd be set.  I guess they should try to make them a little heavier ?  I have scored 2 recently, but haven't had time to run them too much to find out myself

[Lenny53]

Lenny, I think those cars you posted are more like the ExactRail cars that are so difficult to find, even though people complain they are too light to stay on rails. 

I was lucky enough to get one car which I intend to place a load on.

[nkalanaga]

Mu26aeh:  I agree, the TTPX cars are usually 68+ feet long, which is what the MT model is lettered for. 

As for adding weight to the ER models, assuming one doesn't have an above-eye-level track, the underframe should have some out-of-sight places.  Stuffing them with lead putty would add weight and lower the center of gravity.  It would look bad from the bottom, but who looks at the bottom of a car when it's running?

Thank you, everyone.  It looks like the answer is "No, TTX didn't have any similar cars.  They had 60 ft cars with 48'6" inside length, and 68+ ft cars with ?? IL."

[Mark5]

The ER cars are a much more modern version:

The Trenton Works 67'-11" Bulkhead Flat Car is one of the most prolific bulkhead flat cars of the contemporary era. Built in 2005 by Trenton Works of Nova Scotia for TTX under Lot 9327

https://exactrail.com/products/x-n-trenton-works-67-11-bulkhead-flat-car-ttx-forward-thinking-logo-1

Mark

[Mark5]

Thank you, everyone.  It looks like the answer is "No, TTX didn't have any similar cars.  They had 60 ft cars with 48'6" inside length, and 68+ ft cars with ?? IL."

I did a bunch of research years ago on the MTL cars cuz I needed some TT bulkheads, can't seem to find it at the moment.

I'm looking at the July 1974 ORER - I see the F68h & F68ah bulks (ScaleTrains model) under TTPX. What class or number series are the 48'6" cars (pix please).

Thanks!
Mark

[nkalanaga]

PTTX 90500-95399, that I know of.  The lower numbers have square bulkheads, the higher the angled ones I like.  Most of the angled ones seem to have been Trailer Train class F60KH.

Here's a good builders photo:
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=pttx93213&o=ttx from
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/displayrailway.pl?o=ttx

[nkalanaga]

I went back to the Canadian Freight Car Gallery, and dug through the TTPX cars.  Although the links identify them as 62 foot cars, that's the inside length, with 81127, at least, being stenciled "IL 60-6", it also has "L 68-0".  The earliest built date I can find is 1969, which is also when the last of the "IL 48-6" PTTX cars were built.  So, to answer my original question, apparently Trailer Train/TTX never owned an "IL 56-8" car, similar to the MT's model. 

Interesting, as that was a popular size in the Northwest, at least in the late 60s and early 70s.

[James Costello]

From the November 1987 Trailer Train Equipment Guide:











PTTX included classes - F60CH, F60HM, F60KH, TSH60B

TTPX included classes - BSH71, BSH71A/B/C, F68AH, F68BH, F68DH, F68H, TSH71, TSH71A/B/C/D.

[Mark5]

PTTX 90500-95399, that I know of.  The lower numbers have square bulkheads, the higher the angled ones I like.  Most of the angled ones seem to have been Trailer Train class F60KH.

Here's a good builders photo:
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=pttx93213&o=ttx from
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/displayrailway.pl?o=ttx

Thanks! That was the other one.  July '74 ORER shows these as inside length 48'6", outside length 64'10" (a lot of wasted space on the ends me thinks). The ORER shows:
90270-92639
92796-94172
95044-95392

[Mark5]

From the November 1987 Trailer Train Equipment Guide:

Good stuff James!

Mark

[nkalanaga]

An interesting set of pages.  Thank you!  So, that confirms that TTX never had a 56'8" IL bulkhead flatcar, and the MT car isn't usable for TTX.
 
I think the 64'10" length is the coupled length, "over pulling faces", where the 60-foot length is over the strikers.  The end platforms aren't nearly long enough for that to be the deck length.

Also, looking at a few pictures showing the deck from above, both the F60CH and F60KH cars had an even odder deck board arrangement than I expected.  Like the IM model, they have length-wise boards over the center sill, with short cross-wise boards on either side.  But those don't go to the outside of the stake pockets as I always thought.  They stop at the side sills, and then, between the stake pockets, there are short length-wise boards, where the IM flat has metal channels.  Weird.

The early cars, with the square bulkheads, seem to have been the F60CH version, at least on the ones where I can read a class.  The angled bulkheads are the F60KH.  The F60CH survived into the 70s, at least, based on photos.

The F60KH cars may have had '"12 Inch End of Car Cushioning", but they do not have extended draft gear.  Incidentally, the listing by reporting marks says PTTX has 10 inch cushioning, even though they include the F60KH.