October MicroTrains

[ljudice]

https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=63_64

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Those CE12Bs are pretty.

[thomasjmdavis]

I have the "atomic cannon" set already on order.  Think I'll see if I can get the shop to order a  GATX tank car to go with, and save a little shipping.

And an interesting passenger train mentioned in the Micro News https://www.micro-trains.com/publicfiles/monthly/MN2210.pdf

I am very tempted to go after the Wabash Cannonball set- which we were talking about as a possibility a couple months ago.  Kudos to our friends at MTL for picking up on the conversation.
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=54188.msg743061#msg743061
 One of the trains I am modeling is the Banner Blue. The Cannonball (Detroit/Toledo to St Louis) and the Banner Blue (Chicago-St Louis) had similar consists.  The only problem is that I've already done a number of cars on my own.  So, I guess I'll just have to also model the Midnight with the extra cars.

[nickelplate759]

I have the "atomic cannon" set already on order.  Think I'll see if I can get the shop to order a  GATX tank car to go with, and save a little shipping.

And an interesting passenger train mentioned in the Micro News https://www.micro-trains.com/publicfiles/monthly/MN2210.pdf

I am very tempted to go after the Wabash Cannonball set- which we were talking about as a possibility a couple months ago.  Kudos to our friends at MTL for picking up on the conversation.
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=54188.msg743061#msg743061
 One of the trains I am modeling is the Banner Blue. The Cannonball (Detroit/Toledo to St Louis) and the Banner Blue (Chicago-St Louis) had similar consists.  The only problem is that I've already done a number of cars on my own.  So, I guess I'll just have to also model the Midnight with the extra cars.

Well, from the illustration it looks like they are doing the late 1950s/early 1960s version with silver roofs.  So - not quite the same as the mid 1950s set I just finished painting, although really only the roof color is significantly different.        I was hoping for early 1950s with Extended Roman lettering.

[MRLX1020]

That Wabash set and the CP 60' NSC boxes are nice.  Come on Tax Return!!!

[mu26aeh]

Nothing to order this month, already have the mow set on PO

[thomasjmdavis]

Well, from the illustration it looks like they are doing the late 1950s/early 1960s version with silver roofs.  So - not quite the same as the mid 1950s set I just finished painting, although really only the roof color is significantly different.        I was hoping for early 1950s with Extended Roman lettering.

I admit, I didn't consider the roof color- I've had to paint the roof black on every ready to run Wabash car I've ever had - pending the delivery of the Blue sleeper coming from Lowell Smith (for that matter, every ready to run Wabash car I've ever seen had a silver roof).  But in any case, painting or swapping roofs on MTL cars is not a big challenge. On the lettering, now that you mention it (although it fits my 1956 timeframe well), the RPO would be accurate for the original appearance of the car if it had the extended lettering.  By the time the Futura lettering was adopted, the sides and windows had been rebuilt to have all 6 windows together, rather than 4+2 or 3+3. 

I guess I was in a more forgiving mood than usual (for new passenger cars).  This is obviously just a set of varied roads prototypes painted into Wabash colors.  But as close as anything out there that is still in production (it has been a long time since WoT ran their baggage, which is the only really accurate Wabash heavyweight that comes to mind). EDIT- catching my own error....the WoT is an accurate (or very close) body style for Wabash. But (I just checked mine), they used metallic gold, rather than correct yellow, for the lettering, on the blue cars. grumble

[Englewood]

I find it interesting that more and more MT cars are pre-orders now. Especially the $40+ ones...

[Bill H]

Curious as to the dates on the GATX car, hopeful it will fit my late 40's period...

[wcfn100]

Curious as to the dates on the GATX car, hopeful it will fit my late 40's period...

I was looking at that one too but to fit my 66-68' time frame.

Unfortunately, it looks like a 1-69 date.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Since it's just a reweight date, I'll probably just get it and scratch it off.  I don't see a 'NEW' date on the car.

Jason

[thomasjmdavis]

Curious as to the dates on the GATX car, hopeful it will fit my late 40's period...

Prototype photo of 871 here:
https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2016/01/waybills-part-48-multi-compartment-tank.html

In that prototype photo, it is clearly late 60s or later, because of the ACI label.  Which the MTL model does not have (at least, not in the promo graphic image). 
I tried enlarging the MTL graphic, but I can't get it clear enough to say for sure what the shop date is.  The prototype photo appears to have a build date on the frame near the right hand truck, but I can't read that either. But given the riveted construction, I am fairly sure it is early enough to fit for a 40s or 50s layout.
A bigger issue might be, when did GATX adopt the angular "stencil gothic" type (on the G and the , which I suppose might make it a non-starter for my mid 50s timeframe as well.  Ah well....maybe I can get an undec....

[sd45elect2000]

I was looking at that one too but to fit my 66-68' time frame.

Unfortunately, it looks like a 1-69 date.

(Attachment Link)

Since it's just a reweight date, I'll probably just get it and scratch it off.  I don't see a 'NEW' date on the car.

Jason

These cars were built in the Late 30s , I will also be scratching off non relevant dates.

Randy

[sd45elect2000]

Prototype photo of 871 here:
https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2016/01/waybills-part-48-multi-compartment-tank.html

In that prototype photo, it is clearly late 60s or later, because of the ACI label.  Which the MTL model does not have (at least, not in the promo graphic image). 
I tried enlarging the MTL graphic, but I can't get it clear enough to say for sure what the shop date is.  The prototype photo appears to have a build date on the frame near the right hand truck, but I can't read that either. But given the riveted construction, I am fairly sure it is early enough to fit for a 40s or 50s layout.
A bigger issue might be, when did GATX adopt the angular "stencil gothic" type (on the G and the , which I suppose might make it a non-starter for my mid 50s timeframe as well.  Ah well....maybe I can get an undec....

Sadly I don’t have a lot of info on GATX lettering. I have SHPX and UTLX but I’ll have to dig to find the font style of the 1940s GATX cars. I think that this style was used during WW2 but I have no evidence yet.

I have dozens of intermountain cars that have the same lettering.
Randy

[thomasjmdavis]

Here is a proto photo from the Tangent Models site. 
https://www.tangentscalemodels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/GATX-13908-1000.jpg

This may be a case where the lettering styles are sort of backwards historically.  More modern tank cars have more curve to the letters than the older cars, judging by this photo (vs cars from the 70s and later), and looking at the GATX HO set at Black Cat publishing, that covers late 20s-1965. 

I think I am happy enough with the MTL car as is, just need to backdate the last shop date.  Or ignore it, as I am sure that without magnification, I won't be able to read it anyway.

[Sokramiketes]

Can someone confirm that EJ&E flatcars came in green with yellow lettering?  I have black car with white lettering in my memory.