M-T COFC Flatcar Question

[southernman]

Question for those who know these things. Are the container pedestals on the M-T cofc flats fixed or posistionable?Thanks

[Missaberoad]

They are fixed plastic frames that snap into holes in the flatcar. You an remove them but there are 4 square holes that dont exist on the TOFC version.

[dcr1793]

Correct, and two versions were made. One with 2 40' container spots and one with 4 20' container spots. The 20' one never made it past the brown TT paint scheme.

Later down the road, there were a couple sets of DOD cars and containers released. The containers were resin and the container pedestals that are included are 3D printed.

[southernman]

Thanks for the replies. I can make informed decisions about future purchases armed with this information.

[nkalanaga]

All of mine are the original versions.  I drilled holes in the pedestals themselves, and in the deck along the pedestal tracks, then cut the center connectors out of the pedestal castings.  With short pieces of 0.020 inch brass rod in the pedestals, I can rearrange them to suit, depending on where I place the deck holes. 

The idea was that in the early 1970s, it wasn't unusual to see three 20-foot containers, equally spaced, on a flatcar.  I couldn't do that with the stock version, so came up with my variation.

A little cutting and splicing on the pedestal castings also allows Sealand 35-foot containers to be hauled.  Just drill matching deck holes.  They can also be put on the TOFC-only cars, as long as the cars have the deck tracks.

[southernman]

All of mine are the original versions.  I drilled holes in the pedestals themselves, and in the deck along the pedestal tracks, then cut the center connectors out of the pedestal castings.  With short pieces of 0.020 inch brass rod in the pedestals, I can rearrange them to suit, depending on where I place the deck holes. 

The idea was that in the early 1970s, it wasn't unusual to see three 20-foot containers, equally spaced, on a flatcar.  I couldn't do that with the stock version, so came up with my variation.

A little cutting and splicing on the pedestal castings also allows Sealand 35-foot containers to be hauled.  Just drill matching deck holes.  They can also be put on the TOFC-only cars, as long as the cars have the deck tracks.

Even more useful information here. Thanks again. Having
never owned one of these, I’m not sure how to go about the modifications you described but I’ve ordered one that should be on the premises by the weekend. I’m sure that after I lay eyes on it and get my head wrapped around the design of it that it will make perfect sense.

You must have read my mind as far as what my intentions were. Early seventies, Sealand containers as well as an assortment of different sized Southern containers, ten , twenty and forty footers. Sounds like I’ll definitely be doing some cutting and splicing. Thanks again.

[nkalanaga]

In my case, I drilled holes, vertically, through the pedestal castings, from the top.  Drill them where the container mounting holes would be, or the pins on many modern container models.  Then separate the two sides of the casting, as the cross pieces will interfere with the rub rails in any position except the factory position.

These holes should line up with the pedestal tracks cast into the deck.  On the prototype, the pedestals are retained by those tracks.  They can be folded down flush at the ends, to clear trailer wheels, or raised, slid along the tracks, and locked in places at the cross slots in the tracks.  I drilled matching holes in the tracks, at the cross slots.  Put a short piece of 0.020 brass wire (or whatever size you like) in the pedestal hole, and use that to hold the pedestal in place on the track. 

You can drill as many holes as you like in the deck, to place containers of any length almost anywhere you like, in multiple combinations.

The only trick is to make sure the pedestal holes are in the right place, so all of the pedestal castings will fit the proper deck holes.