Atlas 89' TOFC Flats, which is right for the mid 80s?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I know TTX rebuilt these over the years with different hitch styles.

I don't know enough about that whole story to figure out which is right for the mid 80s.

There's the triple hitch, and the mid-end hitches:
Mid End Hitches: http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Atlas-N-89-4-Flat-Car-TT-p/atl-50001048.htm
Triple Hitches: http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Atlas-N-89-4-Flat-Car-TTX-p/atl-50001051.htm

From the description, it sounds like the triple hitches were a later modification (late 80s). Is that right?

[Dave V]

Ed, everything I've found so far in terms of my own era indicates dual hitches right up to the mid 80s.  However, you may apply Ed's Law liberally and run whatever you want...

[James Costello]

IIRC, the TTX speed logo was introduced in 1991 so a good rule of thumb to start with for the mid-80s would be to stick with the "TT" logo.

[bbussey]

The two-hitch version is correct for mid 1980s.

[Robbman]

  TTAX marks as used for 89' hitch cars didn't last long... that mark was reassigned to spine cars in the early 90s,  so an unconverted TTAX car in the mid 80's would be a rarity.  If the car comes with circus ramps, very good chance it's NOT an 80's car.

  TTX started converting 89' cars from the original 40'-45' circus load setup (i.e, both hitches facing the same direction, circus ramps) to the 45'-45' end load setup (i.e, a hitch at each end, facing inward) starting in 1981... KTTX was the prominent mark for that ... in 1984, the program was switched to the RTTX cars... same hitch setup as KTTX, now with a middle hitch added... ALL the ACF classes that got converted to KTTX were eventually converted again to RTTX.

Also, cars that had container pedestals and end hitches got TTWX marks, cars with container pedestals only got TTCX...

[bbussey]

The Atlas model includes container pedestals in the detail parts.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I'll go with the double hitch version then.

Thanks guys (except Dave...)!

[sd75i]

    So the TTAX for the new release atlas car is correct?  I was hoping it wasnt.  I guess I'll pass on those.  Thanks for info.

 dave t

[Robbman]

    So the TTAX for the new release atlas car is correct?  I was hoping it wasnt.  I guess I'll pass on those.  Thanks for info.

 dave t

Absolutely... common in the mid 70s... rare by the mid-80s... non-existent by the late 80s-early 90s. (Don't know the exact date for the last TTAX 89' car in service... for some reason I focused more on F89Js  )

[bbussey]

    So the TTAX for the new release atlas car is correct?  I was hoping it wasnt.  I guess I'll pass on those.

Why would you hope that?  You have the TTX cars that cover the later era.  The TTAX cars fill a definite need.

[sd75i]

   I have TTAX 5 packers, that's all.  I wanted something other than TTAX.  There is plenty of others.

[bbussey]

   I have TTAX 5 packers, that's all.  I wanted something other than TTAX.  There is plenty of others.

Sounds as if the TTX cars are more appropriate for your era:

[sd75i]

  Ok I caved in and got some ttax.  Now it might be time to rid the MT ttax brown cars.