Detail Parts Wish List

[Ian MacMillan]

I would buy these by the dozen.

Yes me too!

[Dave Schneider]

Just thought of another flat car load.
We could really use a load of scale wheelsets like these from Tichy in HO.
http://www.tichytraingroup.com/images/parts/4023_1_b.gif
Just about everyone could use a load this this at the shops.

Best wishes, Dave

[Sokramiketes]

Just thought of another flat car load.
We could really use a load of scale wheelsets like these from Tichy in HO.
http://www.tichytraingroup.com/images/parts/4023_1_b.gif
Just about everyone could use a load this this at the shops.

Best wishes, Dave

Fine N Scale #560:
http://www.finenscale.com/loads.html

[Hyperion]

Fine N Scale #560:
http://www.finenscale.com/loads.html

Both are actually fairly old-style, the Fine-N-Scale version being particular old, like maybe turn of the century.

Modern wheel flats (and I say "modern" -- those used in probably the past 30 years at least) use what we call "bunks" permanently installed on flat cars.

These cars can be found in HO -- I give them as part of retirement gifts at the Wheel Plant.  But nothing like them exists in N.  They could be very easily made out of photo-etch though, as the "bunk" is little more than a short box that runs the length of the car on both sides with alternating notches in it for the wheels to sit into so the wheels can be stacked and inter-weaved like the Tichy example.

I've got drawings of ours (the bunks, not the cars, as they're all different) but they'd be unnecessary as the design is so simple.  We simply make them in a variety of lengths as few of my 240-some-odd flats are the same.  They're all converted flats that have fallen from revenue service and range from ancient 50' cars that used to haul tanks in WW2 all the way to old '70's-era bulkhead flats that we cut the ends off of.  I'm looking into actually having a car builder build some brand-new right now though.

Here's a good quarter-view of what they all look like:



Of the other 2 manufacturers of wheelsets in the country (contract shops, no other Class I except BNSF makes their own anymore), both use a great deal of trucks to move their wheels actually.  Progress Rail uses railcars that look very similar in design to mine.  Greenbrier uses trucks even more extensively than Progress and has tested a few different methods of shipping by rail, including some rather odd separate racks on 89' flats similar to the framed flat-bed loads you sometimes see on COFC cars, though I don't believe they make as much (if any) use of the 'traditional' wheel flat as BNSF or Progress does.

[Dave Schneider]

Fine N Scale #560:
http://www.finenscale.com/loads.html

Thanks Mike, I had forgotten about these. Not sure about the availability of these, and I would prefer a more modern (non-ribbed) wheelset.

Best wishes, Dave

[DKS]

I'm listening very carefully to everyone. Thanks for all of the great feedback so far.

[Denver Road Doug]

I'm looking for something for a throw that can operate an Atlas code 55 switch, that is smaller than what is currently available.  It does not have to power the frog.  The overall design/shape of it doesn't matter much to me.  It just needs to be smaller.

I pretty much go with this except I want it to power the frog.   Say, 30-40% smaller than the CI version while still maintaining usability would be a step in the right direction.

I also echo the auto frames, and the wheelset frames as flat car loads.

For pure "detail parts" I'd say spark arrestors for an SW1200, and a working EOT device.  (the Sunrise are fine, and seem to be available despite the doomsday reports.  But, having another option would be great)

[Packer]

I'm listening very carefully to everyone. Thanks for all of the great feedback so far.

How about 5-step step wells for various GN units. Like the Railflyer step wells (they don't do a 5-step)?

[cf7]

I can always use the EMD non-turbo exhaust stacks like are on the GP7/9's, etc.  Sunrise did make them in both the standard and extended heights.

Chuck

[u18b]

David,

We're up to six pages.

Would you say there is pent up demand since Sunrise went out of business?  BLMA helps, but no one even touches what Sunrise was doing-- and there is so much more that could be done.

[pnolan48]

David,

Sorry I missed this thread until now. I would like to see winches, as they are everywhere. One moderate size cargo ship or tanker has at least 30 of them. And they are everywhere, if often overlooked, on a railroad.

[Dave Schneider]

To keep adding to the list, how about truck sideframes for the Milwaukee Road/Soo Line/Wisconsin Central SDL-39? This is a relatively straightforward kitbash and I believe that the Atlas RSD-4 mechanism has the correct dimensions/wheelbase.

Continuing on the Milwaukee Road theme, how about a new fuel tank, air tank, piping arrangement like this one on the SW-1200. I suspect that other roads had a similar configuration.


Best wishes, Dave

[wazzou]

Seconded with a caveat to add the spark arrestors and all weather window.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Building on the diesel detail parts, what about a Paducha rebuild kit that includes air filters, front cab windows, lift rings, windshield wipers, MU hoses and coupler lift bars, and cutting jig? It would be great to have a one stop kit to super detail Atlas GP7/9 or the Walthers GP18.

[SD452XR]

Just thought of another flat car load.
We could really use a load of scale wheelsets like these from Tichy in HO.
http://www.tichytraingroup.com/images/parts/4023_1_b.gif
Just about everyone could use a load this this at the shops.

Best wishes, Dave

Definately need these wheel cars!