New suggestions for MTL

[James Costello]

TTX F89F Flat.

Closer to scale N body mount coupler w/ coushion coupler box.

[sirenwerks]

Just because you used those road names and paint schemes on the wrong cars, shouldn't make them 'exhausted'.

Agreed. Between MTL and InterMountain, a lot of meat reefer schemes have ended up on PFE cars.

I also like Jason's lo-deck flat idea. Some open rack differentiation would be sweet, even if you just do the flat and let TrainCat or another 3rd party do the racks.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

1. PCF 50 foot box with 16 foot door.
2. Waffle box, SOU type.
3. PD3000 Or 5000 hopper.
4. Trinity 2 and 4 bay covered hoppers for cement and plastics service.
5. 13K acid tank.
6. 19K gallon corn syrup car with proto specific handrails (Staley especially).
7. 28K gallon UTLX tank
8. 53 Foot sheet/post trailer
9. 53 Foot reefer trailer
10. 57 foot smooth side reefer.

[MEC_FAN]

Joe, what Wardie said please, and make it a runner pack while your at it!!!!

Well if we are talking Waffles I like this one;

http://gelwood.railfan.net/mec/mec29072akg.jpg

[rogergperkins]

  Joe,  Though not necessarily in the "currently on the rail" category, I would like to see a more aggressive schedule in releasing the n-scale heavy weight passenger cars that I understand are already in the plans for MTL.  The coaches and baggage, ASAP.

[SkipGear]

At least at our shop, gondolas are stagnant. Nobody wants them. Not sure if it is the prototype or the fact that they are gon's but Athearn and Atlas mill gons and modern gons haven't moved since they were released. Anybody looking, we have plenty. With all the flat cars on the way, I'm not sure another is needed right now. Most people can't tell the difference from one 89' flat to the other. Will those that care, create enough sales to make them viable?

Modern-

Trinity 6351 Hoppers - TILX, Vera Sun, etc. etc.
Waffle box - Southern, CSX and others.

Transition-

Carbon Black hopper
40' Flat
Watermellon car

[asarge]

Tony, we have actually been doing pretty well with the Gons down here, but they generally aren't really a very fast mover.

Joe, sticking within what your parameters, I would say the following

1. PS 50' Waffle Sides.  Aweek doesn't go buy where customers don;t ask or talk about the lack of them.
2. PS 4740 Covered Hopper. Yes it is another grain hopper, but there are a ton of schemes that can be done, that are different from the 4427 and Evans car.

Also need to keep the HW cars coming. We selll out every month, even when we get second release.

[inkaneer]

Okay, I know Joe said he wanted something later than transition but there is a car that is probably the most ubiquious car ever and as far asI know has never been done in N scale.   That car is the 'U' channel rebuilt 2 bay open hoppers.  There had to be several hundred thousand two bay hoppers cars both rib side as well as offset side that were rebuilt [rebodied] with 'U" channel sides.  Many of them lasted into the seventies and some into the 80's. 

Another possibility is a small [15-25 ton capacity] rail crane for MOW use. 

[ljudice]

This has to be a regional thing, because up in NJ,  the Atlas gons have been gone in a day - or less, but grain hoppers tend to sit around forever....

The surest bet is probably a waffleside box, but I'd hate to see EXR and MTL end up doing the exact same car.

[Philip H]

This has to be a regional thing, because up in NJ,  the Atlas gons have been gone in a day - or less, but grain hoppers tend to sit around forever....

The surest bet is probably a waffleside box, but I'd hate to see EXR and MTL end up doing the exact same car.

Well if EXR had given ANY clue they might do theirs I wouldn't push it, but based on responses so far, I'd say MTL would be first in line.

[unittrain]

Bare in mind too that the Athearn mill gondola is outdated tooling with nearly impossible to fix ride height with the metal underframe being glued on.

[ljudice]

There is a way to fix the Athearn/Roundhouse mill gon!!!

You can pry off the underframe - I've gotten every one I've tried off without any damage.

Then glue on an Atlas EVANS 52' gondola underframe and 100T trucks.

The only issue is that Atlas doesn't seem to sell this part separately.

- Lou

[unittrain]

Thanks for the info on the fix as I have quite a few of them and the only big problem is the ride height. I'll try to do this and add BLMA 100 ton trucks

[sirenwerks]

Anybody looking, we have plenty. Most people can't tell the difference from one 89' flat to the other.

You seem to think all flats are 89' and carried TOFC/COFC. I don't know I agree with your cautionary approach (it would be great to fulfill ALL of my piggybackin' needs at once) but let's not lump all flats into one generalized category.

BTW, I say yes to gons (those that ran in the 60s). I just bought numerous BLMA cars and Athearn mill gons. Most of the othes on the market are too new. I'd buy MTL if they were the right length.

Joe, here's another car I'd like to see, as I know there are some others - an alternative to the offset side hoppers currently available:



If MTL can manufacturer the panel side cars, I imagine this is a model it would like too.

[sizemore]

As a side note I am working on modifications to the coupler, the slinky think irritates me as well.

Thanks again for your support and help.

Cheers

Joe
MTL

Does the modifications of the coupler for slinky effect also include revisions for more scale and prototypical appearance?

Thanks,
The S.