Modern Flatcar Shortage

[ljudice]

The MTL bulkhead flat release this month (with water tanks) gives me a big sadface    because it's based on a car that is too high off the rails, too short to be classed as a "current" typical flat and probably has other compromising features.

There is really not much in this field to compete with it:

  - ER 73' bulkhead flat which is super nice but sold out
  - IM 60' flat which is also very nice
  - RC center partition cars which I used to love but honestly they are too high and not easy to lower
  - NSK flats are nice but 60 footers

I wish Atlas would bring it's HO center partition cars and bulkhead flats to N-scale,  since I know they would do it right...

Or maybe MTL could do an new car based on a more modern prototype?

- ljj

[wcfn100]

There's a shortage of every type of car from every era.


Jason

[basementcalling]

There is always  this.

https://www.shapeways.com/product/DL7MUJZAN/depressed-centerbeam-nscale?li=marketplace&optionId=57308106

I want sulfur tank cars and acid tankers.

[John]

There is always  this.

https://www.shapeways.com/product/DL7MUJZAN/depressed-centerbeam-nscale?li=marketplace&optionId=57308106

I want sulfur tank cars and acid tankers.

thats something you could scratchbuild very easily

[ljudice]

thats something you could scratchbuild very easily

That'll be the day...

[ljudice]

There is always  this.

https://www.shapeways.com/product/DL7MUJZAN/depressed-centerbeam-nscale?li=marketplace&optionId=57308106

I want sulfur tank cars and acid tankers.

I agree on the tank cars...   I don't see a lot of those new fangled centerbeams...

[Snark45]

The MTL bulkhead flat release this month (with water tanks) gives me a big sadface    because it's based on a car that is too high off the rails, too short to be classed as a "current" typical flat and probably has other compromising features.

:

  - ER 73' bulkhead flat which is super nice but sold out
  - IM 60' flat which is also very nice
  - RC center partition cars which I used to love but honestly they are too high and not easy to lower
  - NSK flats are nice but 60 footers


- ljj

Would you mind translating "ER" and "NSK" for ill-informed little me?

Harry

[ljudice]

Sorry!  ER = Exactrail   NSK = Nscale Kits (in the UK - formerly Alan Curtis)


- Lou

[nkalanaga]

The MT bulkhead flatcar is easy to lower, if that's the biggest flaw. 

Remove the floor, and cut the ends off, at the first crossbearer inward from the bolster.

Make new bolsters from styrene strip.  I used 0.069 and 0.030 strip, 1/8 inch wide, with a 5/64 inch hole for the pin.

Body mount 1015 or 1025 couplers directly to the plastic floor.  You'll have to file a notch in the end sill.

Cut the middle 1/4 inch out of the stirrups and glue the stirrups themselves to the floor.  The won't stick, so use some type or contact or rubber cement.  Then glue styrene strips to the inside of the endsills, over the stirrup stubs, to mechanically hold them in place.  The cement in the cats holes won't let them slide, and the styrene keeps the from pulling off.

The whole job takes less than an hour, including glue drying time, and you don't have to repaint the car.  A little touchup on the new coupler box, and some dark paint on the new bolsters and cut ends of the floor, will finish it.

If called for, substitute 100 ton trucks.  Atlas trucks use the same bolster height as MT, and work fine.  If using BLMA, you'll have to adjust the body bolster height to match, but for those, grinding wheel clearance holes in the floor might be just as easy.  You'll still have to cut the stirrups and notch the end sills to body mount the couplers.

The same method works on their regular flats and gons.

[central.vermont]

The MT bulkhead flatcar is easy to lower, if that's the biggest flaw. 

Remove the floor, and cut the ends off, at the first crossbearer inward from the bolster.

Make new bolsters from styrene strip.  I used 0.069 and 0.030 strip, 1/8 inch wide, with a 5/64 inch hole for the pin.

Body mount 1015 or 1025 couplers directly to the plastic floor.  You'll have to file a notch in the end sill.

Cut the middle 1/4 inch out of the stirrups and glue the stirrups themselves to the floor.  The won't stick, so use some type or contact or rubber cement.  Then glue styrene strips to the inside of the endsills, over the stirrup stubs, to mechanically hold them in place.  The cement in the cats holes won't let them slide, and the styrene keeps the from pulling off.

The whole job takes less than an hour, including glue drying time, and you don't have to repaint the car.  A little touchup on the new coupler box, and some dark paint on the new bolsters and cut ends of the floor, will finish it.

If called for, substitute 100 ton trucks.  Atlas trucks use the same bolster height as MT, and work fine.  If using BLMA, you'll have to adjust the body bolster height to match, but for those, grinding wheel clearance holes in the floor might be just as easy.  You'll still have to cut the stirrups and notch the end sills to body mount the couplers.

The same method works on their regular flats and gons.

Got any photo's of this process you did. Sounds interesting.

Jon

[ljudice]

The only problem is that the car is still short and I think the sill is not deep enough...  The Red Caboose cars
can be fixed too.

Of course with enough work anything could be corrected, but the point here is that we need a RTR alternative
to the MTL, ER and Red Caboose cars which are either hard to find or need work to be acceptable.

[nkalanaga]

Unfortunately, I don't take pictures of my projects, and these are old enough that I didn't have a digital camera anyway.  I lowered these MANY years ago, although the 100-ton trucks are a recent addition. 

The bolster is very simple.  In my case, I used a strip each of 0.060 and 0.030 styrene, and a small piece of 0.060 strip of the right height to fill the gap in the center sill.  This car was converted years ago, and doesn't have the retaining blocks for the stirrups.


A comparison of the lowered and stock MT cars.  Finding a stock version wasn't easy, as even the extras in storage have beem lowered.  This one was the only unaltered one I found.  Note that the new trucks aren't Atlas, but the MDC 70-ton trucks I originally installed.  Trim the raised ring from the top of the bolster and add 36 inch wheels, and they look right, as well as sitting at the right height.  For a new conversion, real 100-ton trucks would be better, as well as easier to find, unless, like me, you have a few dozen of the MDCs in stock.


The cars seem to be about the right length for the GN, as they accept a "standard" length load.  For the modern paint schemes MT usually puts on them they may be too short.  And, yes, the side sill does seem a little thin.

[GaryHinshaw]

A few comments, in red:
 

  - ER 73' bulkhead flat which is super nice but sold out
These were much needed, very nice models.  My first batch suffered from sloppy assembly problems (that were not easy to fix) but ER replaced the wonky ones without asking for the original ones back.  Very impressive.  They are sold out now and have never been re-released.  I can only hope they are finding a way to add more weight to them before they release them again...  (I wish they would re-release their Trinity 50' hy-cube too.)
  - IM 60' flat which is also very nice
Agreed.
  - RC center partition cars which I used to love but honestly they are too high and not easy to lower
BLMA 100T trucks help a lot, but then you need to body-mount the couplers and worry about string-lining because the cars are light.  Nonetheless I'm very grateful to have these.
  - NSK flats are nice but 60 footers
NSK does have a bunch of 68' cars that are worth a look:
http://www.nscalekits.co.uk/68ftbulkheadflatcars.html
http://www.nscalekits.co.uk/68ftbulkheadstakeflatcars.html
http://www.nscalekits.co.uk/fingerrack.html
I wish Atlas would bring it's HO center partition cars and bulkhead flats to N-scale,  since I know they would do it right...
Agreed!  The RC version of this car has the wrong wheel-base and end bulkhead detail.