MTL January 2017 releases

[Missaberoad]

The NYC 4650 is accurate for the prototype. They had 4650's and the number is in the series, so we're good on that.
After reading a Ron Flanary article in Classic Trains. I might be interested in the L&N COMAT car.

Except that the MTL Car is a post 1971 version of the 4650. (as @unittrain and @Atlas Paul referenced) The NYC Car should have the single horizontal stiffener lower along the side of the car.

[Ngineer]

I quote from the flyer:

This collection of locomotives will likely be the last production run of the Micro-Trains SW1500 locomotive.

How come? Did they sell bad? Is the production process still problematic? Or is the price too high compared to other companies so that they don't sell enough models?

Alas, sad news.

   Javier

[cjm413]

GN had 4650s, albeit the pre 1971 versions, but not the road numbers that are listed on the flyer.  Hopefully that is just a misprint.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/gn/gn171778amh.jpg

Here's another one:

http://www.atlasrr.com/Images/HOFreightCars/ho4650/0214/20002867_TQ.jpg

[cjm413]

Looks like the PRR ACF should be a 4600:

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/acf/cf4600.htm

Is the NYC car a 4650 prototype? For some reason it isnt listed here:

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/acf/cf4650.htm

Mark

NYC had 4650's

http://conrailphotos.thecrhs.org/node/29838

[nkalanaga]

Does anyone make an N scale 3 or 4 bay 1960s Center Flow?  The early Atlas 4-bay had the horizontal rib, but the ones I've seen lately don't, so even that one seems to have disappeared.

[cjm413]

Does anyone make an N scale 3 or 4 bay 1960s Center Flow?  The early Atlas 4-bay had the horizontal rib, but the ones I've seen lately don't, so even that one seems to have disappeared.

Both Bachmann and Model Power make early 5250's with the high brakewheel like the old Altas/Roco model:

http://www.spookshow.net/freight/bach56cf.html

http://www.spookshow.net/freight/mpacfhopper.html

Minitrix offered a crude version of ACF's 4 bay/8 outlet Centerflow owned by SN/WP, etc.

http://www.spookshow.net/freight/roco60cftank.html

Bowser still offers the former Delaware Valley 3 bay Centerflow with either 3 or 6 outlets:

http://www.spookshow.net/freight/bowsercylhop.html

Atlas currently offers a 3 bay 3560 cuft car in their Trainman line:

http://www.spookshow.net/freight/atlas3560.html

Athearn is working on a new 4600 in both HO and N.

[sdodge]

Yes, a Weyerhaeuser SW1500. Probably have to order that set! Thanks for doing this. But, a long wait.

[nkalanaga]

I have most of those.  The 3560 is either too new, or not common in the Northwest in the early 70s, so I don't have that one.  I doubt that they were commonly used in grain service.

The Minitrix car wasn't bad for the time, but would take a lot of work to make it look decent by today's standards.  And, like the Bowser/DV cars, which I also have one of, they aren't what I was thinking of for "grain cars".  The GN did have a series of the cylindrical CFs, very close to the Bowser/DV models, and they are a viable choice for grain service.

The MP car is basically the old Atlas model, and looks like they took over the dies after they wore out.  I have one of  them as well, because it came in a paint scheme I couldn't find decals for. 

The Bachmann cars always looked oversized to me, but they weren't bad, and I had several of them.  In some ways they were better than the Atlas model, as they had the slope sheet braces, and the floor was separate, rather than the roof coming off.  Shortening the Atlas car to a proper 3-bay version took a lot of cutting, because one had to increase the spacing between the remaining hoppers.  Shortening the Bachmann car was easy.  Cut a piece from the middle of the body, glue the ends back together, then chop up the floor.  No need to hide the floor splices, or even cover the holes, as it couldn't be seen anyway.  All of my cars needed trough hatches, so hatch spacing didn't matter on the kitbashes.

If one was really lazy, MR(?) had an article on making 3-bay cars in HO, from Athearn models, that would also work for Bachmann.   Cut the floor apart, throw one middle bay away, glue the other in  the center of the car, put the end sections back in.  The body was too long, but the kitbash couldn't have been easier.

Intermountain ran a magazine ad for early 4650s a few years ago, with a nice prototype picture, so one could see that's what they meant.  That's the last I ever heard of the project.

[cjm413]

I have most of those.  The 3560 is either too new, or not common in the Northwest in the early 70s, so I don't have that one.  I doubt that they were commonly used in grain service.

The Minitrix car wasn't bad for the time, but would take a lot of work to make it look decent by today's standards.  And, like the Bowser/DV cars, which I also have one of, they aren't what I was thinking of for "grain cars".  The GN did have a series of the cylindrical CFs, very close to the Bowser/DV models, and they are a viable choice for grain service.

The MP car is basically the old Atlas model, and looks like they took over the dies after they wore out.  I have one of  them as well, because it came in a paint scheme I couldn't find decals for. 

The Bachmann cars always looked oversized to me, but they weren't bad, and I had several of them.  In some ways they were better than the Atlas model, as they had the slope sheet braces, and the floor was separate, rather than the roof coming off.  Shortening the Atlas car to a proper 3-bay version took a lot of cutting, because one had to increase the spacing between the remaining hoppers.  Shortening the Bachmann car was easy.  Cut a piece from the middle of the body, glue the ends back together, then chop up the floor.  No need to hide the floor splices, or even cover the holes, as it couldn't be seen anyway.  All of my cars needed trough hatches, so hatch spacing didn't matter on the kitbashes.

If one was really lazy, MR(?) had an article on making 3-bay cars in HO, from Athearn models, that would also work for Bachmann.   Cut the floor apart, throw one middle bay away, glue the other in  the center of the car, put the end sections back in.  The body was too long, but the kitbash couldn't have been easier.

Intermountain ran a magazine ad for early 4650s a few years ago, with a nice prototype picture, so one could see that's what they meant.  That's the last I ever heard of the project.

Intermountain does have an early 4650 available in HO, but I don't know why they never offered one in N.

[Cajonpassfan]

My wallet is safe. Well. Maybe one of the Shell tank cars....
Is there a prototype for these, or just another foobie?
Otto K.

[Ngineer]

How "wrong" is the 094 00 220 PRR covered hopper. I know that the brake wheel should be high and not low, but apart from that, are there further errors?

   Javier

[cjm413]

How "wrong" is the 094 00 220 PRR covered hopper. I know that the brake wheel should be high and not low, but apart from that, are there further errors?

   Javier

In addition to being the wrong phase as you point out, it's also the wrong type of car.

PRR had the noticeably longer, but not as tall or wide ACF 4600 that Athearn is working on.

[nkalanaga]

CJM413:  I don't know either.  Maybe, if they're getting production of other things back on track, we'll see it in N.

The CB&Q also had the 4600.  While the GN and NP bought Plate C 4650s, the CB&Q went for Plate B 4600s.  Maybe more Q cars went to the eastern states?

[Ngineer]

Maybe more Q cars went to the eastern states?

AFAIK, in the 1960's, CB&Q had motive power run through agreements with NYC. Could this be the reason?

   Javier

[nkalanaga]

It could be, although I doubt that run-through agreements would have much effect on covered hopper purchases in the 1960s.  Today it well could, with the prevalence of unit trains.

More likely they shipped to a lot of eastern destinations that couldn't handle the taller cars.  A lot of the GN and NP grain went to Pacific or western Great Lakes ports, rather than to the eastern US.

Interestingly, the GN started buying Plate C boxcars in the early 60s, while the NP stuck with Plate B until the merger.  I suspect that's part of the reason GN boxcars were, or at least seemed, more common by the 1980s than NP.  The Q also seems to have stuck with Plate B boxcars.