Lowering NSA PRR F22 gun flats.

[chicken45]

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So. 



The left is the N Scale Architect car. The right is from Mad Dog Designs. Both cars are FUD. 
The Mad Dog car was basically a scaled down S Scale car and I had to figure out trucks and couplers.  That’s a Z 905 on it.  It’s low, and so is the coupler, but it looks killer. It doesn’t really coupler to any thing. It’s going to be yard candy.

The NSA car comes with metal weights, FUD trucks, and I think regular pre assembled MTL 1015 couplers.
It’s too high, man. The directions say to actually glue the couplers box in with CA. That seemed strange to me.

My plan is to see if I can use MTL 2004’s and file some bolsters.

[bbussey]

It's going to be tough.  The flanges of the wheels on the NSA model are nearly to the top deck of the MDD model.  You might gain a little more clearance with FVM fine-scale (not wide-tread) wheels, as the flanges are smaller.

[haasmarc]

That’s a Z 905 on it.  It’s low, and so is the coupler, but it looks killer. It doesn’t really coupler to any thing. It’s going to be yard candy.

That is why I keep asking MT to make an offset z coupler.  We really need one for cars like this and cabins.

[peteski]

That is why I keep asking MT to make an offset z coupler.  We really need one for cars like this and cabins.

MTL makes underslung coupler (don't recall the part #).

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Isn't the Marklin conversion coupler underslug? No idea how one would mount it though.

[peteski]

Isn't the Marklin conversion coupler underslug? No idea how one would mount it though.

Marklin? I was thinking of N scale couplers (not Z).  MTL 2004 (and the couplers used on MTL 89' flats) are underslung.

[chessie system fan]

Are those 36" wheels or is that the camera angle?  They seem slightly larger than the mad dog car's wheels.

[towl1996]

It’s going to be yard candy.

I also went the 905 route and came to the same conclusion, but I have no use for something that doesn't run. So, I went with the underslung MT option.

The other problem with these cars is they're MC Lyte.  In an attempt to add weight I used brass strips which were painted to look like wood and used moldable lead on the under side stuffed where ever possible.

[chessie system fan]

Why not put a gun barrel on them.  That'll solve the weight issue.  And low couplers won't matter, as long as you're internally consistent.  You can have a transition idler flat on each end with couplers at the correct height. 

[prr7161]

I wonder if you could replace a few boards at the end of the deck with strip brass and then CA a 905 to that.  That would get the top of the coupler box almost flush with the deck.

[prbharris]

The other problem with these cars is they're MC Lyte.

It might have to be made of pewter - but as they are already available in resin we decided not to go for it. However, the height issue is always going to be a problem - but our PRR FM car, almost the same flat car height, looks OK. www.nscalekits.co.uk/prrfm.html

Both the 1019 and 2004 couplers do lower the mounting level to 0.226" as can be seen in MT's own literature, below

Peter

Peter Harris
N Scale Kits
www.nscalekits.com

[sd45elect2000]

Peter,

Do you still plan on making some fo the early TOFC cars like the CNS&M cars ? I have a trailer , waiting for the cars.

I have my own set of these PRR gun cars on the way. I also ordered an assortment of offset MT couplers, I think 1019's are among them. I hope I can find what i need.

Randy

[towl1996]

It might have to be made of pewter - but as they are already available in resin we decided not to go for it.

Yes, I always thought you would be the ideal manufacture for this car. After seeing the picture, I wouldn't count the NSA car as a real option. If you did the cars in metal and were to offer a proper gun barrel to go with them, I'd buy even though I have four of the MDD cars. And I got some of those FM's, just haven't gotten to them.

[prbharris]

Yes, I always thought you would be the ideal manufacture for this car.

Thank you. The thread has piqued my interest - plus the availability of the drawings and pictures - thanks to Gatwood and Buchan and the PRT&HS. I do not think that there is an extant F22 for me to crawl over. though.

After seeing the picture, I wouldn't count the NSA car as a real option. If you did the cars in metal and were to offer a proper gun barrel to go with them

That is a good point. I will have a word with our new resin folk - we lost our previous, very helpful resin manufacturer and we hope to have a new one soon. The guns shown on the pictures I have are big WWII navel guns - I will see how he views the idea.

However, the F22 also seemed to have been used as an early precursor to Schnabel cars with the F22 being used as the ends of massive girder sections, or as idler cars. What about a large transformer - or a bridge girder as a load?

Do you still plan on making some fo the early TOFC cars like the CNS&M cars ? I have a trailer , waiting for the cars.

The very early intermodal CNS&M cars are ready - but I am waiting to see how the vans to go on them work out in resin [see above]. I will have the cars at the NSE Convention in June, and on the website after I get back.

Peter

Peter Harris
N Scale Kits
www.nscalekits.com

[Iain]

@Shipsure What are the odds of underslung truescale couplers?