Briggs Models needs your help

[mark dance]

nothing that hasn't already been noted I don't think...

skeleton cars for logs and poles

slab sided hoppers (not kits)

converted chip gons

all CPR of course 🙂

shorty snow plows and flangers???

md

[nkalanaga]

•   Great Northern  4209 XL box car series 4200-4399
•   Northern Pacific NP5042 XM box car Series 5000-5295
•   Northern Pacific NP5440 XM Series 5300-5699 & BN 315651 series BN 315300-315699
Any of those would be perfect for my 1974 BN.  I favor the GN, but the NP cars would actually be more useful, and probably more widely seen.

The Bromine tankcar is interesting, but I have no idea what it would be doing in Montana, and I don't remember seeing one in Pasco in the 70s, so I doubt that I would have a use for it.

Sirenwerks:  Republic Locomotive Works has a kit for the Gunderson chip cars - I did the original masters years ago.  It's been years since I bought them, so what the kit includes today I don't know.  I used etched ladders and brass rod to finish mine back then.

Old tank cars?  I'd buy a few of these:

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/displayrailway.pl?o=utlx#tank
They date back to the WW I era, were still running in 1969, may have survived into the 70s, AND were converted to narrow gauge for the D&RGW, where they can be seen today on the Cumbres and Toltec.

[learmoia]

That looks like the prototype for every N scale tank car..

~Ian

[sirenwerks]

Sirenwerks:  Republic Locomotive Works has a kit for the Gunderson chip cars - I did the original masters years ago.  It's been years since I bought them, so what the kit includes today I don't know.  I used etched ladders and brass rod to finish mine back then.

Um, nothing personal, but does the sway in that car come free, or do I have to pay extra for that? I know it's a common issue with some resin castings but I'd really rather not have to deal with it, and I don't see it on any Briggs castings. That being said, there's probably a reason why no one knows about that model (or the BN stake car), starting with RLW's lack of advertising, continuing with its use of third generation B&W photo copy images of its models, and ending with it's website - I had to manually page through its 29 pages of rolling stock to find it. I guess I was lucky there was an image, or I would have ordered on faith. But now I know there's the sway...


If you don't mind, I'm going to renew my request for Briggs to do this car as a flat-pack with its finely etched parts; I really want a model that is up to today's standards of detail. Briggs can do the BN log car RLW has done too, if Briggs wants. I'd buy them.

[Rivet Miscounter]

I'm not doing much in N anymore--primarily in Z now--but my vote would be for the BN/BNSF Coil Cars, by a mile.  Second would be the CP TOFC car @James Costello mentioned.  And back to the list, the Acid tank cars would get honorable mention.

[nkalanaga]

Sirenwerks:  Probably something to do with the age of the molds.  Mine are straight, but as I said, they were built when the kit was new.  If the kits have gotten that bad, then yes, a new model is needed.  I do get a small royalty when a kit is sold, but not enough to worry about losing it.  I don't remember just when I made the masters, but it was probably in the early 90s, so these are probably 25+ years old.

On the original kits the floor was solid metal, so it couldn't sag, unless the floor was bent.  I designed it that way for both weight and durability.  If Marshall is making them with resin floors, which would work, that could cause problems with age.  I had him make me a batch of narrow gauge flatcars, in resin, and after a few years they were unusable.  Redone in metal, they're aging just fine.

~Ian:  These were some of the earliest "frameless" tankcars, so they do look like they sit too high.  The D&RGW had some originally numbered in the 58300 and 58400 series that were built in 1908, the rest of theirs were mostly 1911 and 1912.

[GaryHinshaw]

I will restrict my comments to the modern fare.  It is clear from the comments that you will need to produce in more than one era to keep everyone happy.    FWIW, I think the NP log cars are very cool.  (Maybe not seen across the continent, but cool nonetheless.)

For the modern listings, in reverse order of preference:
•   Cylindrical 2-bay Sodium Chlorate cars (Procor, CGLX, NCHX & etc.)
These would be nice, but niche for me.  I'd buy 1 or 2.

•   Gunderson, Trinity & NSC 60’ TBOX High cube box cars
As discussed elsewhere, this model is at the top of my non-intermodal wish list, but I have to believe that one of the 'big' manufacturers is gearing up for one of these models, so it might not be prudent.  I could easily be wrong though.  If you do go with this, I would strongly suggest the NSC versions since a) its Canadian, and b) Atlas has a Gunderson tooled in HO, and ExactRail has a Trinity FBOX tooled in N, so those two builders are more likely to be represented.  (I have no idea about the status of the old LBF NSC tooling.)

•   Acid Tank Cars
I would love a modern squat acid tanker in the 13K-15K gallon range.  I would easily buy half a dozen or so.  There is such a huge variety of prototypes that it is hard to point to a particular one, so it hardly matters to me.  But maybe something along these lines.

•   National Steel BN/BNSF COIL CAR (series BN 686245-686448), and/or the XL version
I would buy two dozen of these, and I'd even be willing to pay in advance for them, based on reputation.  Getting both the NSC version and the Trinity XL version would be nothing short of amazing.  I rather doubt you would have any competition either.

[James Costello]

•   National Steel BN/BNSF COIL CAR (series BN 686245-686448), and/or the XL version
I would buy two dozen of these, and I'd even be willing to pay in advance for them, based on reputation.

Based on how the TOFC flats looked, I'd also be happy to make a down payment or pre-pay for these as well.

[hegstad1]

NORTHERN PACIFIC!!

The boxcars were all over the US and into Canada.

[wazzou]

Um, nothing personal, but does the sway in that car come free, or do I have to pay extra for that?

I've built only two of the 6 I originally purchased probably some 20 years ago or more.  I didn't have any problems with swaying at all.
My prototype focus just shifted from post BN Merger to pre-merger NP.

[Curtis Kyger]

I too found very few problems with the cars I put together.  The side walls caved inwards until I installed the top side support bars (pieces of wire) and then all was good.  It's a great looking car as are Bryan's.  Unfortunately I no longer have the car -- it is, however, very active on a friends layout. 

[sd45elect2000]

That looks like the prototype for every N scale tank car..

~Ian

It's a 6500 gallon tank built by UTLX and possibly mounted on a Bettendorf frame. I'd take a few.

If anyone is interested in UTLX steam era tank cars there is a new book by Stephen Hile that is a good source for this and other info.

[lock4244]

Chris, this would be my choice from your list:

Cylindrical 2-bay Sodium Chlorate cars (Procor, CGLX, NCHX & etc.)

[lock4244]

Not on your list, but one I'd love regardless:

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=unpx122730&o=procor

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=unpx122736&o=procor

http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=unpx122994&o=procor

[TRC 3001]

13,600 gallon NACC acid tank