Micro Trains November Releases

[nkalanaga]

I looked at the GN chip car, but will pass.  I have the SP&S and NP versions, but this series of GN cars had steel side extensions, and looked nothing like the wood extensions on the model.

For those who are prototypically-oriented, I believe the actual prototype for the MT chip car is an SP sugar beet car.  The GN, NP, and SP&S cars were noticeable taller, with the GN cars stenciled "Exceeds Plate C".  MT correctly includes this stencil on the model.

Also, the load included in the MT photo looks very much like sugar beets, and nothing like wood chips, or the usual MT wood chip load.  It would be interesting if MT sold similar beet loads for their 2-bay hoppers, and for the Atlas ballast hoppers (these might fit there), as the Northwest roads used a lot of both for beet service.

[Ngineer]

I looked at the GN chip car, but will pass.  I have the SP&S and NP versions, but this series of GN cars had steel side extensions, and looked nothing like the wood extensions on the model.

Thank you. My wallet is safe.

For those who are prototypically-oriented, I believe the actual prototype for the MT chip car is an SP sugar beet car.  The GN, NP, and SP&S cars were noticeable taller, with the GN cars stenciled "Exceeds Plate C".  MT correctly includes this stencil on the model.

What about Burlington Route? They had extensive sugar beet traffic.

Addendum: Doesn't Hay Brothers Loads offer beet loads? They have a multitude of different loads that look amazing.

   Javier

[Maletrain]

Has anybody heard anything recently about that baggage/coach combine with paired windows? 

The B&O loved those, so I need some for as-is and for kitbashes to model the B&O's extensive 1:1 rebuilds.

[nkalanaga]

As far as I know the CB&Q hauled their beets in hoppers, either 2-bay or "ballast" hoppers.  I've never seen, in real life or pictures, a CB&Q beet/chip gon.

Many of the CB&Q's 2-bay hoppers ended up in eastern Washington after the merger, in beet service.  Many of the BN's older cars ended up in the Northwest, for one reason or another.  They went well with the fleets of Fs and Alcos.  The Q's War Emergency hoppers were among them, complete with missing boards, or broken boards.  If the hole was too large, it would be plugged with a piece of plywood, a broken grain door, cardboard, a big glob of hay, etc. 

Unlike the NP and GN 2-bay cars, which were at least as old, if not older, the Q's were not in good shape, possibly because they spent more time hauling coal, which is quite corrosive.  Finally, in the mid 70s, one of the War Emergency cars suffered a catastrophic failure, and the entire bottom - both bays, simply fell off.  With a load of beets.  At "track speed", probably 50 to 60 mph, on the single-track mainline.  The entire group were retired immediately, and the all-steel Q cars had to be inspected.

[MetroRedLine]

Wonder if they will do the minor planets: Pluto, Ceres, etc.

Conrad

They'll do Dwarf Planet scale test cars? 

[samusi01]

Also, the load included in the MT photo looks very much like sugar beets, and nothing like wood chips, or the usual MT wood chip load.  It would be interesting if MT sold similar beet loads for their 2-bay hoppers, and for the Atlas ballast hoppers (these might fit there), as the Northwest roads used a lot of both for beet service.

I did make inquiries at the LHS to see if the loads could be separately purchased, with a request for ten if so, as the Scalley U&I plant is the principle industry on my layout. To my knowledge, the only other sugar beet load is from Fine N Scale.

[up1950s]

Announced last month for pre-orders.
https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=63_65&product_id=3811
https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=63_65&product_id=3812

Having been stationed on Oahu for 2+ years and knowing the Likelike highway is pronounced LIKEY-LIKEY highway my guess is that Makemake planet is pronounced with a pair of y's and a scratch of every haole's head .

[peteski]

Having been stationed on Oahu for 2+ years and knowing the Likelike highway is pronounced LIKEY-LIKEY highway my guess is that Makemake planet is pronounced with a pair of y's and a scratch of every haole's head .

And I thought it was a type of fish.   

[nkalanaga]

Richie:  That's the way I've been pronouncing it, although with more of a "short E", at least in American English terms.

"A" as in "father, "E" somewhere between "eh" and "ay".  Whether that's right or not, I don't know, never having heard Hawaiian spoken by a native. 

But it comes fairly close to New Zealand Maori, judging by pronunciations I've heard on internet radio.  Both languages are Polynesian, and mutually understandable, similar to British and American English.

[sirenwerks]

Those are the strangest looking woodchips I have ever seen in the new GN car.  Must be Idaho woodchips...

[nkalanaga]

Maybe Pres-to-logs?

[Sharky_McSharknose]

I need another Penn Central boxcar like I need a hole in my head, but that new appliance boxcar has me intrigued.

[Mark5]

I need another Penn Central boxcar like I need a hole in my head, but that new appliance boxcar has me intrigued.

Did they ever fix the tooling on that body style or is it still vertically challenged?

[nscalbitz]

As far as I know the CB&Q hauled their beets in hoppers, either 2-bay or "ballast" hoppers.  I've never seen, in real life or pictures, a CB&Q beet/chip gon.

From the CBQ group-
i) (2003) The thing to keep
in mind is that sugar beet service was sort of a last refuge for aging cars
-- one step away from MOW or Eola. When you see "beet service only" or the
equivalent on a car, read "Don't you dare use this piece of junk for
anything else." Burlington Bulletin 32 mentions various general service
drop-bottom gondolas as well twin and triple hoppers in beet service -- the
3-bays only diverted to that use after the quads were introduced in the
mid-'60s. But I see no mention of quads in beet service.

ii) (2015) Sugar beet service required any available car at harvest season, old or new. On the Q this meant late summer early fall. On the SP sugar beets were almost year round, which is why the SP had gons dedicated to beet service. The Q did not.

Burlington Bulletin #32 was on Sugar Beets. In the western region served by the Q and C&S, sugar beets are an annual crop, with harvest taking place once a year in Sept & Oct. When harvest began the beet rush was on, and every available car was pressed into service moving beets. Gons and hoppers were normally used, but even stockcars hauled beets.

iii) 2019 As for beet hoppers, the C&S used old gons and hoppers, both of their own and of the Burlington's. I've never heard of a sugar beet industry on the FW&D.  Hol would know. Since your car is of certified CB&Q origin, it would be incorrect, as far as I'm concerned, to reletter it either C&S or FW&D.  Best Regards - Louis (Louis Zadnichek II).

-dw

[nscalbitz]

And I thought it was a type of fish.   

No its not 'a' fish.
It is Japanese for 'roll' as in sushi, which often contains fish, hence... corruption of primary form.
What you may be thinking of is Mahi Mahi >  https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jSwyBEi2YI4/hqdefault.jpg

~dw