Announcement: All-New Rivet Counter N Scale Multi-Max

[pmpexpress]

I'm not going to agree there Neville...

I wonder if that's in relation to the flatcar itself, rather then the rack? The business of how these guys are built, possibly in the past, possibly today, and who builds what parts and how the whole rack ownership/TTX flatcar deal works I honestly don't understand. It sure seems that at least today, the same builder is putting together a complete car. But maybe I'm wrong...


I present TTGX 964916. Taken Dec 29, 2021. This guy sure looks in detail the RC rack( and flat...). The "THRALL" logo is clearly evident; I can nitpick the panel retainers, and probably some other people will point out other variances, but its a really good match I'd suggest.



And the end of TTGX 964916, cropped from the picture I took of the next car in the train, is a proper match too, at least in terms of the top grabs and the deck slots.



So I'm confident in stating that the RC rack at least matches in detail a Thrall rack prototype.

Now this is really interesting, I honestly accidently stumbled on pawing through things just now:

Here is TTGX 98204?(6 I think looking at the trucks), taken Dec 24, 2021. Its looking really new and fresh, no graff (!?) even... The flat isn't an absolute perfect match for the RC car (the jacking posts are a little different), but it's sure close... 33" wheels I'd say... (note the adjacent rack's doors are NOT a match... Nor is the flat. Its also a Thrall built rack as evidenced by the "Thrall Car" tag, a later style then the one seen on TTGX 964916)



And the other end of 98204? ... Now looking closely, no rack builder identified.. But the doors are a RC dead ringer... And sure enough, this guy is showing a rebuild date of 7/21. Looking at the 3 panel the flat at least has a '79 build date. So presumably, this guy should be rolling around for minimum of another 8 years, with the 50 year rule, and probably longer, with this 65 year rule business.





I'm going to conclude that there will be exact matches for the RC rack rolling around for a good while yet by the looks of it. And that no, they don't change wheelset sizes even when they rebuild cars. Oh, and I spend WAY too much time taking pictures of railway cars. And then looking at them for minutia later. That too....

Having only taken a precursory look at some of the more prominent body features, given the depth of your painstakingly thorough analysis, I am obliged to admit that my assumption appears to be errant.

Thanks for sharing the photos and taking the time to explain the various prototype details.

As you have astutely noted, "... with the 50 year rule, and probably longer, with this 65 year rule business" the Thrall cars will be around for quite some time.

[pmpexpress]

The Intermountain/Fox Valley autoracks are now in stock at MBK.

[kscessandriver]

The Intermountain/Fox Valley autoracks are now in stock at MBK.

Thanks for letting us know. Must resist the urge to buy more, but I think I've got enough, between the older RC runs, this run and the ScaleTrains autoracks, I think I've got 40+ now...

[Englewood]

Thanks for the heads up. I ordered 2 Ferromex. That, plus the four I reserved at the LHS and the 6 ScaleTrains I got a few weeks ago, completes my autorack train. Well, at least until the next pretty paint scheme comes along... 🙄

[basementcalling]

The Intermountain/Fox Valley autoracks are now in stock at MBK.

Good to know. Expensive cars, but they are selling fast.

[Englewood]

They may be expensive cars, but they'll never be cheaper than they are now.
That applies to everything in this hobby.

[CSXBaltimore]

Truer words have never been spoken.  I choked a bit when the IM order came in as I didn't expect them to hit as close to the ScaleTrains order, but Ill get over it. With something like 22 racks from the different manufacturers I should be done for a long long time.

I hope anyway. Though, I may have a problem I should seek help for. LOL.

J

[w neal]

How's dis?

I followed Gary Hinshaw's suggestions about filing down the trucks as per his earlier post. I had to use the original ST trucks as I don't have a good source for BMLA/Atlas trucks. How'd I do?

Lowered ST trucks on left, originals on right:







Lowered ST trucks on left, IM on right with FVM 33" wheels:





Thanks Gary!!

[GaryHinshaw]

Looks good to me!  I think you can get the same amount of lowering with the filed ST trucks as you do with the filed BLMA/Atlas ones, so no reason not to use them.  In my case I had some FVM 28" wheels I wanted to use, but the axles were too short for the ST trucks, so I swapped trucks too.

[turbowhiz]

Looks good to me!  I think you can get the same amount of lowering with the filed ST trucks as you do with the filed BLMA/Atlas ones, so no reason not to use them.  In my case I had some FVM 28" wheels I wanted to use, but the axles were too short for the ST trucks, so I swapped trucks too.

I'll also reiterate that the wheelbase is not the same either, so if you are rivet counting (and these are "Rivet Counter" models.. ), its actually more accurate to use the ST trucks.

These cars look better lowered no doubt.

[MetroRedLine]

Just a quick few pics of the surgery:

Detach the handbrake chain between the carbody and underframe somehow/someplace. Drilling out the end of the linkage was by 2nd attempt method, success. All I can say is that thing is glued in REAL good. 1st attempt, no so pretty....

What size bit did you use?

[turbowhiz]

Well, off the top of my head I'm thinking ~#75. I've done a load more of these cars, and I've used the same drill out method, with the exception of the first car, where I attempted to remove the handbrake section from the carbody itself (giant fail, although I repaired the mess), and one car that was conveniently not glued from the factory.

Another point is I'm using a dremel and using REALLY light pressure, rather then by hand with a pin vise to do this too. Doing it by hand at the required minimal pressure will take an eternity, hence the power tool here.

I also tried BSI CA de-bonder on that glue, no luck. Not sure what they're using, but its tough stuff.

[sundowner]

Second run has landed on there site

[Glenn Poole]

Don’t suppose they fixed the ride height on this run. Anyone know for sure? 

[EspeeGoldenState]

Don’t suppose they fixed the ride height on this run. Anyone know for sure?

Mine wont be here until Monday, I'll compare then. But I'm not holding my breathe its different.