MTL PS2 Announcement.

[JoeD]

@MTLJoe these look great and considering the time and effort gone in to them, is there any chance you'd consider tooling the other body type with the channel end posts?

Thats my plan anyway.  I am guessing this will do well making it easier to get the ok to do new side slices and other changes necessary.  We will see.

Joe

[JoeD]

I'm sure you know that the SP had these in numerous color schemes...BCR w white lettering, grey with black lettering, SOUP (billboard lettering, see attachment, called SOUP because the SOUP lettering is in center of car) in yellow, red, and black with and without circle herald, and straight billboard lettering...hint hint.

Need more, I got em!

why do you think I pushed for this one.  LOL  yes, yes.  We did them in Z like that.  Wondering if a three pack with one of each would be interesting.

Joe

[basementcalling]

What's the approximate era on these cars? Obviously pretty old given the capacity, but how long did they last?

[thomasjmdavis]

What's the approximate era on these cars? Obviously pretty old given the capacity, but how long did they last?

I will defer to Joe if he chimes in on this, but the earliest photos I could find of this version were dated early in 1957. Believe me, I was trying to find an excuse to have some on my (summer of) 1956 era planned layout. I've seen vague statements by various websites that there were some in delivered 1956- but I can't find either photos or specifics on what road those might have been delivered to..  The earlier ones were similar, but had "channel" end posts. I'm sure some roads kept them in revenue service for 40-50 years.  You might still see one somewhere in MOW paint as a sand or ballast car.

For the time being, I am going to save my rolling stock budget for the ATSF gondolas on the other thread.  When the PS-2s become available as undecs, I may try to bash a couple with channel endposts.
EDIT- I need to learn to read more carefully-

Rather than chopping up cars- I'll wait to see if anything comes of this-
(in answer to James Costello's post asking about a version with channel endposts)

Thats my plan anyway.  I am guessing this will do well making it easier to get the ok to do new side slices and other changes necessary.

Joe

If it helps get that done, I'll pre-order 3 in Santa Fe original paint Ga-101. 
If the roof comes off, there would be an opportunity for MTL or someone else with a 3D printer to do the even earlier cars that had different hatch spacing (Ga-88 in ATSF parlance).

[oakcreekco]

I remember seeing these in service in the early to mid '90's on the NE KS&MO RR. Pretty used up looking on this branch line, but still active.

I also remember the "roundup" of these coming over the swing bridge in St Jo MO in the mid '90's.

They were heading somewhere, not to be seen again in the area.

[ljudice]

How about the ballast car conversion of these cars????

[Jim Costello]

 Yes Joe, please consider doing the channel side version. Will save me doing more conversions for my New Haven fleet.

[Jim Costello]

 Pullman Standard was building covered hoppers as the New Haven purchased 15 cars in 1949 (similar to the Kato covered hopper).
 I understand the PS -2 design was about 1953-54;The NH purchased 85 PS-2 channel rib sized cars in 1954,I do not know how long these cars were in service.

[JMaurer1]

I know that I was taking pictures of the SP cars back in the late '90's in the SF bay area. They were usually being moved to the Kaiser cement plant in Permanente (near Santa Clara) and stored in Redwood City.

[Mark5]

Lotsa potential schemes for this model! 

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/ps/2b_covd/ps2003_2_bay_covd.htm

[thomasjmdavis]

Lotsa potential schemes for this model! 

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/ps/2b_covd/ps2003_2_bay_covd.htm

With the caveat that the prototypes prior to 1957 are not this model, but the "channel endpost" model we've been talking about.  Here is the NP (later BN) delivered in early 1957- so a few 1957 vintage also have the channel.
http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/other_cars/np_cars/np_number/075200-075299.htm

[wazzou]

With the caveat that the prototypes prior to 1957 are not this model, but the "channel endpost" model we've been talking about.  Here is the NP (later BN) delivered in early 1957- so a few 1957 vintage are also have the channel.

Correct.  It sounds like MT is on board with making that model depending on how sales are with the present one.
I bashed this one probably more than 30 years ago with the old Bachmann model. 
I cut the model to length, thinned the cage and ladder details with an Exacto and added Platstruct channel and a cut down MT roof walk. 
The Atlas model that came out much later would have been a better starting point.

[learmoia]

How about the ballast car conversion of these cars????

This^^^^^^^

I'm a bit bummed with these 2 recent body styles... we need another 2 bay covered hopper (Atlas/Athearn/Kato) and 65' mill gon (Athearn/ESM) as much as we need another FT or GG1

I know they are different prototypes, but for the general N scale market.... a 2 bay hopper is a 2 bay hopper... and even to me.. The MTL mill gon looks exactly like the Athearn model.. and very similar to the ESM.

The Ballast car option would be a welcome addition..
Or additional types of autoparts cars?.. or a bi-Level version of the enclosed autorack?

~Ian

[Mark5]

With the caveat that the prototypes prior to 1957 are not this model, but the "channel endpost" model we've been talking about. 

Ah, I see what you mean.

N&W 71324 (Blt 01-1957) has the "channel", right? https://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=20334

Mark

[Chris333]

This^^^^^^^

I'm a bit bummed with these 2 recent body styles... we need another 2 bay covered hopper (Atlas/Athearn/Kato) and 65' mill gon (Athearn/ESM) as much as we need another FT or GG1

I know they are different prototypes, but for the general N scale market.... a 2 bay hopper is a 2 bay hopper... and even to me.. The MTL mill gon looks exactly like the Athearn model.. and very similar to the ESM.

The Ballast car option would be a welcome addition..
Or additional types of autoparts cars?.. or a bi-Level version of the enclosed autorack?

~Ian

I remember those Athearn gondolas being made of cast metal and their paint jobs just smoothed out the details even further. The Atlas hopper has been around forever and the tooling is very old (aren't they Trainman now?). I'm glad that MTL is starting to update and care about ride height. These 2 cars look like they have very fine details.