MTL February

[ljudice]

https://www.micro-trains.com/


Since I have no self control, I am all in on the NS Ribbon Rail set - but it bothers me that those flatcars ride so high - and what color is it?  Should be faded orange.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ooh, the plate steel loads are this month.

Get em while you can! They're awesome.

[mu26aeh]

Looking at rrpicturearchives.net it's difficult to tell the base color of the NS flats.  Of course we know mow is usually orange

http://rrpicturearchives.net/rsList.aspx?id=NW&rid=516900

NW 516954
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5556651

[ljudice]

Looks like the models are just dirty orange, which is fine....     I've also seen rail train cars in dark green.     

This looks like a great set, just wish there was an easy way to lower it or if it's even possible...   Same issue on the very nice camp car set although I keep hoping for Rapido F30's which would be correct.

@MTLJoe you need a couple more gray toolcar boxcars for the railtrain perhaps the  50 PS plug/sliding or double sliding.  Perhaps one in faded orange....

[JoeD]

Looks like the models are just dirty orange, which is fine....     I've also seen rail train cars in dark green.     

This looks like a great set, just wish there was an easy way to lower it or if it's even possible...   Same issue on the very nice camp car set although I keep hoping for Rapido F30's which would be correct.

@MTLJoe you need a couple more gray toolcar boxcars for the railtrain perhaps the  50 PS plug/sliding or double sliding.  Perhaps one in faded orange....

If you can post/forward pictures of the cars you point out here that would be a great help...thank you!

[ljudice]

@MTLJoe

Good selection:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3656469

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3656467

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5448604

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4142850

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2545833

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1599076

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3145194

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3757110

[JoeD]

@MTLJoe

Good selection:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3656469

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3656467

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5448604

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4142850

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2545833

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1599076

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3145194

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3757110

submitted...its much easier for me if folks do this...supply images for me to get them in the "Q"    If I have to dig for them and try and figure out what you guys are asking, its much more difficult and allows me to screw it up and get the wrong cars.  LOL   Thanks a ton for these...

Joe

[Scottl]

@MTLJoe in case you are planning more CN/DWC 60' TBOX cars, the alternate logo version would be great to consider:  http://freight.railfan.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=dwc793654_2&o=dwp.

[chessie system fan]

@MTLJoe If you do those NS mow boxcars you might as well do this one too. 

NS 212 / NS 4578 NS 8152 NS 8136 / Toccoa, GA / 7/15/22 by Slater Dozier, on Flickr

I'm still mad at my friend for not taking a better picture of it lol.

A better shot but less accurate colors due to the cloudy day:

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5805647

http://rrpicturearchives.net/rsPicture.aspx?id=524317

And here's a similar car:

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4973888

And I found this breast cancer awareness boxcar while trying to find those other pictures.

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5412079

As a B&O modeler I wouldn't need any of these, but they're unique and would probably sell well, IMO.

[nkalanaga]

Those flatcars are easy to lower, as long as you're willing to body-mount the couplers.  There are two ways I know of:

The quick, but expensive, way is to use ESM or BLMA trucks, with the lower bolsters.  You'll probably have to cut out part of the underframe for flange clearance, and body mount the couplers.  You can reuse the truck-mounted couplers if the box will clear the wheels on your curves, or either 1015 or 1025 will fit fine.  On mine the couplers screw directly to the underside of the car, but you have to cut the center out of the step castings.

If you want to reuse the MT trucks, like I do, cut the entire end off the underframe, back to the first crossbearer behind the bolster.  Then, build new bolsters from styrene strip.  I usually use 0.060 x 0.125 for the first piece, full width, then a short piece of 0.030 x 0.125 on that.  Drill a 5/64 inch hole, and the pin fits right in.  You'll also have to find a new way to mount the steps.  I usually put them in the corner, then cement a small piece of plastic to the inside of the end sill to keep the step in place.  Some ACC after the plastic cement dries makes doubly sure.

Either method is almost as quick as reading this.

[JoeD]

@MTLJoe in case you are planning more CN/DWC 60' TBOX cars, the alternate logo version would be great to consider:  http://freight.railfan.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=dwc793654_2&o=dwp.

Yes we are...thanks for the prompt. 

Joe

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I've thought about designing up some printable underframes to retrofit common MTL cars using stock components: gons, flats, older 50' boxes, etc... I wouldn't complain if someone else did an open sourced them.

I haven't done it yet, but I've been thinking about it.

In the meantime, I've done the usual bodymount+new trucks route. I've ALSO frequently used my drill press to lower bolsters and create divets for wheels to clear.

[wazzou]

Here's the method I've primarily used on MT Flatcars and Gondolas, similarly to what was described above.

Top: Flatcar, Bottom: Gondola

[RockGp40]

@MTLJoe

These guys seem to be getting popular too, although I'm not sure they are exactly the same as the TBOX (I'll defer to those with eyes for the details):

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5834352

[ljudice]

@MTLJoe

These guys seem to be getting popular too, although I'm not sure they are exactly the same as the TBOX (I'll defer to those with eyes for the details):

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5834352

A 50' hi cube LRS/GATX car is coming from Exactrail...