MTL April releases announced

[bbussey]

Micro-Trains has dropped the Micro-News early.

https://www.micro-trains.com/archives/mediakit/medkit2304.html

Included are new reservations for "clean" versions of the Conrail and Southern Pacific 45' vans.

[James Costello]

YES!!! Thanks very much @MTLJoe for the clean Piggies! Very much appreciated.

[nkalanaga]

Nothing I need.

[ai5629]

Micro-Trains has dropped the Micro-News early.

https://www.micro-trains.com/archives/mediakit/medkit2304.html

Included are new reservations for "clean" versions of the Conrail and Southern Pacific 45' vans.

I am in for the clean Conrail Trailvans, maybe two sets.  Can anyone tell me when the SP ones first appeared?  I recall them on Conrail Mail and TV trains in the mid 80’s, but my era is 06/84.  Which is only 2.5 years after 45x102’s became legal.  Thank you.

Jeff

[C855B]

I'm confused by the UP DD boxcars. Overhaul stencil says "7-73" but they have the '60s corporate image with "railroad" in the medallion and the "automated railway" slogan. By '73 if they were a repaint, they should have just "Union Pacific" in the medallion and the extra-large "We can handle it." I guess MTL's researcher found pix of the anachronisms.

[MVW]

I'm ignorant regarding the C&NW hospital cars. Are these WWII-era? Or were these used on the Minnesota 400 to ferry passengers to the Mayo Clinic?

According to Wiki: "As the line served Rochester and its famous Mayo Clinic, there was at least one car on each train with wider doors for allowing patients on stretchers and other accommodations. By the end of rail service in the 1960s, Mayo stated that 25 to 30 percent of their out-of-town patients still came by train."

Jim

[Angus Shops]

“Mystery balloon load”. Good for a laugh and pretty quick to market.

[thomasjmdavis]

I'm ignorant regarding the C&NW hospital cars. Are these WWII-era? Or were these used on the Minnesota 400 to ferry passengers to the Mayo Clinic?

According to Wiki: "As the line served Rochester and its famous Mayo Clinic, there was at least one car on each train with wider doors for allowing patients on stretchers and other accommodations. By the end of rail service in the 1960s, Mayo stated that 25 to 30 percent of their out-of-town patients still came by train."

Jim

I think the answer is "both", but the primary mission of the cars was to carry patients from Chicago (and other points on the route, to the Mayo clinic. 
At least one of the cars still exists, lots of info and a dozen photos here:
https://nationalrrmuseum.org/current-restoration-project/

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh man. I had THOUGHT I had as many trailers as I'd need for a while.

But now? Maybe not... especially given the responsiveness to requests.

[JoeD]

YES!!! Thanks very much @MTLJoe for the clean Piggies! Very much appreciated.

"who loves you baby"   lol

[Ed Kapuscinski]

"who loves you baby"   lol

Are we gonna have to start calling you "Trailer Daaddy"?

[Missaberoad]

I'm confused by the UP DD boxcars. Overhaul stencil says "7-73" but they have the '60s corporate image with "railroad" in the medallion and the "automated railway" slogan. By '73 if they were a repaint, they should have just "Union Pacific" in the medallion and the extra-large "We can handle it." I guess MTL's researcher found pix of the anachronisms.

Mike, @C855B the Re-weigh Stencil doesn't necessarily correlate with a repaint, it being updated can indicate that the car has been re-weighed.
Periodic re-weighing used to be a requirement by the ARA/AAR for the interchange of cars, the new weight and the date would be updated accordingly. (the required intervals varied and were changed over the years, see a contemporary ORER or AAR interchange Rules for your chosen era)
For the "modern" era (Post 1965), this is no longer a periodic requirement and cars are reweighed when shopped/repaired to the point that the weight changes by >300lbs.

A perfect example is this Ron Hawkins Photo from 1980 Showing a car that has its re-weigh date and values updated.
https://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=41180

As for the car chosen by Micro-trains here is a 1977 photo of 519711.

https://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=41282

Obviously the car is not a PS-1, but looks like a pretty good match paint wise.
Looking closely you can see the LD LMT and LT WT stencils don't line up perfectly, implying they have been changed since the last repaint.

[Rossford Yard]

I appreciate all their weathered goodness.  I wish I needed 4 Conrail piggy pack trailers, for one.

What strikes me, and no one has mentioned, is that these American made (I think) freight cars are still under $30.  Yes, I know it is existing tooling, which helps, but all the other new cars from other mfgs. seem to be topping $40.

So, for me a big thanks to MT is due for both the weathering quality and price.

[mu26aeh]

I am good again this month, which is good since I got hit pretty hard with pre ordered items showing up last month

[oakcreekco]

I appreciate all their weathered goodness.  I wish I needed 4 Conrail piggy pack trailers, for one.

What strikes me, and no one has mentioned, is that these American made (I think) freight cars are still under $30.  Yes, I know it is existing tooling, which helps, but all the other new cars from other mfgs. seem to be topping $40.

So, for me a big thanks to MT is due for both the weathering quality and price.

I was very pleased to see an updated "HydroCushion" frame on this release a few months ago. Body mounted couplers and separate metal end platforms.

List price at $30, street price around $25. Great value, very nice paint and graphics, made in the USA, and no CA holding it together.

Like you, I appreciate MTL's efforts and value.

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