Athearn September announcements are up with the new Bi-Level autorack.

[Mark5]

Pretty sure TTX had to "lift" the N&W rack to paint the flat yellow. The logo on the rack is the as built scheme. N&W stopped using the hamburger around the end of 1970 before adopting the "NW" scheme early in 1971.

[nkalanaga]

Mark5:  Were they that easy to remove and replace?  I always pictured them as being solidly welded on, and requiring major work to remove.  But, then, I never looked closely at one, as there were no loading or unloading sites near where I grew up.  Autoracks were just passing through, and that's all they do on my layout.

If they were removeable with relatively little effort it seems even more practical to 3D print racks for various cars.  The modeler could chose a version for whatever car they have, the printer could put braces and placards where needed, and the big companies could concentrate on mass-producing flatcars.

[unittrain]

Mark5:  Were they that easy to remove and replace?  I always pictured them as being solidly welded on, and requiring major work to remove.  But, then, I never looked closely at one, as there were no loading or unloading sites near where I grew up.  Autoracks were just passing through, and that's all they do on my layout.

If they were removeable with relatively little effort it seems even more practical to 3D print racks for various cars.  The modeler could chose a version for whatever car they have, the printer could put braces and placards where needed, and the big companies could concentrate on mass-producing flatcars.

Exactly what I been thinking for sometime racks could be made for the trainworx flats and a tri level for the athearn flat with a relatively small investment that would yield a lot of road names and you also have the flats for intermodal and ESM makes the side panels for the partially enclosed versions.

[Mark5]

I am assuming (conjecture) that the rack was "lifted" for the yellow repaints. It could be that just the exposed surfaces on the flat were painted when they switched to yellow.

That said I have seen photos of auto rack flats with the rack removed.

[CBQ Fan]

Brian:  I assume you have a copy of the Morning Sun Books "CB&Q Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment"?  Look at the bottom picture on page 93.  I wonder if anyone will ever do that car? 

**********

For non-CB&Q modelers, it's a CB&Q rack, which almost has to have been painted before 3-70, on a yellow KTTX flat, which had to have been painted in or after 1970.  If the rack had been painted in or after 3-70 it would probably have been BN green, and almost certainly had a BN herald.  TTX didn't start using the yellow paint until sometime in 1970. 

Did TTX repaint the flats without removing the racks?

I would definitely buy those if they, or anyone, made them!!

[Robbman]

Pretty sure TTX had to "lift" the N&W rack to paint the flat yellow. The logo on the rack is the as built scheme. N&W stopped using the hamburger around the end of 1970 before adopting the "NW" scheme early in 1971.

Pretty sure they were deracked by 1978... I'll have to dig out my N&W research (I'm doing an autorack book one of these decades)


Edited because I cant type

[Robbman]

As an aside... I'm still getting all three regardless... I can panel the sides (here's looking at you Mr Bussey) and let them stand in

[unittrain]

These racks are so needed getting at least 5 maybe all 6 roadnames on fence about Wabash will also get some panels from ESM.

[Robbman]

In retrospect, these are Bethleham flats, which makes it very easy to paint the flat without removing the rack (they attached via slots on the sides of the bowl)

[Robbman]

Here's what I have on the N&W/WAB, I dont know if the TTX numbers are actually Bethlehem flats.  Also haven't compiled AFEs for side screens.  Also omitted N&Ws internal rack classification, as they retroactively applied it in the late 60s (and renumbered racks as well when they did)... this classification would go under rack type instead of BI or TRI.  Also, I know most roads use rack applied in their equipment registers... but this should really be rack build date, so that's what I use.

Car number, reporting mark, rack reporting mark, rack number, rack manufacturer, rack type, rack build date

1966:

913052  RTTX  N&W 1249  WK  TRI  01-66

913057  BTTX  N&W 1112  WK  BI    03-66

913104  BTTX  N&W 1108  WK  BI   02-66

910124  BTTX  WMT 0781  WK  BI  11-63

910210  BTTX  WMT 0821  WK  BI  09-63

910212  BTTX  WMT 0811  WK  BI  09-63


1979:

913052  TTBX  N&W 0904  WK  BI  01-66  (car reracked in 1978 with rack formerly applied to BTTX 500945)

913057  TTBX  N&W 1122  WK  BI  03-66  (rack renumbered when classed)

913104  same as 1966

910124  same as 1966

910210  same as 1966

910212  same as 1966


1981:

913052  same as 1979, so still kicking

913057  gone

913104  gone

910124  gone

910210  gone

910212  gone