MTL "Livestock Despatch" Car

[C855B]

OK, the new runner pack announcement got my attention. I've been wanting to build a "Farmer John" train for a while.

Problem is... this car isn't right for UP. So whose prototype is it based on? I recall discussion on TRW about it a few years back but can't seem to find the thread.

Atlas' 40' car is correct for UP, but the tooling on it goes back to the '70s or '80s and it's now "Trainman" material, with but a single production run in the yellow/silver. I've managed to collect a grand total of four (...count 'em...) in as many years of trolling eBay for them. That's a long way from the 40-50 needed to make a believable train. I would dearly love to see a modern-tooled version of this car, and am somewhat perplexed that nobody's (re)done it since UP was still in the livestock business long after nearly everyone else called it quits.

[chessie system fan]

If I recall correctly, it's a NYC prototype.  I'm sure someone else here can confirm if that's correct or not.

[Cajonpassfan]

Yes it is.
Otto K.

[Spikre]

 
  NYC rebuilt USRA SS boxcars for this model.
  AHM/ROCO did an HO version with the deck mechanism for
  raising and lowering on both sides,NYC only put that on 1 side.
  later some or all the cars had the Mechanism removed and were
  either "Fixed" Double deck or Single deck cars.
   other roads did similar conversions,see the Accu-Rail GN car in HO.
    Spikre
       

[robert3985]

OK, the new runner pack announcement got my attention. I've been wanting to build a "Farmer John" train for a while.

Problem is... this car isn't right for UP. So whose prototype is it based on? I recall discussion on TRW about it a few years back but can't seem to find the thread.

Atlas' 40' car is correct for UP, but the tooling on it goes back to the '70s or '80s and it's now "Trainman" material, with but a single production run in the yellow/silver. I've managed to collect a grand total of four (...count 'em...) in as many years of trolling eBay for them. That's a long way from the 40-50 needed to make a believable train. I would dearly love to see a modern-tooled version of this car, and am somewhat perplexed that nobody's (re)done it since UP was still in the livestock business long after nearly everyone else called it quits.

I'm collecting the Atlas cars too, but with the goal of getting rid of some of their deficits such as the cast plastic running boards, cast plastic stirrups, grossly oversized brake wheel, etc., etc...

I also plan on stripping and repainting every one of them, and trying some protocol (I haven't decided what yet) to attempt to minimize the side-wall thickness...which is ridiculous, and Armour Yellow paint just emphasizes it.

However, I think a "convincing" Livestock Despatch train can be done with considerably less than 40 or 50 cars.  Here's a 35 car train at Echo...which looks pretty convincing to my eye.

The show lashup of "F-Units" modules specifies that major scenes be a minimum of 12', and my main LDE (Echo) is 30' long, so the whole train is visible much of the time while running.

When I run this train at shows, it always generates a lot of interest here in U.P. territory even if the cars are wrong.



Bob Gilmore

[thomasjmdavis]

I have several of the MT Despatch (which, IIRC, is the builder of the car, not a type as such), most lettered for ATSF, including a couple green ones.  The mineral brown ones, along with a couple "off road" cars help break up the IM SK cars.  And I keep the couple non-proto "ATSF green" ones, knowing full well that if I sold them, a day later someone would post a photo of experimental green cars on a train in 1955.

[basementcalling]

C855B, I used to have  about 75 of the Atlas cars that ran behind a Con Cor Big Boy back in the 90s. Great train even if horribly unprototypical.  One of the Union Pacific Modeler Maga books Terry Metcalf put out a while back had an article on the 80s era UP hog trains into Southern California I believe.  Those were 60 foot cars.

[Kisatchie]

...I've managed to collect a grand total of four (...count 'em...) in as many years of trolling eBay for them. That's a long way from the 40-50 needed to make a believable train....

If you're still looking, eBay has one up for bid now:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/N-Scale-Micro-Trains-MTL-Union-Pacific-40-Despatch-Stock-Car-35010-/181852230719?hash=item2a573cd43f


Hmm... eBay never has
any auctions for termites...

[C855B]

C855B, I used to have  about 75 of the Atlas cars that ran behind a Con Cor Big Boy back in the 90s. Great train even if horribly unprototypical.  One of the Union Pacific Modeler Maga books Terry Metcalf put out a while back had an article on the 80s era UP hog trains into Southern California I believe.  Those were 60 foot cars.

Really? I'll look again... to my knowledge (and per the recent UPHS article about hog service) UP never had anything other than 40' cars for livestock service. They had modern new and rebuilt cars in the '70s, and they were all 40-footers. There was an offload facility in the Middle of Nowhere, UT, with the ramps setup for 40' cars, which was the incentive to not do any other size. You might be right, 'cause there could have been a restated service in the '80s.

If you're still looking, eBay has one up for bid now:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/N-Scale-Micro-Trains-MTL-Union-Pacific-40-Despatch-Stock-Car-35010-/181852230719?hash=item2a573cd43f

That's the MTL car, Kiz... the Atlas car is the correct one. But thanks anyway!

I had the opportunity to be trackside on one occasion as this train went by. Unfortunately, the setting was the Pomona (CA) depot, with very tight clearances on the platform. Once I realized what it was, it was too late... the stench was overwhelming and with the station closed at that moment there was nowhere to run for cover. It was everything I could do to not vomit.

[basementcalling]

40 vs 60. What's the difference?

 I may be wrong.

[nkalanaga]

thomasjmdavis:  You're right.   "Despatch" was the name of one of the NYC's main car shops.

I tried Googling "Despatch" and got this from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchants_Despatch

"The Merchants Despatch Transportation Company (MDT, also known as the Merchants Despatch Refrigerator Line) was established in 1857 or 1858 by the American Express Company of New York (then a freight forwarding service). The entity was reformed as a joint stock trading company on June 1, 1869, with ownership divided among the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway (CCC&I), the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, and the New York Central Railroad (NYC), all part of the Cornelius Vanderbilt rail empire."

And on the MDT building its own cars:
"The East Rochester plant would grow in time to encompass some 64 acres (with an adjacent rail yard of equal size), and would produce on the order of 36 cars per day. The installation became the main car plant within the New York Central system."

"The car shop was closed down in 1970. "