After a long lapse of TOFC/COFC issues we have an 89'4" COFC in CP. http://www.micro-trains.com/new_releases_n.php
Are the DODX cars in Marine set Legit? I am collectiong the Navy series (the only time I have collected a MT series) and as a former Marine might have to get that one for a planned military train. Kevin
They appear to be close (flush deck, 89' cars): http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=602680 I am currently painting a batch of MTL cars into this DODX scheme and one thing I did notice is that the sills of the prototype are yellow - and this really improves the look of the model.
One small thing about the USMC set - those LVTP7's are they light enough for three on a 70 ton railcar???
http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/lvtp7.html Combat weight just over 25 tons. Presumably, they weight significantly less when not in use.
So are the container pedestals new for M-T? Too rich for my blood but I have seen these CP cars through Texas occassionally. They are nice looking cars, real and model!
No, there were several runs - including undec with the pedastals - 10 years ago or so. I have several...
The last MT COFC 89' runs were: 72020 Trailer Train TTX 972216 Jul-92 brown 72020 Trailer Train TTX 972216 Jun-95 brown 72213 Detroit, Toledo & Ironton DT&I 90092 May-92 red 72220 Trailer Train TTX 972210 Mar-92 brown 72223 Trailer Train 2-Pack (see Item 81030) TTX multi Mar-92 brown Here's a tiny little picture of the 72020 run: So, it's nice to see the new runs now, after 12 and 15 years since the last runs. Hope we see more.
containers? Are the containers that are included accurate for 40? I have an undec MT 40' container that just looks so different from the Deluxe and Walthers. Also, will the deluxe and walthers containers fit the MT 89'? Does CP still run these units? I seem to see a lot more of those single containers flats they run, all info appreciated! Jan
I am sure they are accurate, though I believe they are an older prototype - probably from the early days of intermodal shipping in the late 1960's and 1970's. I have not seen anything like them in a very, very long time, but that doesn't mean they are not around. (though probably as storage sheds...) I don't actually believe CP ever had flush deck cars that match this model, though if anyone has photos it would be interesting to see.
Unfortunately, MTL has put the correct lettering onto the wrong car - here is a "class-mate" of the CP 521135: http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=719776 This is pretty typical of CP intermodal flats and is NOT a match for the flush deck car... Doesn't mean I won't buy some and strip them though!
The MTL containers represent an accurate prototype, namely an "exterior post" container. Hardly any exterior post 40' containers are still in use though. Not appropriate if your period is after the early nineties. (While we're at it, the deluxe standard 40' and walthers high cube 40' also represent prototypes not in much use anymore, as they have logo panels.) OTOH, the MTL containers are not made accurately to scale. They are just a bit too wide to fit, for example, in the Deluxe Twinstack model. That's not a problem for 89' flats, though. I would assume other brand containers fit the 89' flats.
I read an article in Forbes, I believe, that said that standard 40' containers only cost about $800 - and that due to the trade imbalance into the US, many saw only one trip before being sold off. There are companies working on using them for housing and many other uses... I find it hard to believe they are this cheap, but it explains why you don't see them have the service life of say truck trailers or freight cars. Lou
Do a search on eBay for "shipping container" and you'll see some interesting results. Looks like they go for 1-3 g a piece.
Not sure about specific designs, but... Around here, many double-stack trains have a few COFC's thrown in. 89' and 81' flats are more common than ~60' cars, though I do see the latter.
Not too long ago, maybe just a few weeks even, we were asking Micro-Trains for a rerun of their 89 foot TOFC cars, this could be a good sign they are dusting the tooling off to grant us what we asked for. Over on the "A" forum, there is a thread concerning the inaccuracy of the CSX hopper MT is rerunning this month, I wonder what MT's representative would have to say concerning this. I also wonder if the folks at Micro-Trains use web sites such as the Fallen Flags Railroad Photos site when doing research for their paint schemes. The 2 bay Centerflow car they did recently in Burlington Northern had a paint scheme I've never seen (not that I'm an expert or anything) and when I searched for similar road numbers on the Fallen Flags site, all I found were Gray cars with Black lettering and graphics, as opposed to a green car with white graphics and an unusually small BN logo.
I imagine that Joe D. will chime in on this from a more "official" perspective, but... The questions on the CSXT center flow reprint this month are: (1) whether they ever had blue logos and (2) the statement "By this time railroads were not allowed to paint their own freight cars" that appears parenthetically in the MTL "car copy" (the description of the car that is in the web site and also in their print publication "Micro-News.") I am more concerned with (1) than (2), after all, one does not run car copy on one's layout. However, thus far I have not seen a CSXT center flow with an obviously blue logo. It was pointed out in the thread "elsewhere" that some very faded cars have what could be interpreted as what might have been a blue logo at one point, but the well preserved heralds I've seen thus far have all been black, and I've looked at hundreds of photos so far. (There are close to 2000 photos of CSXT covered hoppers on RRPictureArchives.net alone!!!) This does not mean that somewhere in the MTL Research Accumulation that there isn't a photo of a car with a blue logo. It is very difficult to prove the absence of something. As far as (2) I plan to check in with MTL for a clarification since I don't think the sentence is what they meant. CSX is apparently still painting its own freight cars. The same "evidence of absence" situation applies to the BN Center Flow reprint (it's from June of this year and already sold out/discontinued). I didn't come across a two bay center flow in green and white either in my UMTRR research travels. But I know that BN tried out several paint schemes and I also didn't have any of my readers who are BN fans and/or experts check in with any corrections or additions to my commentary. My UMTRR Gang Members are consistently good to point out errors I've made-- I even have a special section of my column called "Oops Patrol" (not posted to the website). The CP COFC prototype flat is, in fact, 81 feet long and without a deck; confirmed via a photo of the exact car in the Morning Sun Color Guide to the CP that I own. This would be what the more scholarly folks in model railroading would call a "stand in"-- some folks have less diplomatic terms in mind, but it's a free country. Those of you who read the UMTRR know that I try to stick to facts and away from pejoratives, as my readership is composed of not only people who use the "three foot rule" but the "three yard rule" and also the "three micron rule" in terms of what they will accept as "good enough". In terms of what MTL uses, I can tell you that they have used from me prototype photos, references to online guides and references to specific pages in Morning Sun Color Guides and other hard copy items, both books and magazines. Based on my finding the exact car numbers in both online and print venues I think it's safe to say that both are used as resources. I have not seen the MTL R&D Department in a number of years, but even then it was pretty enviable in terms of what they had available.
"The CP COFC prototype flat is, in fact, 81 feet long and without a deck; confirmed via a photo of the exact car in the Morning Sun Color Guide to the CP that I own. This would be what the more scholarly folks in model railroading would call a "stand in"-- some folks have less diplomatic terms in mind, but it's a free country." I thought that CP was using "no deck" units, ah well, it'll still look nice on the layout and I only ordered one. I wonder why they chose CP for the re-run though if this wasn't accurate when so many people have been crying out for more TTX and FEC, both of whom DO use that model? in the end though, no complaints here, only questions! my best, Jan
