Www.Walthers.com Walthers makes this car in HO sku number is 932-4882. These cars are long so wide curves are required.
Thanks. In hobby stores, I only see this car in a set of two. I don't know what you call it, but I've seen it on layouts where both cars are connected in a different way... maybe some help here. I know the car is long, but I bought a centerbeam car a couple of weeks ago. I think it's the same length as the auto rack, and I thought it would have a tough time doing the 18 inch radius, but it was fine. Maybe this car can make it on the 18's???
If I remember correct, the centerbeam cars are 72 feet long and the autorack cars 89 feet! You can see them in this [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X83-FENidYQ]video[/ame]. I run this train at the mainline, with 1,3 meter (42 feet) radius. They go at the branchline two feet radius, but look terrible. Just like my Heavyweights. 2 ' is for the Heavyweights the minimum. More pictures at my blog. Wolfgang
I love the autoracks. I might have to buy one just because I love them so much. If it doesn't do my curves, it will just have to sit in my yard looking sharp. How about those stack cars. How long are they?
The car in the picture looks like a Custom Rail Bilevel AutoRack. Walthers had similar cars out a few years ago and will have them again in the Spring according to their latest flier. Both the Custom Rail and the Walthers Bilevels show up on eBay...Custom Rails are more infrequent, Walthers are pretty regular. More common are the Trilevels by Walthers.
I think you mean the articulated pair (centre truck is shared). Athearn do/did this in the Genesis line IIRC.
Both Athearn & Atlas make articulated auto cars. Walthers makes the 89' autoracks. Check here for good prices:http://www.rrtrains.com/ The sell about 20%off & more for $50 membership. Use the Walthers catalog to see what you want then search using the Walthers #s.
Open Racks Due to theft and vandalism the open auto racks of the 1970's are gone. Accurail makes both the bi level and tri level autoracks in ready to run and kits. Remember to add a load of autos to them. The Auto racks were loaded at an assembly plant so all the cars would be the same make and model (ie:all Ford sedans) on the rack. The bi level racks were used mainly in the eastern U.S. where low clearances made the tri levels too high.
Here's an open rack photographed in 2001: Granted, screens have been added to the sides, but ... From here: http://www.krunk.org/~joeshaw/pics/cn/autorack/
I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure bi-levels were made for larger vehicles (light trucks, Vans, SUVs, etc).
Nevermind. I didn't know there were two pages to this thread. I'm guessing the open autoracks were used in the 70's.
The car pictured appears to be a brass painted N-scalle autorack. Did I win the prize? But as others have said, Walthers makes a late 80's to present autorack in bi and tri level. If you want an open 70's style auto rack, Accurail makes those in kit and RTR form but I recommend the RTR versions as they appear tricky to build square and flush. Add panels to the sides for updated versions.
Open Auto Racks were used from about 1960 to present. In the mid 1970s enclosed auto-racks were introduced and by the end of the 1970s auto-racks similar to the ones you see today were plying the rails. Beginning in the early 1970s, open racks began to be modified typically with corrugated sheets on the sides to help prevent vandalism. The numbers of open racks dwindled rapidly in the 1980s and are very rare now if seen at all (open rack photo above is from 2001).
in firsthobby they have single autoracks for 20 http://www.firsthobby.com/store1/Category.asp?CategoryID=2005052615013661&SN=2007092515143869 singles are on the second page walthers makes them
The longest centerbeams I know of are 72' and autoracks are 89'. A single 53' well car is about 72'. This is the largest common size, though there are some cars with 56' wells which must be longer. Most well cars will not run on 18".