Crist, can't find my stupid ruler. It might take a day to find it. I was using it just the other day. Jurg, I am sorry they cancel it, and I dont think there is anything that is close to it. mmm..... Robert. We know a lot of people bough log cars, so there must be a need for a lumber factory.
I have been busy last weekend decaling 20 containers. There are hundreds of litte paper in my desk. The first one is a FR well car with FR reefer, and I use one of Tim's decals. This one is one of one more colorful decals Tim makes. I find it interestin that MTL actually makes two different well cars. The last picture is to show the compare the MTL and FR well car. Currently, the single well cars are not avairlable from FR, but Uncle Wil says if we can get 20 orders, FR will put it back in production. [ March 14, 2006, 07:15 AM: Message edited by: shamoo737 ]
Guys, I'll get back to you about what is the minimum production we are looking for on the Long Valley Lumber Kit from THE N SCALE ARCHITECT in Z-Scale. John Bartolotto
John M., I am confused by your statement, "I find it interestin that MTL actually makes two different well cars. " I thought all of MTL's (and FR's for that matter) were Gunderson 48' well Maxi-stack III's. Not quite sure what you meant. Thanks, Randy
Sorry Randy, at first, I thought there was two differen well cars, but in reality they have different desing on each side.
Yeah, I noticed that when I got my first ones too. They 5 unit and 3 unit cars are even more different. It would be nice to see some different well cars, like some Thrall or NSC cars, but there are a lot of other pieces of rolling stock that need to be done as well. At least we have the Alan Curtis flats and spine cars to add some variety. I was out watching trains on Saturday with my son and the three CSX intermodals I saw on the old RF&P between Sopringfield and Alexandria, VA were all running only one stack high (even in the well cars) since they were all heading into restricted height territory in Washington, DC . Bryan always complains about having to run his double-stacks only one high wehn we have modules with catenary set up but I always remind him that's how it works in real life too. Randy
Randy, I have a set of the spine cars. I also think that Thrall cars would be a welcome addition to the fleet. I expect to receive my Kits of FR well cars on Wendsday, so I will be busy building them. Lot of times I run some on my well cars single stack if I run a long train. I dont like to triple head my train consist, and running it single stack helps in cutting down the weinght. Also, its very prototypical to run single stack. From what I see, most of FEC are single stack.
Yeah, we tried running the Husky-stacks with solid resin container loads in them at NTS 2005 and the train was WAY too heavy. Randy
Randy, my original plan is to use Nansen S. trailers for my spine car, but they were way too heavy. The spine cars are heavy as it is, then you add the solid resin container with pewter wheel and frame. It made a very heavy train. I still used the truck and trailer set for the intermodal yard. Christ M, The MTL container dimensions are, 5.6mm x 1.2mm x 1.3mm. The dimensions for Marklin containers are, 5.5mm x 1.1mm x 1.2mm. I would suggest that get the actual containers before you build the cars. The nunbers are very close, but I dont think they are precise enought. You would need a digital caliper for a more precise measurement.
Thanks for the dims John, I think I'll just be brave and go ahead and give it a try. Got lots of styrene and enthusiasm... Chris
Goooo Christ M, Just document everything, and take a lot of pictures. May I ask what you plan to build.
Have you heard the newest of Intermodal Well Car News????? Apparently more shippers use 40' containers than most other sizes. Since this is a reality, Gunderson (and I think Thrall) has re-worked alot of their 5 unit cars. They have taken them from accepting up to a 48' or 53' bottom container to only a single 40' or two 20' containers. What you attach to the top is up to the shipper. So, the New 5 unit well cars are now shorter thereby eliminating alot of wasted space whereby more well cars can be hauled without all the extra weight. Don't believe me, well, as soon as I get home, I'll post the photos of the newest BNSF well cars with the "Swoosh" logo. They are modified to haul a 40' bottom container only. I read the article Sunday night while surfing the intermodal pages and looking for BNSF photos. Wish I would have bookmarked that articles page. Dang! What this all boils down to is another one or two versions of Intermodal well cars we get to model in "Z"! Yipee! Tim [ March 15, 2006, 10:48 AM: Message edited by: HoboTim ]
I'm going to make some of my own well cars. I am planning on something very similar to the NSC cars that CN used here in Canada. Proto-freelancing as I have pictures but no drawings. Now that I have the basic dims of a container, I can just work around that. Thanks Chris
Chris, I believe MR had drawings of these very same well cars a few years ago. Not sure if they were NSC, but they weren't Gunderson or Thrall and they were either CN or CP. If you are interested, I'll try to find them this week. Randy
Chris, I just found the drawings I have of NSC well cars last night. If you e-mail me your contact info off-forum I would be happy to send you copies. It's from a November 2001 article in Model Railroader, "Drawbar-connected well cars,"..."These thre-platform sets are a common sight on CP Rail intermodal trains." The accompaning article lays out how to scratchbuild two different versions of these. So, it's not specifically a CN car, but it IS an NSC car. Let me know. Thanks, Randy Smidt randy@smidtfamily.com
Chriss, I just there is some issue with plastic well cars. The problem if you dont weight them properly, they will derail easily, because they are so light. Theres is a good disscusion on this subject in modelintermodal forum. I learn this forum from Tim. Here is the link. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/modelintermodal/
Just a photo of some of my containers! Photos of my scratchbuilt Mi-Jack Translift Crane with etched details. Enjoy Tim
Tim, now I can see all the detail you put into Mi-Jack. I hope you put it into production, even if you have to put less detail into it. It really looks great.
Hello Everyone! Just wanted to pass along a message from Harald Freudenreich. Today he posted a message in the Z_Intermodal group asking if anyone who models, runs, or collects Intermodal if they would like to have a 53' single Husky. He is willing to build them if he has enough interest and I would guess, Confirmations. Message can be found here! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Z_Intermodal/ Their is 2 things holding him back, a desire for this type car by us, the Z intermodal community and dimension specifications! I am sure we can overcome these two small obstacles! Please let Harald know your thoughts! Tim
