We are asking fro your help in planning our productions for 2008-9 OK here’s the thing - 'transition i era' intermodal spine cars ran on the SP, NH and Erie. We are very keen to produce one of these type of cars in N Scale. However, we will only be tooling for one of these most unusual and interesting cars. We are getting ready for Thanksgiving 2008! Which one would excite you most: 79’ 6” spine car which ran on the SP [F-50-17 for the officiandos] [thumbnail below] 79’ 6” spine car which ran on NH, KCS and Erie and then sold second hand to SP [thumbnail below] 85’ spine car which ran both Clejan and normal trailers on the SP [F-50-18] My thoughts the F-50-17 is the most interesting car, with handrails and walkways - they were plentiful and ran from 1957 to 1960 when they were lengthened to 85’. 79’ 6” is an interesting length and closer to transition era. the ex NH has slightly more uses, and was earlier, but not many ran on the SP [200 cars], and we have accurate drawings. They also look more ‘staid’ than the SP built cars. the 85’ cars have more versatility as they could be fitted with a solid trackway rather than the open mesh walkway at the sides, for circus loading of trailers and containers too, but are longer and so could be more difficult to tool. These cars ran longer, up to 1963 when they were rebuilt to 89’. Thoughts and ideas please? Peter Peter Harris N Scale Kits www.nscalekits.com PS we will also plan to be releasing some unusual auto trailers for the SP cars at the same time! [thumbnail below]
I would be intrested in the Auto trailers and 79’ 6” spine car which ran on the SP [F-50-17 for the officiandos]
Late 50's to late '60's freight? Not much help here - and what with the Jerry Briton's poll of PRR not even showing a glimmer of need for the new F39 cars in N Scale that we are tooling this could be a lean patch - oh dear. With the number of early diesels and late steam around we thought that there might be more interest in these early intermodal cars. We are keen to do the PRR F39 cars that ran into the early TrainTrain era, and are tolling for this now. We would like to follow this up with one of the Clejan cars. Is there less interest in freight cars for the late '50s to late 60's now? Peter
This is a VERY small sampling to base product decisions. All I know is that there are gaping holes in what is available in N Scale, and the wise vendor figures out what these are... Do you have a chain of custom painters who can take your glorious kits and make them run?
I wouldn't mind some of the 85' as some stuck around in other non intermodal uses such as telephone pole cars and cars to carry military equipment. Will you ever bring back the 10 pack spine car that was produced by Alan Curtis? Brian
I could use one or two cars for the New Haven or ERIE, as I model eastern roads. My space is limited, so I could not run so many of them. My MTL 89' flat cars are not running too often
Just because the car wasn't listed in Jerry's poll doesn't mean PRR modellers won't buy it. I know I'd buy a couple, but I didn't list in the poll.
