I am posting this thread in the hopes that it will generate a good amount of talk on the MTL Gunderson Husky past and hopefully continued releases. Before I start I would like everyone know that their is a poll on the Yahoo Z_Intermodal group that will automatically end on the 31st of this month. If you are a member of that group, please visit the site and add your response to the poll. If you are not a member and would like to be, membership is free for the asking! Go to this website and take the poll http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Z_Intermodal/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ok, now for a discussion starter! As you know, if you live or work near any railroad mainline, the chances of seeing an Intermodal train are great. Their are thousands of container well cars all across North America. If you are a modern modeler you probably own a few of MTL's Husky's. I myself have 50+ well cars, most of which are MTL Husky's. Before the end of this year I am hoping to increase that number to 75+. I am getting close. Right now their are 7 sources for Z scale Intermodal products. On occassion, a 8th will present itself. The 7 sources are Micro-Trains, Harald Freudenreich "FR", Ztrack, Make My Model, Searails, Marklin and E&D Models. The occassional source is myself, but I won't go there now. Micro-Trains has released several paint schemes of a 48' Gunderson Husky, of which I think the TTX was the most talked about and collected. They also make a 20' & 40' injected plastic Hi-Cube container. Harald Freudenreich has released a 48' Gunderson Husky, a Gunderson Maxi III and is working on releasing soon the 56' 2+2 Gunderson Husky. They also have just released photos of the new 53' injected plastic containers. (more to come) Another FR product was the 40' Reefer container. Ztrack has released the Thrall single well car and the Thrall 3 Drawbar well car. Make My Model makes RP Acrylic containers. You can purchase container that fit MTL or Marklin containers. Searails makes RP Acrylic containers too. Marklin makes 20' and 40' injected plastic containers. E&D Models makes the 89' flatcars and the 5 unit articulating Spine cars. Out of all the above listed items, the MTL Gunderson Huskys with containers are the most widely distributed/collected. Since the first and the last MTL husky was released the Z scale movement has seen alot of new comers added to the ranks. For the ones that know, I have heard talk of a want for more of the Husky's in the yellow TTX paint scheme. I want to officially state that I want more of the TTX Husky's too. If all is right I would like to increase my husky supply 20-25 more. The two TTX Husky releases sold out quickly. Alot faster than all of the other Husky releases I bet. I want more. I want some to modify into TTX 4 Drawbar units. TTX has hundreds of them. I hope to find a few more BN Husky's to modify into the 3 drawbar units then patch them with a BNSF number. Add lots of weathering road grime and you have a realistic work of art. Intermodal is here to stay. I have my wants. Do you have any MTL Husky wants? Please add to this thread and lets discuss the need/desire for more MTL TTX Husky's!!! Hobo Tim p.s. FR's 56' 2+2 Gunderson Husky (undec) with New 53' Containers (undec). I will post more on this container real soon!!! On a last note, don't forget to vote in the Poll on the Yahoo Z_Intermodal group!!!
I just wish I could get 53' containers that are not RP. I don't like the MMM stuff anymore, because of the painting and prep grief. I want those tall blue 53' 110 Pacer Stacktrain containers, because I see hundreds of them every day at the NUMMI plant down the street from my house. I wish MTL would make the 53' containers to stack on top of my 20' and 40' containers.
Deane, I would love to see somw twin stacks also. I like the looks of the bulkheads. Tim was suppose to make them. Maybe it's the next car after the Thralls. I like the 53' container. It looks like the two containers are one piece.
I find there is a real need for containers that are *not RP. MTL should consider selling their containers separately. It would also be nice if containers came pad-printed too. It is nice to fill the cars with containers, but a little realism on a layout has containers in a yard, on trucks, etc.
New Well Car Models When it comes to new models of well cars, the only one that is a definite soon release will be FR's 56' 2+2 Well Car. http://www.fr-model.de/ I understand that these will be released the end of February/March 2008. That is a few weeks away. If I recall right, the first paint scheme will be the GBRX Greenbriar scheme. It will have two of the new 53' Plastic Injected Jindo Hi-Cube containers with it. The containers will be painted and pad printed. One will be blue with the white CROWLEY lettering and the second will be in a Canadian National series. A red container with white CROWLEY and a CSX Intermodal container will be sold seperately. Their is also talk of undecorated containers that you paint and decal yourself, but I can't say what the decal types will be at this time. Soon!!! Here are photos of the new 56' 2+2 Gunderson Well car FR is preparing to release! Oh, and by the way, the new 53' Jindo Hi-cube containers are compatible with Marklin 20' & 40' containers and the FR 40' Reefer containers. Enjoy!!! Hobo Tim
Soon!!!! Tim, I understand that MTL is about to release their 20' and 40' containers seperately in packs very soon. How many will come in a pack. I don't know but you are correct in that their is a need for more containers!!!!! Stay Posted!!!! Hobo Tim
Stay Posted for more on this subject! Don't think for one moment that Tim is not working on such projects!!! Whether they are in my head, scratched on paper, or actually artwork in my computer, If It Is Intermodal, I am definitely working on it!!! Hobo Tim
Back to the thread topic!!! How many Micro-Trains Gunderson Husky's would you possibly purchase if MTL released a third run of the yellow TTX paint scheme? I think a third release of the TTX Husky is needed!!!! Hobo Tim
Tim, I would get one if it has a different TTX logo. Maybe one with a earlier logo so it doesnt look exactly the same. I know the logo on the FR looks different.
Very Early Trailer Train John, You are referring to an early scheme of the Trailer Train company. If MTL was to produce a Husky in this scheme they can have them all. And, they will probably have a hard time getting rid of them. That paint scheme is not a better known scheme. I would prefer them to use the current TTX paint scheme and add a third roadnumber. If you want, I can make you many of the old Trailer Train decals!!!! Please don't curse any possible progress we might be making!!!! Since I posted this thread last night we have had an additional 5 votes on the MTL TTX Poll in the Yahoo Z_Intermodal group. The additional votes raise the possible purchases between 14 - 45 according to the way the poll was listed!!!! The poll shows a possible purchase of 31 to 140 TTX Husky's should MTL release a third well car. Hobo Tim
Howdy! Love the intermodal as well, once we have our SD40-2 then I will start working on painting my undec's (rejects I rescued from the hot pot) I want to release more cars, but the cost is high and the number of prints makes them difficult somtimes to get into the schedule. As for Containers, yes, I am working them into the que. I am also working on a new way to get these decorated finally. With the cars now, the cost is too much to expect folks to pay which is why we only offer them undecorated. TTX was the most popular behind the SP cars. Joe MTL
What If..... What if I said some people at MTL think the Gunderson Husky was the worse piece of rollingstock they have ever invested in? I am trying to stir an interest so they might find it in their hearts and Pocket Book to invest in another run of Gunderson Husky's, preferrably another TTX release. If you are interested please add your message to this thread!!!! Thank You!!!! Hobo Tim
Tim, I'd want to do them more, but they are difficult to produce. Also, it's an issue of capacity....we got a gallon bucket we can fill each month, no more, no less. The Well cars constitute a big part of that bucket. We have some in the que, I'll make sure we do the TTX Cars asap. Joe
Thanks! Joe, I know I speak for several Z scalers, who seldom frequent the forums, that would say Thank you!!!! A third release of a TTX Husky is just what they and myself are looking for. Thanks Joe!!! Hobo Tim
Any possibility of getting the loads sold way before the next well car release? They should be easy and whipped out during "lunch hour" [or a "couple" of half hours]. Maybe these instead of a flat car load.... ...don
I only have about 30 of the MTL well cars, and only 16 of them have decals on the containers, but even a small amount of them make an interesting train. They really need to have decals on the containers. I was wondering Tim, if you could make Inkjet or Laser decals for them, by choosing colors that do not need white ink, or even printing them on white decal paper, with the whole container side covered by the decal?
