Helium Car? Who made it? I want one!

But where are the model lead weights that keep the car from floating away?

It doesn't look to be a Pecos River Brass helium car - the grabs, ladders, and steps look cast on.  Perhaps it is a photo of a model in another scale.  PRB helium cars are very heavy - there is a lot of brass in the model.

Ed Rappe

Internet search engine returns:

http://www.atsfrr.com/Reviews/...ght/Helium/Index.htm

Amazing.

Might be an entertaining scratchbuilding exercise,   I can do a lot with $400+ of supplies,

I am shooting from the hip here (suspect memory), and it may not be of interest, as it is NOT that similar to the PRB car, but I think Sunset or their 3rd rail moniker made a helium car that was more of a flat car with containers that resembled beer kegs. Might not be exactly what you are looking for, but might be more easily obtainable and easier on the wallet? Anyone out there able to confirm any of the above?

Thanks ALL,

Simon

That might be the chlorine car?

Thanks! Very well might be! As I mentioned, the memory is foggy! At least I'm sorta' in the ballpark!

Simon

 Armed with the above information, I did a search and it was indeed a chlorine car! My Bad!

MaineTrains: 

The photo above looks like the AHM HO scale model.  I recall having one of them back in the late 1970's.  It appears to be a model of the same prototype as the Pecos River Brass model in O scale.

Jim

The Sunset/3rd Rail car was the chlorine car imported sometime in the mid-late 1990's as I recall.

Another O scaler and I purchased part of a collection of scratch built and modified factory built freight cars from a fellow in Delaware about 4-5 years ago. He had some scratch built O scale helium cars but I can't verify that the photo is of one of them.

However, closer examination shows that the ladders and grabs are cast on. Many of his cars utilized parts from AHM cars as their basis so this could very well be a scratch built car that got its start from cannibalized parts of other cars.

Many of his cars were of types such as vinegar, pickle, unusual tank cars, etc.

He built 3000 freight cars over his lifetime. One of the cars I kept was a PRR box car with several roof hatches. Research indicated the PRR had one car like that and darned if he didn't have the correct car number on his model.

I have one of these in HO, and always wondered what it was.  Now I know and can update my catalog listing for it.

I have the PRB car , its lettered for US Navy and is way over NMRA weight specs,(it will always have to be the first car behind the loco(s). Its unique, all brass and applied handrails. 

I'll find it this weekend and weigh it and photo it. Its a beautiful car and was the first brass car i purchased when I switched from 3rail

Watch Evilbay, as they turn up there now and again. Not sure what they generally go for as I never had interest in one.

Simon

I'll post more photos if you still want them, The car weights nearly 2lbs 12oz

There were 100 models made; 70 USNX and 30 MHAX [per email from John Smith from PRB].    I have one of the USNX and love the model; its unique and has a very intriguing history.    These ran from Texas to the West Coast and NE to various military installations.   Hence, they can accurately be operated on both SP/ATSF in the West and any NE roads that reached into Maryland.