MTH new release of center beam flat cars

Anyone even have an idea of shipping?

I thought center beam flat cars had the trucks more at the ends of cars ?

clem k posted:

I thought center beam flat cars had the trucks more at the ends of cars ?

I’ve run accross a few of them with the more correct locations 

See attached:

The original releases had the trucks out toward the ends. The later releases had them in the right place and used extended coupler arms. The hint is "Kadee Mounts" in the description. The older ones are easily modified, even if you want to keep the three-rail couplers.

AGHRMatt posted:

The original releases had the trucks out toward the ends. The later releases had them in the right place and used extended coupler arms. The hint is "Kadee Mounts" in the description. The older ones are easily modified, even if you want to keep the three-rail couplers.

Thanks for the tip, Matt.

Too bad the catalog ‘art’ just shows them as improper all the time. 

MTH doesn’t keep the underframe instock to swap chassis on, or do you have a better idea? (:

I'm sure they'll have correct truck placement. I picked up a couple around 2014 that are right so I don't expect they'd go back. The frame and body are separate pieces so even though this is the first run of diagonal braces in a while they should just be on the newer frame. Charles Ro has then marked for arrival on April 20th.

I wish they'd issue the "opera window" style cars again. The diagonal-braced units seem to be the most common, but I occasionally see opera window cars "out in the wild". After all these years, the MTH loads still leave something to be desired. If you're too lazy to make decent lumber loads like I am, this guy has them on eBay. I derive no personal benefit from this shameless promotion.

O-gauge-lumber-load-bundles-for-flat-car-or-yard-9-pcs

For each batch I ordered I requested the same labeling for all of them. I can't remember if he cut me a break on quantity and/or shipping. Obviously, to outfit a full car, you're going to need a lot more than nine of them -- you need six sets and a little bit of glue for a full car. I chose to partially load the cars to reveal some of the center beam. The loaded car will be heavy, so you should remove the weight from the chassis.

I was glad to see the diagonal bracing. I already have opera windows, which as you mention are less common today. I'll probably put the loads on my opera windows cars which came with log loads I don't use. 

AGHRMatt posted:

I wish they'd issue the "opera window" style cars again. The diagonal-braced units seem to be the most common, but I occasionally see opera window cars "out in the wild". After all these years, the MTH loads still leave something to be desired. If you're too lazy to make decent lumber loads like I am, this guy has them on eBay. I derive no personal benefit from this shameless promotion.

O-gauge-lumber-load-bundles-for-flat-car-or-yard-9-pcs

For each batch I ordered I requested the same labeling for all of them. I can't remember if he cut me a break on quantity and/or shipping. Obviously, to outfit a full car, you're going to need a lot more than nine of them -- you need six sets and a little bit of glue for a full car. I chose to partially load the cars to reveal some of the center beam. The loaded car will be heavy, so you should remove the weight from the chassis.

 

 

Matt,

Thanks for the link, any pictures of your completed cars? I picked up a BN opera window car, while they are neat all the ones I deliver seem to be the braces units. 

Anyone ideas on if these will be around soon?

Prototypically the trucks could be either way, on most of the Thrall opera window cars the trucks are mounted closer to the ends than the diagonal cross member style.   A lot of the diagonal cross member style cars appear to have the outside wheels of the trucks about 2’ or less from the ends the car.

Larry

Lehigh Valley Railroad posted:

AGHRMatt posted:

I wish they'd issue the "opera window" style cars again. The diagonal-braced units seem to be the most common, but I occasionally see opera window cars "out in the wild". After all these years, the MTH loads still leave something to be desired. If you're too lazy to make decent lumber loads like I am, this guy has them on eBay. I derive no personal benefit from this shameless promotion.

O-gauge-lumber-load-bundles-for-flat-car-or-yard-9-pcs

For each batch I ordered I requested the same labeling for all of them. I can't remember if he cut me a break on quantity and/or shipping. Obviously, to outfit a full car, you're going to need a lot more than nine of them -- you need six sets and a little bit of glue for a full car. I chose to partially load the cars to reveal some of the center beam. The loaded car will be heavy, so you should remove the weight from the chassis.

 

 

Matt,

 

Thanks for the link, any pictures of your completed cars? I picked up a BN opera window car, while they are neat all the ones I deliver seem to be the braces units. 

Here are some photos:

Burlington Northern car during conversion

BN Car with loads installed/glued in place.

Converted UP car -- empty. There are actually two separate cars with the same number for loads/empty operation at some point. The empty car has the weight from the other car added.

UP car loaded. The interior length of the car is pretty close to what it should be, but if the loads are tight, leaving a center gap (I've seen them loaded this way) solves the problem.

When I converted the UP cars (about a year after the BN car), I reused the MTH truck bolster and mounted it in the right place as a support for a truck mount. It's easier than fabricating a bolster from scratch like the first car and I used large metal washers as spacers to better support the car with the Weaver trucks in place. Even though the car should be riding on 36" wheels, I used 33" Intermountain scale wheels. The "bump" on the end sill needs to be partially cut/filed out to get a proper location for the Kadee coupler.

The load are stuck in place because they have paint in the holes and the lumber load pegs. 

The owner of the cars needs to carefully pry the loads up with a small, thin flathead screwdriver next to each peg.

Once the loads are out, you need to scrape the paint off the pegs with a razor knife.

Andrew

I have two I would like to relocate the trucks on.  Does anybody know if MTH has the current long shank trucks for separate sale?  And if so, a part number?  And if so, if there is a MTH parts dealer usually at York?

thanks

PeterA posted:

I have two I would like to relocate the trucks on.  Does anybody know if MTH has the current long shank trucks for separate sale?  And if so, a part number?  And if so, if there is a MTH parts dealer usually at York?

thanks

I just snagged a later-release BN opera window car with the inward-set trucks. I'm going to 2-rail the car to match the other ones (also picked up a pair of Milwaukee Road opera window cars), so if you send me your snail-mail address you're welcome to the pair.

Also, from the photos I've seen, there was a 63-foot Opera Window car used by Burlington Northern which had the trucks toward the ends of the car. I haven't seen that setup on the 73-foot car. I've bounced around the idea of cutting down an opera window car to 63 feet, but you have to take out one opera window and cut out a couple of panels. Not an easy modification, plus I'd have to paint and letter the thing.

AGHR Matt,

I just found a box of these under my bed- all early issue cars with the trucks incorrectly placed on the ends. But thanks for the detailed pics to correct the truck placement. I think these need to get the Kadee treatment too.

Geno