Show Me your Flat Car Trains

A Union Pacific run by from the early 1960s.

Here are some of my flat cars with loads.

The inspiration for this thread was these 2 relatively flat MTH cars with loads:

But, after looking at the cars in the other posts, I don't think that mine are true flat cars. I think they are low profile gondolas, not true flat cars. Is that true?

Arnold

Arnold,

Those two cars are gondolas.  When I first looked at your video I thought you were talking about the bulkhead flatcar with what looks like pipes.

I do like your layout.  Nice work.

'

Here are a few older flat cars with loads from the Baltimore & New York Ry:

Max Gray 250-ton heavy duty flat car from 1954, with a GE stator load made from PVC pipe and electrical conduit sections done in the 1980's. Wood bracing and D&H car number follow a photo of the prototype found in a 1950's issue of TRAINS magazine.

A Westbrook flat car rebuilt from a $3.00 'junker' w/o trucks or couplers. But it has all its stamped brass stake pockets! The Joal road-grader was found in an antique shop minus most of its tires for $10.00.  In writing to Joal in Spain to buy replacements, they sent me a full set of tires at no charge! Got to get the tie down chains snugged up though,

This All Nation cast aluminum depressed-center flat car models a pre-War Commonwealth design. Both features point to a previous maker, perhaps Megow.  Lettered for B&O, it carries an Allis Chalmers transformer load made from a St. Charles Model Works kit.  The Allis Chalmers emblem was found on the internet and made into a decal for the load. 

This is from a Walters kit that accurately models, a C&NW car built by Bettendorf in Iowa. The finished job includes a stained strip wood deck.  The current designation for this car on a waybill, is "MT."

S. Islander

@S. Islander posted:

Here are a few older flat cars with loads from the Baltimore & New York Ry:

Max Gray 250-ton heavy duty flat car from 1954, with a GE stator load made from PVC pipe and electrical conduit sections done in the 1980's. Wood bracing and D&H car number follow a photo of the prototype found in a 1950's issue of TRAINS magazine.

A Westbrook flat car rebuilt from a $3.00 'junker' w/o trucks or couplers. But it has all its stamped brass stake pockets! The Joal road-grader was found in an antique shop minus most of its tires for $10.00.  In writing to Joal in Spain to buy replacements, they sent me a full set of tires at no charge! Got to get the tie down chains snugged up though,

This All Nation cast aluminum depressed-center flat car models a pre-War Commonwealth design. Both features point to a previous maker, perhaps Megow.  Lettered for B&O, it carries an Allis Chalmers transformer load made from a St. Charles Model Works kit.  The Allis Chalmers emblem was found on the internet and made into a decal for the load.

This is from a Walters kit that accurately models, a C&NW car built by Bettendorf in Iowa. The finished job includes a stained strip wood deck.  The current designation for this car on a waybill, is "MT."

S. Islander

I love that D&H and B&O car. You did an amazing job.

Greg P

Some fabulous flat cars posted above. Thanks for sharing them.

Flyer flats:

Tie-down repros and lumber loads from Joe Mania.

PD

Ives flat:

Tough find with the chains.

PD

Lionel 6802 with Gulf-Wyer load:

Early journal-less Lionel 831 flat:

Photo was taken on the Golden Gate Lionel RR Club layout at Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos Ca.

The CB&Q flat car is by Red Caboose. The NE12 Way Car (caboose) is custom built.

RAY

This train of flatcars was inspired by a hilariously long cut of empty flats travelling in a manifest seen in a DVD "<name to be added when I get home>" when I find it.

This particular collection of 027 flats eventually ballooned to a potential of 50+ cars, but I haven't run that train yet (there are a bunch of consists I have yet to run before it).

---PCJ

This one, although classed as an O-58 gondola (it does have sides ) by the B&O, is really an early pig flat and was built July 1939 by Tommy Arnold:

My favorite loaded flat. Note that the cribbing has since been replaced/upgraded:

Just because I could :

I have a couple of dozen 4-axle and 6-axle depressed-center flats and about the same regular flats.

Note: One can never have too many flatcars; or tankers for that matter!

EDIT 1824 24jun22: To correct a typo.

A few of mine ...

Here is a photo of an Atlas O 89'4" flatcar with samples of American Freedom Train wagons that Alan Nelson is working on for me.  The wagons have gotten a lot more refined since this photo.  The three flatcars by themselves will be almost 6' - need more shelf space.

I like TOFCs, construction vehicles on flats, pipe loads, I-beam loads, lumber loads, and especially, the artisanal custom loads made by the craftsmen on this forum. But, I’ve really taken a shine to the vans on flatcars. There’s a gizmo on eBay that stabilizes the front of the van, so they don’t become dislodged.