I was at the hobby shop yesterday and a Walthers Auto Train boxcar two-pack jumped into my hands right off the shelf! I wasn’t even looking for Amtrak stuff, but there it was at the cash wrap getting purchased. Now they are on the layout looking reasonably bad compared to my Overland Superliners, but I think with some good rust and a few detail parts they will do OK.
It got me thinking and searching for prototype photos of these things and what I found was useful but pretty limited. The old boxcar type auto carrier like the Walthers models that I picked up are not the only type in use on the Auto Train. Amtrak uses regular Autoracks quite extensively now, but even back in the era that I am modeling they were using big Autoracks. I would do Phase II and Phase III only.
Con Cor has made the exact units in N scale, apparently.
So, I guess I am looking for advice on a few things to make a custom Autorack
What are the Autoracks that Amtrak is using? This is one area of rolling stock that I am unfamiliar with. Until now I have never even had a layout with radii that could handle them.
What about decals? Microscale does not have an Auto Train decal in any scheme.
Once I know the Autorack type, I need the undecorated kit. Advice here would be needed as well. I guess. I don’t see many that look similar. I could do brass or plastic.
If I can get the info and the sources, I will build/blog it and share the ensuing mess that it no doubt will be.
I just had a quick chat with Brian from Overland and he says they never made any of these autoracks and don’t plan to. He’s busy making sexy NS heritage locos right now anyways!
So, if any of you out there have suggestions for a kitbash formula, I am all ears (eyes) and I will certainly blog it so people can check it out.
I would need something to start with; maybe an autorack of another type that I can salvage the frame and roof from.
I don’t think there’s a whole lot of kitbashing that you can do. The Walthers autorack roof is a pretty good match, but you’d probably have to splice two together since the Walthers one has rounded edges and these have a flat edge. You could probably salvage a brake lever off the Walthers model as well. The trucks seem to be pretty standard passenger trucks. Other than that you’re probably on your own.
Another note: It looks like Amtrak has another slightly different style autorack that they are using now (92xx series) which appears to be the Freightcar America Aluminum Vehicle Carrier (AVC). Unfortunately, nobody makes a model of that either, and it shares even fewer parts with existing models.
I spent a few minutes researching this again tonight. The cars are made by FreightCar America (Johnstown America Corporation) and I am assuming that these are the new ones in current trains. I am more interested in the older tri-levels.
I misse ckape’s post where he told me the manufacturer until just now. Well, anyway, at lest there might be some models coming of these current autoracks if CN is using them
