To duplicate something I saw on an old Nickel Plate spur, try an Atlas Snap Switch with a couple pieces of snap track. Even saw the idea suggested in MRR. Wait, the switch was a gondola load, but I HAVE seen flats and also photos of 2 to 5 sections of prototype snap track sections on flats.
A few ideas:
A ‘naked’ boiler being readied for shipping:
Boiler_on_flatcar1 by Edmund, on Flickr
A stationary steam engine, AMB Laserkit, IIRC:
Team_track by Edmund, on Flickr
A detail of some NBW work on the timbers of another flanged pipe kit from AMB:
a pair of slag ladles being shipped out for relining:
Ladle_load1 by Edmund, on Flickr
Another AMB kit, the motor or generators, crated:
IMG_6707_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
AMB again, the fabricated box beam:
Various prime mover hulks:
Alco_engine by [url=https:/
The Athearn boats still come up on eBay from time to time. In addition to the boat on a flat car kit, they also sold the boats themselves in 4 packs or individually.
Here is the original Athearn boat:
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Here is a remodelled Athearn launch that I did a few years ago:
A second one in production:
I messed up the paint job on the second one so it currently sits as a derelict hull:
The deck is grooved 0.010 styrene. The stern has been chopped to reduce the height and curve the sides of the hull in a bit.
Dave
Very nice Dave! I didn’t go anywhere near that much work on my boats. Most of the Athearn/Lionel boats I have came with white hulls and cabin/decks in different colors. Thus, I simply masked and airbrushed the bottoms of the hulls red to simulate anti-fouling paint, brush painted the “wood” sections of the deck tan or brown, then used silver Sharpie markers to “chrome” the various fittings, rails and antenna. I also made sure the deck perimeters were completely glued down to the hulls. They now look significantly better than the original boats.
Hello All,
Great use of drop end gondolas and a single flatcar for oversized loads.
My pike is a mining operation set between the 1970s-80s. Lots of options for mining and maintenance equipment- -big stuff.
Unfortunately, the curves are as tight as 15-inch radii.
Loads to the mine that could be carried on a single 89-footer need to be broken down onto smaller cars.
At the last train show, I was able to attend, I found a pair of 30-foot flatcars along with a 48-foot, 4-truck, “heavy-duty” flatcar (all from separate vendors). The “heavy-duty” flatcar is not depressed.
The 30-footers will act as idler cars for the overhanging load of the H.D. flatcar.
For longer, “light” loads I am scratch building a converted skeleton log car to act as an idler car between the two smaller flatcars with an articulated load.
I know these will run as an “oversized” units, but I haven’t decided on what it will carry.
Thanks for the photos and inspiration on loads.
Hope this helps.
We seen the more common loads… Let’s take a peek outside of the box what say?
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Bobcat endloaders
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John Deer Farm equipment.
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Extra long steel beams or pipes requiring three flat cars.
4.Strip mining Truck dump Beds.
5.Construction crane and two extra flats carrying the long boom.
- Concrete bridge beams.
7, Plastic pipes
- wooden caboose going to a museum or private owner.
9.Passenger car trucks
- Diesel locomotive trucks.
This is not my photo. This came through my hometown, but I didn’t have a camera with me. We get these coming through every-so-often on BNSF.
Kent Johnson’s photo for the Trackside with Trains.com Vol. 110 voting competition. Canon EOS Digital Rebel. 1/400 sec. at f11, ISO 100, 28mm. May 21, 2006, in the Nebraska Sand Hills, east of Alliance, Neb.
https://trn.trains.com/photos-videos/trackside/2009/03/trackside-with-trainscom-vol-110-recap
(If this is against any rules, I apologize and I will remove this post.)
How about a mystery load? Simply glue a bunch of scraps of plastic together then cover that with a thin piece of plastic. Our newspaper comes in a thin blue plastic sleeve/bag that works just fine.
A friend salvages gears from old computer equipment; they make some nice H/D loads as well.
At one time, Airfix made plastic models of small, very old steam engines. I think mine is The Rocket which looks right at home on a flat car with rails and plenty of weathering.
Someone mentioned naval gun barrels. I made my own from Evergreen plastic tubing. Note that every other part number fits inside of a larger one… I don’t know the exact numbers but for instance, 2 fits inside of 4,m 3 fits inside of 5, etc. you get the idea.
When I wass in high school, I read about the telescope mirror blank that was cast in New York and shipped by depressed center flat car to California. It would be simple to model a big disk (about 2 3/8" in HO) up on edge covered on both sides with sheet metal as they were afraid of vandalism along the way.
If you want a fantasy load, how about a UFO? A friend made one from a football- shaped Christmas ornament complete with flashing LEDs.
Model railroading is fun; don’t let others tell you otherwisd. 
dlm