Idler Cars - info needed

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
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For those left clueless, an idler car was used by the narrow gauge railroads, mostly in dual gauge yards, but on occasion, on mixed gauge freights!

The idler car allowed both standard and narrow gauge engines to shunt and switch mixed gauge cars. These were usually a form of narrow gauge, ultra short, two truck flat cars. with a coupler at one end for standard gauge and at the other end, one for narrow gauge cars. In this manner both standard and narrow gauge engines could haul or switch cars of the other gauge.

I do know that, at least on the D&RGW, they had a single dual coupler pocketed standard gauge Yard switcher at Antonito, but all narrow gauge engines had to use the idler cars.

Question?

Were there any idler cars with dual pocket, changable couplers on their end sills? It seems logical as a particular idler, if having fixed, different couplers at each end might have to be run through a wye or placed on a turntable depening on which type of engine needed to switch which type of car.

Of course having a ready track with 2 or 4 fixed, alternating coupler idler cars, two each in opposite configurations could be picked up and returned for any switching trick needed to be done in any gauge by any engine without ever needing to be turned around.

Last question…

Were any idler cars trucked in standard gauge? Or was there one in each gauge on hand?

For those with dual gauge model roads/yards, the idler cars seems a natural and cool item to have. Was any formal kit ever made for an idler car?

Edit: OOPS! It seems I answered one of my questions with a google search. The D&GRW did have standard gauge trucked idlers and at least one had dual gauge coupler pocketed end sills. see image below

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East Broad Top had a standard gauge 0-6-0 switcher with dual couplers.

Picture and kit here http://www.btsrr.com/bts6100.htm

Enjoy

Paul

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Either the car in your photo or its twin was at Antonito several years ago. As you noted, it was standard gauge Each end sill had three drawbar pockets. The center held a fixed standard gauge coupler with normal draft gear. The other two were offset and lower, and there was one narrow gauge coupler at each end, held by a pin about as big as a man’s wrist. Theoretically it would have been possible to move the narrow gauge coupler from one side to the other. I doubt that it was done very often in practice.

A little logic shows why it makes more sense to have the transition car on standard gauge trucks:

  1. There would be no need to run it where there was no standard gauge rail.
  2. The wider gauge makes for a more stable platform.
  3. A single design meets all requirements.
  4. The standard gauge coupler is always centered. Moving a narrow gauge coupler from one pocket to the other would be a lot quicker and easier than sorting cars of different dimensions.

Actually, when I saw the title of this thread I expected a discussion of the skeleton flats used to load and unload car floats in the Port of New York…

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

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That was my thought, too. [swg]
I purposely built these silos with limited overhead clearance. There is no assigned idler, so crews use any flat or gondola that’s nearby at the time

The steel plant where I worked used cars (standard gauge) like the one shown below (known as a “goat”). This one has only a single coupler on the visible end, but these cars originally had two couplers, one above the other, with the low one to accommodate some old and very low ingot buggies still in use at the time. When the open hearth using the low buggies was closed, the lower couplers were removed. The goats remained in service as a safety measure to put a little distance between the loco and a hot drag, although most drags also included empty buggies on the engine-end.

Wayne

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I had seen someting like that before, & have had it on ‘the list’ of things to do.
I didn’t realize they were so short, I actually like that.
I think it would make an excellent scratchbuild &/or kitbash.

Thanks for starting the thread & the good comments!

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Hi the kit you asked about. duel gage coupler car riograndmodels.com I think that is the link