I want to model the delivery of a EMD engine to my shop by using the walthers EMD 567 prime mover kit on a flat car. I am thinking I want this on a drop center flat car and have not seen one lately. Does someone make one?
Would this be more accurate on normal flat car?
Keith
Walther’s lists several: http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?category=Freight&scale=H&manu=&item=&keywords=depressed+center+flat+car&words=restrict&instock=Q&split=30&Submit=Search
Joe
[:-^]
Hi Keith,
I agree with you, it would look good on a depressed center flat car, although a regular flat could handle it.
The best D.C.F.Car that has come out lately is from ExactRail. The problem is all their items come out in limited production and you might have trouble finding one. Apparently they only sell direct, so you won’t find any in an LHS. I believe your best chance would be finding one on E-bay or Hoyardsale.
But do check out the ExactRail catalog site as they might have one in an odd ball scheme that didn’t get purchased and it is sitting there waiting for you.
I do have one of them in the yellow TTX scheme and I really like it, great detail on it. But keep in mind that in real life they are an extremely rare car. I have read that even Union Pacific (Uncle Pete) as huge a company that they are only have six (6) of them in their fleet
Actually Bachmann makes one as well
Happy Hunting.
Johnboy out…
Yes, this would be fine on a normal flatcar; the engine isn’t so large as to require a depressed car.
However Exactrail and I believe Walthers have made depressed centre cars in HO scale before.
IHC also makes a 52’ DCF.
Some RR’s used retired F series “B” units to move 567 engines. The engine mounts were already there and the car body provided protecton from the elements.
Ned, now that’s a cool topic to model. Makes a lot of sense too. Would be very interested in pics of that set up. Ill search the web.
To all others thanks for the input. The DCF i see at exactrail would be on the large size for the engine. So maybe two deliveries on one car.
Thanks.
Walthers carries two depressed center flats that are in stock now.
The first is a six axle model made by Bachmann and is a good looking car. I have two of them and they do a great job transporting my Cat equipment.
The second is a four axle model made by Walthers.
If you want to go in for overkill there’s this 12-axle bruiser mad by Kibri.
From the Description off of Exactrails site.
“Given the rarity of all designs, ExactRail combined elements common to key prototypes to offer a Depressed Center Flat with both interesting and characteristic features. Perhaps closest in design to the Conrail (ex-Erie Lackawanna) FE42A Class Depressed Flat, ExactRail’s Depressed Center Flat is a good stand-in for similar TTX/QTTX, Southern and CNW cars.”
Just in case it matters, the ER depressed center flat doesn’t match any prototype, although it captures the look of some.
From TrainOrders: “The Walthers car represents a more modern prototype built by either Difco or Itel for TTX.”
No date was given.
The diesel motor can go by truck also.
Truck was an option I had not considered. But then I would not be able to buy that Walthers overhead crane kit that I want to set up in front of my shop. Though it may be for other uses, It would be fun t mess with, maye I can use the crane to pull the engine out of th transport F-unit…[I]
Jeff,
You had my hopes up but then I looked at the price tags and said “YIPES!” [:O]
$29 for the 6 axle Bachmann unit and $27.98 for the Walthers 4 axle unit.
I guess I’m getting old but I’m amazed that these flat cars would command price tags in the $30+ range (by the time you add in shipping costs). I guess I’ve gotten to used to buying Bowser and P2K freight cars on ebay or at train shows for the $12 to $20-something range. [:P]
I got this all-metal depressed centre flatcar back in the '50s, from Authenticast. Not bad detail, actually - you may be able to find used ones on e-bay or at train shows.
Wayne
Here are a couple of more sources for Depressed Center Flats.
Funero Camerlengo makes a PRR one the F29.
http://www.fandckits.com/HOFreight/8170.html
And here is an old Eastern Car Works Kit car that can be found on E-Bay at times.
Rick J
Red Ball made a couple of depressed center flat car kits, mostly metal parts, back in the 1950s (the tooling might have been even older than that) and Wabash Valley offered those kits into, if memory serves, the 1980s. I seem to recall an outfit that for a brief time offered old Red Ball kits but cast in reddish plastic. Scouring the swap meet tables might find those cars, perhaps even the unbuilt kits.
From some unknown source I acquired a trainset quality depressed center flatcar made by Model Power. It is shown in the Walthers catalog as out of stock but might be on the shelf of your LHS. it has the advantage of being cheap.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/490-98223
By the way one other option for shipping that prime mover, and a car that you rarely see on the prototype or in model form, is a well car. that is a flat car with a rather thick body side sill, the center area where the load goes is hollow so the load rests basically on the frame. I think Red Ball offered a well car back in the day as well. Indeed the Red Ball line had many cars, and many parts, that those of us who like to scratchbuild or kitbash would love to have available again.
Years ago I began a kitbash freelanced well car using a cut down version of the familiar Athearn double truck heavy duty flatcar casting. I can’t recall if I lost interest or what. It might be sitting in some box somewhere.
Dave Nelson
Hi Keith, I remember buying my son several 200 ton tri axle depressed center cars made by Athearn. They had pretty good detail and the plastic wheeled trucks rolled nicely. Later on we swapped these out for Intermountain wheel sets for a little additional weight. Can’t remember the price but it was a lot less than the prices you quoted for the other ones recommended. Check out the 'bay. There should be plenty of them there. Bill
I think I have a couple of those in the bunker. Quite crude kits if I remember.
Here is one currently on e-bay
The C&O did that with an F7B.
There’s a photo of it on George Elwood’s Fallen Flags site, at http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/co/co8501ags.jpg
This is a really cool pic. Thanks! I happen to be interested in the Grand Rapids, MI area and am planning to model the roundhouse at the Hughart yard at this point. there is a neat pic of a B&O GP30 tucked inside and 4 other locos. I was thinking of the overhead gantry crane unloading this kind of scene. Great.
Looks like it was shipped open at the top. Do you think the engine was covered in tarp or open to elements? No matter, Ill have it slung just coming out of the F7.
