I’ve noticed that there is glaring omission for HO model freight cars I would classify as the “mid-era” auto racks. Basically we have either (on the earlier end) some generic open racks from the late 60’s and early 70’s from Accurail, and many of them are not accurate but only generic. Then we skip ahead to the late 1980’s with Walthers bi- and tri level auto racks. Even the new Intermountain Autoracks are mainly of 1990+ versions.
During the past 15 years, we’ve seen a real golden age in HO of new and specific prototype freight cars come out which include many nice models. But one very neglected class are the auto racks of around 1970-1985 or so. There were some kits which attempted with varying degree’s of success to fill this voice in the 1990’s - namely Schaffer Rails enclosed autoracks and Custom Rail enclosed autoracks, both of which were fully enclosed autoracks which appeared to fit the early-mid 1980’s. The Schaffer Rail cars were somewhat cude by todays standards, and appeared somewhat clunky and overly wide. I passed over them at the time. The Custom Rail cars were based on the old Custom Rail 89’ flat car which the whole kit was not all that user friendly to build and in all my travels I’ve seen few assembled examples so they didn’t seem to go over well.
So getting autoracks for the mid-1970-late 1980’s period is one of the still missing HO freight car gaps. I realize now that the manufacture of new HO models has cooled off with the current recession and closing of Chines
Admittedly I’m not up on autoracks from that era, but please explain why the Accurail cars “generic”? I would assume they based the model on something - even if they paint it in a few roadnames that did not have that exact car?
And, were you refering to any other early period cars? Even the Athearn 50’ auto rack is a reasonable representation of the original Evans Auto Loader from the 50’s, and most of the other 50’ cars offered by train set companies over the years are also based on the Evans car. Few were made, and they did not stay in service long, but they did exist.
If we get detail specifc enough, there is a very long list of stuff no one has ever produced, and if we talk about passenger cars, even with the current offerings from Walthers, MTH, BLI, and who ever else, there are still way more passenger cars that have not been made than those that have.
My question would be how many people are modeling that era and /or are interested in much of that kind of rolling stock?
Seems to me there were some nice brass ones offered back in that time when they were brand new on the rails - and some wood craftsman kits - Quality Qraft Models for one.
I specified a date range on purpose so yes, 50’ auto cariers are far too early - I’ve been in the hobby since the mid-1970’s and am probably aware of 98% of the models you are aware of. I can’t afford “nice brass ones” I am aware of the wood craftmans kits, I once owned one and gave up on it.
I would like to see some quality RTR cars in the 1970 to 1985 range open, open with side panels or early enclosed racks with or without roofs and ends. I mentioned generic but perhaps I should have said Accurail does what many do, offer a lot of models which don’t actually match real auto racks, but just a few. This post is more in hopes of attracting interest in manufacturers. Autoracks are a relatively unexploited area in the HO model market so far. That is the main point of this topic and an appeal to fill that in.
I model the year 1974 in HO scale, and I’ve been able to find locos in the appropriate paint schemes, but finding the right types of freight cars can be tough. I never paid much attention to models of auto racks, but I do remember seeing open auto racks when I had my first taste of rallfanning in 1974-1975.
Yep, someone could do a model of practically any autorack and could sell a bunch, given the dearth of models available. Brass is impractical for most and the limited number of such that might be available for purchase means that even if you had the $$$ you’d have trouble assembling a string of such cars. They rarely operated as single cars, so tacking just one on the end of a train isn’t very plausible.
While you could build a wood kit, that would be a nightmare to get everything sealed and looking good. Again, getting a string of these would be a challenge, even with enough time and money.
Personally, I think producing a new autorack and the vehicles to go with it is something that would be a great fit for Atlas, given they also include various vehicle models in their product line. I’d think that even if one could afford 18 or so diecast vehicles to fill each rack, plastic vehicles make more sense to produce for an autorack than diecast ones due to weight and center of gravity issues.
I think this is a case where it doesn’t matter which model is produced beyond the Accurail autoracks. Any model produced should sell well, given the very limited variety of autoracks available so far.
Prototype info on the Accurail models was discussed in this previous thread:
Both the above are true for the vast majority of us! Cost or way beyond our skills or desire to build. Yeah yeah, I know it’s called “model” railroading so I’ll just get this out of the way, I’m not one of the elite, built it from scratch types, and don’t care to be. I have built plenty of kits and still have more left to build, so I’m firmly in the boat that many are now, decent quality RTR is what I’m after. The manufacturers have known this for some 10+ years so thats settled.
I would love to see Atlas offer an autorack from the era '70-'85. I am not terribly concerned with what kind of automobiles are offered as long as they are something compatable with say, a 70’s time
I was referring more generally to how autoracks were deployed in trains in the 60s and 70s. I’m sure you’re right about the Rio Grande’s manifest freights, as it wasn’t as often a bridge route for auto traffic as other lines except when the FAST was running. That does make it a little easier to justify just a car or two in a freight on a Rio Grande layout.
I’m no expert of auto industry traffic, but I suspect the tendency to see strings of empty racks headed back to the assembly plants was because loaded traffic was much hotter than the need to move accumulated empties. So the empties tended to build up and be returned en masse except when traffic was heavy like during new model year when getting empties returned for loading was more of an issue.
Your comment on the Rio Grande does bring to mind a thought though. I know on a lot of trains I recall from the 60s and 70s had autoracks, loaded or empty, at the rear of the trains. I seem to remember comments about not wanting to get very much tonnage behind a cut of autoracks due to their lightness versus length. I would think that the Rio Grande would be especially sensitive to this issue due to the grades it operated over. It’s been awhile since I last looked at RG Odyssey, so can’t recall whether there’s support for this theory on video.
From experience, train handling was remarkably different when empty b-levels and tri-levels were blocked ahead of loaded merchandise. Long cars, especially when empty do some very strange things when inertia and trailing weight are involved, especially down hill. Loaded multi-levels handle about the same as any other load.
Since there were only finite numbers of "Multi-Levels available for loading, the return movement was as hot as the loaded movement. The only time that multi-levels gathered moss was during plant shut downs or recessions.
Having some involvement with the different auto assembly plants on the Northeast Corridor (GMC in Baltimore and Linden, NJ - Chrysler in Newark, DE, and Ford in Edison, NJ); there was little change in racks through the mid 1980s, when covered tri-levels and bi-levels became common. At first they were open racks, which were retrofitted with side sheathing to protect the vehicles from vandalis
From a quick web search, I saw that Accurails bi-level autoracks are a decent representation from an accuracy standpoint. They also have a partially closed autorack and tri-levels. If your only modeling three or four, why not use them. Some times close enough will do.
I don’t think anyone has a major issue with the Accurail racks. Far as I’m concerned, they’re plenty close enough. The issue is wanting something different to run with them.
That all makes complete sense as far as loaded autoracks going one way and then accumulated empty racks returning. And speaking of the FAST, I think the same thing happened with it. I have a magazine article on the FAST and it shows a photo of a really long combined ARRO/FAST returning east across the Sierra’s.
Seems like the autoracks, loaded or empty were in the middle or end of freight trains. Get out Rio Grande Odyssey by Green Frog and digest it some more! There are lots of freight run-by’s and you see verticpacs, lots of open bi and tri level autoracks not to mention a lot of typical freight tra
It did not take much research at all to find out that the Accurail car is a Bethlehem Steel BSH-11 flat car and the rack is a Pargon staggered upright rack, both fro mthe late 60’s.
Still working on which roads owned them and when.
The Accurail cars come in both two and three levels, just like Paragon built them, and the the enclosed version from Accurail is typical of how these same cars were partly enclosed latter on.
Seems to me the Accurail rack could likley be addpted to Athearn or Walthers flat cars to model other types of flat cars used.
The roads that owned autoracks like Accurails will be the most helpful because I am not skilled at kitbashing and don’t have the desire to do more than basic kit building.
As we know, the accurail uses the flush deck style (Sheldon has narrowed it down to a Bethhehem) but from my sampling of various pictures, there seemed to be more often racks on non-flush deck flats such as the channel side flat produced by Walthers and Athearn Genesis.
Mating the Accurail rack with a different flat is an interesting idea. I don’t recall seeing such a hack, but don’t know if I just missed it, no one’s tried, or they’ve looked and it won’t work.
This also gets me to thinking. Were there racks shorter than 89’ to begin with? I seem to have a vague recall and it wasn’t the short 50’-class flats, either. If so, then hacking an Accurail rack could work for that and, say, the Walthers 75’ TOFC flats maybe? But I’m almost certain something like that would likely end up being different, but not prototypical?
I think most of the auto racks of the mid 60’s and onwards are mounted on either 85’ or 89’ flat cars. Anything prior to those kinds I don’t recall seeing other than the 50’s car Athearn copied or just ordinary box cars set up to load cars in.
As for wondering if anyone has tried, yes. I’ve got some magazine stored where there are articles where people have taken Accurails kits and bashed them into good copies of real prototypes, including reshaping the upper deck by bowing it and in many cases mounting them on a different flat car, I don’t recall which was used. They are works of art. I imagine if I have some time I can search Trainlife for the articles because they have all my magazines digitized so you can view them.
Man would that be ugly and cause people to scratch their heads if I did bash such a thing as a 75’ autorack. Almost makes me want to do it just to get a reaction…[<:o)]
That must’ve come from hanging with some of my narrowgauge buddies. They have quite a train planned for the National Narrow Gauge Convention, but I’m bound by oaths of silliness to not divulge further details.
Now a 75’ HOn3 autorack…[;)]
Good to know that it is possible to do some creative digesting of various model products and cook up something different. I’ll also have to keep that Trainlife site in mind in general. RMJ had some great freight car coverage and really upped my game as a modeler.
Just because it was brought up, and because I am into most all the history of Piggy Back, the 75’ cars, built in the mid/late 50’s, mainly for the PRR and the Wabash to carry two 32’/35’ trailers, were transfered to TrailerTrain and put into general flat car pool service once 40’ trailers and 85’ flats became standard.
So in the same era as the auto racks in question, those 75’ flats would be seen carring farm tractors, heavy equipment, military vehicles, and, for the auto industry, big trucks, school buses, etc.
And yes, I’m sure I saw or read somewhere that at least a few auto racks were built on the 85’ cars, which just like the 89’ cars came in a number of floor/side rail designs.
You seem to have a fairly good idea of specific models you are looking for. I’m assuming it comes from viewing photos and plans and other prototype research.
Have you considered approaching the manufacturer(s) of choice personally with your prototype information and perhaps some reservations from you and some friends? I know folks who have gotten desired models produced following exactly this path. It’s sort of like commissioning a model, only you let the producer have all the follow-on sales he can generate to keep the price reasonable. If the model is likely to reasonably popular - I see no reason a mainstream car from the '70s wouldn’t be - you would likely only have to reserve a small percentage of the production.