Where to get HO spine cars?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Or any other intermodal cars that carry trailers? Who makes them today? All I know is Athearn USED to make kits. But these are out of production. I have many good looking trailers but no cars to carry them on!

2

Check these out: http://walthers.com/exec/search?category=&scale=H&manu=&item=&keywords=piggyback&instock=Q&showdisc=Y&split=300&Submit=Search

and

http://walthers.com/exec/search?category=&scale=H&manu=&item=&keywords=TOFC&instock=Q&showdisc=Y&split=300&Submit=Search

3

Thanks, but those are at most 89’ flatcars. And I have a bunch 53’ trailers on them, so a lot of space wasted. Plus it isn’t very prototypical.

4

Although both have been discontinued, the Athearn and Walthers ones show up on Ebay on a regular basis.

5

Yeah…but the Walthers are over-the-top price-wise.

6

53’ trailers don’t fit on Walthers spine cars…well, at least not mine.

7

When you consider that the center spine is a metal casting, the original $40 retail price for a five unit car isn’t out of line. This weight plus the free rolling trucks make for a good performing car. The only ones that seem to go for that or higher on Ebay are the ones lettered for Trailer Train.

The Athearn ones are two kits to make a five unit car, and are primarily plastic castings with a metal plate under the trailer wheel pads.

8

I have the Walthers 5 unit spine car TTX#79876, Walthers # 932-3931, send me an e-mail if you want, it’s still in the box never been touched.

9

http://www.alancurtismodels.com/

I am currently working on 2 NTTX kits.I will be ordering the AX and the RX kits when they are available.

Jim

10

Plus it isn’t very prototypical

What are you referring to,the quality of these models or the current use.We load/unload these 89’ cars everyday,they are very common on any intermodal train 60’s to today.

Jim

11

I have found spine cars as well as other intermodal cars at model railroad shows. I don’t know if you’re located near a big city, but we usually have four or five good sized shows every year in the Atlanta area.

12

I don’t know if your interested but I know that Bowser makes road railers and since no one I know of right now makes spine cars I was thinking of modeling some of those, I think those are kindof cool, but other than that I don’t know

13

Are Spine cars and Impack Cars the same ? If so contact TK Hobbies in Ohio. He has some old Athearn on sale.
I’m giving away my source but His prices are very decent and his service is excellent. Hope this helps.

14

Sorry, He listed in MR Magazine.

15

If you want to haul 53’ piggybacks on 89’ flatcars, model the “Long Runner” flatcars, these are two 89’ flatcars TTX semi-permanently coupled together to haul longer trailers.

16

Thanks for all the replies, guys! Yep, looks like spine cars are getting out of production. As for 3 trailers on two 89’ cars - I wanted to do this, but I’ve heard they won’t handle well on our layout radii. Mine is 24". Any experience modelling those in HO?

Edit: just looked up at Walthers - 89’ flats are out of stock and only expected in Feb 2007! [:(]

17

Impack is a prototype company that makes spine cars.

18

Accurail has its 89’ flatcar available in Undecorated.