|
Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Feb 9, 2018 18:23:50 GMT -8
The announcement is rather meager in details. The CAD drawing is okay, but no product details, like those pesky grabs, etc. and not even an artist rendition of the paint schemes. I'd like to see something on the REA car.
My modeling focus is the Great Northern primary mainline from Minneapolis to Willmar, Minnesota. GN didn't use any TOFC cars in its passenger trains. Pretty sure NP and the CB&Q also didn't incorporate such cars. I know Milwaukee Road did at least use some flexi-vans in passenger service, but even that detail is "fuzzy".
The car is at least a year away so, I'd guess there will be a lot more in the coming months, well at least I can hope.
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Feb 9, 2018 18:24:23 GMT -8
I would be ok if Walther got a wild hair and did these in the prototype line. Heck, this is the 1st 85' flat car in ages.
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Feb 9, 2018 18:27:16 GMT -8
Rio Grande ran TOFC on the rear of the Prospector. These GA flat cars would probably fit.
|
|
|
Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Feb 9, 2018 18:53:20 GMT -8
What do you mean? Why would doing it in the proto line be bad? Because my World View would then become un-stable: Walthers would be doing something I want in the way I want it. And I'm just not ready to integrate THAT. Ed To translate to those baffled by Mr. Ed's comments......He ain't that interested in these car's being done in the minimalist detailed Walthers mainline series. He WOULD be interested if these were done in the Proto series with more attention to those pesky details. I'm not sure what to think anymore about the hobby of model railroading and Walthers. Walthers got excoriated for having the grabs, etc. separate and requiring the modeler to drill the holes and fasten the grabs on the passenger cars. People didn't want to or lacked the time, patience or ability to attach the grabs etc.. Now on the Mainline series of equipment, the modeler is again required to oil up the pin vise and have at it, IF they want a detailed car. Can't say if the TOFC flats will have those grabs, etc. factory attached or in a nice little baggie for the modeler to do or a separate purchase, which drives up the price as well as the DIY aspect. I'm thinking about the Mainline diesels recently announced where the details are a DIY project and the parts are extra fare. Walthers feets are still getting burned on the passenger cars about the end purchaser having to apply number and sometimes name decals on the passenger cars. But, they have those grabs, steps, etc. applied at the factory. Of course the price of the cars has doubled, as in the case of the Empire Builder......greatest passenger train ever.....but I digress...... Hmmmmm...... some folks will be pleased as punch to run the cars without any jewelry. Some folks will want the jewelry but not want to attach said jewelry. Some folks want the jewelry attached or it is no sale. The sticker price of the car is reasonable, when compared to the full fare products from Athearn Genesis. I faintly remember Atlas did some TOFC stuff many a moon ago, but how it was detailed is forever lost in my memory.
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Feb 16, 2018 12:33:37 GMT -8
From Jim Eager at MFCL:
|
|
|
Post by 12bridge on Feb 16, 2018 14:53:10 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Feb 16, 2018 16:30:58 GMT -8
The flat in that link looks a lot like the F89F bowl deck originally made by BLMA and more recently by Atlas.
|
|
|
Post by 12bridge on Feb 16, 2018 16:41:46 GMT -8
The flat in that link looks a lot like the F89F bowl deck originally made by BLMA and more recently by Atlas. Close, but not quite. Apparently they were all ex MDTX cars, later CR cars, often used for loading wrecked cars and pipe. conrailphotos.thecrhs.org/node/24709They have the lower decks, like the new Walthers car does. Apparently they are indeed 89' cars, known as Low Level cars in the Car & Loco Cyclopedia.
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Feb 16, 2018 17:33:41 GMT -8
The MDT car looks more like the F89F bowl deck than the 85' GA flat car.
|
|
|
Post by roadkill on Feb 19, 2018 7:34:19 GMT -8
It would be quite the anachronism by my modeling era but I'd definitely go for a couple of Western Maryland cars!
|
|