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Post by railmodeltroy14 on Jan 24, 2021 4:45:36 GMT -8
The DODX flat cars that I would see on the CSX mainline always had two Abrams tanks...directly behind locomotive.
Fortunately I bought several of the HO scale Roco Mini tanks models years ago and some are painted and assembled just waiting for the appropriate flat car.
I have waited this long for the flat cars so a couple more years is no longer an issue.
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Post by riogrande on Jan 24, 2021 4:48:11 GMT -8
That is often how it goes. The flatcar is out of sync with the load (tank in this case).
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cklx
Full Member
Posts: 123
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Post by cklx on Jan 24, 2021 9:05:50 GMT -8
That is often how it goes. The flatcar is out of sync with the load (tank in this case). I no nothing about militaria. I always thought tanks were darkgreen. What would be the right color? BTW, Artitec offers an Abrams tank, but at $36.00 it's a bit expensive. www.artitecshop.com/nl/m1-abrams-green-train-load.htmlCornelius.
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Post by ncrc5315 on Jan 24, 2021 9:09:48 GMT -8
I believe the price shown is in Euros, the price in dollars is $43.83. I don't know if that includes VAT.
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Post by dstark on Jan 24, 2021 9:14:51 GMT -8
Also, since the cars are part of the unit train and not intended for interchange, cars classified as MOW cars are commonly used for buffers. Non-interchange is hardly the case, the buffer cars usually stay with the train wherever it goes be it on- or off-line. That's a big reason buffer cars are repurposed from cars that are well within age limits, but commercially obsolete. A couple examples here of BNSF Airslide and FMC 4700 buffer cars far from home in Syracuse, NY - this is quite common: tracksidetreasure.blogspot.com/2013/12/black-friday-2013-syracuse-ny.html?m=1Doug Stark
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Post by railmodeltroy14 on Jan 24, 2021 9:32:00 GMT -8
That is often how it goes. The flatcar is out of sync with the load (tank in this case). I no nothing about militaria. I always thought tanks were darkgreen. What would be the right color? BTW, Artitec offers an Abrams tank, but at $36.00 it's a bit expensive. www.artitecshop.com/nl/m1-abrams-green-train-load.htmlCornelius. I airbrushed mine desert sand.
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cklx
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Post by cklx on Jan 24, 2021 9:40:33 GMT -8
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Jan 24, 2021 10:20:52 GMT -8
Several years ago in Fostoria, OH Sept. 2013
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Post by alexandrianick on Jan 24, 2021 10:50:06 GMT -8
That is often how it goes. The flatcar is out of sync with the load (tank in this case). I no nothing about militaria. I always thought tanks were darkgreen. What would be the right color? BTW, Artitec offers an Abrams tank, but at $36.00 it's a bit expensive. www.artitecshop.com/nl/m1-abrams-green-train-load.htmlCornelius. When I was a kid in the pre Desert Storm/waning Cold War era, everything was green for Europe. After that, everything was sand. Seems like the bulk of equipment is painted in some manner of tan these days. I notice the odd Guard truck that's green and once a stark white Stryker (driving down Pennsylvania Ave at 4 am on a Sunday morning. One of the oddest things I've seen in my life.), but not many.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jan 24, 2021 12:15:00 GMT -8
When the museum at Aberdeen Proving Ground was closed (2009-2010), the equipment all had to be moved. Might have made for interesting loads on flat cars. Not your usual Abrams stuff.
Ed
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Post by lvrr325 on Jan 24, 2021 14:08:48 GMT -8
Military trains I see going to Drum rarely have tanks on them. Usually a mix of Humvees, large trucks, trailers, the occasional loader or other earthmoving equipment. Usually a couple fitted as ambulances too. And a mix of green and sand colors. But those trains also have a mix of the DODX 6 axle cars and what look like former TTX cars, as they're painted the same but up close have DODX marks.
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Post by railmodeltroy14 on Jan 24, 2021 14:26:14 GMT -8
The DODX flat cars I would see loaded with Abrams tanks were going to or from the Lima Tank Plant.
I do see full military trains with all kinds of equipment but never with tanks.
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Post by drolsen on Jan 25, 2021 5:12:31 GMT -8
I no nothing about militaria. I always thought tanks were darkgreen. What would be the right color? Cornelius, basically since Operation Desert Storm in Kuwait / Iraq, the U.S. Army assessed that our next conflict was most likely to take place in the Middle East, so desert tan has been the color that we've painted nearly all military equipment since the early '90s. With the exception of our 8-wheeled Stryker infantry carrier vehicles (which are solid green), all new vehicles, and most equipment, have been delivered in tan. It actually works pretty well as an overall standard color and blends in well in most places, such as high desert plains in Colorado, the woods in Texas (Fort Hood), and southeastern pine forests (Fort Bragg, Fort Benning, Fort Stewart). If necessary, it can serve as a base coat for other paint schemes. In the past ten years, the Army has been repainting equipment in Europe in woodland camouflage, the multi-colored paint scheme that most people remember from the Cold War era. Military trains I see going to Drum rarely have tanks on them. Usually a mix of Humvees, large trucks, trailers, the occasional loader or other earthmoving equipment. Usually a couple fitted as ambulances too. And a mix of green and sand colors. But those trains also have a mix of the DODX 6 axle cars and what look like former TTX cars, as they're painted the same but up close have DODX marks. Fort Drum is the home of the 10th Mountain Division, which is a light infantry unit with no tanks. They have a lot of wheeled vehicles, but the only time you would see tanks headed there is if an armored unit was conducting some kind of joint training with the 10th Mountain, and that's more likely to take place at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk in Louisiana or the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin in California. Dave
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djh4d
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Post by djh4d on Jan 25, 2021 5:35:25 GMT -8
That is often how it goes. The flatcar is out of sync with the load (tank in this case). I no nothing about militaria. I always thought tanks were darkgreen. What would be the right color? BTW, Artitec offers an Abrams tank, but at $36.00 it's a bit expensive. www.artitecshop.com/nl/m1-abrams-green-train-load.htmlCornelius. M.B.Kline had these and the tan version a couple of years ago for around $20 each. They're out of stock both there and artitecshop.com, but I saw a note that said Jan 2021. So they maybe in the process of making more.
I hope that when these cars arrive, Spring Mill will give those that pre-ordered a chance to buy more before they're made available for sale. I think once these cars arrive, they'll become hard to get.
-Dave
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Post by 690 on Jan 25, 2021 8:35:56 GMT -8
Maine Northern/CP/Pan Am hauled a trainload of these cars loaded with M109 howitzers last fall out of the old Loring AFB in Maine, lots of the them were still in old forest colors, while some had been repainted into the desert colors.
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Post by lvrr325 on Jan 25, 2021 9:06:07 GMT -8
Would those DODX cars have gone to Seneca Army Depot?
I was only ever down in there once when it was up and working, well into Conrail, and what I recall were containers on flat cars, a lot with hazardous placards, and regular yellow TTX flats.
I don't think equipment like tanks or jeeps would have gone there, it was a raw materials storage from what I remember reading, but I could be wrong.
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Post by drolsen on Jan 25, 2021 10:22:28 GMT -8
I don't know much about Seneca, but from looking at Wikipedia, it looks like it was primarily an ammunition storage depot (and probably some other kinds of HAZMAT as well). That would make it unlikely that these particular flats would have gone there, unless one just happened to get assigned to move some heavy containers there or something, which would probably be pretty rare. Other types of general purpose flat cars and DODX ammunition boxcars would be more common.
Dave
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Post by railmodeltroy14 on Jan 27, 2021 8:05:57 GMT -8
Just saw a southbound CSX train near Dayton, Ohio with 6 DODX flat cars loaded with 12 M1 Abrams tanks.
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Post by stevewagner on Jan 27, 2021 8:35:32 GMT -8
I'm reacting first to the mention of a military facility on Seneca Lake in upstate New York. During World War II my late father-in-law was trained at a US Navy facility on Seneca Lake. He ended up helping take one of the Navy's first diesel seagoing tugboats from Brooklyn, NY, where it was built to Miami, Florida and helping crew it there. I doubt that the Navy has made much use of the former training site since. It's known in that area for being home to very unusual entirely white deer that have thrived there for a long time.
Also, several decades ago I watched a military train powered by some of Guilford's ex-Santa Fe six-axle EMD units passing under the "Railfan's bridge" at the west throat of the East Deerfield, Mass. yard. I believe it was bound from Fort Devens to Fort or Camp Drum for summer training, and I'm quite sure it included tanks on flatcars.
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Post by ambluco on Jan 27, 2021 8:52:38 GMT -8
Two different places, although adjacent. Sampson Navel Base was on Seneca Lake. It's a park now. Sounds like that's where your father was. Across from that was Seneca Army Depot where the nuclear missiles were stored. That's fenced in the whole way around and they have the white deer. That's decommissioned now and contains various industrial concerns with still some rail access off the old LV mainline, served by the Finger Lakes Railway. I'm reacting first to the mention of a military facility on Seneca Lake in upstate New York. During World War II my late father-in-law was trained at a US Navy facility on Seneca Lake. He ended up helping take one of the Navy's first diesel seagoing tugboats from Brooklyn, NY, where it was built to Miami, Florida and helping crew it there. I doubt that the Navy has made much use of the former training site since. It's known in that area for being home to very unusual entirely white deer that have thrived there for a long time. Also, several decades ago I watched a military train powered by some of Guilford's ex-Santa Fe six-axle EMD units passing under the "Railfan's bridge" at the west throat of the East Deerfield, Mass. yard. I believe it was bound from Fort Devens to Fort or Camp Drum for summer training, and I'm quite sure it included tanks on flatcars.
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Post by stevewagner on Jan 27, 2021 11:41:05 GMT -8
ambluco, thanks for your clarification. Was the Army Depot across the lake from the Sampson Naval Base or on the same side of the lake?
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Post by tankcarsrule on Jan 27, 2021 16:08:39 GMT -8
I have another six axle tank car I want to build, so the trucks are at the top of my list!
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Post by militaryrail on Feb 3, 2021 7:50:37 GMT -8
Several years ago in Fostoria, OH Sept. 2013 Older likely M1A1 or M1A2 that were damaged heading from Anniston Army Depot in Alabama to the Lima, OH tank plant for rebuild into M1A2SEPv3.
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Post by lvrr325 on Feb 3, 2021 14:22:24 GMT -8
I'm reacting first to the mention of a military facility on Seneca Lake in upstate New York. During World War II my late father-in-law was trained at a US Navy facility on Seneca Lake. He ended up helping take one of the Navy's first diesel seagoing tugboats from Brooklyn, NY, where it was built to Miami, Florida and helping crew it there. I doubt that the Navy has made much use of the former training site since. It's known in that area for being home to very unusual entirely white deer that have thrived there for a long time. Also, several decades ago I watched a military train powered by some of Guilford's ex-Santa Fe six-axle EMD units passing under the "Railfan's bridge" at the west throat of the East Deerfield, Mass. yard. I believe it was bound from Fort Devens to Fort or Camp Drum for summer training, and I'm quite sure it included tanks on flatcars. Sampson. Closed a very long time ago, before Conrail came to be. Now a state park. Some remnants of rail infrastructure and some of the buildings are still there. Was on the lake shore west of the LV Freight bypass. Seneca was on the east side, between the bypass and the passenger main line. Finger Lakes Railway still runs down to the depot on a remnant of LV mainline. Seneca also was closed and has some industrial use and they've given tours to see the deer. I've actually been into Sampson a couple times for state surplus auctions. There was still some track there, well overgrown.
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cklx
Full Member
Posts: 123
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Post by cklx on May 19, 2021 23:19:12 GMT -8
Guys, For those of you looking for a load of the flat cars: Alsacast now has a model of an Abrams M1 tank. www.alsacast.nl/en/m1a1-abrams-desert-storm.htmlAnybody any idea how to turn that into a flat car load (without all the equipment)? Cornelius.
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Post by specter307 on May 20, 2021 6:24:08 GMT -8
Speaking of the DODX flat cars, has anyone heard anything about the status of production on these? I haven't seen any mention of them since the test shots went up last July.
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randy
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Posts: 54
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Post by randy on May 21, 2021 8:13:27 GMT -8
It's my understanding the plastic has been shot/cast/whateverthepropertermis and painting is in progress. Apparently China is having some of the same issues we are having with a shortage of people to work.
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cklx
Full Member
Posts: 123
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Post by cklx on Aug 22, 2021 23:17:56 GMT -8
New mail from Spring Mills Depot: Dear Valued Spring Mills Depot Patrons, Here is an update email that we all have been craving for! Suffice it to say, things are pretty crazy in China right now. There are many things that we cannot control nor can our factory control. However, we are pressing hard to make progress. We are facing some unprecedented challenges. - China has the same issue that we have here in the United States and that is not enough skilled workers for the work that has to be completed. - The standard wage of factory workers in China has increased by 10% over last year. Our factory is offering higher wages but it is hard to compete against Apple and other huge manufacturers. Offering higher wages has made a little effect and the situation is gradually getting better. - The dollar continues to decline against foreign currencies making imports more expensive. - Huge price increases are starting to be announced by many manufacturers. China's producer price index increased 9% in May alone. - A drought this year in the Guangdong province (where 2 of our factories are located) has forced the Chinese government to implement an industrial power curtailment policy. The drought has caused water shortages and the government to control coal power plant resources. Companies are forced to suspend operations two days out of a six day workweek. That alone is a 33% reduction in being able to run the big machinery. They are allowed turn on the office lights and such but cannot run the big production machines eg CNC machines, injection molding machines, and tampo pad machines. - Our factory has purchased $800,000 worth of new machines including a highly automated printing machine, a high-speed injection molding machine, and a high-speed CNC mold superfinishing machine. Some of these machines are just beginning to come online and it will take time to get them into the production schedule. - Cargo rates have gone through the roof. Ocean shippers are quoting premium pricing. To ship a container from China last year cost roughly $4,000.00. Today we saw a quote for $16,100.00. - The large box retailers (Walmart, Target, Home Depot, etc) and Amazon are bidding up the price on containers for the fourth quarter. Big tech has reserved most air cargo shipments in the fourth quarter. Our air cargo quotes are up over 350% from last year. - The ports are clogged in China. On June 7th, China closed a major port for 21 days which affected one fourth of all goods exported. - The ports are clogged in the US as well. Once the ship gets to the United States, there is a shortage of labor to unload it. So we ask for your continued patience as we work through these issues. Don’t forget we are the smallest customer with the smallest runs at our factory. We received production samples last month and let me just say these cars are going to knock your socks off. All 9 different build configurations are simply awesome. We are told that everything will be ready to ship near the end of this month. Then we need to find a way to get them to this side of the planet. As a special little bonus for all of our preorder customers, we have created a couple of videos of the cars. Here is a link to the first performance test that we conducted on our DODX flat cars: Soon we will post the explicit differences between the builds as well as some features that most people don’t know. We have kind of held announcing those subtle differences as the 3D printing guys are trying to copy what we are doing. At the moment, all of the 3D printed models are stand ins at best. Lastly, if you visit our prototype photos page: smd.cc/DODXprototypephotos.htm….we have also posted some videos showing US Army 20’ conexes, Tricons, and Quadcons. Thanks again for your patience. We will get the cars here as soon as we can. Respectfully, Bill Carl Ken Braden Spring Mills Depot www.smd.cc===== Cornelius
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Post by lvrr325 on Aug 23, 2021 8:43:47 GMT -8
I see folks on eBay complain how China has a deal with the post office where shipping there to here is much cheaper than the reverse.
I wonder if the way you beat the container shortage is to ship direct to customers from China?
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Post by riogrande on Aug 23, 2021 9:22:42 GMT -8
My take away from the Spring Mill letter is - brace yourself for some major price increases!
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