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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 1, 2022 6:37:00 GMT -8
If someone had some less expensive containers, Operator level, it might make intermodal easier to afford. According to ScaleTrains, ALL of their containers are "Operator level". Right now, I'd say there are three levels of HO containers: "Rivet Counter": PT Trains, with the opening doors and detailed insides. Kind of a neat touch. For me, who only runs containers in through trains, it is definitely not necessary. I still bought a few, "just in case". I'm not sure what other bits of wonderfulness could distinguish this group from the one below. Maybe scale working IBC's. "Operator": Whichever have separate door rods. Some are better than others, though. Intermountain uses plain wire, some don't include the handles, some do. "Mainline": Cast on door rods. There are lots of these, many from the olden days before people knew better. Since there are now so many WITH the door rods, mine are generally relegated to such things as being the 20' box where the rear end doesn't show. Or is just so cool it's GOT to be included. Athearn once did a run of 20' boxes full of obscure South Pacific lines, for example. Ed |
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Post by Mr. Trainiac on Jul 1, 2022 14:25:32 GMT -8
If someone had some less expensive containers, Operator level, it might make intermodal easier to afford. According to ScaleTrains, ALL of their containers are "Operator level". Right now, I'd say there are three levels of HO containers: "Rivet Counter": PT Trains, with the opening doors and detailed insides. Kind of a neat touch. For me, who only runs containers in through trains, it is definitely not necessary. I still bought a few, "just in case". I'm not sure what other bits of wonderfulness could distinguish this group from the one below. Maybe scale working IBC's. "Operator": Whichever have separate door rods. Some are better than others, though. Intermountain uses plain wire, some don't include the handles, some do. "Mainline": Cast on door rods. There are lots of these, many from the olden days before people knew better. Since there are now so many WITH the door rods, mine are generally relegated to such things as being the 20' box where the rear end doesn't show. Or is just so cool it's GOT to be included. Athearn once did a run of 20' boxes full of obscure South Pacific lines, for example. Ed The best use for the containers with working doors would be to model a Union Pacific train that got looted in California. I could also see them being useful in a loading dock scene where you might have the doors open. They are a cool feature, but there are limited uses for functional doors on a layout. I feel like they are similar to boxcars with sliding doors. They are fun to have, but they begin to sacrifice the scale detail of the model. And when is the last time you used that feature in an operating session? |
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Post by sp8234tim on Jul 1, 2022 17:02:23 GMT -8
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Post by westerntrains on Jul 1, 2022 19:55:57 GMT -8
Typical ATSFAN.... future vapor ware? They should wait until they have something to show. Easy to dismiss opinion's by putting labels on people. |
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Post by bncascadegreen on Jul 2, 2022 0:42:11 GMT -8
I hope the freight car comes out nice as I’d like a few. I seen a photo of one with the new TTX logo.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 2, 2022 6:36:29 GMT -8
And how about the new containers they're going to make? Maybe some tank containers, like this 40' one:  Yup. It'll need some of that nasty plating that is so hard to get right. For some people. Ed |
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Post by cemr5396 on Jul 2, 2022 8:05:24 GMT -8
And how about the new containers they're going to make? Maybe some tank containers, like this 40' one: Yup. It'll need some of that nasty plating that is so hard to get right. For some people. Ed Fortunately for you 'mirror shiny' seems to be a lot easier to do than 'shiny but not mirror like'. I have seen several examples of models (mostly truck models however) which had simulated 'chrome' or 'polished stainless steel' finishes that were quite good. |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 2, 2022 10:38:24 GMT -8
I have some Walthers plated Budd cars where I needed the surface paint and lettering removed. The cars had been oversprayed at the factory with some sort of flat-ish clearcoat that rendered a "shiny but not mirror like" finish. I dunked them in ye olde alcohol. NOW they have a "mirror shiny" finish.
So it looks like they can do both.
I'll be leaving the shiny finish, as it matches the Amfleet cars they'll be running with. And I'm not sure how well I could reproduce the effect, anyway.
Ed
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Post by surlyknuckle on Jul 3, 2022 7:27:20 GMT -8
The TWF10 is really neat. I've managed to notice seeing that type of car probably 4 or 5 times in the last ten years. That's a pretty high frequency I bet, but I also am around this stuff almost daily. I wasn't able to catch the number, but I passed one earlier this year between Richmond and Cumberland.
Intermodal equipment is pretty interesting to me, even though I don't really have much of a use for it. I would like to see a really nice Twin-Stack done for posterity and also the early ACF cars the SP rostered.
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Post by riogrande on Jul 3, 2022 7:38:54 GMT -8
Intermodal equipment is pretty interesting to me, even though I don't really have much of a use for it. I would like to see a really nice Twin-Stack done for posterity and also the early ACF cars the SP rostered. I've found intermodal interesting too. And before I backdated, I had built several Walthers Gunderson 5-unit well car kits and purchased 3 of the Intermountain Twin Stack RTR 5-car sets. Two are Sea Land and one is yellow SP. So with those five 5-unit sets, and one or two Athearn 5-unit kits I can field an intermodal train if I get a wild hair. D&RGW starting in 1988 to haul intermodal well cars via Tennessee Pass and west across the desert and they included the SeaLand Twin Stacks among others. |
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Post by lvrr325 on Jul 3, 2022 23:06:57 GMT -8
With something like containers, where you need lots of them, I think keeping them simple is better, maybe you have some nice fancy ones on the first or last car on top, the rest don't need as high a level of detail. If that means I get four for the same price as three, that's better on the old wallet.
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Post by mick7070 on Jul 4, 2022 14:30:40 GMT -8
Looks like we find out their new model announcement in less than 2 weeks according to an email sent out by them today.
Mick
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Post by bncascadegreen on Jul 13, 2022 2:16:02 GMT -8
I signed up for newsletter but never got one saying an announcement was eminent
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Post by mick7070 on Jul 13, 2022 14:05:29 GMT -8
I signed up for newsletter but never got one saying an announcement was eminent I got the email on 6th July. Mick |
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joppasub
Full Member
Retired; Now a full time modeler
Posts: 149
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Post by joppasub on Jul 13, 2022 14:42:51 GMT -8
I wonder if they will be at the STL RPM or NMRA show in STL this year?
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Post by elfan on Jul 14, 2022 8:46:16 GMT -8
... I too will be looking forward to what they bring to the table. ...  Wait! What? Did someone say an Erie/EL caboose? |
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Post by riogrande on Jul 14, 2022 10:55:22 GMT -8
Wait! What? Did someone say an Erie/EL caboose? There's that echo again. |
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Post by dstark on Jul 16, 2022 9:01:04 GMT -8
Maybe some tank containers, like this 40' one: Ed I really really hope not like that one. The photo has been copied from an Indonesian (prototype) container manufacturer's website: kontainerindonesia.co.id/en/product/40-tank-container-chrome/40' tank containers aren't common to begin with because liquids tend to hit container gross weight limits well before the volume available in a 40' container. Even less common in North America than internationally, and have an almost insignificant presence on the rails here. Yes, there are a handful of photos online but in tens of thousands of images I've shot in 30+ years I can't recall seeing a 40' tank container OFC. YMMV. A 40' tank container or two would be pretty scenery parked on a chassis at a chemical industry, and not much else if one wishes to model prototypically. A model manufacturer would sell some because of the novelty factor but there are much smarter choices out there, one being 20/40/48' bulkhead containers. In that category to date we've had a long gone crude metal 20' kit from Stewart Products, decently done but also gone 20 and 40s from Eastern Car Works, still extant crude offerings from Herpa, and nothing for 48s. Doug Stark |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 16, 2022 11:48:06 GMT -8
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 16, 2022 13:14:07 GMT -8
I had it in my head that 40' tank containers were becoming common. In error, I see. I went to some photos I took of JB Hunt (domestic intermodal) trains that I took. I found two 40' tank containers:  SNEU 145266--August 19 2015 and  SNEU 145288--August 21 2015 Both cars were eastbound, through Lyle WA. Note that there are no placards mounted. This was from a sampling of 15 trains, from 2015 and 2010. I also found 9 20' tank containers. I have the impression I have a photo of a 40' plated container, too; but I can't think where it might be--perhaps just inside my head. Ed |
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Post by Mr. Trainiac on Jul 16, 2022 13:55:57 GMT -8
One thing I find suspicious from Class One is a lack of pre-production photos. Supposedly these are 'in production' for a Fall 2022 release. That's only a few months away; where are the production samples and model photos? If you are past the pre-production phase, wouldn't you want to show customers what the samples look like? Scaletrains debuted with photos of their Turbine, but all we get from Class One are 2D painting diagrams. Granted, they have that 3D drawing with feature callouts, but it's such a small image and you can't even zoom in. Shouldn't that be one of the images at the top of the page with all the other side views? It's a pretty pricey car, and for a new builder, we don't really know what to expect. I trust their design skills, but my main concern would be assembly. Starting up a factory in China is bound to have issues. Even established companies like Rapido have their factory assemble models and install details incorrectly. What will the results be like for a new company who have never produced a model before?
The 48 foot containers are the best prototype they could have chosen though. With all the focus on Marine/ISO containers recently, with Athearn Low-Cubes, Scaletrains Square Corrugation, and functional doors with Aurora, it seems like most of the variations in those prototypes have been covered.
The domestic container market has mostly been overlooked; we haven't seen new tooling for those containers lately. Athearn and Walthers are the main players for 48 foot containers. Intermountain has a nice model too, but I can't trust them to deliver timely releases, so most of their tooling is essentially defunct from the perspective of the modeler. Both Athearn and Walthers' tooling is outdated (no separate door rods or handles), although the Athearn painting is nice. I always thought the Walthers models looked slightly translucent and toy-like.
One thing I was surprised about was a lack of JB Hunt containers. They are sorely lacking in the modeling world. Any BNSF modeler needs JB Hunt containers, and we go years between releases. When was the last time Athearn made 53 foot Wabash containers? That model isn't even on their website anymore. For a new manufacturer, focusing on a modern model that many intermodal runners need seems like an easy cash grab, Maybe they though the prototype was too limited, the Monon box probably had more users than the JB Hunt Great Dane.
I like Class One's BNSF and NACS schemes, those would be applicable for my layout, and hopefully we see JB Hunt or even BN America in the second run. We can dream, right?
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Post by Mr. Trainiac on Jul 16, 2022 14:16:39 GMT -8
I had it in my head that 40' tank containers were becoming common. In error, I see. I went to some photos I took of JB Hunt (domestic intermodal) trains that I took. I found two 40' tank containers: SNEU 145266--August 19 2015 and SNEU 145288--August 21 2015 Both cars were eastbound, through Lyle WA. Note that there are no placards mounted. This was from a sampling of 15 trains, from 2015 and 2010. I also found 9 20' tank containers. I have the impression I have a photo of a 40' plated container, too; but I can't think where it might be--perhaps just inside my head. Ed Those are some pretty good photos. It looks like they use the same end cage design and walkway platform as the Wathers 20' containers. A kitbash with a new styrene tube could yield pretty interesting results. I've seen one or two similar 40' tanks, but the 20' containers are a lot more common. Your is Schneider, you can also add Crowley to the list. I found a photo of a 40' container for LNG. If the container is placarded, that's probably what it's shipping. Just scrolling around online, I found two or three photos of containers being used for that in the US. The larger 40' tank is probably more appropriate for gases and lighter liquids. You could probably find a use for these containers hauling small-quantity chemicals, replacing a lot of those weird beer-can or narrow-diameter tank cars. Tank containers in general seem more common in Europe. With our robust highway system, there is probably less need for them, as you can easy drive a regular tank trailer, or ship by tank car if you really need fluids. Even if you can't find a photo of a container on a railcar, finding a photo of a tank container on a US chassis or with an American-style tractor is also a good sign that rail is involved somewhere. Most photos I can find are just Chinese builder's photos or stock photos obviously taken in Europe. There are a few North American photos in there too, but not very many. |
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Post by alexandrianick on Jul 16, 2022 16:10:54 GMT -8
I see them with some frequency in DC and Savannah. I suspect it has to do with a specific supplier and purchaser combination somewhere in the Mid Atlantic and Georgia.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 16, 2022 17:22:46 GMT -8
Here's a Youtube video from Schneider about their tank intermodal transport: Note that not all the reporting marks on the tanks appear to be Schneider. Ed |
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Post by Mr. Trainiac on Jul 16, 2022 19:39:41 GMT -8
Here's a Youtube video from Schneider about their tank intermodal transport: Note that not all the reporting marks on the tanks appear to be Schneider. Ed That's a pretty cool video; I liked the music in it too. Most of the boxes were EXFU, which is Exsif. According to their website, they are the world's largest tank container leasing company. Maybe Schneider was leasing containers at the start, and then started buying their own tanks outright after the service proved itself. |
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Post by fr8kar on Jul 16, 2022 19:59:04 GMT -8
The 48 foot containers are the best prototype they could have chosen though. With all the focus on Marine/ISO containers recently, with Athearn Low-Cubes, Scaletrains Square Corrugation, and functional doors with Aurora, it seems like most of the variations in those prototypes have been covered. The domestic container market has mostly been overlooked; we haven't seen new tooling for those containers lately. Athearn and Walthers are the main players for 48 foot containers. Intermountain has a nice model too, but I can't trust them to deliver timely releases, so most of their tooling is essentially defunct from the perspective of the modeler. Both Athearn and Walthers' tooling is outdated (no separate door rods or handles), although the Athearn painting is nice. I always thought the Walthers models looked slightly translucent and toy-like. I completely agree about the containers. I can't use the car they've chosen to release but I can certainly add some of those containers to my fleet. |
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Post by trainboyy on Jul 17, 2022 6:56:43 GMT -8
One thing I find suspicious from Class One is a lack of pre-production photos. Supposedly these are 'in production' for a Fall 2022 release. That's only a few months away; where are the production samples and model photos? I feel like they heard exactly what you were saying. They have uploaded a video to their facebook page, but I will take screenshots from it to show you all of the shots of the samples.    www.facebook.com/classonemodelworks/videos/1285457285533256 |
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Post by simulatortrain on Jul 17, 2022 17:09:56 GMT -8
Looks like a nice model of a very interesting car. I can't use any of this stuff, but I wish them well as they get started.
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joppasub
Full Member
Retired; Now a full time modeler
Posts: 149
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Post by joppasub on Jul 19, 2022 4:45:06 GMT -8
Looks like quality product. I’d lose the big Kadee number 5 coupler…
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Post by cera2254 on Jul 19, 2022 5:45:32 GMT -8
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