I'm kicking around the idea of incorporating a car ferry into my layout at some point. Milwaukee had several of them for different roads: Pere Marquette, Grand Trunk, possibly C&O and Ann Arbor (can't remember).
Does anyone make a car ferry kit? I know Walthers makes the land-side/dock for one.
I found this cool thread from years ago where Bear made his own - very impressive!
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/220945.aspx?page=1
Andy
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Milwaukee native modeling the Milwaukee Road in 1950's Milwaukee.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/196857529@N03/
Walthers and a few others make them, also Frenchmans River.
Technically, I think the Walthers and Frenchman River kits are carfloats and are more properly called barges. They are not motorized, as most automobile ferries are. They would require a tugboat to move them around. There are self-propelled boats that carry rail cars in the 1:1 world but I don't know of any kits for those.
I have two of the Walthers carfloats and one of the loading aprons. These form the basis for a nice carfloat terminal area. Maybe my next layout will have room for a tugboat, too.
The carfloat kits came with plastic rail, as normal procedures would keep locomotives off the carfloat and apron, and use a few idler cars to accomplish this. I replaced the plastic rails with metal, and then replaced all my remaining plastic wheelsets with metal, too. I wanted good rolling performance with minimal friction for the carfloat terminal. I was meticulous about keeping everything strictly level. I did not power the rails on the carfloat, but with metal rails that wouldn't be hard to do, but should be done during construction. I did power the rails on the apron, and drove the turnouts with Tortoise machines.
I built my carfloat as a casette, mounted on a base surrounded by Envirotex water.
These carfloats hold about 15 to 18 cars, mostly 40 foot cars on my Transition Era layout. It's important to plan for yard storage around the carfloat, as you will have outgoing cars ready when the carfloat docks, and you will need a place to store the incoming cars before the outgoing cars can even start to be loaded.
A carfloat terminal is a great " industry" that can accept and provide almost any kind of rolling stock.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
rrebell Walthers and a few others make them, also Frenchmans River.
Walthers? Hmm. I don't remember seeing anything in the catalogue other than the land-side dock I mentioned above. Just searched their site for "car ferry HO" and got no results..?..
EDIT: Walthers has this which they call a car float apron but I don't see an actual "car float", a least, not in the Cornerstone line:
https://www.walthers.com/carfloat-apron-kit-8-1-2-x-8-1-2-x-8-5-8-quot-21-2-x-21-2-x-21-6cm-height-above-water
One of the best barge types of car float I ever saw was made out of a 2" x 10". The guy used a file to form the curve on the bow and stern and glued strips along the sides. He used N scale bridge girders for the side rails and strip wood on the deck. It seemed very straightforward and easy to do.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I found this:
and this:
https://www.eurorailhobbies.com/product.asp?mn=40&ca=91&sc=HO&stock=AR-50.121
They may be found by searching for Walthers Railroad Car Float. Believe it or not, they are in stock and even on sale right now. Walthers has made at least two procuction runs of the carfloat and apron. They have been listed as discontinued or out of production, but they brounght them back. I got mine from Trainworld. Here it is under construction, before painting:
This is the carfloat on its base, with a partially finished apron:
Two of the three idler flats. These are Tichy flat cars, fixed up with wood decks and metal wheels:
I finished the whole apron where the carfloat docks, so that the float can be removed and not leave a hole. The platform where the carfloat casette sits is a fold-down for access. The prototype would allow the apron ramp to raise and lower to account for different water levels, but this kit is designed for flat mounting only and does not move. The lines and counterweights in the superstructure are purely decorative. There are connecting pins at the end which mate with openings in the carfloat itself which provide stability.
The turnout before the apron is a Walthers-Shinohara #8 wye, as recommended in the assembly instructions. The other turnout is part of the apron and assembled easily. Because of the odd location, I drove both Tortoises with stationary decoders so I could be very close to the trains instead of at a control panel across the room.
This is the docked carfloat:
A bit of the Envirotex water:
You can make it into different lengths too.
rrebell You can make it into different lengths too.
True indeed. I think the first option is to simply leave out a section of hull and deck, but a razor saw and some sandpaper would easily let you customize the length to whatever you want.
Artitec?
Good Luck, Ed
The Milwaukee Road Warrior I'm kicking around the idea of incorporating a car ferry into my layout at some point. Milwaukee had several of them for different roads: Pere Marquette, Grand Trunk, possibly C&O and Ann Arbor (can't remember). Does anyone make a car ferry kit? I know Walthers makes the land-side/dock for one. I found this cool thread from years ago where Bear made his own - very impressive! http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/220945.aspx?page=1
Hi Andy,
Milwaukee was visited by the Pere Marquette(later C&O) and the Grand Trunk. The Ann Arbor docked at Manitowoc and Kewaunee.
Unfortunately no one makes a Lake Michigan ferry kit. As the others have mentioned, Walther made/makes the car float and apron kits along with several other manufacturers of open car ferry kits.
I too followed Bear's posts about his car ferry since I am reviving a old model of a Lake Michigan carferry. Here are a couple of pictures of that model.
As you can see, the car deck is enclosed and there are 4 tracks.
I wish someone would create a kit.
Scott Sonntag
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Gidday Andy, thanks for your kind words. There is an outfit, BearcoMarine, (no relation!!! ) that makes the SS Badger, and the SS City of Milwaukee in HO scale,though I note that the two ships are on their “Custom Display” page and therefore am uncertain as to their suitability as “working” model. I’m also uncertain as to the company’s current status. http://www.bearcomarine.com/custom.htm I have seen a photo (s) of a model of a Lakes Railroad Car Ferry, scratchbuilt from memory, with the superstructure removed for access to the car deck, somewhere. Cheers, the Bear
Hi JaBear
Bearco is still alive and working, I just put an order with them; I already had buy the plans for my High lift coal dumper at this company with no troubles.
About ferry, this is a Dutch company which offer exquisite model in resin of several ships models including small ferry's and a small cargo in both HO and N scale.
Even if some are European looking model they are very suitable with a little touch to become American models; they are recognized to be high quality models with first rates details.
https://www.artitecshop.com/en/
Here are some of my kitbash in N scale using old Frog Shell Welder model; all are scratch or kitbuild since nothing exist in N scale; I use hull and parts of different model mixed together to achieve a convincing model
I even made a replica of the famous GD line car ferry Anabel; a second one is in the way to be build to be used at the other side of the layout to simulate travel between two harbors.
The last one is a future kitbash using a ship sail hull model of Heller and superstructure of a frog model to made a big old steam cargo of the 35's
MisterBeasley They may be found by searching for Walthers Railroad Car Float. Believe it or not, they are in stock and even on sale right now. Walthers has made at least two procuction runs of the carfloat and apron. They have been listed as discontinued or out of production, but they brounght them back. I got mine from Trainworld. Here it is under construction, before painting: This is the carfloat on its base, with a partially finished apron: Two of the three idler flats. These are Tichy flat cars, fixed up with wood decks and metal wheels: I finished the whole apron where the carfloat docks, so that the float can be removed and not leave a hole. The platform where the carfloat casette sits is a fold-down for access. The prototype would allow the apron ramp to raise and lower to account for different water levels, but this kit is designed for flat mounting only and does not move. The lines and counterweights in the superstructure are purely decorative. There are connecting pins at the end which mate with openings in the carfloat itself which provide stability. The turnout before the apron is a Walthers-Shinohara #8 wye, as recommended in the assembly instructions. The other turnout is part of the apron and assembled easily. Because of the odd location, I drove both Tortoises with stationary decoders so I could be very close to the trains instead of at a control panel across the room. This is the docked carfloat: A bit of the Envirotex water: