Unknown prototype

[Jacktal]

One of my interests with model railroading,along with building the layout and running trains,is collecting "seldom seen" or odd railroad equipment just for the sake of owning them,so that I can eventually display them on my layout some time during completion.

I just purchased what I believe is a "railroad maintenance" vehicule.From it's looks,I'd say it is/was used as an inspection shuttle,or a mobile office or what else?..........
I can't even identify the model manufacturer who made it.It looks more like a camping trailer than an actual train,is powered but is in no way a loco as there are no provisions(couplers) for pulling anything.It's about 40 scale feet,has all around windows and both ends are identical.This vehicule rolls on four train type main wheels with three tiny wheels equipped dollies in a 4-2-4-2-4 fashion,the dollies being believably raised off the track at will.
It is white with blue and red striping below the windows and is identified as Amtrak no 31.I don't think it's a fake but can't find any info on the prototype.Can somebody fill me in?Thanks.

[michaelstevens]

Boy that sure sounds like an old Bachmann "track inspection" vehicle -- I've got one in UP markings.
I believe that the prototype was a "Sperry Rail Svcs" vehicle and the 3 small bogies were used (by some optical/mechanical contraption) to automatically record locations of bad rail(s) -- for future grinding or other maintenance work.
The prototype manufacturer might have been Plasser.
I've never been able to get my copy to work reliably -- so its usually parked off layout.

[dehusman]

The Sperry cars were former gas electric doodlebugs. What that is a of is a custom inspection vehicle made by a company like Canron or Plasser.

Dave H.

[leighant]

I actually saw a similar critter a coupla years ago and snapped a picture. It was a yallow Sperry Rail Service inspection car, stopped at a signal just west of Rosenberg on the former SP.

I have a few models of unusual prototypes on my layout, with prototype justification for running them.
USNX Helium tankcar. serves a Navy blimp base on Texas Gulf Coast modeled on a 2' x 3' portable layout, delivering helium from Amarillo helium production site.
ATSF 71285 ATSF class GA-13, AAR mech.desig. GB. Sulphur gondola. Design used only by Santa Fe and SP, but they had several hundred.
ATSF 171613, ATSF class GA-5, AAR mech.desig. GS. Caswell drop-bottom gondola. Unique to Santa Fe, but ATSF had about 5000 of them.
OSTX 1908 Ohio Seamless Tubing covered gondola.
LAPX 254 AAR mech.design XT. box tank. Linde Air Products tank for compressed gas inside a boxcar type body. Subtle differences from standard boxcar.
Ethyl Corporation tankcar, carries tetraethyl lead antiknock additive to refineries.
Koppers Chemical tankcar for creosote, delivers to treating plant that preserves railroad ties and utility poles.

Oddball car projects in the works:
US Navy 1 1/2 door 50' PS-1 boxcar being built from MicroTrains 31310 50' single-door boxcar. The Navy owned the only 1 1/2 door 50' cars of this design.
special covered hopper for granulated sugar.
Carbon Black covered hopper, again a distinctive body style, slightly different proportion from covered hoppers used primarily for grain.
Santa Fe "roofed" hopper, former open hopper with roof added to create emergency covered hopper for grain harvest glut during freight car shortage ca.1950.
Santa Fe 36' truss-rod Salt boxcar converted to "refrigerator car standards" to haul salt for servicing refrigerator cars.
Acid tank car, common in prototype, not mass-produced in model form. Carried acid to refineries and paper mills among other consignees.
Dry ice refrigerator car

Kenneth L. Anthony, Santa Vaca & Santa Fe Rwy, Corpus Christi, Texas.

[Anonymous]

I've got one of the Walthers scale test cars - doesn't take up much room and adds interest to switching operations as it's invariably in the wrong siding or in front of the cars you want to move!

I'm also interested in the more unusual prototypes - I'm working on a British Nuclear Flask train at the moment, I've converted a Bachmann hopper to represent one of the barrier wagons used to keep train crews from being irradiated, now I just have to find a kit for the flask vehicle - a new kit for this has just come out. Other vehicles in the train will include an unmodified Bachmann hopper as another barrier wagon and a Bachmann "Queen Mary" Brake van (the only bogie brake van run on BR). (Brake Van = Caboose). Looks good with a detailed Bachmann Class 25!

[Jacktal]

I wi***o thank everyone who answered my question....great forum!Starting with the answers I received,I found out that my model is a replica of a Plasser built prototype.I found photos that of very close looking prototypes although not exactly my model,but too much family ressemblance not to be from this manufacturer.I now have to deepen my research until I find the exact model no./name of my replica.

[Anonymous]

I have one that looks like a Chevrolet delivery van, but it rides on 4 flanged wheels and has a pair of "bogeys" front and rear. Made by Bachmann, Labelled Burlington Northern (green w/white letters) BN 975119 doesn't run worth crap!! Is this a MOW vehicle???? anyone have any clue??

[Anonymous]

This sounds like a MOW vehicle of some type. Roco offer an unpowered Mercedes Unimog as a road/rail vehicle along similar lines, and Kibri offer a range of MOW equipment in HO. I've seen the Unimog motorised in Model Rail magazine a while ago - they used a custom-made motorising kit ordered from Austria? We also have Land Rover Defenders (and I've seen a Discovery similarly modified) fitted with retractable rail wheels and used for MOW work over here.

[Anonymous]

Now that you mentioned Roco, in their "Minitanks" line they also offered an unpowered GMC U.S. Army truck (from World War II) with retractable flanged wheels. It was a limited run or special edition or whatever they called it.
I'm not sure if such thing ever existed, the flanged wheels and their "supports" don't look too convincing, but the truck is an excellent model. Does anybody have any photos or links to photos of a prototype of such a vehicle?
Thanks and regards,
Oliver

[Anonymous]

I have seen photos of a US Army "Diamond T" tank transporter tractor unit fitted with rail wheels and used for MOW over here in the 1950s/60s. Model Rail built one from the "Matchbox" Diamond T kit (in OO scale) with assorted bits and pieces used to motorise it fairly recently. If you wanted to build something like this in O-scale the Corgi diecast Diamond T could be a good starting point. The truck you mention could well have a prototype, at least, something similar could have been converted post-war using an Army-surplus truck. Some of the creations using old army trucks as a base are astonishing!

[Jacktal]

I have since found my model's prototype info I was looking for....it is a GE Plasser EM-80C with Amtrak's colors.It was made by Bachmann...some time ago....I don't intend to run it much as I purchased it to add to my layout as a railroad accessory,but I'm pleased by the way it runs,considering the price I paid.