On the fallen flags web site there is a 1980 photo of NKP 3144. A bulkhead flat with special racks to hold corrugated steel bins. Car was surely in assigned service but I am curious to know what it carried etc. Any further information or pictures, drawings, etc. would be much appreciated In the photo, there is another car like it coupled on to it on the right. Might make an interesting project.
Charlie
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nkp/nkp03144lba.jpg
Often times stamping plants would dump their "dross" or slugs into containers like these for easier handling. Usually higher grade scrap, like stainless steel.
I've also seen rough castings shipped from the foundry in these bins for handling by forklift when they arrive at the plant for further machining.
The railroad would use these bins for shipping and storing material such as brake shoes, coupler knuckles, springs, brake gear, track material and any bulk items not affected by weather.
Maybe others have additional comments, Ed
I think it more likely the latter than the former. I don't see much reason to segregate scrap to such an extent. But if the "stuff" needed to be individually handled later, it makes more sense.
Ed
Charlie,
I dug out my Oct. 1977 ORER. There were 24 of these cars in scattered numbers between 3101 and 3237, classed LF. Standard draft gear with permanently installed double deck racks to hold 48 baskets with the notation (Auto Bulk Stl. Forgings). Inside length is 44'4" and overall length 56'10" with a capacity of 138,000 lbs.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Gidday Charlie, not much to add but hope it helps. http://nkphts.org/rosters/freight/flatcars.html http://www.alphabetroute.com/nkp/diagrams/1962FrtCar/3100Series.pdf
Interesting find, Bear. I was wondering what was going on with other cars in this number series. Makes me wonder if 3144 was a BH flat first, then converted to the more specialized use hauling auto parts?
Thanks for the replies, guys. Now if I can find photos of the ends and figure out how the bins were secured I may try to cobble one together, or, at least an approximation. I started on the Railroad when I was a teenager and I never saw a car like this in my lifetime. Guess I never worked where we had this particular kind of business.
The bins are secured by gravity vertically and by various steel tabs and uprights horizontally. I get the bin dimensions at 40" wide on the exposed sides and roughly 20" high. They must have been loaded by fork lift. There's room under each bin for forks spaced at 30".
Study of the photo reveals some significant diagonal bracing running down the center of the car--sorta like a centerbeam.
The outside width of the car is given as 10'-2". And the inside width as 9'-2". From the photo, it appears that the inside width would be between the retaining tabs for the baskets (as they are called in the ORER). IF the baskets were square (that would be a real convenience for people handling them--no positioning problems), that would leave a 30" gap to be filled in with the centerbeam and air. I say "air" because I don't believe a centerbeam would have been built 30" wide--maybe 9". IF the baskets were 40" x 50", and there was a 9" centerbeam, that would eliminate the need for the "air".
I'd sure like to see one without the bins. Which would likely be uncommon, as once the car was unloaded, empty bins probably went back in for return.
The NKP historical society might have more info:
http://nkphts.org/
Or you could try the Yahoo group:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/NKP/info
Thanks for the photo--a fascinating car.
I saw a picture of this car many years ago in Mainline Modeler, the bins held forgings for use in making automobiles and had a return code not shown in this picture of 324 which was a plant in Fremont, OH it would then be send to major assembly plants. Since they are using a numeric code most probably Ford Service.
Rick J
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Glad to help, Charlie. The NKP did a lot of auto parts traffic, as well as the Wabash, so probably accounts for this unusual car. Makes me wonder if this was originally NKP traffic or if they shifted/adapted/modified these cars to meet the need after the merger?
7j43kThe outside width of the car is given as 10'-2". And the inside width as 9'-2". From the photo, it appears that the inside width would be between the retaining tabs for the baskets (as they are called in the ORER). IF the baskets were square (that would be a real convenience for people handling them--no positioning problems), that would leave a 30" gap to be filled in with the centerbeam and air. I say "air" because I don't believe a centerbeam would have been built 30" wide--maybe 9". IF the baskets were 40" x 50", and there was a 9" centerbeam, that would eliminate the need for the "air".
Ed,
I think you've got it just about right. The forklift drove forward, then dropped the bin down, where the lip along the side of each bin position held it in place. Looks to be just enough space above the lower bins to allow for this.
I suspect the bins were 40"x48", which is a fairly standard pallet size and would fit neatly with just enough slack to get things in and out.
I have a couple of these bins on my layout but they are closer to S scale size!
I can not recall where I got them. They are resin castings.
Of course, the height can be sanded down but they are still too wide to fit back-to-back on a bulkhead flat.
These measure 5' 6" x 6' x 5' 6" tall in HO
Regards, Ed
Yeah, those bins are out of scale for HO. They do have the right look...other than not being really nasty looking like the real ones usually were
Who made your forklift? Nice 50-ish form factor, looks familiar, but I can't quite visualize the brand name. I may have to track a couple down.
Mike,
I thought it was a Selley, now sold by Bowser:
http://www.bowserorders.com/.sc/ms/dd/HO%20Detail%20Parts--Selley/11624514/Selley%20FORK%20LIFT
However, this is not the same as the one I show in the photo, it was a kit and the Selley is a one-piece affair and is not quite as "detailed" if you want to call that detail.
I'll try to dust off the brain cells and try to remember where I got it.
{edit} This isn't the one but it looks pretty decent for a '50s/'60s model:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HO-Scale-Fork-Lift-/111158317748?hash=item19e18d52b4:m:mG7-veHF-XxJPxIcU_Geu1A
{editII} Found it!!!
Thanks! Ah, the good ol' days
I can handle it. Too bad Dyna-Models is gone or at least not from Walthers anymore. Will have to look that two-fer up or the Selley if I can't find the D-M ones.
I dug up my old article on these cars in Mainline Modeler, the NKP rostered cars with a double layer of bins and a single layer of bins. Also the pictures were taken in Fremont, OH the actual factory for the forgings was in Canton, OH and the car code was 260. This was on the original Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad.
Viking forklifts came with bins that would be suitable, but they were not corrugated and may have been a little small.
What issue was the article in? I will try to locate one if available.
charlie9 What issue was the article in? I will try to locate one if available. Charlie
It was in the March 1997, mostly pictures with captions of various auto parts cars other than the 60' and 86' cars.
How about that?
I was just fumbling through Shapeways and came across these bins already arranged to add to the car [or maybe they're just on a sprue and they are individual bins?)
https://www.shapeways.com/product/H4KMG3KN5/ho-1-87-flatcar-ford-motor-company-bins-x-24?li=search-results-6&optionId=58709058
I recently ordered from Shapeways for the first time and I have to admit that I'll be checking there more often for model details.
Great find, those bins are awesome, looks like another project to do!
Rick
Those bins would be for large parts that do not need gentle handling. Rough brake rotors would be an example. Castings of various types would be shipped in those. As for scrap metal I doubt it as they are not smooth inside and there is no way to dump those from a fork lift. I used lots of tubs like that in my machinist days.