I seem to remember an Atkins Pickle Car in HO scale once upon a time. Atkins Pickle Company of Atkins, Arkansas. Am I hallucinating? I’m aware of the Heinz cars. Can’t seem to find any trace of one for Atkins and would like to find — if they exist.
While a quick search turned up a fair bit of info on the Atkins Pickle Company, no photos of their pickle cars or of models of Atkins' pickle cars.There seemed to be two styles of pickle cars, one with exposed vats, the other with enclosed ones. Westerfield offers craftsman-type kits for the coffin-style (enclosed) ones, and Athearn has both the open and enclosed versions, although none come lettered for Atkins.
I have Athearn's open version, but I've added truss rods to the underframe and upgraded some of the other details...
If you know of Atkins' colour scheme and the style of cars which they used, you could purchase the most appropriate of the models mentioned, then re-paint it as necessary and use alphabet decal sets to add the lettering. If you can't find prototype info regarding car style, colour scheme, or lettering, build the car to suit your own tastes or what you think might be prototypical, then post a photo of the finished car. If there are photos of the real cars, it won't take long for someone to post them, if only to show you the error of your ways. You can then, if you wish, redo the car to better match the prototype, or simply stay with what you've done.
I'm currently in the midst of scratchbuilding pickles.
Wayne
doctorwayne I'm currently in the midst of scratchbuilding pickles. Wayne
Both sweet and dill, I hope.
Ed
Close, but I'm in a pickle to find the exact car.
9064 003 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
Still, it is good to have some detail shots.
9064 002 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
9064 001 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
Sorry it wasn't the correct owner, but maybe it will help someone looking for pickle car details. Atkins began production in 1946 so, if they even had rail cars, they would certainly be a newer design.
https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/2002/03-03/0076_read_all_about_it__arkansas_town_.html
AMB Laserkit makes a conversion kit to add to your own 40' flat car.
https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/american-model-builders-ho-391-laser-cut-pickle-car-conversion-kit-for-40-flatcars/
Good Luck, Ed
7j43k doctorwayne I'm currently in the midst of scratchbuilding pickles. Wayne Both sweet and dill, I hope. Ed
doctorwayne
There is an Atkins Pickle Festival each May, and an article about the company in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
I bought an AMB pickle car kit and a Tichy flat to put it on. Then I found an old Athearn model at a train show. I want to build a facility with vats.
And I really don't like pickles.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.