Favorite Car

[Anonymous]

I like Boxcars the best

[ckape]

I like flatcars because you can get such interesting open loads on them.

[trainfan1221]

I voted for the good old boxcar. Though I also am interested in various intermodal equipment. As for a layout, I find a variety works best. Also makes your trains seem longer.

[Anonymous]

I like flat cars because you can see the loads and they make a train with mainly boxcars more interesting.

[Anonymous]

I like Reefers the best. There's something about a long train of Pacific Fruit Express reefers. I hope to model the PFE on my layout.

[FThunder11]

I like AMtrak, so i voted for Coach car!

[Roadtrp]

I voted other, because NOTHING beats a Sleeper. The privacy and luxury of having your own little room while traveling is something you need to experience to appreciate. There isn't ANYTHING better!

[:)]

[CP5415]

I like the Thrall All Door Boxcar as it's unique.
A boxcar that's all doors!

Gordon

[Anonymous]

I voted the coal car because I love fully loaded coal train.
Esply with pure EMD's on the point!

[Anonymous]

Coal and concrete!
Gotta love dem hoppers!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

i voted other b/c i'd have to say my favorite are rail cranes. i dunno why but i've always really liked them. the big wercking cranes, the smaller industrial ones... they are all so cool. i've currently got 2 HO ones, but need to get a few more =D

[AntonioFP45]

Long freight trains of mostly boxcars used to look so impressive in the 70s since back then the railroads often had HUGE colorful logos and slogans on them. The Burlington Northern was one of my favorites. You could see the huge BN on boxcar sides from a mile! Then in the 80s most of the railroads went "small and plain-jane" on the logos.

Today, inspite of the intermodals, boxcar and reefer trains can still be seen. Unfortunately, hordes of "thugs" around the country with no respect for property or themselves choose to tra***hem with graffitti. As a railfan I still enjoy watching freight trains but find myself cringing or shaking my head in disgust as I see the vandalism rolling by.

PPG introduced a tough "anti-graffitti" paint just over a decade ago that makes it easier to wash off graffitti. New York City transit used it successfully on their subway cars. Too bad though the railroads don't use it much. Understandable though as it would be prohibitively expensive and freight cars rarely get washed unless it's raining anyway!

I'm not a perfect person as I try to be a decent human being, but graffitti "Train Trashing Specialists" in my neck of the woods should be very thankful that I'm not a police officer or railroad security member!

[coal drag]

I voted "other" because you left out one of the biggest catagory of cars, which is the all mighty COAL CAR. Now-a-day that includes both hoppers and gons. I have over 2000 coal cars and can't live without them !!!!

[Dough]

I voted other as well. I'm a big MoW fan. I like the unique equipment as well as the ancient rolling stock!

[krump]

I really like those vat cars that are referred to as wine cars or pickle cars. They are very unique, and although I have not located any yet, they could essentially be a flat car under load, or a modified flat car ??? very different.
I'm designing a scratch-build unit using a flat car

cheers

[Dough]

QUOTE: Originally posted by krump

I really like those vat cars that are referred to as wine cars or pickle cars. They are very unique, and although I have not located any yet, they could essentially be a flat car under load, or a modified flat car ??? very different.
I'm designing a scratch-build unit using a flat car

cheers

I know that somebody made one. I used to have it. Probably Athearn blue box, but it has been a long time. It didn't go with my modern layout so I'm not sure where I put it. I'm going to have to take a look not that you mention it. I belive that it was a Heinz, but I am not sure.

[rexhea]

I voted boxcar. They always stimulate my imagination as to what's inside and where's it going

[cspmo]

Can I pick all the above.

[fiatfan]

4884BigBoy took the words right out of my mouth. There is just something about those double herald PFE's with the ice hatches!

Tom

[ericsp]

I like the boxcars (espcially RBLs) and reefers.

The point about interesting loads on a flatcar is a good one though.

[Pruitt]

The tank car.

When I was a little kid growing up in Casper Wyoming, I remember seeing long strings of tank cars waiting their turns at the loading racks at the Standard refinery on the west end of town. So I always enjoy seeing a strong of plain old black 8000 gallon cars sitting on a siding or winding along a right-of-way.

[Anonymous]

Cabeese, Box cars and Reefers, in that order. Funny, I thought hoppers were the correct name for what you guys are calling "Coal Cars"? When I was a kid we called the tender the "Coal Car" until we got eduumacated. Possibly this is a regional thing. However, I've never seen Athearn, Roundhouse or any other manufacturer offer "Coal Car kits.
(I think I've whipped this horse to death).

[twhite]

I'm with 4884Bigboy. Reefers. Not just necessarily PFE, but also those double-herald ART cars that MP and Wabash had, and let's not forget all those colorful Santa Fe 'Maps'. I also like some of the cars from railroads that you don't normally associate with refrigerated transport, like SSW and Katy. And while we're at it, let's not forget the PFE cars with the WP heralds instead of SP/UP. Boy, were THEY handsome! Other than that, I like drop-bottom gondolas and outside-braced boxcars. And cabeese. LOTS of cabeese!

[Anonymous]

CSX coke express hopper!! But thats not on the list so I picked boxcar...

[AltonFan]

It's hard to say. Cabeese and MoW equipment are probably the most interesting, although "house cars" off many interesting opportunities for interesting paint schemes.

As far as passenger equipment goes, head-end equipment (baggage, express, and mail cars), business cars, and unusual passenger accomodations (cabeese with a baggage room, coach seats, and a coupola tend to stand out from the rest.

OTOH, I've been collecting oddball freight cars of the transition era. The two I can think of right now are the special rack car for hauling tanks of chemicals, once offered by Minitrix in the 1970s, (looks like a boxcar without a roof or side sheathing) and some helium cars from E-R Imports (look like boxcars without side sheathing and with tracks of tubes).

[krump]

I try to avoid Reefers, as they just get you into trouble, cause derailments and end up being detoxed. tough enough to deal with the Tankers as they're always falling off the wagon cars... [(-D][(-D][(-D] - so much for probation humour, pretty pathetic huh?[:)]

seriously though, I have no idea what a cabeese is... I think I might own one though. Could it be a caboose that serves as a baggage car ??? which way does a cabeese face, if you intend to go forward?

grain cars are pretty cool too

cheers

[AggroJones]

Reefers. They are literally the coolest car!

[Anonymous]

I voted other, I like business and lounge cars.
Ch

[twhite]

Krump: A cabeese is a flock of cabooses.

[CBQ_Guy]

What, no cute, little ore car?!