Hi again, I have yet another question. Well here it is, in the 1950's through the 1960's what did heavy duty freight cars look like? I'm speaking of schnabel cars, depressed center flat cars, and heavy duty flat cars. Also where can I find quality models of them?
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
Stephen,
Do you have internet access or read the ads in Model Railroader magazine? Just a question. Try looking up Bachmann or Walthers.
Roger Huber
It is quite obvious that I have internet access. Anyway I realize my questions could be answered by google but here I can find the opinions and knowledge of people that know a thing or two about railroading and the modeling thereof.
Steven,
Inside each "Official Railway Equipment Register" is a section called "Heavy Capacity and Special Type Flat Cars". I think this will give you a complete list of all the cars you are interested in.
Once you have this list, you may easily continue your research on specific cars. For example, there has been published a very nice book on PRR flatcars, including their heavy duty ones.
Glad to be of assistance, and hope you enjoy your research.
As far as models, because these are sort of one-of-a-kind things, there aren't a lot. However, coming to mind are the extensive models of PRR cars by Railworks and also the Alexander Models depressed center flats. OMI also did some Schnabels.
Walthers and Exactrail did a couple of nice small depressed center flats. And Walthers did big depressed and straight flat TTX four truck heavy duty flats. They are all quite nice. The Athearn one sucks. Well, it didn't in 1960. But it does half a century later.
Ed
Thanks!
Mention of Heavy Duty has to include hot metal transfer cars, too.
I have several types but this model from Trix, is the biggest at 250 ton.
Happy Modeling, Ed
A question of this breadth is best answered by getting access to the Car Builder's Cyclopedia of the appropriate era -- those are sort of the Walthers catalogs of the prototype railroads with photos, advertisements, and in many cases, drawings.
There is usually a look back of a few years so I would think the 1961 edition would be the best.
https://www.amazon.com/1961-Builders-Cyclopedia-American-Practice/dp/B001PBORCK
Double-truck flatcars and large "battleship" gondolas such as the C&IM used would be my best bets for heavy duty cars of that era. I do not think there was anything like the Schnabel car (where the load is part of the car, so to speak) in the late 1950s.
Tank cars were starting to get larger than the common 8000 and 10,000 gallon cars, but were to get really large in the mid to late 1960s. The big auto parts boxcars were also creatures of the mid 1960s (the first ones had totally useless running boards because federal law mandated them).
In general (and generalizations are just that) in many respects the freight car fleet of 1961 was still largely a "steam era" thing, perhaps because the track and bridge infrastructure itself was still of the steam era -- 40 and 50' boxcars (including some remaining single sheathed cars), ice bunker reefers still ruled but the mechanical reefers were making their move, plenty of two bay hoppers to serve the residential and business coal heat business, but larger cars for power plant use were being used as well. The old 40 foot gondolas and flat cars were on their last legs but were still seen. Covered hoppers were smaller for heavy loads such as sand and cement, and were only starting to be used for lighter loads such as grain or plastic pellets which could allow larger cars.
Dave Nelson
On the Bachmann Schnabel Car what exactly is the Retort Cylinder Load?
cascadenorthernrr On the Bachmann Schnabel Car what exactly is the Retort Cylinder Load?
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com