As I go through my inventory of rolling stock I discovered I have an abundance of flatcars. Way more than needed.
I'm also going to need a few open side trip level auto racks for online traffic but buying the whole car is expensive.
Does anyone make just the racks that I can use with my excess flatcars?
Modeling the Cleveland and Pittsburgh during the PennCentral era starting on the Cleveland lakefront and ending in Mingo junction
I doubt anyone makes them. Could be scratch built from Evergreen styrene.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
To add to the question... does anyone make autoracks for a 1950s 50 foot flatcar? The Athearn one looks awful to me.
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I would love a flatcar with four 1955 Buicks on the way to the showroom to help date my layout.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
DSchmitt I doubt anyone makes them. Could be scratch built from Evergreen styrene.
Yeah that's true but a lot of work to do 10 cars. Do you think this is something that can be cast? I'd be ok buying one car to make masters from if that's plausible. I'm leery about how things the casting would be.
At least none are red with a white top...
Probably better done by 3D printing. Someone on Shapeways may be willing to make them. https://www.shapeways.com/
You coulf fabricate fairly fast with a jig and parts from Central Valley and Tichy. Might find the corner gussets from someplace else too or just have them 3-d printed. 3-d has come a long way but is not yet to the point of being cost effective for this whole project.
Having something like that 3D printed would probably cost more than the auto rack in the first place. Plus the time and effort in developing the model is going to be a considerable undertaking. I'd just ebay the flats (even at a loss) to help finance buying auto racks
ruderunnerI'm also going to need a few open side trip level auto racks for online traffic but buying the whole car is expensive.
Wait until you look into filling a rack with new cars and then it will seem really expensive.
If you haven't come across them, Accural produces a nice open autorack kit at reasonable cost.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
DSchmitt
I like that picture. My father used to have a 1959 Plymouth Savoy that he restored. As for an answer to the original post, I'm afraid you'll probably have to make your own. I think Athearn used to have a kit for the 50 foot autloaders to convert a flatcar into an auto rack but I don't think anybody's made 89 foot racks by themselves.
Going through Ebay at lunch time today, found this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bachmann-HO-Santa-Fe-89-tri-level-auto-carrier-88969-shell-only/332447685566?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
It's just the rack, no flat car under it. Maybe this could be used as a template to build more. Just a thought.
Mike.
My You Tube
Life Like made a 50 ft auto rack car, the rack is removable so you can place it on a better quality flat car. Look around the swap meets or E-bay.
You can try to kitbash 10 short cars, but that's a lot of work and it's very time consuming.
I'd just go for those open-type autoracks that were used in the 70's, they come built up and you can just load your vehicles in, Accurail makes them.
Accurail makes Auto rack posts and detail sets, If interested. One is temporarily out, the Yellow...but at 2.98 a set, any color would be OK:
http://www.accurail.com/accurail/parts.htm
Good Luck!
Frank