Ok this isn't about rolling stock but the lack there of. I just got a reply from USA saying that they aren't considering making an auto rack any time soon. They say its too long. (or would be really long) For those that like the modern trains I would imagine an auto rack would be one of the more desired cars. I don't want to attempt to kit bash one as it wouldn't be up to quality standards so what is one to do? Where would some one even begin trying to get these manufactured. Its crazy, we can get a 4 ft steam loco but not one of the most common cars on rails today. Ok I'm done.
Come on, NOBODY makes a modern auto carrier, really.
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Try contacting Shawmut Car Shops. I think he makes them.
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Shawmut Car Shops does have them: http://www.shawmutcarshops.com/
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Welcome to the reality of large scale. Large scale is a tiny market, the percentage of people interested in large modern cars, or that have the room to run them is a small fraction of the large scale market. Its unfortunate, but the manufactures hands are tied, it simply does not pay to make the enormous investment in tooling to manufacture a car that will not sell enough units to make a return on the investment. Aristo and now USA have stated that, but there are many who still think the market is much larger than it is. You will never see the variety of cars, roadnames and locomotives you see in other scales. The market simply can not support it. For the foreseeable future if you want large modern cars, you will have to have them built for you or build them yourself.
George
George
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102 Posts
USA said it would be to long? Longer than a doublestack container car????
I looked at the Shawmut cars and they look quite toyish.(auto rack) Better than not having an option though. Im not sure of the length but USA Trains in their reply thought they are 85 foot cars. Oh well at least I have the intermodal cars.
The autoracks & TOFC's, that I have scratchbuilt, I used plans from an old Railroad Model Craftsman magazine's HO scale plans, and blew them up 300 percent, to get it close to 1/29th scale... My Autorack measures 37 & 1/2 inches long, 4 & 1/8th inches wide, and 8 & 1/2 inches tall from the top of the rail.... It took a lot of time, and a lot of plastic, but the outcome was great...
The AutoMax would probably run better on smaller layouts, as it is articulated:
![]()
However, it is 5 foot, 2 inches long....
Of course, if you don't find the plan in a magazine, just get an HO scale model of it and measure that.... It also provides a quick reference so you can see what it actaully looks like...
Andy
The AutoMax would probably run better on smaller layouts, as it is articulated:
However, it is 5 foot, 2 inches long....
Of course, if you don't find the plan in a magazine, just get an HO scale model of it and measure that.... It also provides a quick reference so you can see what it actaully looks like...
Andy
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Funny you posted those photos Marty, we have be working on a boat load of 89 ft flat cars that are made out of sheet metal with castings on the bottom. the bodies are be bent up on a sheet metal break. prototype picture on the bottom be picture to come in the next few weeks. these would also make a great starting point for auto racks..
Nick
Nick
These TOFC's were made from the same chasis as my autorack.... Trailer Chasis were plastic 1/32nd scale truck trailers, that had been modified and enlarged to look appropriate to the trailers.... Schneider is a 53 footer....
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/andyc/ScratchBuilding%20pics/TOFC's%20on%20layout%20yard.jpg[/b]
(Image exceeds 640 pixel width (i.e. 1004 px), changed to link, SteveC mod.)
ok, can't get that one to show up, for some reason...
[url]http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/andyc/ScratchBuilding%20pics/TOFC%20w%20good%20trailers%20-%20not%20painted.jpg[/b][/url]
(Image exceeds 640 pixel width (i.e. 1135 px), changed to link, SteveC mod.)
White trailers were bashed to 45 footers
![]()
the Basic chasis is in white, laying on it's back, so the undercarriage is showing... TOFC is next to it, going left, and on the far left, is an Autorack side... The only difference is which side you attach to the frame, to make it either a TOFC, or an Autorack...
Just added for info purposes...
Andy
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/andyc/ScratchBuilding%20pics/TOFC's%20on%20layout%20yard.jpg[/b]
(Image exceeds 640 pixel width (i.e. 1004 px), changed to link, SteveC mod.)
ok, can't get that one to show up, for some reason...
[url]http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/andyc/ScratchBuilding%20pics/TOFC%20w%20good%20trailers%20-%20not%20painted.jpg[/b][/url]
(Image exceeds 640 pixel width (i.e. 1135 px), changed to link, SteveC mod.)
White trailers were bashed to 45 footers
the Basic chasis is in white, laying on it's back, so the undercarriage is showing... TOFC is next to it, going left, and on the far left, is an Autorack side... The only difference is which side you attach to the frame, to make it either a TOFC, or an Autorack...
Just added for info purposes...
Andy
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Great looking stuff Andy and Marty.
I think manufacturers are living in the past. LGB could run on toylike curves, but the trend is more towards scale models with more detail. I have not heard of anyone STARTING a layout with tiny curves.
Look at the poll on this site about min radius. 75% of the people (now the poll is up to 100 people) have curves 8 foot or more, not the tiny curves that manufacturers often cling to.
Sure, it was different 10 years ago. That WAS 10 years ago.
I could get really excited about some of these cars.
People want full length streamliners now, as evidenced by Aristo's public comments that no one "ordered" or showed enough interest in "shorty" streamliners other than ATSF. (George, I have the quotes, so do not embarrass yourself).
I know that certain manufacturers have felt that long wheelbase locos and cars are no good, did not sell well, but it's clear that as us old guys die off, we are replaced by younger people, and they want more modern equipment. Almost every freight car in 40' has been done.
So keep up the good work guys, and the pressure to make more modern stuff, it looks great!
Regards, Greg
I think manufacturers are living in the past. LGB could run on toylike curves, but the trend is more towards scale models with more detail. I have not heard of anyone STARTING a layout with tiny curves.
Look at the poll on this site about min radius. 75% of the people (now the poll is up to 100 people) have curves 8 foot or more, not the tiny curves that manufacturers often cling to.
Sure, it was different 10 years ago. That WAS 10 years ago.
I could get really excited about some of these cars.
People want full length streamliners now, as evidenced by Aristo's public comments that no one "ordered" or showed enough interest in "shorty" streamliners other than ATSF. (George, I have the quotes, so do not embarrass yourself).
I know that certain manufacturers have felt that long wheelbase locos and cars are no good, did not sell well, but it's clear that as us old guys die off, we are replaced by younger people, and they want more modern equipment. Almost every freight car in 40' has been done.
So keep up the good work guys, and the pressure to make more modern stuff, it looks great!
Regards, Greg
Again - I don't think there is enough interest in 3 - 5 foot long LS cars. What do you think the average layout size is? I got an USA Trains hi stack by mistake and I noted
two things - way too long and way to fragile. I sold it to a buddy the next day...
As far as USA trains selling a lot of passenger cars - what is a lot? Anyone have a figure? I love Burlington Route stuff and I didn't even buy any....my layout wasn't big
enough at the time and there was nothing to pull it...until the E8s came out. I still haven't bought them.
And a beautiful passenger car certainly isn't a rolling parking lot. I personally don't find modern 120 car freight drags particularly pretty. To me, they are long, boring, have no caboose, nor
personality. The onlly thing that gives a modern freight some interest is the imaginative graffiti on the sides.
![]()
My home town gets about 130 freights a day through it and the only things I like to see are the Genesis Amtrak trains and the Radio contolled old Great Northern
Geep that humps freight that occasionally fouls up the main street crossing.
Again - strictly my personal opinon.
I think there is great talent to make these if you REALLY want one as displayed in this thread. Great craftmanship. Just post how it's done and make it an online class...
Ultimately, we have two manufacturers who make modern era stuff say there is no market for it and yet, we seem to know better? Seems awful risky
in tough economic times to take a chance on something that a very narrow portion of the hobby would or could consider buying.
two things - way too long and way to fragile. I sold it to a buddy the next day...
As far as USA trains selling a lot of passenger cars - what is a lot? Anyone have a figure? I love Burlington Route stuff and I didn't even buy any....my layout wasn't big
enough at the time and there was nothing to pull it...until the E8s came out. I still haven't bought them.
And a beautiful passenger car certainly isn't a rolling parking lot. I personally don't find modern 120 car freight drags particularly pretty. To me, they are long, boring, have no caboose, nor
personality. The onlly thing that gives a modern freight some interest is the imaginative graffiti on the sides.
My home town gets about 130 freights a day through it and the only things I like to see are the Genesis Amtrak trains and the Radio contolled old Great Northern
Geep that humps freight that occasionally fouls up the main street crossing.
Again - strictly my personal opinon.
I think there is great talent to make these if you REALLY want one as displayed in this thread. Great craftmanship. Just post how it's done and make it an online class...
Ultimately, we have two manufacturers who make modern era stuff say there is no market for it and yet, we seem to know better? Seems awful risky
in tough economic times to take a chance on something that a very narrow portion of the hobby would or could consider buying.
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I agree there is less interest in longer cars, but "enough?", yes I think there is enough, at least modern cars.
What do I think the average size is? Hmm... my point was that what is being built now is broader curves over 4' diameter, and at least have some data to back that up.
OK, so you don't like long trains, and you like graffiti. Actually no mention of long trains was mentioned. Longer cars were mentioned.
I believe there are more USAT streamliners being sold than Aristo ones. All the people I talk to want to go in that direction. I do not hear people clamoring for "short cars", look for posts asking for them.
Yes, I agree with your last paragraph, the manufacturers say there is no market, that's a problem. We seem to know better? Well, let's just say that the manufacturers are not gods. For heavens sake, (pun intended), people have been clamoring for Aristo to make a Northern (since they have a mikado and a pacific), and a SD7/9 (since they make locos with 3 axle trucks) forever.
What's the next loco out? A PCC trolley? Have you seen a movement of people asking for this?
(I'm not picking on Aristo, it's just that they announce items way ahead of delivering them, USAT has not announced anything).
I still say that I think manufacturers may be caught in a time warp. It WILL move forward eventually. Slowly.
(I'm not buying a trolley car)
Regards, Greg
What do I think the average size is? Hmm... my point was that what is being built now is broader curves over 4' diameter, and at least have some data to back that up.
OK, so you don't like long trains, and you like graffiti. Actually no mention of long trains was mentioned. Longer cars were mentioned.
I believe there are more USAT streamliners being sold than Aristo ones. All the people I talk to want to go in that direction. I do not hear people clamoring for "short cars", look for posts asking for them.
Yes, I agree with your last paragraph, the manufacturers say there is no market, that's a problem. We seem to know better? Well, let's just say that the manufacturers are not gods. For heavens sake, (pun intended), people have been clamoring for Aristo to make a Northern (since they have a mikado and a pacific), and a SD7/9 (since they make locos with 3 axle trucks) forever.
What's the next loco out? A PCC trolley? Have you seen a movement of people asking for this?
(I'm not picking on Aristo, it's just that they announce items way ahead of delivering them, USAT has not announced anything).
I still say that I think manufacturers may be caught in a time warp. It WILL move forward eventually. Slowly.
(I'm not buying a trolley car)
Regards, Greg
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Matthew (OV)
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