[AndyC]

First off, Greg, thanks for the comments about the cars...

I can't speak for the people layout sizes, because I have no idea how small/big they are, unless they have posted on here, or largescalecentral, or Aristo's forum, to mention the size....

I love the smell of steam engines, but, I grew up, right after the transition to diesel and hardly remember any steam engines in my youth... My first ride, was in the cab of a Boston & Maine SW-1, working the industries in Peabody, Mass.

So, I model diesels, which means, I model 1/29th, because, that's the scale that the maufacturers were making diesels engines in, at the time...
True, I like to see long trains run, but, I am also into operations, and want my current layout to do both.... THe Autorack that i built, had 150 pieces to each side, and 150 pieces, to the chassis.. That required a lot of work... The TOFC"s weren't so bad, because the didn't have 150 piece sides...

Anyway, before I keep rambling... What I'd like to see, is more modern freight cars, such as 40 and 50 foot boxcars, without roof walks... Maybe a 50 high cube boxcar.... What's wrong with Steel coil cars??? If the long passenger cars sell, why not a 60 foot center beam car??? a 60 foot high cube...
They don't have to make 3 foot long cars, just some modern stuff.... What's wrong with an outside braced covered hopper???

Just my 2 cents worth....

Andy

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Complete agreement Andy, I was born too late for steam, although I like it. I've bought just about everything in the transition era that makes sense, so now on to more modern stuff.

Aristo sells the heck out of their heavyweight passenger cars, which I believe scale out to 72' long. So, 50 and 60 foot cars are not going to make running impossible on everyone's layouts.

The future HAS to include more modern stuff, I firmly believe.

Regards, Greg

 

[Enginear]

Boys, if you can build them, we will buy them. This may turn into my favorite new thread, Joe

 

[SlateCreek]

Jeff Damerst of Shawmut Car Shops (www.shawmutcarshops.com mentioned above) asked me to post this for him as he isn't a forum member anyplace...

If it is so simple to make, then they ought outlay some cash and mass produce them. If so many folks want the cars, then someone on the forum needs to go into business and produce a quality car. It takes me a month to get one done. Maybe a group can get a cash outlay, and get someone in the states to mold the cars for them, paint them, and letter them for the the road names everybody wants.

I paid over 200 dollars to have molds made to vacuum form the sides, roof, and ends by Precision Products - which are made for me exclusively. The car is built from a 4 inch square vinyl fence post cut to length, which is than sandwiched between two 4" x the length of car desired with 1 inch thick boards which are screwed to the top and bottom of the post. The sides are trimmed to fit the length desired and applied. The roof is made of 2 or 3 15 inch sections which have to be bonded together( not the world's easiest job as neither Larry nor I have gotten a perfect match yet as the roof is made of a ribbed material) and then flexed to go over the sides and are glued in place. Then the ends are glued to the car after being flexed over the sides. Next I add the underframe center sill which is custom cut for me by a friend out of wood. I then cut pieces fro the cross members out of 5/8 channel from Plastruct. A pair of Aristocraft roller bearing metal
trucks are added. The ladders are made from Plastruct ladder material. The car is painted and decaled into the road name asked for.

They are not the quality of USA Ultimate cars, but nobody has complained yet. They make a functional modern car that isn't available anywhere else unless one scratch builds them.

One of my customers in IL is building open auto racks as he models in the early 60's.
I have made two cars 27 inches long for a Detroit modeler who has smaller curves and a friend in TX has another 27 inch car, a 33 inch car for an AZ modeler, and a 38 inch was made for a guy in Canada.

Auto carriers vary in length depending on their purpose. Some of the newer cars are no being made to 80 feet while most of the older cars were 85 feet long with a few 89 footers. The real cars are 19 feet above the track which scales out to around 8 inches. So anyone wanting such a car better check their clearances in their tunnels.

I guess it all depends how finicky a person is. If they want perfection than they will have to scratch build their own cars. Actually if they are that particular they need to build their own car as each aluminium panel on a real cars has a million holes in it which is why you can see into the cars. I don't have the time nor desire to do that plus all one would see if the vinyl fence post.

If they can live with my cars, I will gladly build them one.

Hope some may find this helpful...

Matthew (OV)

 

[aceinspp]

I agree with Andy and Greg that they do not have to be long cars just newer types. Longer flat cars,gondolas and box cars. both companies to sart thinking out side the box for a change. Yes the younger generation is going to want this type of equipment. Just look at the six axle locos that have come out. Gets old pulling all these old 40 ft cars. I for one am not young but I would welcome newer rolling stock. Also make sure you install the rollerbearing style trucks with rotating caps, now thats cool. I have installed a lot of these trucks on some of my cars that have build dates in the 60s about the time these trucks started showing up. Later RJD