Ok so I have two favorites. Back in the early 80's I worked for the local Terra company unloading hoppers and tankers of fertilizer at the plant. Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk
My favorites right now are my two Micro Trains NYC flat cars with RSLaserKits decks and AMB loads. One is a crate, the other the generator/motor load. I still need to weather the sides and the trucks, but these cars are my first real shot at modifying freight cars. Given how much attention they get from my club, I'd say they came out well for something so simple.
The decks, crates, and blocking are laser-cut wood. The generators are resin pieces that I hand-painted. The decks stick on top of the flatcars with an adhesive backing. The loads are attached to the decks with little spots of wood glue underneath the blocking. Just enough to hold them to the car, but not enough that I can't remove them if I feel like it. EDIT - links to the kits: http://www.rslaserkits.com/3600-Flat-Car-Deck-For-Micro-Trains-45000-Series_p_3879.html - decks http://www.laserkit.com/parts_n2.htm - loads
It's hard to pick a favorite car or two, but these old N Scale models always make me smile. My father bought me the MILW car while on a business trip in the early '70s. I'm not an MILW modeler, but I love the road and the blue color and the faded white stenciled look still looks neat to my eyes. I suspect that my constant handling of the car over 45 years has contributed to its aged look! The Kadee/M-T CNJ boxcar was bought by me 40 years ago at a small hobby shop in the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, PA area while railfanning with new friends. Four decades later, one has passed away and the other has been a lifelong long-distance pal ever since. The car reminds be of good times and good friendships.
I built a removable frame for my John Deere tractor load. The tractors sit loose within the frame. There are tiny pieces of wire at each corner of the frame that drop into stake pockets to secure it. I'm like you in that I want to be able to remove my loads if I wish.
I really like that blue MILW car. I've never seen one in that scheme before. The stories to go along with them are special as well. Great stuff.
Two of my more interesting cars, are: Westinghouse Schnabel transformer car from Overland Models Micro Trains special edition solar eclipse boxcar. Paid the price for one through eBay at the time! Currently do not have access to getting photos of either, until I can get back on what remains of 2 good feet!! Surgery went well. Now cleared to be able to start putting some weight on left foot! Just gotta get right knee working right! G Scale out front is next!!
I thought about how I would answer this question. Mentally picturing my collective... collection of freight cars and wondering out loud how can I have a favorite? So, I set here viewing the other posts in this thread and again wondered which car or set of cars would I choose. I like my coal trains although not 100% authentic to the prototype. My 40 and 50 foot ice reefers. They make for an impressive train. Any or all of my passenger trains although lacking some details are interesting to railfan. Then it hits me. I spent a lot of time working on my M.O.W. Santa Fe work train. Although not 100% prototype. At best, it resembles the wreck train that used to call the Santa Fe Yard, in Barstow, CA. home. The picture isn't a finished product by any means but best shows where I was headed. Steve H., in a trade off of HO and N Scale diesels and freight cars. I received the following flat cars. These are original Kadee N Scale flats with body mounted couplers. The trucks may or may not be original. I can place these guys anywhere in a freight train and shove them around in a reverse move all day long and they give me minimal problems. Actually, I've never had problems with them. Also, in the last picture you can see the tail end of a coal train. I apologize for these pictures. Not as nice as some of you have submitted. This is the layout I must get put back together, restored, scenic'd and running...AGAIN! As close to a favorite as I'm going to get.
Here is one I made. "We all live in a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine, a yellow....................."
Thanks Doug. I should have mentioned that it's a Con-Cor model, Item 1351-G. I see it in my 1973 JMC catalog at a price of $2.00 Ea!
Happy recollections indeed. Each new car purchase was big event and as Russell noted here earlier, they were placed on the rails with great joy and studied carefully in every detail. To our young eyes, all was perfect and our imaginations brought them to life. I wish that I could somehow recapture those innocent days and not feel as defeated by imperfection in all that I create today.