Added to the Unofficial Micro-Trains Release Report website is a quick page with the new boxcar interior load... without the boxcar shell so you can get a good look at it. Go to http://www.irwinsjournal.com/umtrr and select "Box Car Load - Uncovered" from the pulldown menu in the top frame, the hot link, or the table of "Micro-Stories" (lots of choices!) We also answer the question, "Will it fit in a forty footer?" Enjoy!
George, Thanks for the link to the pics. Hope MT releases this as a seperate part. Love the newsletter also.
George, Thanks for 'uncovering' that info. What they should have done was to make it 4 sided so that it could be rotated 90 degrees length wise for a completely different load configuration. I agree with Rich, they should do these seperately. I've never investagated Hayes Bros. to see if they do boxcar loads. I have used lumber loads for flatcars in HO to do an open door boxcar load, but haven't looked into the possability of it in N scale. 2slim
I agree with "BNSF Fan" that it would be neat if MicroTrains issues this as a separate part. I wonder about Tom Hynds post about this as a "possible candidate for casting." If he means making a direct copy of the MTL part, that might be questionable-- akin to copying whole books or large chunks so you don't have to buy a copy, without compensating the creator of the original work. On the other hand, while I believe MTL has a proprietary right to their own work- the boxcar load part- I don't believe they have any exclusive right to the IDEA of a load for a boxcar. So there should be nothing from keeping anyone from making his or her own scratchbuilt load for a car or two, or making a master for a part to be cast and offered commercially. Nor should there generally be anything against buying an MTL car or part, and using the part for a purpose unintended by the producer. A few months ago, I built an insert partial interior to appear through the open doors of an N-scale warehouse. I can see where the MTL part might be useful in such a project. http://www.railimages.com/albums/kennethanthony/afv.jpg
I would expect that MTL will release this as a separate part, perhaps in a multi-pack though. As someone said when stealing the idea for a song many years ago, "You can't copyright an idea." But I would draw the line at casting the MTL part directly.
You can patent just about anything....except prior art. The idea for a boxcar interior load has been around for many years. As examples: Hay Brothers has had an interior Lumber Load for some of the MT cars for well over a year, ERTL did a similar load to the MT load for HO scale years ago, Cal Freight had ..and may still have... castings for HO boxcar interior freight loads at least ten years ago. Will MT release this as an add on part ...who knows. History tells us that they sometimes do and history also tells us that they sometimes don't......
Well, it looks like Micro Trains heard our call. I was at one of the LHS here in Atlanta and found that M/T has released a 3 pack of the boxcar loads. :shade: :shade: :shade: Thank You Micro Trains!
Yes, they did. Catalog Number 499 43 913 with an MSRP of $11.95. Meanwhile, I have posted photos of the third boxcar load that appears in this month's Southern Railway boxcar reprint on the UMTRR website.
What is the increase in weight due to the load? The load for my bulkhead flatcar seemed to be heavier than the car itself. I drilled a some wholes in it from the underside, but the load still seems very heavy.
Christoph, I will have to check the loads when I get home and see what kind of weight they have. Don't remember the package being very heavy though.
