WARNING: self-serving post. Given that we're living in the golden age of N scale, I don't often whine for new products (BNSF Dash-9's aside). However, I've decided I can no longer live a meaningful life without the following pieces of rolling stock. Without further ado, my top 5 wish list (sorry, all modern): 5) Short coil steel car with etched platforms. The RC coil car is a good stand-in though. 4) LPG tanker. I don't think the HO guys even have one. 3) Trinity 53' well car. Standalone, drawbar-connected, or articulated - I'm not picky. 2) 60' TBOX style hi-cube. Now that Huberts has vaporized. 1) Any RTR spine car. Oops, that's been announced, so I'll pick another: 1) Maxi-I 40' well cars. It's only a matter of time... What's on your list? -Gary P.S. I struggled with, but ultimately omitted: 82' BNSF reefers (too specialized, but I love those icicles), any bulkhead flat with proper ride height (let's break some ground), a corrugated-side gondola (these don't have to be dented with a soldering iron to look beaten up), a pressure differential covered hopper (cool plumbing). I'm already counting the new Thrall gon and 2 new tankers from Atlas as in the bag. I'm probably also forgetting something really obvious...
I second the Well Cars, but who just announced RTR spine cars? I missed something. More variation in RTR 89' flats would be another for me. (Twin 45?) I'd also like some California cars.
Where to start? Only five? When I watch the videos I took on my trips to the U.S. in 1991 and 2000 pretty much every freight train I caught has some cars in it that haven't been done in N scale yet. Going back in time a bit to my main modeling era some more variety in transition era tank cars would be nice and a 40' flatcar.
I also want the BNSF 82' refigerated boxcars from Trinity (UP also uses them), that was what I answered in the MT survey also 53' NSC wellcar (Walthers makes it in HO, what about us?) 40' AP Gunderson wellcars in the 3-unit articulated sets I'll also second 60' hi-cube boxcars since Hubert's is gone. my best, Jan
Funny you should mention that. I just ordered an Athearn (MDC) reefer to try making one of these, but with the motor section cutouts. Fine N Scale and Deluxe both sell reefer motors that could be used, though they're a bit undersized since they're intended for trailers. The Athearn model is not state of the art, but it would make a good starting point for your model too, I think. Deluxe - but I didn't say "just". They will come, but until they do they'll remain 1) with an asterisk. I'm still a big fan of the N Scale Kits sets too. BTW, what is a California car? The Amtrak CA double-deckers? Yes! What do you *really* want? But, of course, I cheated... Pictures? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with this one. A 40' AP car? Best, Gary
Sulphur tank cars. Single hood coil cars Autoracks with the "basement" section The Canadian aluminum autoracks Other variations of 80-100 ton 3 or 4-bay coal hoppers. In the real world not all are the same height.
I'd also add the Drop-Deck Centerbeam cars by Gunderson http://www.gbrx.com/PDFtecbulletins/GenFreight73CPDropDeck.pdf
Wig-wag hit the nail on the head--More styles of steel bathtub coal gons/hoppers--CCTX, PLMX, OPSX, SSIX, IPSX, UCEX, AMAX anybody?
Some Gunderson 50ft Hi-cubes that LBF/Hubert's never got around to doing. Like this one. Composite side woodchip gons! Like the HO scale Exactrail cars.:tb-smile: Modern LPG tanks 85ft TOFC cars Modern Mechanical reefers
Only FIve ! 1) 89' TOFC/COFC flats with multiple hitch arrangements (ACF, PS, etc)[Ok, this could be several cars] 2) Southeast wood chip hoppers (ie, Greenville large volume type, etc) 3) Pulpwood flats with the 'slant to center' deck 4) 48' stroughton trailers 5) Mangor covered hoppers (SAL, SCL, SBD, CSX) ps - would also like to see some Quality side extensions for existing hoppers to make high sided wood chip hoppers ! Steven
I concur on the modern LPG tankcars... Also would love to see 89' TOFC flats with different hitch arrangements (twin 45, triple 28, etc) Open autoracks with corrugated siding on the sides would also be a great asset. Chad
I hang my head and mumble, um, the rest of the NFL boxcars that Mantua started 20 yrs ago (yes they were in N)....
From a different era... 1. PRR Class XL boxcar, 36 ft. with a plug door, tens of thousands were built between about 1905 and 1919. 2. ACL Class B17 ventilated boxcar. These 36 ft. "screen door" cars were being rebuilt as late as 1954 and lasted into 1970. Used in later years mainly for hauling watermelons. 3. PRR R7 reefer, later used by Fruit Growers Express and Mathieson Dry Ice. This was the externally braced refrigerator car. IIRC, RDG had some, too. 4. PRR N6b cabin car. These wooden cabooses lasted as long as the PRR itself. 5. A small (6-8000 gal.) two dome tank car. MTL finally made a small three dome.
I agree with the 60' boxcars now that Hubert's is out. In Tallahassee I see lots of really really long tank cars with 2 separate trucks on both sides to make 8 axles....those would be cool. Modern Tropicana cars. I have the RC ones but they're not the current ones on the rails. Spine cars. (can't wait for DI to put em out)
Pictures? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with this one. A 40' AP car? Best, Gary Gary, these beuaties!: 3) Pulpwood flats with the 'slant to center' deck Steven Steven, I think N scale kits is working on those? From N scale kits cars in development: [FONT=verdana, arial]"These unusual center beam cars were used for pulpwood in New England. Built by Magor in 1964, these 64' cars have sloping floors to support the sideways loaded logs. 268 of these cars were run by BAR and 200 by the Maine Central. A number of these cars are still in service in 2008. The N Scale Kits cars have a cast lead free pewter chassis with etched stainless steel gratings for the floor. The center beam is supplied and is easily constructed to provide the main spotting feature of these unusual cars." [/FONT] Modern Tropicana cars. I have the RC ones but they're not the current ones on the rails. Dave, I think that is the same 82' refrigerated Trinity boxcar that BNSF and UP use, check it out: http://www.trinityrail.com/railcars/box/pdfs/72-3_RefrigeratedBoxCar.pdf my best, Jan
FYI, all the 40' AP cars are former 48 footers that have been modified. I know what I forgot... A standard (not hi-cube) 40' container WITHOUT logo-panels.
1. Northeastern Caboose (updated with lowered ride height, stand alone handrails, and etched end-rails). 2. See #1. 3. See #1. 4. See #1. 5. See #1.
An interesting observation, except for one or two, all posts are asking for current prototypes. Is the steam/transition or 60/70's eras that well catered for that we don't need anything else, or are there just not that many of us? 1. More steam era tank cars. Someone mentioned a two dome car. Tankcars came in perhaps the widest variety of any prototype car but we only have two or three available at present. 2. 40ft flatcar. There was the Atlas/Rivarossi one, but I can't think of any available at the moment. 3. A Santa Fe caboose to the detailing standards we've come to expect today. IM are doing a moderised version but the only steam era ones have been around since N scale started and could do with improvement. 4. Helium tank car, these originated on the ATSF in Texas so I could use a few. Again, the only one is the long out of production Atlas version that pops up on ebay now and then. 5. This one's for MTL. An ATSF scale test car.
Westfalen - I agree it's interesting that it's mostly modern equipment that is showing up here. As you noted in an earlier post, watching videos gives one a keen sense of what is missing from our rosters (that is definitely the case with me). So I wonder if there is a selection effect: most videos cover the modern period, while modelers of earlier eras have to rely on stills (if they're lucky!) which don't offer as broad a picture of rosters. Jan/Ben - those 40' All-purpose cars are new to me. I'm surprised they kept the hitches when they were rebuilt. Can the hitch arrangement accommodate anything but a 28' pup trailer? (Or a now-rare 40 footer?) The more I think about the Trinity reefer, the more I think it would be a good project for Kato: it's big and flashy and pretty simple detail-wise (except the end platform, which is like a diesel walkway). But it's not on my top-5 list. If we're allowed to count trailers separately, then I wish for a 53' reefer trailer like Athearn just announced in HO; and of course one or more UPS trailers. Cheers, Gary P.S Sizemore - you're very disciplined!
