An Idea for RMT

It would give them a unique product that isn't generally available in the US.

I made my own short cars for the "BEEPWorld" loop on my layout, where nothing longer than a BEEP is allowed (I've recently made an exception, though, for WBB ten-wheeler locos because they run so smoothl, so slowly, on O-36).  In the foreground are shortened tanker and boxcars (along with a BEEP modified into a cabless booster) all quite easy to do, just cut a section out and glue back together, and paint.  On the second line back, there is a BEEP modified for mainline passenger service with three short passenger cars made from two Lionel Western and Atlantic passenger cars (6-31569) (two cares were similarly easy to do - just cut and glue, but the third was a bit more difficult because I had to glue together the sections from both others and then fashion a third set of car ends).  Third line back shows three short flat cars (all scratch made with Atlas trucks).  Easiest of all - just a flat rectangle of flywood covered with model planks.   Shortened, they look natural with the BEEPs.

You mean something like this?

SW H,

  What are you using for padding under neath that PilsnerUrquel tank car? Is that carpet padding?  I'm looking for something firm like that rather than loose peble.

That is an old piece of Vinylbed, a product which is no longer made. The same company is making a similar roadbed product called Flexbed, or Flexxbed, or something like that. 

We already produce a range of 10 different 4 wheel wagons in the Darstaed range, John Hoover of Trainshoover.com has pleenty in stock.

We are also at this moment making another 8 different wagons here in Australia, these too, will be available through John. He's in Florida.

The Heinz van is one of the 8 now being made here in Australia.

This Australian Wine van is already in stock in the set of 10 available in the US now.

A great idea that would probably sell, BUT. It would require expensive tooling.

Dave A

I like your line of goods wagons and am considering buying a couple from Hoover. From a larger perspective, this doesn't really answer what I am looking for, which is a rolling stock equivalent of the BEEP/BEEF locomotives, i.e. a set of American-style rolling stock that would mirror the BEEP/BEEF concept, which is American rail equipment shrunk to a four-wheel chassis.

The Darstaed products are fated to be a tiny niche of the American market. There are some neat graphics, but the English-style couplers and DC locomotives are a major obstacle to any kind of market acceptance. Speaking for myself, I happen to have one or two English-style ETS couplers lying around the shop, so I can cobble-up an ETS transition car and pull Darstaed wagons behind an ETS locomotive. How many Americans can do that? And how many Americans are going to bother converting a 3-rail DC locomotive to AC, or building a converter box to put in the power circuit? I could do either in an hour or two, but frankly, I have higher priorities. And I like European trains. The average American train operator isn't even going to consider it. 

By the way, I didn't realize that the new Darstaed wagons were made in Oz. Very cool, I suppose I'll get a couple just for the uniqueness factor. Which are the 8 that are made in Australia? I assume Burgoyne Wines, as well as Heinz, but what are the others?

All the best

SWH

SWH, the wine wagon is an existing model, not made in Australia, the Heinz wagon is, and the other seven are also British themed wagons. However, we are doing some uniquely Australian branded wagons next. It is not hard to fit US knuckle couplers on these, John and I will endeavour to get a US coupler option soon.

As for locos, we will be selling locos in the US with a standard e-unit for AC, and we are also going to offer TMCC and Lionel Railsounds as an option as well. They are after all, just the same as any US loco, with a DC can motor under the body.

I like the concept and the look of the Darstaed locos and rolling stock, but a couple of comments. 

The point SW Hiawatha made about "a set of American-style rolling stock that would mirror the BEEP/BEEF concept, which is American rail equipment shrunk to a four-wheel chassis" is spot on.  The short European cars all have fixed axles that do not pivot, a workable real-world method that led to short cars but a purely European solution (at least in the 20th century). 

Darstead, to me, has a quality problem facing it.  First, the recent 262 I bought was so noisy, I followed instructions and disassembled it: the gear case was completely dry.  No wonder it was noisy! I filled it with what looked to be a good qualintity of grease and it did quiet it down, but its still a grinder.   Despite that I did carry on and make it a display queen only, here in my office.

Then, some of the decals or detail paint whichever it is (the "LNER" and the number), on one side are falling off/not there, a distressing result considering I never toughed them and the model is in a display in my office now (problem solved for the moment - I just turned the model around so the other side, so far, so good,  for display.  In spite of how pretty the detailed paint may look, in the future (with the Jinty) I will not pay the extra $50 or so for the finely painted ones but just buy the basic and plan to repaint it myself if need be.

The RMT shorty passenger cars are are far too short for my taste.  I'd really like to see some about the length of BEEPS/BEEFS - say the length of the three I made in the photo earlier but derived from heavywieght or aluminum cars instead.