Modern 2 rail cars?

The MTH 50 foot high cube box car is a well executed model of a 1990s Gunderson design that deserves more attention. It is easy to convert to Kadees and to swap out the trucks for MTH 2 rail trucks.

I believe both the MTH and Atlas funnel flow tank cars meet the post 1985 criteria although I have neither car and have not studied them. If anyone knows more please share your info.

If you widen the criteria to cars the are commonly seen in operation post 1985 the list can get much much longer.

Atlas has their 89 foot flat cars, 60 foot box cars, 50 foot P-S box cars, 53 foot Evans box cars and 90 ton chlorine tank cars in addition to the above mentioned equipment. Add the new coil cars and the Trainman 50 box car and new bulkhead flatcars too.

MTH has ACF 4650 and GATX air slide 100 ton covered hoppers that have been upgraded in detail in recent years. Their auto rack is a little short of scale, but only a little. They also have center beam and bulkhead end flat cars and a coil car.

Lionel has made several versions of ACF center flow covered hoppers and their PS-2 4427 cubic foot covered hopper is on a par with the Atlas model. Their Pullman-Standard 60 foot box cars are nice models too. The Lionel Paccar 57' mechanical reefer is also top notch.

All of the above are legit for modeling past the year 2000. By 2005 some of those cars were coming to the end of their lives. I'd love to see some more new prototypes but we do have plenty to work with into the 21st century.

Bluegill, keep fishin with the 3 rail as going 2 will only keep you up at nights and you will miss the bite. With 3 rail you have MTH which does many new era items and 3 rail layouts fit a lot easier in peoples homes.

Phil

David,

Ted raises a good point. If your question is the broader one of whether there is much equipment available to model modern railroading the answer is "yes." This manifest freight (I hope you don't mind the Iphone video) uses some of the cars Ted mentions. Almost all are 60s and 70s era designs, but that's OK because the video represents a date no later than 1995, and many of those cars were still in service. (Now if only someone would make some PC&F insulated box cars in Santa Fe, I'd be set...). The cars, by the way are a mix of two and three rail. Some are stock two rail and some are three rail converted to two rail:



Though Santa Fe operations between 1990 and 1995 (still "modern"?) are my real interest, every now and then, just to change things up, I update the layout to today, and use cars like the Trinity hoppers and high cubes to pull off the effect. Here again several cars are stock two rail (the hoppers) or converted (the gondolas) or three rail (the high cubes):



RM

Since this is an O scale 2-rail scale forum,.. no, got to work at it and won't be that easy but IMO you can get close enough, without having to go to 70' versions of TOFC or Auto Racks etc..yuk. Unless you're into unit trains (and flush) you may have to cut up a new $50 to $80 PRC twinky to get there, and yeah, graffiti (decals or home brewed) and a lot of grimed up dull-cote. Think it's great though that you're interested in doing modern stuff.
Pete

Rich M,

Who makes the gon riding shotgun on the freight in the video?

I guess one of these days I will have to crawl my way into the new century as I am very impressed at the video from the I phone. However I would have to pay an extra $20 -30 a month for the 3 g service and that cost my RR money big time.
But still impressed.

Phill

Rich,

I find it fascinating how far technology has come. Your iPhone video is probably better than most of those huge VHS recorders we used to lug around back in the days. And to think its smaller than a pack of cigerettes, wow!

Layout, weathering looks great!

Ted is correct in his assessment of modern 2 rail cars, the MTH 50' Hy-Cube may be there most accurate body shell to date from them and easly converted to 2 rail. Atlas has set the bar with there Trinity hoppers although I believe it will be a long time before we see another model of this detail from them.