Nice pics, Erik. Whenever I see these, they are always unpainted. Did OMI or anyone else try to paint them prototypically? How much would a 10-car string of these set someone back?
Some of these were "custom paint for OMI" most were unpainted. Overland hired many custom painters in the 1980's 1990's.
Cost it would seem they sell for $300-$400 range today. Roger Lewis has a full consist some 30 or more of these; his biggest exclamation is he can't pull them!! Too heavy. He has always talked about importing "ball bearing" trucks for them like his passenger car trucks another $75-$150 per car. These are so far outside my era it's a no issue thank god. Some of these guys can easily spend $17-$25K for a full consist with power these days.
Pecos River Brass ATSF Horse Express
Although not a purpose built car Horse Express cars were consider "special" and could and often accommodated automobiles.
How about some new 1952 Fords anyone? Or Model A?
Sunset Horse Express PRR prototype
Photo courtesy (c) Greg Posta
Attachments
The recent releases of MTH Premier Corrugated siding Auto Carriers can be switched to 3-Rail Scale/2-Rail Scale if you spend extra buy new trucks and couplers. Then they will ride the right height.
Andrew
Cost it would seem they sell for $300-$400 range today. Roger Lewis has a full consist some 30 or more of these; his biggest exclamation is he can't pull them!! Too heavy. He has always talked about importing "ball bearing" trucks for them like his passenger car trucks another $75-$150 per car. These are so far outside my era it's a no issue thank god. Some of these guys can easily spend $17-$25K for a full consist with power these days.
No wonder you never see them for sale.
As for the trucks, Norm Burkhart imported 70T and 100T OCS ball bearing roller bearing trucks about 5 years ago in both O Scale and P48 and sold them for about $65/pair. He still has a few 70T O scale left but all the 100T and P48 trucks are sold out and several folks are bugging him about importing another run. OBTW, 70T would almost be correct for Autoracks except many of them sit so low they use 28" wheels which only NWSL makes.
There are more railroad schemes for the Lionel auto carriers, but they are doing more to match the era of the new GE ES44AC and the EMD SD70ACe.
The Chessie System Trailer Train scheme matches the era of the SD40 and SD40-2.
Andrew
Thanks to the original poster. 90% of my freight cars are MTH and K-line auto carriers. I love classic cars.
Martin H posted:Nice pics, Erik. Whenever I see these, they are always unpainted. Did OMI or anyone else try to paint them prototypically? How much would a 10-car string of these set someone back?
When Overland imported these cars they were all unpainted, a well known custom painter [who had actually done a lot of work for Overland] did one for a dealer and told him not to bring any more as they were too much work to do a high quality paint job on without the paintwork exceeding the cost of the car.just saying!
Is there a place to get blueprints for 1960's era flat cars with open auto racks?
If I could find the blueprints, I might be able to build them with the correct dimensions using plastic or metal shapes.
Andrew
The 1950's and 1960's era auto carriers could be made as laser-cut, steel-sheet kits like the Metal Earth or Metal Works kits.
They are laser cut sheets of steel that are assembled by cutting, bending, and inserting parts.
Andrew