O Scale Model of an 8-Axle heavy duty depressed center flatcar

Would one of these cars be prototypically located in the head end, rear, or anywhere in the train?  What kind of speed restrictions would apply?

It would probably be a special move.

@Chas posted:

Would one of these cars be prototypically located in the head end, rear, or anywhere in the train?  What kind of speed restrictions would apply?

Well, in this case, it appears to be right behind the engine!

Yours looks better than mine, but mine has more axles!

All brass - Kemtron trucks (I seem to have too many . . .).

I see these all the time parked at the GE plant in Schenectady, NY. When loaded they are usually a special move.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Well, in this case, it appears to be right behind the engine!

Well yes, except there is nothing coupled behind  it (note that the men are attaching the FRED), thus it is a special move.

And they appear to be placing and end of train device on that car

Hot water beat me to it

@Chas posted:

Would one of these cars be prototypically located in the head end, rear, or anywhere in the train?  What kind of speed restrictions would apply?

Speed restriction would be depending on the load weight, dimensions and the line it’s being moved on

MTH offered a very similar car, 20-98109 (UP) is one example. I have two that have been two-railed and one that is awaiting that fate.

The reason I am asking is where would I put one of these cars in a Erie Lackawanna consist?  I am leaning towards putting it at the end of the train in front of the caboose so the crew can keep an eye on it.   

@Chas posted:

The reason I am asking is where would I put one of these cars in a Erie Lackawanna consist?

Since cars such as those generally required a special move, i.e. NOT simply placed in a train, a single locomotive and a caboose would be the most correct (depending the era you are modeling).

Chas, yes, the Erie Lackawanna did move some of those, again, as a special move, perhaps by itself. Because of generous clearances along the tracks, the Erie, and the E-L were known for special high and wide loads.

Chas, as a matter of fact, in checking my EL Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment, the EL had Maxxon Corp. build six, three four-axle cars, and three eight-axle cars, in 1974.

@Artie-DL&W posted:

Chas, yes, the Erie Lackawanna did move some of those, again, as a special move, perhaps by itself. Because of generous clearances along the tracks, the Erie, and the E-L were known for special high and wide loads.

I have this car and I think I will just put it in front of the caboose while running on the club layout.

@Chas posted:

I have this car and I think I will just put it in front of the caboose while running on the club layout.

Well, that's your choice, however in the real world no railroad would place such a VERY load at the rear of ANY train. That sort of heavyweight would be right behind the locomotive. Can you just imagine the slack action with all that weight at the rear end, not mention restricting to vision of the crew in the caboose?

@Chas posted:

I have this car and I think I will just put it in front of the caboose while running on the club layout.

As a test, why don't you put a weight on the car equal in scale to the weight of that transformer and see how many cars it pulls off the track.

It might be an interesting kit bashing project by taking the span bolsters from an MTH hot metal car and add a depressed center flat car to them.

@Hot Water posted:

Well, that's your choice, however in the real world no railroad would place such a VERY load at the rear of ANY train. That sort of heavyweight would be right behind the locomotive. Can you just imagine the slack action with all that weight at the rear end, not mention restricting to vision of the crew in the caboose?

Good point HW.  Maybe right behind the 2nd loco in front of the piggy back trailers.  I still want to include in the rest of the consist instead of making it a special move with just a loco a caboose. 

@Hot Water posted:

Since cars such as those generally required a special move, i.e. NOT simply placed in a train, a single locomotive and a caboose would be the most correct (depending the era you are modeling).

HW is correct.  The special move would also normally include one or two additional cars to carry peripheral equipment for the transformer: oil radiators, fans oil pumps, and high voltage bushings.  These cars would also receive special treatment at terminals to avoid switching shocks to the transformer core and coils. Occasionally a rider assigned by the manufacturer or utility would often accompany the shipment, riding in the caboose with the crew. Shock recorders were normally attached to the transformer or the car.  Pat B.

@lpb007 posted:

HW is correct.  The special move would also normally include one or two additional cars to carry peripheral equipment for the transformer: oil radiators, fans oil pumps, and high voltage bushings.  These cars would also receive special treatment at terminals to avoid switching shocks to the transformer core and coils. Occasionally a rider assigned by the manufacturer or utility would often accompany the shipment, riding in the caboose with the crew. Shock recorders were normally attached to the transformer or the car.  Pat B.

I just found a couple of Videos on YouTube showing CN using 8 axle loaded depressed flat cars on a regular trains.  I guess it depends on certain rules and regulations and what tracks these are running on?

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@PRRMP54 posted:

MTH offered a very similar car, 20-98109 (UP) is one example. I have two that have been two-railed and one that is awaiting that fate.

@PRRMP54 Not to derail this thread totally but was it easy to convert the MTH car to 2 rail? Was it as simple as swapping out MTH 3 rail trucks for 2 rail trucks and adding couplers? I think the idea of running it as special move is really cool. I realize the above video shows it wasn't done that way 100% of the time.

Hypothetically speaking, if it were the steam era and it was a special move (locomotive/flat car w/transformer/caboose) would the railroad run a flat car or gondola between the transformer car and the caboose to give the guys in the caboose more room to see? Or would that not really help them to be able to see any better?

@Hudson J1e posted:

@PRRMP54 Not to derail this thread totally but was it easy to convert the MTH car to 2 rail? Was it as simple as swapping out MTH 3 rail trucks for 2 rail trucks and adding couplers? ...snip...

I suspect that is what was done, I got them already converted. The two that I have were done differently; one by swapping out the MTH 3r trucks with MTH 2R trucks and the other by replacing the MTH wheelsets with what appear to be Athearn 2R wheelsets. Both have KD couplers.

I also have a Westinghouse Schnabel car that has been two-railed; that had to have been more complicated as I do not recall MTH offering a two-rail three-axle freight-type truck. It appears the the trucks were disassembled and MTH 2R axles substituted. Anyway, it is an impressive car that will negotiate O-48. Note: I found a K-Line Westinghouse extended-vision done up as one of Westinghouse's rider cars.

Chas, I stand corrected. It seems that now these cars can run in normal freight consists. It may be due to more powerful locomotives, and stronger couplers and roller bearing trucks.

Artie

For this size car the need for a special move is less a function of the type of car being used than the load being carried or the customer being served. These cars can inherently move intermixed with the other cars in the general freight car fleet.  However a special move can be required by the manufacturer/customer/shipper for a special load, example large power transformers.  Large power transformers or other pieces of equipment may be very sensitive to switching shocks and cannot be shunted through hump yards. They often have speed restrictions. They may be very large and at the limit of the shipping envelope. Their timely delivery to meet a company's construction schedule may be extremely important and the company wants a rider to accompany the shipment so they know where it is. The cost of a special move can be very small in contrast to the value of the load or the cost consequences of late delivery or the time delay to repair shipping damage.