Who would buy Open Auto racks ?

I would if I can get plastic automobile models for them.

clem 

Absolutely yes!

No way.

Majority of 3 railers don’t have a layout that would support cars over 60’. Very impractical in O.

I would love to see something offered better than RK’s version. These are period modeling cars in which makes them more limited to most.  A $$$ gamble for OEM’s to offer I would think. There are very few or inexpensive 60’s & 70s’ vehicles made in O  to go with them as well. A fully loaded train would need a lash up of several power units to pull all that weight.

I would buy them in a heartbeat. I've been wanting for Lionel to make them ever since they made the scale enclosed ones.  As for cars for them I suppose it will just be a wait and see to see who will make the proper size vehicles for them......................Paul

Here is the autorack that I would like to see:

This is the auto carrier from the Summer of 1965, B&O experimental Chessie "Take-Your-Auto-Service." 

I believe the auto carrier was actually built for Volkswagen in the mid 50's and could carry 10 VW Beatles.  Given that bugs were 160" (13'4"), I'm guessing that flatcar must have been somewhere around 72' in length.  I believe that the two cars were returned to VW service in the Fall of 1965.

While plastic would be great, I would even order one in brass. 

Jim

The fact that the Lionel is selling the 89' and 86' cars is proof that there are layouts out there that are capable of handling these scale size cars..... bring em on !

I have the scarce K line ones and love 'em. I remember as a kid the o-27 Lionel open rack cars that were so light they would zip line the whole train. 

I would be up for them even the older ones if they looked scale.

When I grew up in Detroit they where everywhere...

Jim Berger posted:

The fact that the Lionel is selling the 89' and 86' cars is proof that there are layouts out there that are capable of handling these scale size cars..... bring em on !

Couldn't agree more, Jim.  I'll even go one step further and make the argument that there are plenty of model railroaders and/or collectors amongst us who have purchased these long cars knowing full well their layouts CAN'T really handle them...but they still purchased them DESPITE that fact!  We are not always a practical bunch! 

I would buy some open auto racks in O gauge.  The 1968 Mustangs are 1/43 scale I got from M.B. Klein for about $8.00 each.

Neal Jeter

I would definitely be interested in buying some but somebody has to make 1/48 scale period-correct vehicles to fill the auto carriers. The N&W auto carriers are hauling Camaros, Firebirds and the dreaded Pintos. Does anybody manufacture these cars or others from the '60's or '70's that are 1/48 scale?

Neal - I like the loading ramp. Who makes that?

I would buy some too.  It was not uncommon back in the day to spot "riders" in one of the cars on the top deck enjoying the scenery in great comfort. 

J Daddy posted:

Neal - I like the loading ramp. Who makes that?

J Daddy, I believe Stu at Model Building Services was building some of those.

Al

Count me in as well.  Once in a great while they do come up on eBay.  I have put in several bids on some but have always come up on the short end of the bid.  I have about 10 auto racks now and 2 or 3 of the open racks would look pretty cool mixed in.  I don't even have a layout but would like to have some just to have them.

Rick

I would definitely have a fleet of them, Rock Island, Frisco, MKT, Santa Fe

it would look Great with era that I run, pre 1980, when The Rock was still

alive and not so well!

I think some scale open racks would be great with cars in them.  The modern auto carriers are nice but you can't see any of the cars in them even if the were the right size.  I would pull the trigger on open racks if they were made. 

I agree that there is a real need for era appropriate cars and vans to put in them. These would need to be very light to keep the car upright.

Also if these were offered two as well as three level cars would be good to have for vans and trucks as well as cars.  I would suggest making a die insert to allow transition to closed side cars as well. The fully open side cars were subject to vandalism and panels went up on the sides pretty quickly after some smashed windshields and dented body panels.

J Daddy:

The auto ramp was scratch built by Stu Gralnik of modelbuildingservices.com.  Stu is also one of the forum's sponsors.

Neal Jeter 

If you are a stickler for being in the correct era, enclosed cars are needed for two reasons.  Today they keep people from boarding the train, disassembling the automobiles and tossing those parts off the cars.  Originally designed to reduce damaged caused by people on strike from dripping acid onto the automobiles as the train passed under highway bridges.  I know teamster members would never do such a thing, but you know how rumors spread.      John

Sixties and early seventies modelers.

Lionlman posted:

I would buy some open auto racks in O gauge.  The 1968 Mustangs are 1/43 scale I got from M.B. Klein for about $8.00 each.

Neal Jeter

I might add here the fact that I bought 2 dozen beautiful 1/43 cars from the early 1970's era to put on the autoracks in the photo above.

They were too big.  I sold them all at a swap meet, mostly to people who enjoy collecting model cars. Next time, I will buy 1 car to see if it fits, and go from there.

SIRT posted:

No way.

Majority of 3 railers don’t have a layout that would support cars over 60’. Very impartial in O.

I would love to see something offered better than RK’s version. These are period modeling cars in which makes them more limited to most.  A $$$ gamble for OEM’s to offer I would think. There are very few or inexpensive 60’s & 70s’ vehicles made in O  to go with them as well. A fully loaded train would need a lash up of several power units to pull all that weight.

 

You make a very good point, and I would expect to see a high price on this type of car if it was manufactured.

But it is so difficult to see the HO people have nice things like this while we do without. If a frail little HO or even N gauge open autorack can be built, why not O ?

They would sale.

AMT cars will fit just barely . Here is an example , I scratchbuilt 10 of these cars , took them to show for a contest years ago and a guy bought all 10 for an offer I could not refuse ,if anyone is interested I have several 69 Camaro AMT plastic kits  . In the photos the cars are sitting on top but do fit , I had actual operating end ramps made to open but were very fragile so I did not want to keep opening and closing them to put cars inside. If a manufacturer was to make autos they would need side windows and no hub caps just bare rims .Rims were in the trunk .

I find this car much more interesting than the closed version, but I have to agree with some of the posts above, without cars to fill the space, it would be a hard sell for me. In this case only, I would prefer lightweight plastic cars with average (3 foot stand-off) detail. Die cast cars with moving parts, and lots of detail would not only be cost prohibitive, but I suspect would make the car very unstable.

This would be a very expensive car to purchase, probably more than a scale brass passenger car.

Charlie

I would like a few. i was lucky enough to snag a couple of Lykens Valley autorack kits (need to get around to building them). Was looking at making a mold of the stanchions and making an open autorack out of an Atlas 89-foot flat.

I would like to have a few for the Grand Trunk Western, Canadian National, MONON, ILLINOIS CENTRAL, Great Northern, N&W, and Santa Fe. 

Andrew

I just seen this post. The open auto racks are something that i was very interested in myself. I had gone and built quite a few for my own layout about 4 years ago. Out of the old lionel auto racks by taking two of the old MPC auto racks and grafting them together. I had to widen them as well.  I had cast cars to go ont the racks as well. Here are some pictures of what I did. If lionel or MTH would make them I would definitely buy them as well.  

If one of the manufacturers made them, the cars would sell. With the cost of the tooling guessing it would be the only company to produce it.

Still waiting for Lionel to produce the cars they said would be coming for their auto racks.

Probably would not be cost effective to most of us on here 

Lehigh Valley Railroad posted:

Probably would not be cost effective to most of us on here 

That's what I thought when I saw the $2,700 list Vision Line Big Boy   

Rob Leese posted:

You make a very good point, and I would expect to see a high price on this type of car if it was manufactured.

But it is so difficult to see the HO people have nice things like this while we do without. If a frail little HO or even N gauge open autorack can be built, why not O ?

I don't have stats, but I know there's many of us HO'ers that avoid the 80' long cars like the plague.

Just as Sirt said: Too stinkin' long for the space most of us HO'ers have.  Full sized racks and such take gigantic curves to look truly "good". Without huge curves they look very stilted and angular on curves and for me that really reduces my chances for "immersion". I also get a "two fer" deal with shorter cars: I can fit two 40' cars into the same space just one long car fills, thus making our truncated trains look longer.

Those that model "modern" are stuck trying to replicate in miniature the truly long equipment of today's railroading, and unless you have a gymnasium, the results often emphasize the caricature nature of model railroading.

However, there's no "wrong" way for one to enjoy their version of model railroading... so to each his own.

Me, I've tried racks and such in the dateless past, and didn't like the visuals... so I intentionally avoid such cars in my modeling now. (I even use the "condensed" Athearn heavyweight models for my two remaining passenger trains on my mythical Kansas City & Gulf railroad. The visuals of such cars are acceptable on my 24" and 22" main line curves... but just barely.)

Andre

I wouldn't mind having a few if the price is right and I could get era appropriate cars to go on them for the right price. Open auto racks are better for me since I am not into the modern railroading scene and I only buy stuff that represents pre-70's equipment.

I'm in!!!!!  I've always been jealous of Harry's.

Nice work hah3,

I love projects like this.

I tinkered with a Menards homemade type offering for the first time just to see. I must say, it took more time than expected to get it looking some what real. 

These cars are really far from an OEM quality offering and a bit rough like Island Model Works offerings. The price is good and they may just fill the void for now if you can find 60-70's autos to place on them? I gave all the modern Menards autos to the Grandkids.

laming posted:

I don't have stats, but I know there's many of us HO'ers that avoid the 80' long cars like the plague.

Just as Sirt said: Too stinkin' long for the space most of us HO'ers have.  Full sized racks and such take gigantic curves to look truly "good". Without huge curves they look very stilted and angular on curves and for me that really reduces my chances for "immersion". I also get a "two fer" deal with shorter cars: I can fit two 40' cars into the same space just one long car fills, thus making our truncated trains look longer.

However, there's no "wrong" way for one to enjoy their version of model railroading... so to each his own.

Me, I've tried racks and such in the dateless past, and didn't like the visuals... so I intentionally avoid such cars in my modeling now. (I even use the "condensed" Athearn heavyweight models for my two remaining passenger trains on my mythical Kansas City & Gulf railroad. The visuals of such cars are acceptable on my 24" and 22" main line curves... but just barely.)

Andre

Lionel is selling a lot of 86' Hi-Cube box cars and 89' enclosed auto racks, at a fair price point these open auto racks would sell. Especially if they produced scale autos to fit! 

Lionelski posted:

Nice work hah3,

I love projects like this.

Thank you.  I keep try 

jeremy ferrell posted:

I'm in!!!!!  I've always been jealous of Harry's.

Thank you.  They were fun to build.