Model Railroading > 40' well cars

Who makes 40' well cars aside from A-Line's 5-pack and the Walthers thrall 5-pack kit? Searching around, nearly everything that is available seems to be 48' or 53' wells. In reality there are plenty of standalone and 5-pack 40' wells, and I'm curious to find some models. I know recently some were cut down from 48' wells.

Athearn.........Maxi I

CSX_ENG Wrote:
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> Athearn.........Maxi I

Thanks. They look ideal, but wow, they cost a pretty penny when they do come up on ebay.

IMRC makes the Gunderson Twin-Stack Car. This is a five-unit well car with 40' wells and integral bulkheads.

This model started life as a kit from A-Line, but is now offered RTR via Intermountain Railway Company (IMRC).

Cheers,
Harry

inCHI Wrote:
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> CSX_ENG Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Athearn.........Maxi I
>
> Thanks. They look ideal, but wow, they cost a
> pretty penny when they do come up on ebay.


They cost a pretty penny when they were last offered for sale from Athearn 5+ years ago.... They are highly detailed models with etched walkways and separately moulded brake rigging. Based on prices from Ebay sales, the Athearn Maxi-I is potentially still a hot seller, which should some day hopefully see a new production run. Same could be said about Athearn's 3-unit 57' Trinity Spine car set last sold 4+ years ago now. Athearn could potentially expand their Trinity Spine car offering with FEC and now BNSF lettered models. New Maxi-Is and Trinity Spine cars would likely sell out as fast as flared Norfolk Southern SD70Ms, but what do I know... Oh wait. people would probably gripe about the potential $159.99 price tags on them and boo-hoo about the way things were back when they were young...


Mr. MRL

> the Athearn
> Maxi-I is potentially still a hot seller, which
> should some day hopefully see a new production
> run.
> Mr. MRL

Right, especially since there is little competition an Athearn itself keeps putting out containers.

I finally caught a real-life early CN ES44DC with as a DPU with marker lights on to match my model of the same. So in this photo, I've got the engine, I've got the marine containers, I've got the crude Walthers 53' DTTX wells... just missing the 40' wells. And my layout isn't big enough to have trains of 40' containers in 53' wells, ha; gotta save space wherever possible.

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The IMRC ex-A-Line Gunderson Twin Stack cars are very highly detailed and well worth the cost! Much better than the similar Thrall 5-packs from IMRC which is very lacking in detail as I recently found out. The Twin Stack is not strictly a 40' car, as it can handle containers up to 45' in the bottom well and 48' between the bulkheads. Athearn's Gunderson Maxi I car is a awesome model, and a great deal at around $70 if you can find it at that price. The Walther's thrall 5-pack and stand alone is 48' prototype car as is the Athearn Gunderson Maxi III and Husky Stack and the Concor Gunderson 5-Pack Maxi III. If you are a modern modeler, a awesome kitbash project would be to chop a Athearn 48' Maxi III 5-pack down to 40' wells like many TTX cars have been done.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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> The IMRC ex-A-Line Gunderson Twin Stack cars are
> very highly detailed and well worth the cost! Much
> better than the similar Thrall 5-packs from IMRC
> which is very lacking in detail as I recently
> found out. The Twin Stack is not strictly a 40'
> car, as it can handle containers up to 45' in the
> bottom well and 48' between the bulkheads.

The prototype Twin Stack was designed for either 2-20's or 1x 40' in the bottom end wells, or 40' containers in the middle wells. I've never tried cramming a 45' in the bottom well, as the prototype was never designed for that. Top position for any well can accommodate anything from 40/45'/48'.

Cheers,
Harry

I bought these as kits about two years ago from Highball Graphics. They need assembly and painting, but they produce good models if the detail kit is used.

H in AL

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Closer shot. I designed these as three packs. I actually turned the two extra units into Maxi- 1 stacks buy removing the retaining bulkheads and adding ends off a old RPP 56ft stand alone.

Also, here is the concept artwork that has been posted here in months past. I will post shots of the kitbashed Maxi- I units if you are interested.

H in AL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/15 23:30 by georgiaroad.

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inCHI Wrote:
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> I finally caught a real-life early CN ES44DC with
> as a DPU with marker lights on to match my model
> of the same.

Spaulding Tower?

- Jeff Carlson

Train derailment? In the well car pics in HO scale.

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