Model Railroading > SP 62' Flatcars with and without Bulkheads coming to HO Scale

Wheels of Time is bringing their well researched model of the Gunderson 62' welded flatcar to HO scale. N scale models are already being shipped out. For anyone who models the SP after 1965, these cars are a must have. They were used from 1966 until well into the 2000's hauling lumber from Oregon and Northern California to points all across the far flung SP/SSW system and interchanging railroads. Many were also rebuilt in the early 1990's as part of the Golden West lease fleet that was eventually returned to UP. I've also seen some of these cars modified as log cars with bunks. SP classed these 70 ton flatcars as F-70-43,

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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In HO?  All I can say is schaweeeeetttt!

Cheers, Jim Fitch

It is so nice to see that there are North American manufacturers now who are not afraid of doing road specific prototypes.  Rapido has just announced an NP 10000 series wood side boxcar, we have Spring Mills doing several very nice but specific cars, the SP Historical Society has done a similar thing. 

Rick

Thanks Ted

I looked right at his booth, and thought it was just N Scale. 

Larry

Excellent!   These are sure to be good sellers for the HO scale SP people.
Any ideas for a decent wood load?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/15 22:23 by Fizzboy7.

Hopefully the Athearn 60' wood load will fit it; sounds like it should.  Shame they lost the molds but I have managed to collect about 8 or so of them and will likely put a couple onto those when they come out.  Wish someone would make another load similar to the old ones but maybe a different pattern of stacked lumber both in 50' and 60' versions.

Cheers, Jim

I'm not an SP guy, but these cars would be a nice change from the rest of the lumber cars that I have.  I may have to add at least one to my fleet.  Looks like it will be a great model.

Gary B.
Waverly, NE

For pre-1990's, there isn't that much variety for western lumber bulkhead flat cars - mainly MDC/Athearn stand-in's and some Canadian-upper midwest from Walthers and Trueline.  I've supplimented with a few hard to find SP 53' Red Caboose flat cars and the SPT&HS bulkhead version.

MILW Rd modelers can use a lot of these loaded with lumber products headed east across the line during the electrification. I don't seem to remember the empties moving west in like quantities, though.

I just looked at the test shots in Portland, this is going to be a nice model.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/15 21:35 by fbe.

Lumber was subject to diversions enroute to going east so, the empties may have followed a direct route back to the SP and the PNW

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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> Hopefully the Athearn 60' wood load will fit it;
> sounds like it should.  Shame they lost the molds
> but I have managed to collect about 8 or so of
> them and will likely put a couple onto those when
> they come out.  Wish someone would make another
> load similar to the old ones but maybe a different
> pattern of stacked lumber both in 50' and 60'
> versions.

If anybody does get into making unwrapped lumber loads for these cars, I hope they'll do some for the Walthers Canadian lumber bulkheads, too. Walthers' suggestion to buy its pulpwood loads for those is unsatisfying.

Pulpwood is fine if that is what you need, but for lumber loads coming out of Washington, Oregon and northern California - stacked lumber is the main deal!
Hopefully someone will make more like what Athearn had but no longer produces due to lost molds.

Cheers, Jim

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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> Pulpwood is fine if that is what you need, but for
> lumber loads coming out of Washington, Oregon and
> northern California - stacked lumber is the main
> deal!
> Hopefully someone will make more like what Athearn
> had but no longer produces due to lost molds.
>
> Cheers, Jim
Go to ebay and look up JD lumber loads, lots of wrapped loads to fit 50 and 60 foot cars

Also common were the F-70-59 & F-70-61 SP bulkheads which were similar to the -43 except the bulkheads had a different profile.

If the flat car lends itself to both the -43 and the -59/61 bulkheads, then maybe WOT can tool up the latter series bulkheads and offer those at a futre date.  As my British wife would say, that would be me sorted!  =)

WAF Wrote:
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> Go to ebay and look up JD lumber loads, lots of
> wrapped loads to fit 50 and 60 foot cars.

I have seen those but but what I prefer most based on the prototype photo's are open lumber loads.  Those JD Loads do look better than the Jaeger - so might be worth a couple if they aren't too modern - shooting for 1970's era for loads. 

Cheers, Jim



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/15 09:22 by SPDRGWfan.

Then just make your own out of strips of balsa wood. Takes time, but looks good

WAF Wrote:
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> Then just make your own out of strips of balsa
> wood. Takes time, but looks good

I saw some open loads made recently out of thinly laminated wood stock - might have been on Ebay.  It looked like someone had taken thinly laminated wood from a hardware/lumber store and cut it into blocks that approximate the seperate strapped/stacked loads, then arranged them to fit the flat car with strappings.  It  looke pretty good!  As for the balsa, I haven't played with it for over 30 years since I built model airplanes.  I recall it was kind of fuzzy unless they make grades that look more solid now?  Some say you can get the lumber look by scoring the sides of blocks with a screw.  Might be worth a try.

Cheers, Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/15 06:07 by SPDRGWfan.

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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> I saw some open loads made recently out of
> thinly laminated wood stock - might have been on
> Ebay.  It looked like someone had taken thinly
> laminated wood from a hardware/lumber store and
> cut it into blocks that approximate the seperate
> strapped/stacked loads, then arranged them to fit
> the flat car with strappings. 

I bought one of these kits a few years ago and built it.  It made a really good looking lumber load.  I'm pretty sure the company that made the kit was in Newburg Oregon.  I haven't been able to find the kits anywhere anymore.  It's too bad.  I would have definately bought more.  Now I have been thinking of buying veneer and making my own.  Hopefully it would turn out as good.

Is veneer what those lumber loads were made from?  The ones I saw were on Ebay just a couple months ago - maybe a different outfit?  They did look pretty good, the laminated wood simulating stacked lumber pretty nicely.

Cheers, Jim

Yes it did seem like veneer.  When you glue the layers together it's almost impossible to have them stack up exactly parallel.  A few thousandths of an inch either way gives it a feel of stacked lumber.  The ends don't line up exactly either.  I really liked the affect.  Pureists would point out that you are not seeing individual boards on the ends.  But I don't think it is that noticable in the finished model.

wingomann Wrote:
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> Yes it did seem like veneer.  When you glue the
> layers together it's almost impossible to have
> them stack up exactly parallel.  A few
> thousandths of an inch either way gives it a feel
> of stacked lumber.  The ends don't line up
> exactly either.  I really liked the affect. 
> Pureists would point out that you are not seeing
> individual boards on the ends.  But I don't think
> it is that noticable in the finished model.

Redwood loads especially ended up in odd boards stacked