Model Railroading > Spring Mills Depot DODX Heavy Duty Flat Cars

Does anyone have any information on these HO-Scale six-axle Heavy Duty DODX Flat Cars?  They were suppose to be available January 2017.  The Spring Mills Depot website has not been updated since September 26, 2016.  I have e-mailed them twice in the last two weeks and have not received a reply.  Thanks.

When I pre ordered mine, they said early 2017.

-Dave

Yes, they did say January 2017. I also asked if there was any update. Knowing they are a small company and that delays with any manufacturer are common, and having a deadline, I moved on to making stand ins. I actually just finished two cars today; a BNSF 54' flat built from a Walthers kit, and an intermountain 60' flat. Both, I don't think, would carry the 70-ton M1A1, but the only thing out there that would that I know is the Alkem Scale Models kit. I'm interesting in it, but don't have time at the moment to build one.

That said, one odd car I did find through research is an old 50'(ish) flat with DODX marks with a few relatively recent photos online (this one taken from rrpicturearchive)

 

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An OTTX flat would work. And you need about 16 chains to tie down an M1A1.
You need to provide restraint for forward, aft, left and right.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/17 21:09 by PHall.

That is the other car I just made, but from my photo research, I have yet to see one carrying an M1A1. They seem to carry lighter vehicles. (Didn't keep me from making one though)
PHall Wrote:
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> An OTTX flat would work. And you need about 16
> chains to tie down an M1A1.
> You need to provide restraint for forward, aft,
> left and right.

Awesome..............Awesome............Awesome....
M-1.......F-35..................

What gets transported in that Global Mortuary Logistics tank??????
Enbalming fluid????
Phil

Good question! There is a bit more to the scene than celebrating billions of dollars of military hardware that fails to work after 10 years of production or is stored in the desert waiting for the next big war. Anyway, that is all another subject; it just happens to be the context where the flat I made is. Also, made that company logo and had to do custom decals for all of those containers. Presumably Textron doesn't put cluster bombs in a marked 20' container, but I'm using artistic license to make things a bit more obvious.

philhoov Wrote:
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> What gets transported in that Global Mortuary
> Logistics tank??????
> Enbalming fluid????
> Phil



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/17 08:20 by inCHI.

The DODX 36004B is originally a D&RGW flat that was equipped to haul Trident rocket motors and or rocket motor fuel.  The load was shipped in a domestic container that was carried on these flatcars.  There is a picture at http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=431245&nseq=14 of one of these cars back in 1987.  The “A” and “B” denoted that the cars where permanently drawbar coupled back in the day.  Amazing to see this car still around; these were GSC Commonwealth solid cast frame flatcars.
 
Your nice Abram model really screams for the correct flat from Spring Mills!  Just don’t tell the First Sergeant that you left the machine guns still mounted when it shipped! 
 

Rick Bacon
Windsor, CO



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/17 13:02 by rnb3.

rnb3 Wrote:
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> The DODX 36004B is originally a D&RGW flat that
> was equipped to haul Trident rocket motors and or
> rocket motor fuel.  The load was shipped in a
> domestic container that was carried on these
> flatcars.  There is a picture
> at http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=4
> 31245&nseq=14 of one of these cars back in 1987. 
> The “A” and “B” denoted that the cars
> where permanently drawbar coupled back in the
> day.  Amazing to see this car still around; these
> were GSC Commonwealth solid cast frame flatcars.
>
Interesting to get the details on that, thanks!

> Your nice Abram model really screams for the
> correct flat from Spring Mills!  Just don’t
> tell the First Sergeant that you left the machine
> guns still mounted when it shipped! 
>  

Noted, I did see that they have them removed, and Bradley's get their barrels removed... but for my intentions in this case I want the look of the guns, even if it isn't correct.

Also, those Herpa tank models can have some bewildering instructions. They seem to include several or many parts on each model that may not apply, which is great for variety, but demands a lot of research to figure out what in the world is appropriate. What I added is likely not fully correct just because it is a bit of a challenge to figure out.

Your model reminded me of these 2 Flatcars I saw going EB at Pepper Ave on the UP RR 11-13-2012  W. Colton Yards

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inCHI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, they did say January 2017. I also asked if
> there was any update. Knowing they are a small
> company and that delays with any manufacturer are
> common, and having a deadline, I moved on to
> making stand ins. I actually just finished two
> cars today; a BNSF 54' flat built from a Walthers
> kit, and an intermountain 60' flat. Both, I don't
> think, would carry the 70-ton M1A1, but the only
> thing out there that would that I know is the
> Alkem Scale Models kit. I'm interesting in it, but
> don't have time at the moment to build one.
>
> That said, one odd car I did find through research
> is an old 50'(ish) flat with DODX marks with a few
> relatively recent photos online (this one taken
> from rrpicturearchive)
>
>  
​These DODX cars usually run as a drtawbarred pair carrying some sort of container. Note the pedatals
Andy

inCHI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, they did say January 2017. I also asked if
> there was any update. Knowing they are a small
> company and that delays with any manufacturer are
> common, and having a deadline, I moved on to
> making stand ins. I actually just finished two
> cars today; a BNSF 54' flat built from a Walthers
> kit, and an intermountain 60' flat. Both, I don't
> think, would carry the 70-ton M1A1, but the only
> thing out there that would that I know is the
> Alkem Scale Models kit. I'm interesting in it, but
> don't have time at the moment to build one.
>
> That said, one odd car I did find through research
> is an old 50'(ish) flat with DODX marks with a few
> relatively recent photos online (this one taken
> from rrpicturearchive)
>
> Model looks good however, all 60 ton tracked vehicles require 12 1 inch chains for tie down 6 sets on each end 3 per side. I used to be on my unit's railload team. Smaller tracked vehicles could be tied down with either 3/8th in chains (8 sets total) or 1 inch chains (4 sets total). Small to medium sides vehicles were 3/8th in chains (4-8 sets depending on the vehicle) I can't say for military semi's with trailers.
Cheers
Charlie
MP 52.8 on the BNSF Topeka Sub 

nikon1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > Model looks good however, all 60 ton tracked
> vehicles require 12 1 inch chains for tie down 6
> sets on each end 3 per side. I used to be on my
> unit's railload team. Smaller tracked vehicles
> could be tied down with either 3/8th in chains
> (8 sets total) or 1 inch chains (4 sets total).
> Small to medium sides vehicles were 3/8th in
> chains (4-8 sets depending on the vehicle) I can't
> say for military semi's with trailers.
> Cheers
> Charlie
> MP 52.8 on the BNSF Topeka Sub 

Thanks for noting that. It was another compromise I had to make. I saw in photos that a lot more chains are used, especially for tanks. What I had was the 20 chains that came with an Intermountain 60' flat. I checked at a hobby shop to see if they had chains like that as a detail part, but they didn't, so I had to spread the chains across the three items I put on the two cars. At some point I'll redo it correctly.