Model Railroading > Wheels of Time Southern Pacific GBEC 62' Bulkhead Flat Car

I picked up two of these at my LHS. Really beautiful cars. I do have a questions. As in the box the bulkheads are open. In the box are the lumber bulkhead backings. What would be appropriate use or era to use the backings?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/16 18:20 by Chad.

Some pictures

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They were built with them.  WoT thoughtfully left them as separate parts on these cars for the modelers that may want to model them as they appeared in later years, where many of the bulkhead boards were battered, broken, or missing altogether.  

http://www.wheelsotime.com/display/ShowImage?imageUrl=/picture/sp-509112-1500h.jpg?pictureId=20679325&asGalleryImage=true&__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1439227044316

if you want to model them as they would have appeared new or on an overhauled car, install them as-is.  Otherwise, if you want the car to appear as they would have later in life, beat and abuse them, or leave them off, installing a few bits of broken scale lumber on the bulkheads in their place.  

Two more

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Gorgeous looking cars.  I just ordered 5 of these bulkheads - I'm going to have to look at 1970's and early 80's photo's to see how they were.  It looks like the ends still generally had the boards in the 1970's but based on Jim Eager photo of a F-70-59 flat car in 1982, the boards were largely gone by then.

Am I crazy now to be wishing for the SP B-70-50/59/61 flat cars with the different style bulkheads built by GBEC in 1968?

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/spcars/byclass/flat/f070-61.htm

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/spcars/byclass/flat/f070-59.htm

http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/spcars/byclass/flat/f070-50.htm

Cheers, Jim Fitch

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/29/16 20:44 by SPDRGWfan.

I'm awaiting the three pack of bulkhead flats. I intend to model mine in the late 80's with a few boards hanging on to the bulkheads, a really common sight in Oregon at the time.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Cars look better without the boards

WAF Wrote:
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> Cars look better without the boards

They do look more distinctive that way.  I may do some with and some without.

Cheers, Jim

The first two linked photos are very typical of how they looked, right down to the lumber being weathered black from diesel smoke in tunnels. The model is kinda surprising looking so clean, maybe when they were new. Never seen the numbers on the top of the bulkhead, it wasn't like all the boards were missing but I believe at some point the RR became proactive and removed any damaged boards.

I was surprised to see these at the Train Shop the other day, I would think they were gone by closing time. Great looking car.

Here's Wheels of Time website btw:
http://www.wheelsotime.com/gbec-62-ft-flat-cars/

Often think of these Railbaron photos from the NWP showing a lot of SP flatcars of various types:

Date: 06/09/07 08:01
Random NWP
Author: Railbaron
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,1423490,1423490#msg-1423490

Here's a past discussion about the long time quest for SP flatcars:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,3169818,page=1



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/16 11:32 by TCnR.

The bulkhead flats had a tendency to float when empty! They were usually restricted to 45mph unless loaded.
Maybe removing the solid headboards keep them on the rail when empty and eased up on the speed restrictions
although I seem to think that 45mph held  even when they were empty.

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gorgeous looking cars.  I just ordered 5 of these
> bulkheads - I'm going to have to look at 1970's
> and early 80's photo's to see how they were.  It
> looks like the ends still generally had the boards
> in the 1970's but based on Jim Eager photo of a
> F-70-59 flat car in 1982, the boards were largely
> gone by then.
>
> Am I crazy now to be wishing for the SP
> B-70-50/59/61 flat cars with the different style
> bulkheads built by GBEC in 1968?
>
> http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/spcars/byclass/fla
> t/f070-61.htm
>
> http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/spcars/byclass/fla
> t/f070-59.htm
>
> http://www.railgoat.railfan.net/spcars/byclass/fla
> t/f070-50.htm
>
> Cheers, Jim Fitch
>
>  

The manufacturers dilemma "that's nice, what's next"
 

They ought to be able to sell several runs of those. The models are pretty scarce up here in the Pacific NW.

They sold out at MB Klein in about 2 hours, other then a few of the regular flatcar versions.   Glad I hunted around and got a 3 pack.  

dh30973 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The manufacturers dilemma "that's nice, what's
> next"
>  

Well, a good dilemma if they don't want to be a one hit wonder. Last I knew, manufacturers are in business to make a profit so yes, they need a "what's next" and I got the answer for them! ;-)

Cheers, Jim Fitch



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/17 10:59 by SPDRGWfan.

TCnR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The first two linked photos are very typical of
> how they looked, right down to the lumber being
> weathered black from diesel smoke in tunnels. The
> model is kinda surprising looking so clean, maybe
> when they were new. Never seen the numbers on the
> top of the bulkhead, it wasn't like all the boards
> were missing but I believe at some point the RR
> became proactive and removed any damaged boards.
>
> I was surprised to see these at the Train Shop the
> other day, I would think they were gone by closing
> time. Great looking car.
>
> Here's Wheels of Time website btw:
> http://www.wheelsotime.com/gbec-62-ft-flat-cars/
>
> Often think of these Railbaron photos from the NWP
> showing a lot of SP flatcars of various types:
>
> Date: 06/09/07 08:01
> Random NWP
> Author: Railbaron
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,
> 1423490,1423490#msg-1423490
>
> Here's a past discussion about the long time quest
> for SP flatcars:
>
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,3
> 169818,page=1

I was really glad to see them at Train Shop, that's where I picked them up. Dennis is where I go for pretty much everything especially popular items, he seem to always have them.

Hurry.. about 6 listed on Ebay as of PM 5/2