Model Railroading > Flat car Friday with heat recovery steam generator loads

The Athearn heavy duty flat car has always been one of my favorite freight cars. I have a bunch of them. When I see one at a train show, or cheap on ebay I grab them.

I never liked the height of the deck. So I tried a couple of ways to cut the deck down. The best way that I found was to chuck a dremel cut off wheel in the drill press

1) Original Athearn heavy weight car
2) cutting the deck down
3) original and modified car

Tom Daspit
Morgan Hill, CA
Tom's Trains

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After I had modified the deck heights of a couple of these cars, I went on to another modification - with end platforms.

4) pivot point moved and a new deck
5) span bolsters with new end decks
6) almost done

Tom Daspit
Morgan Hill, CA
Tom's Trains

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I did not like the short end decks, and the car would not be long enough for the next model with two wind turbine nacelle loads.

To do this, the span bolsters need to be modified. I remembered an article in the March 1999 Railroad Model Craftsman on scratch builing a 12 axle QTTX flat. The author cut up the Athearn span bolster and use the pieces as the basis of an new bolster with increased the axle spacing. After modifying the span bolster, this caused the pivot point to be moved. End of car cushioning from Moloco was added to the span bolster. New end platform, with beveled end, non slip deck, hand rails, and steps.


7) original and modified span bolster
8) updated platform
9) first three cars are just about complete, except for decals

Tom Daspit
Morgan Hill, CA
Tom's Trains

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These cars will have reporting marks for Charleston Heavy Lift. This will be the main shipper on my layout.

Now that the cars are done, they need loads. The first ones will be heat recovery steam generators. The loads are made from Evergreen styrene, H, L and flat shapes, and the black insert is corrugated siding from JTT. There are two sides, and the middle section.

10) load under construction
11) load complete

Tom Daspit
Morgan Hill, CA
Tom's Trains

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I make my loads removable with magnets in them, and magnets down in the car body.

12) load and hold down on the car
13) empties out

Tom Daspit
Morgan Hill, CA
Tom's Trains

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Next set of cars and loads will be wind turbine nacelles. Followed by crated turbines, inspired by this flat car Friday post - Big GE Loads photos by march_hare https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,4317921,4318260#msg-4318260

Tom Daspit
Morgan Hill, CA
Tom's Trains

WOW, thanks for the tour thru your creation of an awesome model car and load. Very good work and thanks for the info.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

What a great project you've done here!

Jim

Tom, a well done model! Those loads came out of Oklahoma and there were 8 loads shipped for that power plant project. Look forward to seeing the next model project.

Joe