Model Railroading > MK ballast cars

I see where Bowser will be releasing a MK parts rebuild of a ACF twin covered hopper . They already offer the car now it will have a milled underbody and 3D printed ballast doors and roof. I know the PC and CR and EL had some . How about other railroads ?  Bowser is looking for pictures and car numbers for any of the MK cars. They do offer both the open and closed side versions. ---   Ken 

The Milwaukee Road had these and some ended up on the IMRL: https://flickr.com/photos/33710285@N08/4365226074/in/album-72157623464343030/
Click on the left arrow to see more. I've probably got some cars while they were still MILW

SP had some light grey with the Sunset logo in the Rio Grande Era. Have some photos of them somewhere. There was also a set of MK cars that I saw on the Chehalis Western in the 80's, they looked like wreck rebuilds though.

Converted ballast cars would be an interesting car to have, actually have a couple of flat kits in the archives somewhere.

+ That Milwaukee car looks pretty cool.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/20 19:02 by TCnR.

Thanks the old Eastern Car Works kits were the flat kits. It took a lot of sanding and filing to get the ends and sides lined up. Don't believe we will ever see those kits again. --  Ken 

We still use them in MoW service in Alaska. 
14900-14910, 14912-14913, 14920, 14924 (as of August 1998)
Built by: MK Co.
Date Built: 1953 
Capacity: 140,000 lbs.
Length: 38' 3"
Height: 12' 5"
Comments: For use by maintenance of way; Photo taken August 1993

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Hi,

Morrison Knudsen invented a control flow discharge gate and started doing these conversions of 1950's built covered hoppersin the mid 1970's.  I'm sure other firms and railroads built very similar devices too. The now defunct Pacific News magazine's April 1977 issue had an article on M-K's activities including about a page on these cars.

These cars got around many with multiple owners.
I'm happy to see these cars becoming available, especially if the offer they ARR scheme in Mr. Fischer's photo.

Attached are my photos of C&NW and Milwaukee Road, later IMRL cars.

Don Marenzi



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/20 15:22 by west.

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Hi,

More of my photos of the M-K (or similar) cars.

Santa Fe
DM&E in two paint schemes
Longview Portland & Northen

Don

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Some more

xSoo Line, now Northwestern Pacific 007 (license to ballast !)
Reading Blue Mountain & Northern
Department of Defense at Hanford Works, WA. (this one might glow in the dark...)

Don Marenzi

 

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FGLK 180 - Conrail gray
FGLK 181 - older hopper, repainted
FGLK 182 - PC yellow

Rob Smith
Hamilton, ON

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Any idea on when these will be available?  Could use about 40 of them ... :-)

IIRC, D&RGW had some rebuilt ballast cars too.

http://rr-fallenflags.org/drgw/drgw25048csa.jpg



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/20 12:22 by SPDRGWfan.

M-K sold these cars and supplied kits to many railroads.