Model Railroading > PC Flexi-Vans at NAPM

Hello:

Video of three Atlas Penn Central GP40s on a Flexi-Van Mail train at North American Prototype Modelers in Milwaukee, WI.  

Regards,

SkokieSwift

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Nice not to many PC's on here!

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

Was that the design where the "container" slid on to a pedistal on the train car from a truck parked perindicular to it, and then container/pedistal was pivoted so the container was now on the train car and locked into position.  I seem to remember seeing an article ages ago in Model Railroader or some other magazine, but I think those were all retired by the time I started chasing trains.  Who makes the models?  The train looked great.

Nathan

atsf121 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Was that the design where the "container" slid on
> to a pedistal on the train car from a truck parked
> perindicular to it, and then container/pedistal
> was pivoted so the container was now on the train
> car and locked into position.  I seem to remember
> seeing an article ages ago in Model Railroader or
> some other magazine, but I think those were all
> retired by the time I started chasing trains.
>  Who makes the models?  The train looked great.
>
> Nathan

Yes, this the one where the vans slid into the "turntable". Walthers make the models.

Correct on Walthers.  All the flexi-van cars are Walthers. The flat cars and trailers are a mix of Walters and Athearn but all the NYC, PC, P&LE & Burlington with the landing gear down are Walthers. The IC, Reading, Santa Fe trailers are either Athearn or Trainworx.  The first caboose is Atlas and the second one is by Athearn.  

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> atsf121 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Was that the design where the "container" slid
> on
> > to a pedistal on the train car from a truck
> parked
> > perindicular to it, and then container/pedistal
> > was pivoted so the container was now on the
> train
> > car and locked into position.  I seem to
> remember
> > seeing an article ages ago in Model Railroader
> or
> > some other magazine, but I think those were all
> > retired by the time I started chasing trains.
> >  Who makes the models?  The train looked
> great.
> >
> > Nathan
>
> Yes, this the one where the vans slid into the
> "turntable". Walthers make the models.

I grew up in Ohio on the Pennsy Panhandle after the PRR/NYC merger so and I can tell you from what I saw is that the Flexi-Van trains ALWAYS had only 2 GP40s on the head end. The consist was ALWAYS NYC/PC only flexi-vans and flat cars were NYC or PC equipment and the caboose was ALWAYS a Pennsy cabin car. I don't recall other equipment and piggy backs always ran as a separate unit train or at the end of a manifest train. For some unknown reason to me is that they ALWAYS had some kind of boxcar ahead of the caboose on the TOFC cars.  This would have been between 1968 and 1971. ADDENDUM: This is NOT to say that this video is an inaccurate representation of ANY Flexi-Van service. It has been brought to my attention that there were MANY trains using Flexi-Van Equipment and I am sure said equipment was intermingled with TOFC equipment and equipment from other railraods that were observed by other railfans at different times and at different locations. My stated observations were from one town over a period of about 2-3 years when I was between the ages of 10 to 12 years old. This video brought back a LOT of pleasant memories of a "train crazy kid" growing up in Southwestern Ohio. Thank You for the trip back.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/24 14:00 by gandydancer4.

VERY nice scene - the long train, the scenery, and that neat little station building.  Good show!

Bob

Some of those Flexi-vans carried the mail and were seen on Santa Fe's Trains 7 & 8 The Fast Mail carrying mail from the east coast to the west coast.
NYC had some Flexi-van cars that were equipped for passenger service with pass through steam and signal air lines.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/24 11:19 by PHall.

Just super! Great looking train.

Posted from iPhone

Awesome video....keep posting them.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

gandydancer4 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I grew up in Ohio on the Pennsy Panhandle after
> the PRR/NYC merger so and I can tell you from what
> I saw is that the Flexi-Van trains ALWAYS had only
> 2 GP40s on the head end. The consist was ALWAYS
> NYC/PC only flexi-vans and flat cars were NYC or
> PC equipment and the caboose was ALWAYS a Pennsy
> cabin car. I don't recall other equipment and
> piggy backs always ran as a separate unit train or
> at the end of a manifest train. For some unknown
> reason to me is that they ALWAYS had some kind of
> boxcar ahead of the caboose on the TOFC cars.
>  This would have been between 1968 and 1971.

As a teen railfan growing up in Central Pennsylvania, I saw Penn Central Flexi-Van trains at least twice.  First time was at the Horseshoe Curve in May 1973 and the second time was in August 1973 in Harrisburg.  Both times, E-units were the power.

The following three threads from TO member "Roadjob" (not sure if he is still a member) show photos of PC E-units on Flexi-Van trains.  A few photos show other locomotives such as GP units and a U25b.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,5651747,5651747#msg-5651747

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,5390280,5390280#msg-5390280

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,4783069,4783069#msg-4783069

Thanks for the links.  Roadjob's photos are incredible and inspiring.  I initially wanted to get E8s for this train but the only ones I'm aware of are from Rapido.  I have 3 EL E8s from them and can't get them to run together so I guess I have to wait till someone else does them.  Looks like from Roadjob's photos that there's lots of possibilities for these trains.  I have more of these cars to get prepped so one day I'll get to run a much longer version .  Please keep the informaition coming!

Thank you,
SkokieSwift

skokieswift Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the links. 

Sure!

Roadjob's photos are
> incredible and inspiring.

Yes!  They also bought back some good memories.

  I initially wanted to
> get E8s for this train but the only ones I'm aware
> of are from Rapido. 

Walthers and Broadway Limited have also produced E-units, including E7s which I saw on Penn Central's Flexi-Van trains.

If you can find a Rapido New York Central E8 (in the grey cigar band scheme, not the jade green scheme), that would be a good starting point for a Penn Central E-unit.  

I have 3 EL E8s from them
> and can't get them to run together so I guess I
> have to wait till someone else does them.  Looks
> like from Roadjob's photos that there's lots of
> possibilities for these trains.  I have more of
> these cars to get prepped so one day I'll get to
> run a much longer version .  Please keep the
> informaition coming!
>
> Thank you,
> SkokieSwift

Glad to help.  I enjoyed watching your video.