Your Favorite Rolling Stock....what did you order?


My two new kato F3B and F7B arrived today. They appear to be brand new never used. After test running both, one is normal kato quiet and smooth. The other makes a clicking noise coming from somewhere in the gears on one end. Spoke with seller on phone who would gladly accept return. But I'm going to run it awhile and see if it just needs some track time to break-in. I'll probably keep it. T'was low priced and worse case scenario I could use motor, parts, trucks, shell to keep my other katos going. I've successfully repaired other N scale locomotives before.......so should be fine.
 
A week or so ago I received 3 Proto 14000Gal molten sulphur tankers (2 yellow, 1 black/yellow band), 2 Proto 23000Gal tankers (blue), and an Athearn 60' Hi-Cube box car (TTX new logo). All beautiful examples. I was very pleased and a little surprised that the Athearn model being a RTR was so well detailed, could have passed as a Genesis.
 
tootnkumin said:
A week or so ago I received 3 Proto 14000Gal molten sulphur tankers (2 yellow, 1 black/yellow band), 2 Proto 23000Gal tankers (blue), and an Athearn 60' Hi-Cube box car (TTX new logo). All beautiful examples. I was very pleased and a little surprised that the Athearn model being a RTR was so well detailed, could have passed as a Genesis.
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Molten sulphur tankers Toot? That sounds impressive. Handle with care! :eek:

Ran the new kato F7 with the clicking noise around the track for awhile. It just needed to run in and it sounds much better now. One of the louder katos I've ever heard but it will be fine and I actually like how the motor sounds.......powerful!
 
railfan said:
Molten sulphur tankers Toot? That sounds impressive. Handle with care!
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Yes, hot little numbers, but extremely well detailed and put together, unlike some Atlas 23500Gal's (4) I got previously. Had to remove all the trucks and reposition the pipes and replace those weird couplers with KD's
 
As MTS was offering 5% off their prices I ordered more Proto tankers, 4 more sulphur (2black/2yellow) and 8 "Sunoco" 23000G. That last lot took over a month to get to me, most unusual, hope these are quicker. That will bring my tanker fleet up to 23, including 2 older LNG (have natural dirt and grime weathering)
 
My favorites, the Great Northern box and ACL gondola. IMG4463.jpg
 
Modelers:

My favorite rolling stock to collect is the Upper Michigan ore cars that move iron ore to the ship loading docks. I started with purchasing a damaged box set of 12 UP ore cars from Walther's on their close out table in Walther's showroom for $29.00. The cars sat for years in the box collecting dust since they were UP and I model the Milwaukee Road. I started to use the cars to practice my weathering and they actually turned out pretty well in my opinion. I added Chooch loads with Woodland Scenic's ore applied to the loads, added KD couplers and metal wheel sets. 12 additional cars are in the process of being weathered and upgraded.

I keep buying more Walther's GoldLine ore cars from the DMIR, SOO, Milwaukee Road and C&NW. I also found some old Roundhouse cars to add to the collection. I am well over adding 100 cars to the collect.

At present, I have approximately 60 cars completed, working towards a weathered unit train of 100 cars. Even a train of 60 cars is too large for my layout, but the train (pulled by a C&NW G7/9) did run at a C&NW Historial Society meeting several years ago on our club mod layout and on several local larger layouts. The train is pulled by two Atlas Milwaukee Road U-Boats and will add a third with sound. A dummy loco is at the rear as a helper.

My next layout will be large enough to run a unit train of 100 ore cars. I have a string of "new" unweathered ore cars parked on a siding on my layout and it adds a nice touch to the layout.

I keep my eyes open for ore cars at meets and hobby shops since new GoldLine cars have increased in price and the cost to upgrade is not cheap. In the future, I may use expandable foam in place of the Chooch loads and cover the foam with Woodland's ore.

Living in Wisconsin, I drive to Upper Michigan to train watch the real thing and the ore cars can be seen here in southeastern Wisconsin where they ship the lime stone that's used in the processing iron ore into tactonite pellets.

My other favorite cars are all the KD line of freight cars and enjoy watching them run on my Milwaukee Northern. I also have the bad habit of buying unusual road name freight cars at meets and used models at hobby shops. I plan on developing a spreadsheet as a roster of the rolling stock that I have and really do not have enough room to have on my layout.

Thanks.

Greg
 
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Modelers:

My favorite rolling stock to collect are the Upper Michigan ore cars that carry the iron ore from the mine to the shipping docks. I started by buying a 12 pack of Walther's ore cars from their close out table at their showroom for $29.00. Since they were UP and I model the Milwaukee Road, they sat in their box collecting dust for years. I started using them to practice my weathering and in my opinion they turned out fairly well. After weathering the cars, I removed the plastic drawbars and added KD couplers, added Chooch ore loads and applied Woodland's Scenic's ore to the Chooch loads for added detail.

The next project for these cars is to paint the couplers and wheels weathered brown. The wheels currently are weathered using liquid rust colors.

I have approximately 60 cars completed towards a goal of having a completed unit train of 100 ore cars. The train ran a few years ago at a C&NW Historial Society meet pulled by s single C&NW G7/9 locomotive. Normally, the train is pulled by two Milwaukee Road U-Boats and plan on adding one additional U-Boat with sound and a dummy as a helper. My layout is too small for a unit train of 60 cars, but it has run at local, larger layouts and my future layout will be large enough for the train to operate. I have a siding on my layout with 24 DMIR "new" ore cars and it makes a nice static detail.

I keep purchasing Walthers's DMIR, C&NW, Milwaukee Road, C&NW ore cars at swap meets and at local hobby shops either new or used. I have a few old Roundhouse ore cars as well.

Living in Wisconsin, I drive to Upper Michigan to watch the real ore cars in action. Also, the cars can be found in southeast Wisconsin hauling lime stone from local quarries that's used in processing iron ore into tactonite.

My other favorite rolling stock is the KD line of freight cars and I have collected approximately 30 of these cars. These KD cars look and run great.

I also have the "bad" habit of buying odd and unusual road name freight cars at swap meets. Its fun to Google some of odd railroad names and learn the road's history and location. I am in the process of building a inventory roster of all my motive power and rolling stock. The roster will have a bit of information on each of the road names and DCC details for the locomotives.

Thanks.

Greg
 
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dieselfan1 said:
This is one of my favorite passenger trains on my layout. Western Pacific F3 A-B-B with The California Zephyr. View attachment 38422
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One of mine too, although the CZ in the photo does not look like the real CZ in terms of the order of the cars. The real California Zephyr ran as follows: baggage, 48 seat coach, 3 dome-coaches, dome-lounge, diner, 6-5 sleeper, 10-6 sleepers, dome-observation.


My recent additions include a couple of Genesis 57' mechanical reefers (FGE and Solid Cold) and a couple of ER Centerbeams (BN, MILW)
 
While I have many Athearn BB and some MDC plastic kit cars, my favorite cars have always been the craftsman type of car kit. My first kit was a Silver Streak SRR 40' automobile car, and the only screwdriver assembly on it was the 2 screws for the trucks. I have been gravitating over the past 25 years to the plastic and resin type of craftsman kits. These include some IMWX (now Intermountain), Red Caboose, Branchline Blueprint series, and the resin kits from Westerfield, F&C, Sunshine and others.

I own maybe 10 RTR cars, and while my family have bought me 2 over the years, the others were gifts from friends and others. That's the only reason they are still on the roster.

For me, there is no pleasure or challenge in buying a car, taking it out of the box, and plopping it on the rails, no matter how detailed the car is.
 
Thread seems to be waffling between the title "rolling stock" and "motive power". I've never had the same "favorite" thoughts about rolling stock as I do with the locos. I'm guessing my favorite rolling stock is a Minny Lou outside braced box car. I picked it up at a swap meet for a buck. All I did was add Kadee couplers. I am guessing it was built from a craftsman kit in the 1970s or earlier. Wooden construction. Sorry no photo. I have no idea where it might be at the moment.
 
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I collect models in scale 1/87 (HO).
Of the driving force (diesel locomotives) I like modeli from Bachman. This neubivaemye model. I think that the price is too normal.

Of the cars I have a lot of prefabricated kits Accurail. I like tinkering with them - to put on the hitch and put kadee metal wheels.482447_432647853479070_1528435262_n.jpg45725_432511323492723_604375584_n.jpg485368_433808743362981_527502724_n.jpg60699_432685813475274_1336495220_n.jpg
 
fcwilt said:
Perhaps gravity works different in NZ? :rolleyes:
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It does actually we need suction boots to hang on down under:)

No seriously New Zealands Beyer Garrets weren't very suitable, but theres nothing wrong with garrets. We bought an oddball version with 3 cilinders which needed a huge amount of maintainance to keep running. They were Far to powerful for a lot of our light drawgear. They would tear light cars in half if a they were at the front of a large train. then there were issues with needing to screen the coal for an auto stoker and replace turntables or reverse loops for a larger engine. There were just too many problems to sort out and it was the start of the depression when money was becoming tight. If they had gone to a different cylinder setup and sorted the other issues we would have had some awesome Engines. they would have been very efficent and ideal for our steeply graded North Island main trunk line. Here is a photo of a kitset brass model of one
Igp9.jpg
maybe one day when Ive got a spare $900 U.S. http://www.jgmodels.co.nz/ but there are higher priorities and other Engines I would rather buy first
 
railfan said:
(Warning: N scale ahead)
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Oh no! ;) My favourites (at the moment) are my Atlas 85' trash container cars, which my railroad has repurposed to general intermodal duties. I got 9 of these for $10 each at an MB Klein sale and at that price I sorta wish I had've sprung for more of them. Either way, coupled with my doublestacks they make for an impressively long consist-

[YOUTUBE]cV3G1K0ZmHc[/YOUTUBE]
 
rustam said:
I collect models in scale 1/87 (HO).
Of the driving force (diesel locomotives) I like modeli from Bachman. This neubivaemye model. I think that the price is too normal.

Of the cars I have a lot of prefabricated kits Accurail. I like tinkering with them - to put on the hitch and put kadee metal wheels.
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Rustam, your models and photography look very good!
 
scroggin said:
Ive got to agree the zephyr is pretty special. What did they use on that route back in the steam era?
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In point of fact, the Cal Zephyr wasn't instituted until c.1947, when it was started with the modified Burlington Route F3 A-B-A sets. These units were geared for faster speed than freight units. I'm not sure if the Western Pacific and Rio Grande ran similar F3's. I believe the D&RGW ran some FP7A/F7B's. The Burlington ran a steam-powered, heavyweight train called the Aristocrat between Denver and Chicago. In 1939, in conjunction with the D&RGW and WP, the run was extended to the West Coast, and the train re-named the Exposition Flyer. The "Q" powered the Flyer between Chicago and at least Denver with Class B-1 or B1a 4-8-2 Mountain type steamers or the newer Class S-4 4-6-4 Hudson's, especially using #4000 and 4001 Hudsons that were streamlined with stainless steel shrouds, and named "Aeolus". These two locomotives were also used to "protect" the streamlined diesel-powered Zephyrs in case the diesels were down for maintenance. (Eventually, the shrouding was removed from the two S-4's, but they retained their all-weather cabs, which the other S-4's did not have.)

When the California Zephyr was created in 1947, it was essentially a streamlined, diesel-powered version of the Exposition Flyer. The F3's were eventually replaced by E6's and later E7's and E8/9's.
 
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