Hi Everybody, I caught a new model coming out in a print ad (from the Current newsstand issue of Model Railroader). Athearn has announced they are going to produce a version of their 53' GSC flatcars with piggyback trailers. One of the roads they are doing is Frisco. he website lists two part numbers, ATH17322 and ATH17323. There is no image on the website. The printed add shows a 40' silver/aluminum trailer with the "Pigs are Beautiful" logo on the side. I believe this is a first for N-scale RTR (Microscale has decals). The trailer should be one of Athearn's Fruehauf Z-vans. The flatcar is going to be one of Athearn's 53' GSC flatcars with TOFC equipment. Frisco did own 53' GSC flatcars, but, to the best of my knowledge, all of Frisco's TOFC flats were built from older 42'6" cars. Paul
Paul - Good news. What a great trend ..... more and more Frisco stuff coming from the major hobby manufacturers. Quite a difference from the "old days", when the closest we ever got to SLSF was ATSF! Ken
I could use the trailers- the flatcars may become pulpwood flats. Frisco had a bunch of 'em on the south end of the Central division (among other places).
The trailers are the real prize here, but Frisco did have general service flats with this basic design, so that's my plan for them. If I'm not mistaken, the 50ish foot pulpwood flats were of a slightly different design than the 53' GSC flatcars. (Atlas has made shorter 40ish foot pulpwood flats, which the frisco also had. Athearn has previously released the GSC flat in Frisco paint with bulkheads (though the bulkheads were too tall)). Incidentally, wig-wag-trains does have the artwork for the new flats posted here: http://www.wig-wag-trains.com/Athearn-Pages/Flat-Cars/Athearn_Flat-Car-With-Load_Product-Page.htm Paul
The number on the flatcar in the ad is SL-SF 100008. Is this number correct? I thought that number was in the Maintenance-of-Way series. Rich
No, I don't believe that number is correct. If I'm not mistaken, it should have a 4 digit number (I need to double check my information though) Paul
You're right on the bulkhead, but you could use the bulkhead pieces from an Atlas 40-foot woodrack, place 'em on the 53-foot flat, remove those wood rail sides, build a new V-shaped floor, and bingo- a reasonable-looking Frisco woodrack. IIRC, Frisco converted bulkhead flats in this fashiion for pulpwood service.
