Frisco 42' Fishbelly Flat Car

Howdy folks,

The Texas Western Railroad Association is going to sponsor the production of the Red Caboose/Intermountain 42' fishbelly flat car painted in yellow. The cars will be available in November or December.

Now comes the hard part - details about the car. I have a few questions that will make this car as close to prototypical specifications s as possible:

1. What years were these painted yellow by the Frisco?
2. What color were they painted (closest paint color from a previously run model by Red Caboose or Intermountain)
3. Was the lettering and build information the same as the previous released Red Caboose box car red 42' car?
4. We can have four numbers available, so did the Frisco change the numbering in the years of service - what would sell the best?
5. What trucks were used, where they the same as the Red Caboose 42' previously released?

I'd sure appreciate any help I can get. It is exciting to produce a car like this with the advise of Frisco experts here.

mike

 

Mike,

Thank you for moving the yellow flat car project forward.

There were 500 cars numbered in the 95300 - 95799 series similar in design to the USRA standard plan. They were originally built by General American in 1928. Starting in the early 1950's cars were repainted yellow.

Here are a couple of links that provide additional information for your research.

http://www.sunshinekits.com/sunimages/sun45a.pdf

http://www.steamfreightcars.com/gallery/flat/slsf95701main.html

Hope this helps.

Thanks!

Mark

 

A number of these cars were also assigned to maintenance of way (MOW) service.

In this service they were painted either yellow, silver or freight car red. The MOW flats were numbered in the 100000 or 109000 series for general MOW service, the 104000 series for continuous welded rail (CWR) or ribbon rail flats and the 105000 and 109000 series for wrecker tender service.

There are definitely some interesting variations for the "standard" 42' flat car. Below are links to photos of some of these cars.

SLSF 100008 (yellow)
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=445885
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1407804

SLSF 100083 (silver) Note: gondola flat with stake sides
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=539592

SLSF 100086 (yellow)
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1144641

SLSF 104602 (yellow)
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=550891

SLSF 104618 (yellow)
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=550892

SLSF 104752 (yellow)
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=550896

SLSF 105210 (silver) Note: Assigned to 250 ton derrick SLSF 99022 "Springfield"
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=124830

SLSF 109317 (freight car red)
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=550873

SLSF 109325 (silver)
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=539598

SLSF 109225 (silver) Note: Assigned to 250 ton derrick SLSF 99025 "Memphis"
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=539600

SLSF 109331 (silver) Note: Assigned to 250 ton derrick SLSF 99025 "Memphis"
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=539601

SLSF 109706 (freight car red)
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=640131

Hope this helps.

Thanks!

Mark

 

Ethan,

I do not want to speak for Mike, but I strongly suspect they will be HO scale.

I checked the RED Caboose web site and searched for "flat car" under all scales. They produce the 42' flat car in HO and O scales, but not in N scale. Please see the link to Red Caboose at http://www.red-caboose.com/cgi-bin/e_catalog/catalog.cgi.

Hope this helps.

Thanks!

Mark

 

Mike Condron's wonderful site has some additional excellent photographs of the 42' flat cars in MOW service.

Please see http://condrenrails.com/Frisco Catalog/MOW-flat.htm

Also, Mike's site includes an interesting variation of this 42's flat car. In the bridge crane section is a photo of a tender flat lettered for the Alabama Tennessee and Northern (AT&N). Unfortunately the photo cuts off the flat so the car number may not be fully displayed. It does clearly show the reporting marks lettering as AT&N X-26....

Please see the first photograph in http://condrenrails.com/Frisco Catalog/MOW-bridge-crane.htm

It is interesting to note the multiple uses and various configurations the cars were adapted to serve. The same basic car was a building block for general flat service, low side gondolas, auto rack loader / unloader ramp cars, wheel cars, tool cars, water cars (with tank car bodies tied down), derrick tenders, snow plows (the "Enid") and on and on.

A photo of the "Enid" snow plow from this site is at http://www.frisco.org/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=544&d=1128911091.

Hopefully the yellow flats will sell well. I know I am interested in at least 4 numbers.

Hope this helps.

Thanks!

Mark

 

The 1928 built flat cars were an excellent investment for the railroad. They were almost infinitely adaptable and lasted for a long period in service (over 50 years). I wise choice for the railroad. Also a good investment in model form the modeler for the same reason.

These 42' flat cars were the basis for the Frisco built transfer cabooses in the 300/1300 series. Photographs, and in some instances sub-lettering, indicate that these cars were used at the major terminals in Kansas City, Springfield, Memphis, Birmingham, St. Louis, Tulsa and also in outlying points that included at least Pensacola.

An example of this style caboose is SLSF 1322. Please see http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=124840

Hope this helps.

Thanks!

Mark

 

Wow, thanks for all the information and links. I'll get to work on the artwork. Best,
mike

 

Howdy,

Is there interest in a flat car kit vs a ready to run car? We have the option of buying them in addition to the RTR cars. The kits are about $10 less than RTR.

Best regards,
mike

 

Howdy,

Thanks, I'll do that.

mike

 

Re: Yellow Frisco 42' Fishbelly Flat Car- Color question

Howdy,

In determining the best yellow for the car color, it is probably easiest to look at previously run Red Caboose or Intermountain cars and use the color as a reference. From the color photos I've seen, the flats look like Armour Yellow or the color of the yellow used on later flats built as models by Intermountain. Here are a few choices:

http://www.imrcmodels.com/ho/html/46412.htm

http://www.imrcmodels.com/ho/html/45510.htm

http://www.imrcmodels.com/ho/html/45528.htm

http://www.imrcmodels.com/ho/html/48805.htm

Which one looks closest?

Best regards,
mike

 

It's hard to find a clean color pic of a Frisco flat!

I just sprayed a Frisco GSC flat with ModelMaster Insignia Yellow (FS 33538) and it looks terrific. I'm sure the same color would look correct on the RC 42ft flat.

Ken

 

Howdy Kit,

Thanks for the comments. I haven't used ModelMaster color. Is it close to any of the Intermountain cars?

Best regards,
mike