New Z Freight Car suggestions wanted by MTL

Joe,

How about a 50' steel, 15 panel, fixed end gondola with low cover like MTL already makes in N scale?

John

How about outside-braced, single-sheathed boxcars? Any style of ends.

More cars painted in Pennsylvania schemes would be nice....

Well, Joe has enough suggestions to keep his design fingers busy for a long time. Now the question begs to be asked......what are the chance of seeing any of these suggestions in our near life time come to fruition? Everyone would be most welcome and a winner in Z scale.

This is what I want, a depressed heavy duty flat car with 3 axle buckeye trucks (just like your N scale version which was a big influence/reference for mine) with a large CAT D8 or D9 load on it or a IH TD-25 or any large crawler from the 60’s or 70’s that has a narrow enough track width without blade to legally fit on a depressed flat car. Also some nicely detailed construction equipment for flat car loads or scenery use as no company I have found is mass producing any equipment, period. Besides, who doesn’t like construction equipment? That being said, you guys do an amazing job on detail with your locomotives and rolling stock. But your “logging bulldozer” is not even remotely close to being up to par with your other products. If you can use outside help to create heavy equipment that is not exact replicas (to avoid licensing fees) of existing or past heavy equipment, I’d be more than happy to help.

ModelWarships wrote: Gunderson Maxi Double Stack 5 unit well cars, Twin Stack 5 unit well cars, and Intermodal Spine Cars x5 w/trailers please.

I second and third the vote for more Intermodal.

Clearly, Harald Freudenreich started it, You guyZ at MTL extremely expanded it, then AZL tried to go further!

Here is my reasoning:

#1 - The Gunderson Variety of wellcars are clearly the winner when it comes to road popularity and especially QUANTITY! Gunderson Rules!!!!!

FR - 48' Gundersons, Maxi III's (5x 48')
MTL - 48' Gundersons
AZL - 53 NSCs

#2 - When it comes to Intermodal, their are clearly three (3) era's! Early 40' wellcars, 48' wellcars, and the modern 53' wellcars.

#3 - Popularity and variety
The Gunderson 40' Twinstacks have always been a hit on the rails and with intermodal modelers. This wellcar config of 5 cars has probably had the most paint schemes ever for a wellcar. Now since 40'ers are coming back as a standard mode of container carrier, you can still see these early intermodal unit cars still riding the rails, and the end bulkheads are very noticeable too.

The Gunderson Maxi III's, 48' five unit wellcars were a big hit during the 48' era as were the single wellcars made by Gunderson, NSC and Thrall, but they are never seen in todays modern rail travels. The Maxi III's were repurposed into Maxi I's by shortening them from five 48' wellcars into five 40' wellcars. Maxi III's are not a good idea, but the five unit Maxi I's are!!!!!!!!!!!

*The modern Gunderson 53' single wellcar is a must! It is the most seen single wellcar riding the rails today. Although the paint schemes are few, it is tops.

*The modern Gunderson Maxi IV, three unit 53' wellcars is also the most seen and has the most quantity on the rails today. If you were to convince the WHO's of MTL to give a green light for another intermodal model in Z scale I would say this is the best bet. A 3 unit wellcar that is #1 on the rails.

NOTE: the Mold used to make the Cast Metal Frames could be made so that the mold ends of the wellcar are interchangeable so that from One Mold, changing the ends can produce The Maxi IV "A", "B", and "C" cars and also the Gunderson Single Wellcars. So you can get TWO CAR TYPES for the Price of One! It only makes financial sense when you think about it. Perhaps the old 48' Gunderson mold can be modified thereby saving even more $$$$$$$$$$$$$$'$.

Sum it up:
If it is possible that a new wellcar design gets a green light then clearly the model to make is the Gunderson Single/Maxi IV 53'ers. My second suggestion is the first era 40' Gunderson Twinstacks (with bulkheads) as it had the most colorful paint schemes! Do Not Make anything 48'!!!!!!

This is MTL's chance to get the most popular rail produced and utilized intermodal wellcars produced in Z scale!!!!!!

Making the entire MTL N-scale body-style list into Z-scale would keep MTL quite busy... including the road-names offered in N-scale, but haven't made it to Z-scale.

A long time ago in a galaxy far away..........Joe told me his goal was to reproduce in Z everything MTL had done in N scale. That would definitely be the icing on the cake for Z scalers.

Unfortunately there isn't enough money n the galaxy to cut steel for all those body styles.

Still, a nice dream of Joe's.

Mr.JA wrote: Making the entire MTL N-scale body-style list into Z-scale would keep MTL quite busy... including the road-names offered in N-scale, but haven't made it to Z-scale.

Alex, agreed to some extend, but please save us from double-ups, we have already enough of them (of course including small series vs. "volume manufacturer")

Gerd wrote: Alex, agreed to some extend, but please save us from double-ups, we have already enough of them (of course including small series vs. "volume manufacturer")

My apologies, Gerd. I didn't mean to include the fantasy stuff... no more Christmas, Holloweenie, Easter, Birthday, whatever junk.

Cross polenated on TrainBoard:

TrainBoard post 935820

tealplanes wrote: A long time ago in a galaxy far away..........Joe told me his goal was to reproduce in Z everything MTL had done in N scale.

Loren, Joe,
THAT sounds like a business plan. The biggest cost of development has got to be the data: research, CAD, paint etc., and you already have that. It seems from the posts that there is considerable interest in porting some of the MTL N designs to Z.
Rather than get a long list of demands like: "I want this: Obsure Sugar Beet service "
You can offer up the carbody database for a poll on the MTL web site, and the top 5 styles get produced for 2014. MTL also has the experience of how well a particular sytle/paint scheme sold in the past in N and whether it might be one to avoid in Z.

Mark

I guess the biggest cost is injection moulding tools

Joe,
I would like to second the three domed tank car, outside braced single sheathed box and depressed center flat. I would also like to add early TOFC, i.e. a 53' flat with two 50's era 24' trailers.

Since you mentioned reefers...in both wood and mechanical I would like to see Merchants Despatch (MDT)livery. And I would really like to see Fruit Growers Express (FGEX) woodsides.

See, I didn't even mention Pennsy.

Dan S.

dpstripe wrote: Joe,
I would like to second the three domed tank car, outside braced single sheathed box and depressed center flat. I would also like to add early TOFC, i.e. a 53' flat with two 50's era 24' trailers.


Dan S.

Yes to the above. What about the shorty tank cars too??? The selling point would be the "cuteness factor" very small cars that fit very small spaces for those that still want to put Z in briefcases, and you get more cars per feet for action, plus they could be names of companies that owned them, and not railroads so you dont have the roadname problems. Plus the powers that be can say they have Easter egg dye or Santa's elf juice in them, or whatever. A couple could be pulled with a switcher.

Interesting topic. When MTL decides to make a woody off center cupola caboose I will be more interested in this fluff. Not holding my breath for anything special, nor should you. Jim

Ice refers: more modern than the very early versions now produced. Like the MERX 05900162. End brake wheel, roof walk. Goes GREAT with Steam !

SJ-BAZ-man, Agree with! Ice refers: more modern than the very early versions now produced. Like the MERX 05900162. End brake wheel, roof walk. Goes GREAT with Steam ! Like steam also!!!!!!!!

tealplanes wrote: Well, Joe has enough suggestions to keep his design fingers busy for a long time. Now the question begs to be asked......what are the chance of seeing any of these suggestions in our near life time come to fruition? Everyone would be most welcome and a winner in Z scale.

It's just like the little red engine that said I think I can, I think I can! He made it over the top but He was in control. with this it's all a dream because we aren't in control!!!!! We just have the freedom of speech. But a dream is a dream!!!!!

This is a very interesting thread!