I wonder why USA never produced these? Surely would have been a good seller.
Just guessing, but when they came out with their 3 bay hopper, these became supernumerary. I agree, these would have been a good choice.
I know I was looking forward to them. I need something to haul my frack sand. 
Shane
And being smaller, they would be usable on smaller railroads like mine.
Simple solution. Buy big one, cut small center section out on band saw, and glue back together. Now you have a shorter hopper. Just my 2 cents, LOL.
Chuck, oh yea, now that’s a great idea. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)
Spend the time I don’t have, cutting up a brand new car on a band-saw that I don’t have, to end up wasting part of a perfectly good car…that I don’t have.
Ah… Actually… Now that you mention it… I have done that before. Not with this particular type of car., But I have done that before. So, it is a good idea.
You can always build your own.
Yellow one is an Aristo car
Or a fleet while you’re at it.
Hey David, build me at least 8 to 10 please, because I am wanting some for a business that will be on my Layout. Aristo made them originally? Just took some pictures last week of the one I want to build and like they said cut center out of a brand new perfectly good , brand new, never did anything bad to anyone, Brand new car is the way to get one like I want.
cut center out of a brand new perfectly good , brand new, never did anything bad to anyone, Brand new car is the way to get one like I want.
Some people even throw a way there boxes! The humanity!
I have cut up a few cars in my time but those were cheap ones. I couldn’t spend retail prices then hack the car up. I don’t even like to weather a new car but old cheap ones I will beat up.
That would have been a good car for USAT to produce not everyone has the skill to cut a longer one down.
I think that the USA car is just a shortened version of their four bay car.
I’ve been known to cut, bash, paint and modify new locos and cars right out of the box.
It’s a part of the hobby. And it’s fun.
Boxes? Who needs 'em. Just more junk to store somewhere.
David, what did you use for the roof walks on those cars?
Paul Burch said:
I wonder why USA never produced these? Surely would have been a good seller.
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ImhO, USAT’ management made a big mistake pouring $$$$ into the autoracks … a ‘modern’ piece that looks great buuut can only be run on limited number of railways and also had design defect(s) which meant running problems even on recommended curve rad. … they would ah done better actually producing these short wheel-based ACF hoppers which could be run on all (common) radius track and is even prototypically used today.
Even SaskatchewanMiningandMinerals has a ‘few’ SMM marked, of these cars in their stated 168 car fleet !
The USAT’ ACFs would ah sold out up here. As long as the vendors did not retail them above msrp
doug c
Ray Dunakin said:
David, what did you use for the roof walks on those cars?
Clear coated pine Ray. I’ve heard different reasoning and opinion on whether to paint roof walks or not.I make some plain wood and if I have a shopped car for a repaint I paint the walks too(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Another (external) thread regards the seemingly ‘postponed’ USAT’ ACF 2 bay hoppers;
http://www.usatgscalegroup.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4229
doug c
The board requires you to be registered and logged in to view this forum.
So I will take your word for it Doug.
Yes, the Auto-racks are cool, but I could never even run a single one on my railroad.
ooops !
Sorry, i’ve never tried to access unless on a sys without login ‘permanently’ set.
nite.
Shawn I am now in possession of one of those coveted Red Boxes, I may sell it on ebay, once I start using the contents, or I may just cut it up and put it in the recycle bin
David Marconi, what did you start with on your builds? just a coal hopper ? Is ther pictures of what you did to them?