Unknown H0 Freight Cars identification.

[melmerby]

Hi all

A few weeks back I bought some 20,642 gallon tank cars made from kits, some are better assembled than others but I would like to identify the kit maker.

They carry the numbers ACFX 78476, ACFX 78484, CCLX 1853 & GATX 56054.

They are H0

 

Here's one of them:

 

Any suggestions?

Edited December 5, 2023 by melmerby
change to a wider remit

[doctor quinn]

That one looks like a Roundhouse car, could you post some pictures of the undersides?

 

 

[Keith Addenbrooke]

I think @doctor quinn could be right.  Try Roundhouse model 1373 - I’ve had a quick look online.  I believe it was for an HO 50’ tank car and I think the series of numbers offered included GATX 56054.  If the long central section of the ‘belly’ is a separate part (between the support stanchions towards either end), that would fit the design I’ve seen in photos.

 

Afraid the tank cars I have are all shorter Type 21 cars (8000 gals).  Hope that helps, Keith.

[melmerby]

Thanks for thew answers

Yes. the bottom third of the tank for about 80% of it's length is a separate piece.

I'm not sure if this picture is clear enough but you can see the seam at the LH end:

 

As you can see it's not very well built, with the supports for the rail all over the place with a nice big finger print in cement on the body.

There are several broken supports & ladders on the other cars.

I bought them as a cheap lot to do up a bit but didn't realise hove badly done they were.☹️

 

[melmerby]

I've found this piccy of one of the Roundhouse tanks with one of my running numbers:

[doctor quinn]

15 hours ago, melmerby said:

Thanks for thew answers

Yes. the bottom third of the tank for about 80% of it's length is a separate piece.

I'm not sure if this picture is clear enough but you can see the seam at the LH end:

 

As you can see it's not very well built, with the supports for the rail all over the place with a nice big finger print in cement on the body.

There are several broken supports & ladders on the other cars.

I bought them as a cheap lot to do up a bit but didn't realise hove badly done they were.☹️

 

Thanks, that's definitely Roundhouse though it's acquired metal wheels ( probably Kadee). Even with the tidying needed I think you have a bargain.

Edited December 4, 2023 by doctor quinn

[melmerby]

Are there many kits still made?

Roundhouse was absorbed by Athearn but they don't seem to list any of the kits on their website.

Yardmaster/Blueprint (Branchline Trains) has been subsumed into Atlas but again I can't find any kits listed.

Red Caboose are now Intermountain. They do some undecorated kits.

Edited December 4, 2023 by melmerby

[melmerby]

13 hours ago, doctor quinn said:

Thanks, that's definitely Roundhouse though it's acquired metal wheels ( probably Kadee). Even with the tidying needed I think you have a bargain.

They were 5 for £30, mainly complete but some of the fragile bits have been either broken or lost and the gluing is a bit over the top in some places. Most of the wheels are metal.

I was going to try some suitable brass strip for the supports for the rails and some replacement ladders and try to break them down a bit and re-assemble if possible.

I did that with some Ratio GWR 4 wheelers, which were again cheap and they have turned out quite well.

[melmerby]

I've another freight car that I can't identify possibly RTR.

It's a flat car, Southern Pacific #598221 with a side mounted brake wheel, 50' (?), could it be Athearn or maybe Kadee or A.N. Other?

[steve1]

6 hours ago, melmerby said:

I've another freight car that I can't identify possibly RTR.

It's a flat car, Southern Pacific #598221 with a side mounted brake wheel, 50' (?), could it be Athearn or maybe Kadee or A.N. Other?

 

Picture?

 

steve

[Alcanman]

10 hours ago, melmerby said:

Are there many kits still made?

Roundhouse was absorbed by Athearn but they don't seem to list any of the kits on their website.

Yardmaster/Blueprint (Branchline Trains) has been subsumed into Atlas but again I can't find any kits listed.

Red Caboose are now Intermountain. They do some undecorated kits.

Accurail still make kits. Roundhouse are now part of the Athearn RTR range. https://www.accurail.com/accurail/

[melmerby]

5 hours ago, steve1 said:

 

Picture?

 

steve

As requested:

 

Underside lacks detail.

 

It's about 54' scale length

The couplings are obviously not original as they are Kadees in a gear box glued to the underside of the car.

I suspect the trucks are also replacements due to the way they are fixed. (the silver axle is my doing, affixing resistors for train detection.)

The broken brake wheel shuld be an easy fix.

 

[doctor quinn]

2 hours ago, melmerby said:

As requested:

 

Underside lacks detail.

 

It's about 54' scale length

The couplings are obviously not original as they are Kadees in a gear box glued to the underside of the car.

I suspect the trucks are also replacements due to the way they are fixed. (the silver axle is my doing, affixing resistors for train detection.)

The broken brake wheel shuld be an easy fix.

 

I'd say that's a ConCor, derived from the 1960's Revell model.  I thought mine sat a bit high out of the box, maybe the previous owned changed the trucks for the same reason 

[melmerby]

3 hours ago, doctor quinn said:

I'd say that's a ConCor, derived from the 1960's Revell model.  I thought mine sat a bit high out of the box, maybe the previous owned changed the trucks for the same reason 

Having found a picture of one, I agree.

Thanks for the info.

 

Were they available as kits?

 

[melmerby]

Another query re cars

What sort of couplings are these?:

 

 

I've noticed them on some older models (Those are on Con-Cor flat cars)

They look similar to what Airfix put on their wagon kits in the UK

 

 

 

[long island jack]

There horn hook couplers, once the standard HO coupling, before Kadee's

[John M Upton]

Horn hook couplers, fit only for the bin, should be banned really.

[melmerby]

Presumably why that Con-Cor flat car I have is fitted with Kadees in a gearbox glued to the underside, rather than frame mounted like most.

A previous owner must have modded it.

[John M Upton]

Some of the older legacy models are more tricky to convert, usually carving the whole coupling assembly off and replacing with a complete box is the only viable option.  Fortunately, Athearn Blue Box ones tend to have the metal spring clip version which is a lot easier as long as the spring cover has not got too badly bent or the plastic tabs worn off.

 

Despite their age (some wagon moulds date back to the 1950's) they are cheap to buy and with a little work, still brush up into a half decent model.

[2E Sub Shed]

1 hour ago, John M Upton said:

Some of the older legacy models are more tricky to convert, usually carving the whole coupling assembly off and replacing with a complete box is the only viable option.  Fortunately, Athearn Blue Box ones tend to have the metal spring clip version which is a lot easier as long as the spring cover has not got too badly bent or the plastic tabs worn off.

If you have issues with the coupler box on US outline, the following is of use A-Line Bulls Eye Jig which enables screw mounting of the coupler.

 

Also the metal spring covers are available as a spare.

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, John M Upton said:

Despite their age (some wagon moulds date back to the 1950's) they are cheap to buy and with a little work, still brush up into a half decent model.

In a few months I have managed to build up a total of 30 various S/H cars from several sellers, they were all fairly cheap (cheaper than similar UK outline stuff)

Some broken ladders and other fine details but generally OK

[melmerby]

Where can I get Metal wheelsets from?

Possibly also complete trucks.

 

Most are metal wheels on plastic axles, some metal wheels & metal axles

Some however are plastic wheels on metal axles, one wagon (Life Like) has plug in trucks like UK Lima stuff, rather than the usual screw in.

[Patrick SPF]

Mech Models would be a good starting point

 

[long island jack]

make sure you get the right size wheel ,there's different wheel profile too  https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/kadee-kde520.html

[melmerby]

110 & 33"

 

What about axle length?

I've noticed they aren't all the same. I assumed 1" (25.4mm") was standard but some aren't!☹️