Freight Loads

Last Updated January 9, 2012

Kit #206 Structural Flat Car Load MSRP $17.95

This new flat car load is usable for a variety of applications and is a real eye catcher either parked on a siding, traveling in a train or just sitting on its blocking in an industrial area. Its unique design allows the load to be anything you want it to be: part of an overhead crane, a section of movable bridge, part of the boom on a giant scoop shovel as used in pit-mining, or anything else your imagination makes of it. The load may be hauled by two 30’ cars, such as Funaro & Camerlengo’s Pennsylvania Railroad F22 flat car kits or Roundhouse’s “shorty” flats. It can also be loaded on two 40’ or 50’ flat cars with one or two idler cars. 60’ Flat cars, such as produced by Roundhouse/Athearn, can carry the load alone. The laser-cut kit utilizes our Peel & Stick technique for assembly and includes all of the parts needed to assemble the Structural Load, plus all the blocking, tie-down rods, and nut and washer detail. While considered HO scale in this application, it may also be used in S and O scales as a smaller load. Assembled load measures 7.75” long x 1” wide x 1.125” high.  

Kit #207 Flat Car Load Bolsters MSRP $6.95

Based on a Pennsylvania Railroad prototype and as used on their F22 class heavy duty “Gun Flats”, this Load Bolster design not only supported heavy loads, but also had a central pivot point that would allow the bolsters to accommodate multi-car length loads as the train moved through curves and turnouts. There is much photographic documentation relative to the use of these cars and load bolsters. Originally created to carry 14” naval gun barrels from the Washington Navy Yard to Navy bases on the West Coast, the F22 flat cars became the heavy haulers of the day. The special load bolsters on board these flat cars carried other equipment too such as railroad turntables, large bridge beams, and other structural loads as represented by our kit #206. This new LASERKIT replicates these Pennsy bolsters faithfully and utilizes a unique method of construction. The parts are laser-cut to within .0025” and literally snap together. This allows the bulk of the bolster to be assembled without gluing. Once the primary parts are constructed, then glue is applied sparingly to the tabs and slots while the supplied adhesive backed cover plates are placed on the top and bottom of the bolster to conceal the tabs, slots, and glue. These Load Bolsters can be used to transport our kit #206 should the modeler desire to haul them on two 30 or 40 foot flats. Each kit contains enough parts to build one pair of bolsters.  

Kit #208 Flanged Pipe Load and Blocking MSRP $12.95

Our latest flat car load includes styrene “pipe” and laser-cut parts to construct large diameter weld-neck flanges for the pipe ends along with wooden blocking, wire tie downs, metal plates and nuts and washers to fasten the load to the car’s deck. The 8.5” long pipe load may be used with two 30-foot or 40-foot flat cars or one 50-foot or 60-foot flat with idler cars. If using this kit with two flats, we recommend our Kit #207 Load Bolsters for load articulation. 

 
Kit #209 Gondola Pipe Load MSRP $11.95

Our first gondola load includes styrene “pipe” and laser-cut parts to construct large diameter weld-neck flanges for the pipe ends along with wooden blocking to fasten the load to the car’s deck. The 6” long pipe load as packaged can be used with any HO scale 50-foot or longer gondola, but may be shortened by the modeler for smaller cars. Optionally, the blocking is also designed to allow the pipe load to be mounted to a flatcar deck as well 

Kit #211 Big Steel Beam MSRP $15.95

This new laser-cut kit utilizes our Peel & Stick technique for assembly and includes all of the parts needed to assemble the scale 72’-6” long x 7’-0” tall I-beam load plus the blocking and tie down rods, as well as nut and washer details. Due to its size, the Big Steel Beam may be used with two 30-foot or 40-foot flat cars or one 50-foot or 60-foot flat with idler cars. If using this kit with two flats, we recommend our Kit #207 Load Bolsters for load articulation. The load is usable in other scales too. In S scale, the Big Steel Beam measures 53’-0” long x 5”-0” tall while for O scale it represents a 40’-0” long x 3”-10” tall load.

Kit No. 213 Wood Crates for SceneMaster Generators MSRP . . . $6.95

These easy to build laser-cut wood crates are designed to enhance the Walthers/Life Like SceneMaster Generator freight car loads. Includes two complete kits.

HO Kit No. 214 Railroad Tie Stacks MSRP ...$13.95

Railroad ties are often seen stacked along the right of way, in railroad yards, or loaded in freight cars - usually gondolas. Our latest laser-cut basswood load kit can be used in many applications, either stacked or as individual ties by simply cutting the laser-scribed tie sheets apart. The kit includes enough tie sheets to fill a HO scale 53-foot gondola.

Kit No. 215 Naval Gun Barrel Load . . . MSRP $24.95

By the time WWII broke out, large naval gun technology had progressed to the point that the big 14” and 16” guns could fire up to 390 rounds before the barrels needed to be re-lined. However, this work could only be performed at the Washington Navy Yard in Philadelphia, PA. Therefore, all naval guns were transported by rail between here and the naval bases on the east coast, such as at Brooklyn and Boston, and the west coast base at Bremerton, WA. Due to its vast rail system, the Pennsylvania Railroad become instrumental in the movement of these guns and the company developed special equipment to carry out this task, which is the subject of our latest freight car load.

Kit No. 215 is designed to be hauled on two Pennsylvania F22 class “Gun Flats” and includes an HO scale Naval Gun Barrel (representative of both 16”/45 and 16”/50 naval gun barrels), associated laser-cut wood blocking and hardware, simulated canvas wraps, signage – all painstakingly patterned after original Pennsy equipment diagrams, and our authentic laser-cut PRR load bolster kit. Prototypical resin F22 class flat car kits are available from Funaro & Camerlengo (AMB also produces laser-cut wood decks for the F&C F22 car kits, click here for more information) , but this load kit can be adapted for use on other 30’ length flat cars as well. Furthermore, the Pennsy most often utilized their 40’ long FM class flat car as an idler for these loads, which is also available in kit form from Funaro & Camerlengo. As depicted, the Naval Gun Barrel load measures 9.75” long.

Kit No. 287 Crate Flat Car Load - MSRP...$12.95

Kit No. 288 Crankshaft Flat Car Load - MSRP...$12.95

Kit No. 289 Stacked Lumber Flat Car Load - MSRP...$12.95

Kit No. 350 Auto Frame Rack for Tichy War Emergency Gondola MSRP ...$19.95

Back in production again! For use with the Tichy War Emergency Gondola and J.J.M. Railroad Enterprises Auto Frames or Laser Direct Auto Frames (not included). Includes laser scribed and cut wood car interior with cast resin rack assembly.

Kit No. 391 Pickle Car Conversion Kit MSRP ...$37.95

While the Pickle Car Conversion Kit has been designed to compliment our popular HO scale Pickle Works Kit No. 725, the completed car makes for an interesting member of any freight consist too from the steam era through the early 1960s. In fact, photographic evidence proves a few of the privately owned, similar appearing, steel constructed super structure wood vat cars were still being used into the 1970s.

Designed to fit a 40 foot flatcar, we've found the Athearn and Tichy models, in particular, work the best for the conversion. The Athearn car will require the removal of the existing brake stand, but the included laser-cut deck and brake gear will work equally well on both brands of flatcar. Although most of the open vat cars we researched displayed smooth side sills, we left the molded-in stake pockets in place on our sample Athearn based car pictured above while the Tichy flatcar kit offers the option to leave the stake pockets off. Custom decals, produced by Rail Graphics, are included as well and provide numbers for five different pickle cars under the ownership of G. R. Dill & Sons (G.R.D.X.).

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Revised: January 9, 2012.