Re: (erielack) The EL Hot 100...number 2!

["Paul Brezicki" <doctorpb_@_bellsouth.net>]

Beth Steel built 3770 cars, numbered 156000-159769 in 1969-73. This class
was BSC's first 89'4" flush-deck intermodal car. As well as sporting TT
mineral red and yellow paint schemes, due to production spanning TT's change
to yellow in late 1970, an additional variation was the 220 BSF11x
four-hitch cars (XTTX) for loading of three pups (as well as two 40's).
Since BSC did not develop a trailer hitch, its intermodal cars used ACF and
P-S hitches. As this was a TOFC-only car with friction draft gear, it was
equipped with either the ACF Model 5 cushion or the P-S LP-4 cushion hitch;
some cars had the less common ACF Model 3 knock-down hitch. Contemporaneous
BSC flush-decks were the BSH12a All-Purpose and BSH12c container-only cars.
In 1973 the BSF11 was superseded by the BSF12 with redesigned body bolster.

Pat has provided another unusual photo of an intermodal flat with a load of
trailers enroute from manufacturer to customer; obviously these aggregate
trailers were circus-loaded.

The Walthers cars are overall acceptable models, with a couple of caveats.
They suffer from the endemic HO long-flat problem of high-riding deck; I
solved this by substituting Kato 70T RB trucks, which have a slightly lower
bolster than the Walthers truck, thus lowering the deck. Also, the supplied
hitches (both P-S and ACF) are a scale 6" too tall. One other problem I
encountered with a couple of final production-run cars was a relatively
sudden and rather severe warping of the deck. In trying to correct this with
gentle pressure, the metal weight proved to be extremely brittle and
promptly cracked in several places, rendering the cars useless. Add these
defects to the ever-growing list of problems related to ceding production to
Chinese factories.

Paul B

 

Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2017 15:10:45 +0000 (UTC)

From: Patrick Moore <pat.moore_@_att.net>

Subject: (erielack) The EL Hot 100...number 2!

 

List...

 

And the runner-up in our countdown, with 386 examples in the database, is...

 

TTX 156000 - 159768...an 89' flush-deck flat car built by Bethlehem Steel
Car, in Trailer Train class Bsf11.

 

Picture...

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/ttx/ttx157525wba.jpg

 

 

Locations...

Systemwide, but mainly in intermodal service between Chicago and Croxton,
NJ.

 

Model...

Walthers made a credible model of a Trailer Train Bsf11 flat some years ago,
with a recent release a few years ago, but it has gone out of production for
the time being.

 

- - -pat

 

 

 



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