| These
General Service 53'-6" flat cars were constructed with a welded fish-belly
frame. The fish-belly frame provided an optimal distribution of tension and compression
forces from the center of the car to the bolsters. In addition, fabricating a
welded frame was less labor intensive than an equivalent riveted frame. The welded
frame proved extremely durable holding up to really rugged service where the wood
deck or the nailable wood-steel deck would need to be replace couple of times
during the life of most cars. These flats commonly found it's way into maintenance-of-way
service because they were still in good shape beyond the AAR interchange car-age
limit. A number of builders constructed these flat cars such as the Pacific Car
& Foundry (P.C. & F.), Marine Industries (Canada), Pullman-Standard, Bethelehem
Steel, and including individual railroad car shops such as the Milwaukee Road
and the Southern Pacific. They
were designated as FM by the AAR mechanical people. They carried anything bulky
that can't be placed in box cars from tractors to finished lumber. Wheels
of Time Model Features - -
Properly weighed cars for smooth derailment-free running
- Proper
ride height
- Body-mounted
knuckle couplers
- 33"
metal wheels
- Extra
fine details
- Paint,
lettering, car numbers matching the real thing
- Multiple
car numbers for fleet owners like yourself for realistic train operations
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