Building Freight Cars - Prototype

[Deleted]

I am designing the copper concentrate cars for my railroad. I need to put a build date on the cars. So since I am creating my own decals, I need to ask a question. If a railroad were to contract with a car builder to build 600 hopper cars. About how many cars a month do you think a builder could complete?

These are cars that would look a bit like the following www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-c/cbry1504ava.jpg

For the model, I will use the Kato Seki 3000 Coal Wagon as seen here www.katomodels.com/product/nmi/seki6000_e.shtml. I will modify it to look more like in the link above of the CBRY car. Make a master and cast it. It is a unique car and I think it will work well for a concentrate car. It is a side dump car as well so no need for a rotary service facility.

[MitchGDRMCo]

I believe it's generally 6-8 a day, not 100% tho.

[malcolmcelyn]

Bet you don't match that rate, Brian!

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2014 9:07:51 GMT -5 malcolmcelyn said:

Bet you don't match that rate, Brian!

Yeah, I would be lucky to get one done a month. OK, two or three. Although I could get lucky and go on a spurt and get maybe a dozen done in one month.

[emd16645]

A press release last year from Greenbrier stated that they are capible of producing about 3800 tank cars per year, which equals a rate of about 10.5 per day, in addition to their other production lines. Other factors include the other orders the builder has on hand and the priority your order has in comparision to others.  I would think that a 2-3 month span would be typical for a 600 car order, perhaps longer.

The model you are using as a base is a Japanese prototype, is your cars going to be built in Japan or domestically? That sort of thing would affect production rates.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the info. I will set mine at 6 cars a day and spread out over a 4 month period.

Although it is a Japanese prototype, I will be rebuilding the car for a master to represent a US prototype. Some features will be removed and others added. Micro Trains trucks will be added as well as Fox Valley Models metal wheel sets. I will add a body mount draft gear box and use Lee English Z scale couplers. When done it will look a lot more like the CBRY cars than the Japanese car. Then I will cast a bunch of them for my needs.