Somebodies F-200 4 Truck Flatcar

[up148]

I've been trying to figure out who's kit or who manufactured this car I got decades ago. It came Yoder trucks, two complete and two missing the brake rigging and most likely the trucks are worth more that the car.

I know Westside and Mt. Vernon imported version of this car, but I see differences that say this is not an import.

It is all brass including the swing bolster. The coupler pocket is soldered on the frame, which would make mounting working couplers interesting.

If you remove the bolster screw the car splits into 3 major sub-assemblies.

The brake reservoir and other brake components are held on by screws and not soldered.

The quality of the frame and deck casting are impressive IMHO and not like I would have expected from an older kit.

Any ideas on the pedigree of this car? I asked a few knowledgeable people, but the origin is still unknown. I know it shouldn't be that important and most likely a simple explanation, but it's become an obsession for me. I've seen some earlier 50's maybe 60's cars that had the brake components screwed on, but no idea of the manufacturer of those either.

Butch

[sarge]

Max Gray did that car and, without holding it in my hand, it looks to be yours. The lack of filet in the lower lip of the bed, the span bolsters, and the fixed draught-gear boxes are consistent.

[up148]

That makes sense. It has many earmarks of an early import, but the unmachined part of the bolsters being much cruder than Mt Vernon and WS threw me off. I figured one of us here had seen this car and knew the importer. Bravo!!!

[sarge]

Butch

PM sent

[up148]

Well, once Sarge pointed out correctly that this was a MG model, I remembered I had the MG Spotters Guide purchases back in the 80's or 90's and found this model inside.

MG calls it a GSC-16, because General Steel Corp. supplied the cast frame, but it's a F-200 flat car used for hauling extremely heavy loads. The car is rated for 398,000 pounds per information I found. Photos show it in operation during the late 40's and a good chance before and after that.

The Mount Vernon I referenced incorrectly was a shop who built the prototype and not an importer of this model. Only MG and WS imported it in O scale. Sarge had a ton of info to offer me and the haunting and melancholy side bar to that comment, is that he's was the only one who new about this model.

Mystery solved thanks to MTJ.

[E7]

I'm NOT disputing Brian's post, but I think there was a similar piece was from Carl Auel (sp?) as in Auel engineering. I think I saw it in an old issue of O Scale News. That and a buck will get you coffee. A lady by the name of Janine Gatch (Carl Auel's secretary, I think) inherited the business from Mr. Auel. A little more trivia: I think the Iconic car builder Robert Parri worked for Mr. Auel. You shouldn't have tossed those old mags Butch!

Rich of CRS

[up148]

Just for clarity, I looked it up in my Max Gray books and this is definitely a MG model. I forgot the name, but I also remembered seeing the Auel models advertised in the mags back in the 90's. For an instant I wondered if this model could be an Auel, but then remembered his cars were cast aluminum or some other non-brass material. I believe they were oversized as well. I only wanted to sell this model without mis-representing it and in the process learned a lot more than I needed. Not a fan of this style flatcar.

Turns out is has Yoder trucks, which are probably worth more than the car.