HO Walthers Flexi-Van
Here’s a well-done model of the unique Flexi-Van intermodal car and trailer system that was developed by the New York Central RR in the late 1950s. It comes assembled with a pair of trailers decorated in appropriate prototype paint schemes. Individual trailer kits and extra bogie wheels are offered separately.
This Flexi-Van equipment allowed the NYC to offer its high-speed piggyback service system wide, especially to customers on the older eastern routes that wouldn’t clear the normal-height piggyback trailers on flatcars (TOFC). Most of the low-profile skeleton cars and special trailers, with removable wheels (bogies), traveled in dedicated, scheduled trains between NYC’s major terminals. Each Flexi-Van car had
a pair of turntables that allowed quick side loading or unloading nearly anywhere.
The Flexi-Van cars rode well at high speeds, and many of the cars were upgraded with steam lines to haul United States Mail on passenger trains. However, the rapid rise of containerization and newer TOFC systems made this specialized system obsolete by 1976.
Further information on the service, and a drawing of the Mark II car, can be found in the February 1992 issue of Model Railroader.
Walthers’ new Flexi-Van model represents one of the final series of Mark III cars, introduced in 1961, which had its turntables mounted over the trucks. The car matches the dimensions listed in the March 1963 Official Railway Equipment Register.
The Walthers flatcar has a die-cast center sill, turntables, and kingpin pads supplemented with molded plastic air brake components and end platforms. A set of formed-wire grab irons is included, but installing them requires the buyer to drill 24 no. 80 holes into the sides and ends of the plastic platforms. Walthers provides cast drill starter points at all of these hole locations in the end platforms.
The Walthers Flexi-Van flatcar is equipped with free-rolling American Association of Railroads (AAR) 70-ton roller-bearing trucks with acetal plastic frames and axle tubes. A pair of nickel-silver-plated brass wheels, mounted on needle-point stub axles, are pressed into each axle tube. All of the wheelsets match the National Model Railroad Association’s standards gauge.
A pair of die-cast magnetic knuckle couplers are body mounted at the proper height. Walthers recommends operating these cars on a minimum radius of 24″.
Our sample flatcar was smoothly painted white with sharply printed lettering and heralds. Each car comes with a pair of superbly decorated trailers that have one-piece bodies with snap-in floors. Anti-theft bars, a variety of railroad-specific signboards and other details are factory applied.
The rear of each trailer presses onto a pair of pins in the turntable while the fifth-wheel pin presses into the landing pad.
The loaded Flexi-Van car weighs 6¼ ounces, which is one ounce under the National Model Railroad Association’s recommendation of one ounce plus ½ ounce per inch of length. However, you can easily add more weight inside the trailers.
Overall, Walthers has done an excellent job of capturing the look and proportions of this interesting early container system. The Flexi-Van is a welcome addition to an HO scale intermodal freight car fleet that you can also run at the head end of some 1960s passenger trains.
This Flexi-Van equipment allowed the NYC to offer its high-speed piggyback service system wide, especially to customers on the older eastern routes that wouldn’t clear the normal-height piggyback trailers on flatcars (TOFC). Most of the low-profile skeleton cars and special trailers, with removable wheels (bogies), traveled in dedicated, scheduled trains between NYC’s major terminals. Each Flexi-Van car had
a pair of turntables that allowed quick side loading or unloading nearly anywhere.
The Flexi-Van cars rode well at high speeds, and many of the cars were upgraded with steam lines to haul United States Mail on passenger trains. However, the rapid rise of containerization and newer TOFC systems made this specialized system obsolete by 1976.
Further information on the service, and a drawing of the Mark II car, can be found in the February 1992 issue of Model Railroader.
Walthers’ new Flexi-Van model represents one of the final series of Mark III cars, introduced in 1961, which had its turntables mounted over the trucks. The car matches the dimensions listed in the March 1963 Official Railway Equipment Register.
The Walthers flatcar has a die-cast center sill, turntables, and kingpin pads supplemented with molded plastic air brake components and end platforms. A set of formed-wire grab irons is included, but installing them requires the buyer to drill 24 no. 80 holes into the sides and ends of the plastic platforms. Walthers provides cast drill starter points at all of these hole locations in the end platforms.
The Walthers Flexi-Van flatcar is equipped with free-rolling American Association of Railroads (AAR) 70-ton roller-bearing trucks with acetal plastic frames and axle tubes. A pair of nickel-silver-plated brass wheels, mounted on needle-point stub axles, are pressed into each axle tube. All of the wheelsets match the National Model Railroad Association’s standards gauge.
A pair of die-cast magnetic knuckle couplers are body mounted at the proper height. Walthers recommends operating these cars on a minimum radius of 24″.
Our sample flatcar was smoothly painted white with sharply printed lettering and heralds. Each car comes with a pair of superbly decorated trailers that have one-piece bodies with snap-in floors. Anti-theft bars, a variety of railroad-specific signboards and other details are factory applied.
The rear of each trailer presses onto a pair of pins in the turntable while the fifth-wheel pin presses into the landing pad.
The loaded Flexi-Van car weighs 6¼ ounces, which is one ounce under the National Model Railroad Association’s recommendation of one ounce plus ½ ounce per inch of length. However, you can easily add more weight inside the trailers.
Overall, Walthers has done an excellent job of capturing the look and proportions of this interesting early container system. The Flexi-Van is a welcome addition to an HO scale intermodal freight car fleet that you can also run at the head end of some 1960s passenger trains.
HO Walthers Flexi-Van
Price: single flats with trailers $42.98 each; two-car setd are $81.98 (Southern cars are $45.98 or $86.98); trailer kits, $12.98 each, bogies (chassis) are $6.98 per pair
Price: single flats with trailers $42.98 each; two-car setd are $81.98 (Southern cars are $45.98 or $86.98); trailer kits, $12.98 each, bogies (chassis) are $6.98 per pair
Manufacturer
Wm. K. Walthers Inc.
P.O. Box 3039
Milwaukee, WI 53201
www.walthers.com
Description: Plastic and metal ready-to-run intermodal car
Road names: New York Central, Illinois Central, Milwaukee Road, Seaboard Air Line, Southern, Western Pacific, and undecorated
Trailers: New Yorl Central, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Illinois Central (side door); Louisville & Nashville; Milwaukee Road; Seaboard Air Line (side door); Southern; Soo Line; WP; undecorated (end door version)
HO Flexi-Van Features
Die-cast metal construction
Magnetic operating knucle couplers at correct height
Metal RP-25 wheels in gauge
Minimum radius: 24″
Railroad-specific detail parts
User-installed grab irons
Weight: 6 1/4 ounces (1 ounce too light per NMRA RP-20.1)
Die-cast metal construction
Magnetic operating knucle couplers at correct height
Metal RP-25 wheels in gauge
Minimum radius: 24″
Railroad-specific detail parts
User-installed grab irons
Weight: 6 1/4 ounces (1 ounce too light per NMRA RP-20.1)
