How Good is This Value Priced Model? - Unboxing and Product Review of an HO Scale Walthers Auto Rack
Auto racks are a common sight in modern freight trains. This model is more affordable than some others on the market. How does it stack up?
For a very long time, railroads have been used to ship new vehicles. In the early days, boxcars were often used. In the 1960s, railroads began to use long flatcars with specialized auto racks mounted on them.
Early cars were open designs, but this left the vehicles vulnerable to weather, vandalism, and theft. Later designs added side panels, and eventually a roof and end doors. Many of the cars also have cushion under frames to protect against rough coupling.
Interestingly, these cars are classed as vehicular flats, so technically they are flatcars.
The flatcar and auto rack are actually two separate pieces of equipment, and they can have separate owners. The flatcar portion is often owned by a leasing company, while the auto rack itself is owned by a railroad.
My model is an example of this type of car. The flatcar portion is in TTX yellow with Trailer Train markings, and the auto rack is painted and lettered for Southern Pacific.
Modern auto racks come in bi-level and tri-level designs. The spacing between the interior decks for vehicles is bigger in the bi-level cars, so they are often used for larger pickup trucks and SUVs.
As usual, Dan evaluates the model's packaging, prototype accuracy, paint & detail, and how well it operates and conforms to applicable standards.
If you like auto racks, freight cars, or just trains in general, be sure to check out this unboxing and product review!
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