Exactrail Evolution EE1763-1 HO Scale Depressed Center Flatcar Norfolk Southern NS 185220
General Steel Industries (GSI) offered one-piece cast-steel under-frames in which the sill, body bolsters, cross bearers, draft pockets, couplers and carriers were combined into a single steel casting. These under-frames were popular for Depressed Center Flats because the design maximized load strength while minimizing vertical height of fabricated under-frames.
Generally designed with a specialty commodity in mind, Depressed Center Flat Cars are unique. In addition to the GSI cast steel designs, Depressed Center Flats were frequently fabricated by a railroad's home shop and familiar builders — such as Thrall, and were also built by a host of specialty builders, such as Maxson, Norca and Kasgro.
Given the rarity of all designs, ExactRail combined elements common to key prototypes to offer a Depressed Center Flat with both interesting and characteristic features. Perhaps closest in design to the Conrail (ex-Erie Lackawanna) FE42A Class Depressed Flat, ExactRail's Depressed Center Flat is a good stand-in for similar TTX/QTTX, NYC, UP, CR, & P&LE cars. With perforated GSI-style decks and intricately lettered car sides, ExactRail's 48' Depressed Center Flat will turn heads just like the prototypes.
Norfolk Southern maintains a small fleet of these specialty cars for when the need arrises. Repainted in 2007, these cars came from the Norfolk & Western and now reside on the NS.
FEATURES:
- Precision micro-tooled!
- Designed, engineered and tooled in the United States!
- Factory installed Kadee® No. 5® couplers
- Narrow-style draft box featuring shank wedges, & striker casting and full nut and bolt detail
- ExactRail's exclusive ASF 100 Ton Ride Control Trucks
- CNC-machined metal wheel sets
- Razor sharp painting and printing
- Wire grab irons and GSI-style perforated deck