HO Scale Auto Frame Loads

 Greetings All,

HO Scale Auto Frame Loads

Model railroaders of a certain age will remember that American made automobiles were made with steel frames until the early 1970's when unibody construction appeared under mid size and smaller cars. To this date certain cars continued to use the full steel frames along with pickup trucks and some other large SUVs.

"Trailer Train Flatcar with Auto/Truck Frames" by Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D. is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse.

Looking to increase realistic traffic and some interesting flatcar loads for the Bedford Park Ford Plant on my layout I came across JJM Railroad Enterprises Auto Frame Load Kits in September, 2024. I purchased four boxes. Each box contains 80 frames. purchased four  kits that would be sufficient for four flatcar loads.

Here are one of eight sprues containing ten auto frames. Four boxes means cutting ten auto frames from thirty two sprues. The directions call for stacking the frames thirteen high but I chose to go twelve high which gave me six stacks per box with eight left over. The twelve high was done to make sure the subsequential blocking wouldn't make the loads excess height and prevent movement around the layout.

It took awhile but I finally glued all seventy two stacks together and then glued two stacks together to create three double side by side stacks per flatcar. The stacks were then painted with rattle can gloss black and a coat of Testor's Dullcote.

To block the frames and secure them to the flatcars I used Bass strip wood and the metal pole from a few lawn flags. The wood and poles have been painted with a rattle can rust colored primer.

Two stacks completed!!!  I toyed with adding the thirteenth frames to the stacks but decided not to. As shown the flatcar with loads are as high as a Hi-Cube boxcar.

Six stacks completed on two Bachmann PC 50' flatcars. I chose to use 50' flatcars in lieu of 89' flatcars due to curve restrictions at Bedford Park.

Six more stacks completed for use on Athearn BB 50' flatcars. The loads for the BB flatcars are removable.

After some touch up paint the auto frames are ready for movement to the Bedford Park Ford Plant. The auto frame loads are glued to the PC flatcars using CA. I have five of these cars and swapping an empty flat for the loaded one will be a simple affair.

The Wabash and PRR Blue Box flats with their metal stakes allowed for easy blocking, insertion and removal of the loads which can be used on other BB 50' flatcars as needed.

Ford here we come!!!

The following week a monster Train FAST-50 was lensed crossing the Empire City Highline with various freight cars for the Bedford Park Ford Plant

Two PC flatcars of auto frames was sandwiched between APRR and KP&W auto parts cars.

On the headend PRR and Wabash flatcars of auto frames cross the Cornelius Vanderbilt Bridge as the head to the City of Bedford.

The Fast-50 heads to Terminal Yard.

After the FAST-50 arrived in Terminal Yard a pair of Alco C425s hustle a block of cars to the Ford Plant.

Train BP-41 heads to Bedford Park with hot cars for the Ford Plant.

Note that the BP-41consists of steel coils, lubricating oil, auto parts and auto frames

along with boxcars from Ford parts suppliers IDEAL in Rock Ridge, NJ and ACME in Mayfield, NY head to the Ford Plant.

Final Thought and Comments

As you can see the auto frames make for a unique and interesting loads that can be used on flatcars of various lengths (50'-60'-89') or in gondolas with proper bracing. American Model Builders manufactured kit #350 for the gondola loads. Unfortunately they are no longer in business.

The JJM kit directions recommend using Plastruct dimensional products and scale chains to create the tie down system or 12"x12" lumber for the deck supports and 6"x6" lumber for the tie downs which is pretty much what I chose.

Thanks for reading and watching!!!!

See you soon!!!