Intermountain: Ft-V 53’6″ 70-ton Flatcar (HO)

The prototype is discussed in the Rolling Stock Reference Series – Volume Seven, Santa Fe Open-Top Cars, pages 21, 43. With the heavy traffic of WWII, Santa Fe needed more flat cars. The War Production Board assigned 200 “War Emergency 70 ton 53’6” flat cars to the Santa Fe in 1944 as Ft-V. These were the AAR standard of 1941. Trucks were Barber Stabilized S-2 with built in bolster snubbers.

The Intermountain model is cast metal with attached real wood deck, wire grabs, and full brake rigging. It rides on metal wheel sets and has Kadee scale couplers. It is a beautifully produced car, though there are some differences in details. The fishbelly slope is not exactly the same as the prototype and it lacks some side reinforcing plates that were on the sides of the prototype located over the stirrup steps on each end. The trucks are not Barber Stabilized S-2. The car weighs 3 oz, which is good for a flat car, but less than the 5.75 oz. recommended by the NMRA.

Thanks to Steve Sandifer for the review and photos.