Thrall Material Handling Car update!

[coalminer12]

Well in the meantime maybe someone could explain to me what thrall material is?

Thrall is the car builder and Material just means freight or express, the kind you would haul on passenger routes as opposed to clunking along in a freight train. This might be mail or otherwise, although I don't think they haul the mail anymore. All these are are highspeed boxcars equipped with variable release brakes.

 

[Ferrous]

Well, these MHC's were used to transport mail and newspapers* across the country on the back of Amtrak trains.

When they put new trucks under the MHC's, Amtrak found out that the cars derailed at high speeds when empty. So, Amtrak sold off the 1400 series a couple years ago. I actually purchased three of them and sold off two of them.

*Not sure about this, but when I went through 1400 cleaning up before sealing the floor, I found some old newspaper scraps and shipping orders showing it had been across the country.

So yeah, I have a personal interest in this project! :wave:

 

[kmothersil]

You owned them? How much did they cost?

 

[Ferrous]

Well, let's just say that I got them for real cheap. As soon as I bought them, the price went up to almost six times what I paid! Even when I sold 1401 at 5 times what I paid (what they're worth now), that alone was enough to cover my initial investment (that is, the purchase, insurance, AND shipping for all three!).

But, that's business as (un)usual. :hehe:

During Day out with Thomas, the museum moves 1400 (the one I kept) to the Library depot and I open the car up so the little kids can line up to push the big red button to make Thomas go around the G-scale loop I set up in there.

But, that's probably enough ego massaging and topic drifting for now. :hehe: