Freight Cars for BNSF in Canada

Everything on model trains, model railroads, model railways, locomotives, model train layouts, scenery, wiring, DCC and more. Enjoy the world's best hobby... model railroading!

July 31, 2018

Brock models HO scale and poses this question:

“I model BNSF in Canada, and wondered what freight cars should be on my layout? Any ideas please?”

Facebook

Twitter

5 Responses to Freight Cars for BNSF in Canada

Bob says:

August 1, 2018 at 1:11 am

Most any U.S. cars would be fine on your RR, especially ones from the northern tier of the U.S. And most any Canadian ones too. Since companies ship their products all over the continent, it seems to me that any company’s cars could end up most anywhere.

Reply
Rudolph Blaw says:

August 1, 2018 at 3:04 am

I would suggest 50% BNSF cars, 25% neighboring railroads, 25% distant railroads. I actually quoted Jeff Wilson, author of “Freight Cars of the ’40s and ’50s. This would surely still be true after the mergers such as Burlington Northern and AT&SF railway. I would do some research on how many cars are still running in their original paint scheme. Personally, I think it’s fun to try to be era specific. In essence: no Archbar, Andrews or Vulcan trucks. Roof walks (running boards) were gone after 1982. Cabooses were virtually gone in the last decade of the last century. BNSF Railway was established December 31, 1996.

Reply
phil johnson says:

August 1, 2018 at 4:58 am

freight cars from mid late 80s. dbl. door boxes, beams, bulkheads for lumber . 60’flats, tanks for petroleum, chemicals. covered hoppers, autoracks. No roof walks, Bettendorf trucks.

Reply
Phil Gliebe says:

August 1, 2018 at 4:00 pm

I agree with the above comments, would suggest that the other railroads might be WCL, SOO, BN, (still see these around today). there are lots of private grain cars as well, PROCOR, ADM, etc.

Reply
W Rusty Lane says:

August 4, 2018 at 9:26 pm

I model the Central of Georgia in HO scale. I permit a lot of other railroads to run on my tracks, i.e., Central of Georgia, Atlanta & Savannah, St. Andrews Bay, Atlanta & West Point, Norfolk Southern, Southern Railways, TAG (Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia), Tennessee Central, and L&N. I model late 1800´s to early 1960´s and a lot of these railroads are now fallen flag railroads mostly absorbed by Norfolk Southern. I also have a Southern Pacific and a Northern Pacific F-7 and passenger coaches as well as an AT&SF F-7 which I run at times. All of my rolling stock is from just about every railroad that ever operated a freight train. It´s all up to YOU!

Reply