Scale Trains (Rivet Counter) - HO Scale - Bethlehem Steel Company (BSC) F68AH Bulkhead Flatcar - Trailer Train (TTPX) # 81272 - Yellow - Speed Logo (SKU 6502-SXT31541)
Available On: August 1, 2019
Introduced in 1969, the Bethlehem Steel Co. (BSC) F68-series of 100-ton, 68’ foot long (over end sills) flats represented a new generation of high-capacity flat cars. Extremely versatile, the basic design could be equipped from the factory with a variety of appliances to handle different loadings. Our model is accurately rendered from builder drawings and photos and features road number specific details.
Road Number Specific ScaleTrains
Trailer Train/Speed Logo
Additional Features
All Rivet Counter Freight Cars Feature
History
The first production BSC F68-series flat cars, the F68AH, first appeared in 1969. They were initially equipped with 10’, 11” tall end bulkheads with wood facing; wood deck with integral tie-down channels; and steel deck risers. These 100-ton cars came equipped with 36” wheels, trucks equipped with hydraulic snubbers (at opposite corners of the car), and 15” End of Car Cushioning (EOCC) to improve ride quality and reduce dangerous shifting loads.
Well over 1,100 F68AH bulkhead flats were built before production of the design ceased in August 1974. Several are still in service today.
The early builds featured an “H” shaped fabricated jacking pad at the bolsters. During the final two years of production, this changed to a fabricated box with an integral roping eye. All were built with transverse steel risers in the deck but this feature would start to be removed from the fleet after just a few years of service. While most cars featured a bulkhead face-to-face distance (inside length) of 62’, some cars were equipped with added bulkhead faces over the original bulkheads which reduced the inside length to 60’, 6”.